Introduction
The Red Scare is the title of two periods of anti-communism in the history of the United States. The first period dates from 1917 to 1920, and the second covers the late 1940s to the late 1950s (Gladchuk, 2013, p. 43). These two phases are characterized by rapid growth in suspicions of communism and radical infiltration of the American government.
Accordingly, the Red Scare was a moment of political hysteria in the US that was particularly heightened during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States (Gladchuk, 2013). It was when fear of communism was at an all-time high, and anyone suspected of having communist ties or sympathies was investigated and persecuted. Suspicions of communism also occurred in Hollywood, as actors and other participants in the filmmaking process were not immune to this phenomenon. As a result, many actors, writers, and directors were blacklisted or had their careers stalled because of suspicions that they had communist connections. Therefore, it is essential to explore the emergence of the Red Scare and its impact on Hollywood.
The Beginnings of the Red Scare in Hollywood
In the international community, the interwar period was divided between various ideologies, and the leading powers attempted to separate spheres of influence by spreading their ideology. Significantly, the Red Scare expanded in Hollywood and spread throughout the United States. Therefore, since the 1930s, when several prominent actors, directors, and writers took part in left-wing political activities, it was the beginning of the Red Scare (Gladchuk, 2013, p. 50). The explanation for the emergence of different views in society is that it was a time of economic depression, and many people were interested in other models of social development and ideology. They suggested building a common dream for all people, precisely a just society.
The rise of Hitler’s regime in Germany and the changes in Europe also spurred the search for alternatives to the growing threat (Gladchuk, 2013). In contrast to most individuals who expressed such desires, the left-wing political activities of Hollywood personalities did not remain unknown. As a result, the US created the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) as a response. HUAC was initially designed to investigate Nazi propaganda in the United States, but it eventually focused on communism, which was seen as a growing threat to American democracy. Particular attention was directed at Hollywood in the 1940s when suspicions of illegal activities began to surface among actors.
Gladchuk (2013) attributes this to cultural factors and how actors express themselves artistically. The US House Un-American Activities Committee began investigating Hollywood figures alleged to have connections to communists (Gladchuk, 2013). They initiated investigations even if they had minor suspicions because they believed that actors, directors, and screenwriters were inclined to change their ideology.
Special attention was devoted to the works of individuals who collaborated with Soviet actors or had family connections with immigrants from Soviet countries (Gladchuk, 2013). Therefore, the development of the Red Scare and persecution in Hollywood constantly expanded. These investigations were often conducted in secret, with witnesses testifying before HUAC in closed sessions. At the same time, witnesses who refused to answer questions or give names were frequently labeled as unfriendly and blacklisted. The most notorious case of the Red Scare in Hollywood was the Hollywood (Gladchuk, 2013).
In 1947, HUAC called a group of Hollywood screenwriters, directors, and producers to testify about their alleged ties to communists. Films such as “The Front” and “Trumbo” presented portraits of blacklisted writers and artists (Fătu-Tutoveanu, 2015). For example, “The Front,” directed by Martin Ritt and released in 1976, tells the story of a blacklisted writer who advocates for other writers who cannot work because of their political beliefs (Fătu-Tutoveanu, 2015). In addition, in Hollywood, there is a group of screenwriters, including Dalton Trumbo and Alva Bessie, who refused to cooperate with the committee and were subsequently blacklisted by the industry. Accordingly, this demonstrates that Hollywood professionals were accused of disrespecting Congress.
The Influence of the Blacklist on Hollywood
The Hollywood Blacklist had a dramatic influence on the film industry. Many highly capable screenwriters, directors, and actors could not work because of their alleged communist sympathies. Some moved out of the country, while others continued to operate under pseudonyms or wrote for television or the stage (McCann, 2020). The blacklist also negatively impacted the content of films, as many studios were unwilling to produce films dealing with controversial or politically sensitive topics.
In the book “Hollywood and Anti-Communism,” Gladchuk argues that the Red Scare in Hollywood was powered by political and economic factors (Gladchuk, 2013). Gladchuk suggests that the studios were motivated by a desire to protect their profits and maintain good relations with the government. At the same time, HUAC was driven by a desire to eliminate what they considered to be subversive elements in the film industry.
Nevertheless, Hollywood made and released many films during the Red Scare period. McCann argues that these films were not simply propaganda pieces but rather reflected the era’s complex political and social context. For example, McCann (2020) highlights films such as “High Noon,” “On the Waterfront,” and “The Crucible,” and claims these films are still relevant today because they offer insight into current debates around freedom of speech, political repression, and the role of the artist in society. The author emphasizes that these films provide a clear picture of how Hollywood responded to political pressure and the changing cultural and political landscape of the US.
However, Stone also discusses how the topic of communism was covered in Hollywood and that most artists supported the policies of American conservatism (Stone, 2016). Thus, films often promoted purely American values and their superiority to those offered by other ideologies. In addition to the constant investigations by government agencies, actors and directors were under pressure from the possibility of losing their popularity and careers. Therefore, Hollywood representatives mostly attempted to make films and advocate for American conservative policies.
The Red Scare also had a lasting impact on American culture (Verzuh, 2015). The fear of communist influence and the need to root out suspected communists became a national obsession, leading to the persecution of innocent people and the suppression of dissenting voices. Verzuh (2015) describes the filming of Salt and maintains that the presence of the individuals who took part in the filming in Nelson harmed the residents of the city, who had doubts about the ideology of the film’s participants. Consequently, the local authorities, not wanting to have investigations on their territory and to tear down communist views, started verifying the actors, directors, and other participants of the filming themselves.
Accordingly, a political affiliation check revealed that one crew member did not support conservative American values. This resulted in the cancellation of the film’s screening in Canada and the blacklisting of the production team member. This once again confirms that the Red Scare had an influence on the activities of actors and other workers in Hollywood (Paul, 2013).
Furthermore, in the culture of the time, the media were substituting concepts. Most newspapers and magazines tried to support the American policy of the time to deflect suspicion and obtain lobbying for their own interests in the government. Thus, for the mass public, these publications tried to portray the blacklist of actors, directors, and screenwriters as a fight against communist infiltration and crime (Paul, 2013). In this way, it helped to conceal the actual image of the blacklist, that is, the oppression of freedom of speech and values.
At the same time, Hollywood films were often used to support the Cold War. For instance, theRed Scare responded to the Reagan administration’s position and described the Soviet invasion of the US. Meanwhile, Threads demonstrates the British government and society’s concern about the deterioration of international relations and the danger of nuclear war (Pajkovic, 2017). Accordingly, Hollywood was also used for dialogue between states and for issuing ultimatums to each other. In addition, a significant effect of the Red Scare on Hollywood was that media channels not only served as a way to provide false announcements to the public, promote dialogue between states in conflict, and create myths that are still known today.
Nevertheless, there is another position: Hollywood was a place where Soviet ideology was widely disseminated. For instance, Fătu-Tutoveanu claims that Hollywood and the film industry, in general, should not be portrayed as victims of persecution and censorship (Fătu-Tutoveanu, 2015). Instead, the author is convinced that actors and other people who worked in the film industry especially influenced the popularization of hostile ideology in society.
“The Front” describes the oppression of creative individuals in the US, their inability to express their opinions, and constant persecution (Fătu-Tutoveanu, 2015). This is another indication that the Red Scare and Hollywood are closely related. Although the Red Scare had a long-term effect on American politics and society, it is also considered a period of hysteria and excessive response when innocent people were accused and persecuted based on little or no evidence.
Conclusion
In summary, the Red Scare’s heritage is a warning about the dangers of hysteria and the importance of protecting civil liberties. Moreover, the Red Scare profoundly impacted Hollywood and American culture in general. In the context of American politics in particular, the Red Scare significantly affected ordinary individuals’ perceptions of the policy of the time.
People working in Hollywood have been divided into two categories: some attempting to support the government’s position, while others want to express their thoughts honestly. This influenced their creative work, with some trying to help the government’s general policy while others continued to raise forbidden topics in their artistic output. The fear and paranoia generated by the investigations and subsequent blacklisting greatly influenced artistic expression and freedom of speech. Accordingly, the Red Scare serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting civil liberties and the dangers of allowing fear and paranoia to influence art and people’s lives.
References
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Gladchuk, J. J. (2013). Hollywood and anticommunism: HUAC and the evolution of the red menace, 1935-1950. Routledge.
McCann, B. (2020). Now or have ever been: The politics of films of the Hollywood blacklist era. The Macksey Journal, 1(1), 84. Web.
Pajkovic, N. (2017). The revival of Cold War tensions and propaganda filmmaking: Red Dawn and threads as films of the “Second World War.”Film Matters, 8(3), 11–15. Web.
Paul, A. (2013). Making the blacklist white: The Hollywood Red Scare in popular memory. Journal of Popular Film & Television. Web.
Stone, C. (2016). When Hollywood was right: How movie stars, studio moguls, and big business remade American politics. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 36(1), 120-122. Web.
Verzuh, R. (2015). Remembering salt: How a blacklisted Hollywood movie brought the spectre of McCarthyism to a small Canadian town. Labour/Le Travail, 76(1), 165–198. Web.