MovieChat Forums > Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood (2010) Discussion > Hollywood Blacklist: same-o, same-o

Hollywood Blacklist: same-o, same-o

posted 13 years ago by jarnoldfan
3 replies | jump to latest

As someone who enjoys revisionist history, I was mildly disapointed that episode Five (the 1940s) trotted out the now discredited line that the victims of the Blacklist (and-yes-they were victims) were noble idealists rather than dupes of a now discredited totalitarian ideology. Lillian Hellman and Dalton Trumbo swallowed the Soviet "workers paradise" bait without reservation. (How many cinema buffs know that Trumbo was responsible for boycotting-and ultimately killing-MGM's planned 1941 adaptation of DARKNESS AT NOON, the international bestseller that revealed Stalin's show trials/executions to the world).

[–] digitaldiva 13 years ago

Hi jaroldfan,

In defense of the program, the blacklist deserved its own documentary. Regarding those who were blacklisted, yes some were dupes of the a now discredited ideology but much of the information wasn't known until after 1953, when the Soviets invaded Hungary. Some joined the Party or leftist organizations at the height of the Great Depression when people were starving. A number of people like Marsha Hunt and Howard da Silva who were not Communists but strong union people and were black listed or gray listed all the same. Regarding Dalton Trumbo and the killing the project because of the Daily Worker, but I've always questioned if he had that much clout among filmmakers.

[–] ibdex 10 years ago

I don't think the Black list had anything to do with who had what influence with the film making industry, but it just boils down to the fact that the scum by the name of McCarthy decided this was his vehicle to fame and notarity for his political career. he made it up as he went along. one day it was 100 communists discovered the next day it was more. this ,i want to say man, but whatever he was , did not care who he hurt or how. as long as he got his 15 minutes. there was no rhyme or reason to how he decided who he would ruin. I believe that the actors and actresses that were found to be "party" members did so as a result of the depression, as was already stated. for the most part they thought they were doing the right thing for the times and the misery that was all around them. NO, i am not saying everyone of them was an innocent, but they have, from what i have read, an ideology that makes them prone to different movements like what "communism" offered then.Basically it was a feast frenzy for "Mr. McCarthy"on anyone he wanted to. one good thing that came out of this is that it brought out Politics from the back room to the public eye, and that would change politics forever.Understand that this is my opinion, and i do apologize if i say something that is in disagreement to anyone else. but this man is so abhorrent to everything that this country should stand for. again i don't think for one second that it had to do with who influence or how much of a stand he, or she, took it was who could make this slime look good.that was the Joseph McCarthy that i saw.

[–] bcamphome 9 years ago

Senator McCarthy had nothing to do with the Hollywood Blacklist. Investigations into Communist influence in Hollywood had begun as far back as 1940 but were held off because of the war effort and then picked up with a vengeance after the war by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which began public hearings in October 1947. The initial wave of blacklisting (of the Hollywood Ten) was initiated as a result of these hearings. More hearings were conducted in 1951 and 1952 and more witnesses refused to give names and the full-scale blacklist went into effect then. McCarthy was a member of the Senate, not the House, which was the legislative body that conducted these hearings. McCarthy was discredited after the 1954 Army vs. McCarthy hearings (see the film POINT OF ORDER), but the Hollywood blacklist continued well after that.