October 20, 1947
The Red Scare kicks into high gear as a Congressional committee begins investigating Communist influence in Hollywood. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) grilled a number of prominent witnesses, asking “Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Some witnesses—including director Elia Kazan, actors Gary Cooper and Robert Taylor and studio honchos Walt Disney and Jack Warner—gave the committee names of colleagues they suspected of being communists. A small group known as the “Hollywood Ten” resisted, claiming that the hearings were illegal and violated their First Amendment rights. They were all convicted of obstructing the investigation and served jail terms.
