The Hollywood Ten

The Hollywood Ten were a group of screenwriters and directors in the late 1940s and early 1950s who were blacklisted for refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee’s investigation into alleged communist influence in the film industry. They believed the hearings violated their civil liberties and refused to answer questions about their political beliefs or associations. As a result, they were jailed for contempt of Congress and their careers suffered. Their case highlighted tensions between free expression and perceived security threats during the early Cold War era.