The Hollywood Ten was a group of American screenwriters, actors, and directors, alleged members of the Communist Party, who were convicted of contempt of Congress during the height of the Red Scare. The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... A Communist party is a party which promotes Communism. ... In the federal law of the United States, contempt of Congress is the crime of obstructing the work of U.S. Congress, with a punishment of up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines. ... Some factual claims in this article need to be verified. ...

In October of 1947, they appeared before, and refused to cooperate with, the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which was investigating Communist influence in the Hollywood labor unions. As a result, the United States House of Representatives voted 346 to 17 on that November 24 to approve citations of contempt. They were convicted in 1948. 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was an investigating committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... For other uses, see Hollywood (disambiguation) Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that runs from about Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Specifically, they were cited for contempt for their efforts to disrupt the committee's proceedings by making political statements while refusing to answer questions put to them by the committee concerning their Communist affiliations and activities. Among the questions they refused to answer were: "Are you a member of the Screen Writers Guild?" and "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?". Their unsuccessful defense was based on First Amendment claims. Following unsuccessful appeals and denial of review by the Supreme Court, they served 6-month (in two cases) or 1-year prison terms in 1950. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the collective bargaining representative, or labor union, for writers in the motion picture and television industries. ... A Communist party is a party which promotes Communism. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States to interpret and decide questions of federal law, including... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On November 25, 1947 (the day after the full House approved citations of contempt) they were "blacklisted" by the major Hollywood producers, who declared publicly that the ten would be fired or suspended and not rehired until they were acquitted or purged of contempt and had sworn that they were not Communists. Because of their notoriety, they were unable to obtain work in the American film and television industry for many years. However, many continued to write Hollywood films, using sometimes thinly-veiled pseudonyms (and much reduced pay) or the names of friends who posed as the actual writers (those who allowed their names to be used were called "fronts".) Much later, when anti-Communism became less fashionable, they were sometimes portrayed as heroes for their defiance of the committee. November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A blacklist is a list or register of people who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, or mobility. ... For other uses, see Hollywood (disambiguation) Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that runs from about Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to... A pseudonym is a fictitious name used by an individual as an alternative to their legal name (whereas an allonym is the name of another actual person assumed by one person in authorship of a work of art; e. ...

The "Hollywood Ten" were:

• Alvah Bessie
• Herbert Biberman
• Lester Cole
• Edward Dmytryk
• Ring Lardner, Jr
• John Howard Lawson
• Albert Maltz
• Samuel Ornitz
• Adrian Scott
• Dalton Trumbo

Following his blacklisting, Trumbo was able to continue work under an alias writing, among other movies, Spartacus. Edward Dmytryk later agreed to testify and resumed his career as a director. Alvah Bessie was born on June 4,1904 in New York City. ... Herbert J. Biberman (1900 - 1971) was a US movie director. ... Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 - July 1, 1999) was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood 10, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy era red scare. ... Ring Lardner, Jr. ... John Howard Lawson John Howard Lawson was born in New York on 25th September, 1894. ... Adrian Scott ( February 6, 1912, Arlington, New Jersey, USA - December 25, 1973, Sherman Oaks, California) was the producer of the film noirs Murder, My Sweet (dir. ... Dalton Trumbo ( December 9, 1905 - September 10, 1976) was an American screenwriter and novelist, and a member of the Hollywood Ten, one of group of film professionals who refused to testify before the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee about alleged communist involvement. ... Spartacus is a 1960 film directed by Stanley Kubrick. ...

In later life many of the "Hollywood Ten" continued to defend their right to political association and to oppose red-baiting.

Note: While the Hollywood Ten were the most high-profile screenwriters and directors blacklisted, many others, such as Michael Wilson and Paul Jarrico, found themselves unable to work in their fields during the time of the red scare.

The Front, a 1976 movie starring Woody Allen, presented one perspective of the period. The Front is a 1976 film starring Woody Allen and Zero Mostel that portrayed the Movie industry in the days of Senator Joseph McCarthy, when many actors were blacklisted for their supposed un-american activities. ... Woody Allen (born December 1, 1935), is one of the leading American filmmakers. ...

References

James J. Lorence. The Suppression of Salt of the Earth. How Hollywood, Big Labor, and Politicians Blacklisted a Movie in Cold War America. University of New Mexico Press: 1999. ISBN 0-8263-2027-9 (cloth) ISBN 0-8263-2028-7 (paper)