Who were the Hollywood Ten?this is during the Red Scare.

The era of McCarthyism is one of the darkest times of
American history, and should be a lesson to those who would use fear tactics to violate
people's constitutional rights.

In 1947, shortly after
World War II, the House of Un-American Activities Committee interviewed 41 people who
worked in Hollywood; these people volunteered information and were known as "friendly
witnesses."  However, there were 10 screenwriters and producers who refused to answer
questions about their beliefs, contending that they had the right under the First
Amendment (freedom of speech).  These men were the
following:

1. Alva
   Bessie


2. Herbert
   Biberman


3. Lester
   Cole


4. Edward Dmytryk


5. Ring
   Lardner, Jr.


6. John Howard
   Lawson


7. Albert Maltz


8. Samuel
   Ornitz


9. Adrian Scott


10. Dalton
    Trumbo

The men lost their case of vilation of
their First Amendment rights and were sentenced to six and twelve months in prison on
the charge of contempt of Congress.  Their names and the names of others were put on a
blacklist, naming them sympathetic to the Communist
Party.

In an effort to get off the blacklist,  Dmytryk
testified later that he was pressured to make his films reflect the views of the
Communist Party.  This testimony, of course, was extremely damaging to the other members
of the Hollywood Ten who were involved in their own court
cases.

The Hollywood Ten