On June 8 , 1949 , the FBI named a pot of celebrities as penis of the Communist Party . They may have been good to suspect some , but others were just completely ridiculous . Either way , here are 10 people who were accused at some point during the Red Scare .
1. HELEN KELLER
We think of her as the nearly saint - like woman based on the amazing floor of how she learned to transmit despite being unsighted and indifferent . But as an adult , Helen Keller wasfairly radicalin her political thinking , and the FBI definitely took notification . Although a " formal investigation " never took place , the FBI did monitor Keller enough to bed that she hadsent"loving natal day greetings to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn , a prominent communistic leader , on her 65th birthday . "
2. LEONARD BERNSTEIN
The composer and conductor fell under theFBI ’s watchful eyesfor more than 30 year . He was aim as a commie during thewhole McCarthy era , even though he rely on an affidavit that " I am not now or at any metre have ever been a member of the Communist Party . " The FBI was never able-bodied to officially verify that he was a member of the Communist Party , but they continued to monitor his activity when he supported Vietnam dissenter and became friends with a member of the Black Panthers . In fact , in 1970 , J. Edgar Hoover documented his intention to lead a smear political campaign against Bernstein specifically because of his Black Panther link .
3. BURL IVES
Burl Ives was called out in the 1950Red Channelspamphlet , a brochure that named 151 supposed Communists in the entertainment industry who should be avoided . He adamantly deny being a Communist and tell that any union bodily process he had participated in was simply tokeep in touchwith " work folk music . " Because of his cooperation with the House Un - American Activities Committee , he was removed from the shitlist . However , acquaintance such as Pete Seeger felt that James Merritt Ives had sold them out for get back to work and severed crosstie with him for many years .
4. PETE SEEGER
5. ARTIE SHAW
Artie Shaw , also named in theRed Channelspamphlet , was brought before HUAC in 1953 for statements supporting the Communist Party and for allegedly attending a couple of coming together . Shaw did n’t dispute that he had been present at a number of assembly , but said that it was simply because of his interest group in societal justice and world peace .
" I hate to accept that I was a dupe , but I guess I was , " he recite the committee . But if you conceive Olivia de Havilland , Shaw was decidedly behind Communism all the way . During a meeting of the Independent Citizens ' Committee of the Arts , Sciences and Professions , Shaw started talking about how the Soviet constitution should be the standard - typographer when it came to democracy . year later , de Havillandrecalled , " He said to me , ' Have you read the Russian US Constitution ? ' And I say , ' No I haven’t — and how lately have you read ours ? ' "
6. ZERO MOSTEL
Zero Mostel was named to the list of suspected Communist Party penis in 1952 , and although he did n’t appear before HUAC until 1955 , the accusation was enough to kill his calling . When he finally dumbfound to take the stand , Mostel took the chance to exercise the comedic chops which had been in hibernation since the public accusation . When the committee ’s counsel asked , " Mr. Mostel , are you or are you not a commie ? " he leapt out of his chair and acted like he was grabbing for the attorney ’s throat , yelling , " That man called me a Communist ! Get him out of here ! He asked me if I ’m a Communist ! Get him out of here ! "
He pretty much possess the tribulation after that , mocking the counsel and indirectly refusing to name name ( directly refusing to name names would have shore him a jail conviction like Pete Seeger ’s ) . Needless to say , this did n’t win them over , and he remained blacklisted .
7. CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Charlie Chaplin was such a worry to the FBI during the Red Scare that J. Edgar Hoover tried to have him deport . When he go forth the country in 1952 to further his movieLimelight , Hoover collaborated with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to overturn Chaplin ’s reentry permit . Instead of fighting it , Chaplin made the choice to stay in Europe , make his home in Switzerland . He issued the followingstatement :
The iconic filmmaker only ever came back to the U.S. very briefly , to collect an Honorary Oscar in 1972 .
8. LANGSTON HUGHES
Langston Hughes was affect in several Communist - plunk for groups and activity but was never actually a political party phallus ( grant to him , anyway ; obviously HUAC felt up otherwise ) . Because the Communist Party of the United States often used his poetry in their newspaper and because Hughes had expressed involvement in Marxist ideas in the thirties , he was called to testify in 1953 . He refused to give up any names , but freely answer all questions around his own writing and political opinion . He saidhe had never join the Communist Party because " It was based on strict bailiwick and the credence of directives that I , as a writer , did not wish to accept . " After the hearing , he began to outstrip himself from some of his more extremist poetry .
9. AND 10. ORSON WELLES AND DOLORES DEL RÍO
Despite being a substantial Roosevelt supporter , Orson Welles was considered one to check by the FBI . A 1941 memo from theBureau stated that"this office has never been able to make that Welles is an factual member of the former Communist Party or the present Communist Political Association … he has consistently followed the Communist Party transmission line and has been combat-ready in numerous front system . " They place him on a list of people who should be taken into detainment should the U.S. have a interior emergency , and it was recommend that his phone be tapped . Although he said otherwise , many theorize that the Red Scare and all of the accusations were the reason that Welles entrust the U.S. for Europe from 1948 to 1956 . Mexican actress Dolores del Río was presumably blacklist simply for her romantic family relationship with Welles .
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
