Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare

About the Exhibit

Hollywood helped America win the war. Then fear turned Hollywood into the next battlefield.

In the years following World War II, fear of Communist influence swept across the United States, giving rise to a period known as the Red Scare. As government officials sought to identify and eliminate suspected Communists, constitutional freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly came under increasing pressure. Congressional investigations led by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) scrutinized the loyalty of thousands of citizens, resulting in accusations, public condemnation, damaged reputations, disrupted careers, and lasting personal repercussions.

Among those disproportionately affected were many Jewish-Americans, who often faced overlapping suspicions rooted in both political and ethnic stereotypes. In 1947, the film industry became the primary target of HUAC who subpoenaed a group of screenwriters and directors to publicly testify about their political beliefs and associations.

Ten of those individuals—later known as the “Hollywood Ten” – refused to answer the committee’s questions and were subsequently convicted of contempt of Congress. Their imprisonment marked the film industry’s adoption of a blacklist that ultimately sidelined hundreds of actors, writers, directors, and producers.  What began in Hollywood soon spread, affecting numerous industries and areas of public life.

Through photographs, rare artifacts, film clips, and personal testimonies, Blacklist examines the human impact of this era. The exhibition explores how fear, politics, and identity shaped a nation, and invites visitors to reflect on the consequences of censorship, conformity, and the suppression of dissent in a democratic society.

Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare was originally curated by Jewish Museum Milwaukee and was on display at the Museum 2018-2019.

Prying Eyes: A Prelude to the Hollywood Blacklist

The questions raised during the Red Scare continue to resonate today. How should America balance freedom and security? What responsibilities accompany free expression? How do communities respond to unpopular or controversial beliefs? By examining this pivotal moment in American history, Blacklist provides audiences with historical context for conversations that remain relevant across generations.

What does it mean to be an American? Who defines patriotism? Can dissent coexist with loyalty? How do individuals respond when social pressure challenges their core values? Through personal stories from artists, writers, filmmakers, government employees, and ordinary citizens, Blacklist welcomes visitors to wrestle with questions about identity, belonging, conviction, and democratic responsibility and reveals the personal cost of suspicion and accusation.

Blacklist invites visitors to examine how fear can reshape institutions, communities, and individual lives—and to reflect on the enduring consequences of those choices in a democratic society.