During the 1940s and 1950s, amid the onset of the Cold War between the Western bloc and the Soviet Union, the United States experienced a wave of anti-communist hysteria. The easiest way to discredit one’s opponents or dissenters was to accuse them of communist affiliations, especially by government officials led by Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy branded hundreds of Americans as either members of the Communist Party or sympathizers of the ideology, which, from his perspective, amounted to treason. Those accused faced significant harassment, whether in their careers or from society at large. Among these individuals were union workers, government employees, prominent intellectuals, and even some of Hollywood’s most famous artists. This article examines some of the most notable figures who were blacklisted, barred from working, and even spied on by American security agencies.

Charlie Chaplin

The FBI labeled the renowned actor Charlie Chaplin as a potential security threat due to his supposed sympathy for communism. Despite Chaplin’s denial of any communist affiliation, and spies assigned to monitor him reporting that he was merely a progressive leftist, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was determined to have Chaplin deported. Hoover coordinated with immigration authorities to prevent Chaplin from returning to the U.S. after he traveled to London to promote one of his films.

Chaplin was indeed barred from reentering the U.S. Instead of fighting to return for his career, he chose to remain in Switzerland. He issued a statement reflecting on his experience: “Since the end of the last world war, I have been the target of lies and propaganda by powerful reactionary groups which, with the aid of the American yellow press, have created an unhealthy atmosphere of discrimination and persecution. Under these circumstances, I find it practically impossible to continue my work in Hollywood, and thus I have given up my residence in the United States.”

Langston Hughes

The poet and writer Langston Hughes was known for his support of communist organizations in the U.S. and even traveled to the Soviet Union to produce a film. However, Hughes always denied being a member of the Communist Party.

In addition to his affinity for Marxist ideas, Hughes’ leftist views were reflected in some of his poems published by communist newspapers in the U.S. These connections led Congress to summon him to testify. When asked why he had not joined the Communist Party, Hughes simply replied, “Because the party was based on strict discipline and acceptance of directives I did not want to accept as a writer.” By 1953, during his public testimony before Senator McCarthy, he added, “I have never read theoretical books on socialism or communism or even on democratic or republican parties. Thus, my interest in anything political to you is, for me, merely a nonpartisan and somewhat emotional viewpoint.”

After his testimony, Hughes distanced himself from communism and became less political in his poetry.

Orson Welles

Director, actor, and writer Orson Welles was at the height of his Hollywood career when the U.S. government began investigating him as a potential communist due to his famous film Citizen Kane (1941). The film depicted a protagonist who, beginning as an idealistic social reformer, eventually turns into a manipulative, power-hungry capitalist. The FBI considered the film as evidence of communist propaganda and a smear campaign against capitalist thought. The government deemed Welles a national security threat and placed him on a list of individuals to be detained in case of a national emergency.

Aware of being targeted by the FBI, Welles left the U.S. in 1948 and moved to Europe, where he lived for eight years. A decade later, he expressed his dissatisfaction with McCarthyism through the film Touch of Evil, which depicted the abuse of power and corrupt law enforcement.

Leonard Bernstein

“I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Communist Party,” declared the famous composer Leonard Bernstein in a written statement. Despite his denial, the FBI remained convinced that Bernstein was a dangerous political subversive with communist sympathies. The FBI monitored him for the next three decades, blacklisting him from CBS and Hollywood, and rejecting his request to renew his passport. This scrutiny followed his support for anti-Vietnam War demonstrators and the Black Panther Party, leading J. Edgar Hoover to be determined to destroy his reputation, particularly due to his support for the Black Panther organization.

Lena Horne

Despite her talent, beauty, and fame in Hollywood, singer and actress Lena Horne was not immune to racism and discrimination. As a political activist who engaged with various organizations involving extreme leftists and communists, the FBI took notice of her and placed her on Hollywood’s blacklist. This led her to spend several years performing in nightclubs to make a living. To restore her career, Horne publicly denied any association with the Communist Party and wrote a series of letters to influential figures in Hollywood denouncing the ideology. Ultimately, she managed to return to film and television and produced successful recordings. However, she continued to be involved in politics, notably supporting the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Dalton Trumbo

One of Hollywood’s most famous screenwriters, Dalton Trumbo, penned several Oscar-winning films like Gun Crazy (1950), Roman Holiday (1953), and The Brave One (1956). However, he struggled to gain fame due to being blacklisted. Trumbo had once been a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, and unlike many of his peers, he refused to answer Congress’s questions about his political affiliations. He was subsequently imprisoned for a year and barred from working.

Trumbo’s official return to Hollywood did not happen until 1960, thanks to colleagues like actor Kirk Douglas and director Otto Preminger, who insisted on giving him proper recognition for his work on films such as Spartacus and Exodus.

Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker, known as one of the sharpest writers of her time, was a poet and critic who attracted the attention of security agencies when she was arrested at a political rally in 1927 for supporting the Italian anarchists Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco, who were controversially convicted of murder. This arrest led Parker to continue advocating for various political and labor causes, including the Screen Writers Guild and the Anti-Nazi League, which the FBI viewed as communist fronts. Although Parker was never a member of the Communist Party, she was known for her sympathy towards its ideology and had no qualms about associating with local organizations.

During the height of McCarthyism, Parker was at the peak of her writing career. Despite her name being on the blacklist, she still managed to find work but felt that her services were not in high demand. When FBI agents came to her home and questioned her about undermining the government, she responded, “Listen… I can’t even keep my dog in place, so do I look like someone who could overthrow the government?” By the time Parker reached her sixties, it was determined that she no longer posed a potential threat to national security.