Who were the Hollywood Ten?

The Hollywood Ten were a group of filmmakers who were jailed for contempt of Congress during the early years of the Red Scare in the United States, specifically in the late 1940s. This group consisted of screenwriters and directors who were cited for refusing to answer questions posed by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) regarding their possible communist affiliations and the potential influence of communist ideology in the film industry.

Their defiance was rooted in the belief that they were being persecuted for their political beliefs and that it was a violation of their First Amendment rights. The consequences of their actions included imprisonment and blacklisting, which significantly altered their careers and impacted the larger film community. The term "Hollywood Ten" has come to symbolize the struggle against McCarthyism and the dangers of political repression, making their legacy significant in the history of American cinema and free speech.