Transcript Fear of communism HUAC and the Hollywood Ten

America in the 1950s
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Overview:
Fear of communism at home
A weary population seeks stability & a
chance at the “American Dream”
An era of conformity
The impact of the automobile
Rock ‘N Roll and TV
Overview (cont’d)
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Fear of communism
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HUAC and the Hollywood Ten:
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Committee of the U.S. House of Reps. created
1930s to investigate “un-American activities”
1947 launched investigation of movie industry
(were film-makers making movies with subtle
communist propaganda to “brainwash” the
public?)
HUAC identified 10 people who refused to
answer q’s…
"Are you now or have you ever been a member of
the Communist Party?"
Some of the Hollywood
Ten
Supporters of the
Hollywood ten
As a result…
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A number of people working in the
entertainment industry were
“blacklisted”…
Their names were on a mythical list that
made them “lepers”…no one would hire
them…some made a modest living working
under an alias…some committed suicide…
Joe McCarthy
Senator from Wisconsin…looking for a cause to
make a reputation
 At a ladies luncheon, he announced:
“I have the names of 205 known communists
working in the U.S. Gov’t.”
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The speech attracted a lot of publicity and
McCarthy had his “cause”
“McCarthyism”
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What made McCarthy a phenomenon were
his tactics…crude, rude, an obnoxious
bully who rarely had any hard evidence
Simply being suspected of having a tie to
communism could be enough to destroy a
life or a career….
McCarthy’s downfall
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Claimed the U.S. Army had known
communists working from within
Congressional Investigation & Hearings
(“Army-McCarthy Hearings”) were
televised (1954)
American public witnessed his harsh
tactics and style…his support faded
Famed reporter Edward R. Murrow and
CBS stood up to McCarthy…
Good Night and Good Luck
Warner Independent Pictures (2005)
1950s America
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So…in this Cold War climate of fear
and suspicion, what did daily life look
like for the average guy and his
family?
Core Values and Goals
Americans weary of struggle: the
Great Depression of the 1930s…
 Followed by a horrible world war…
 Followed by a new fear of a
communist takeover or ever worse,
nuclear holocaust
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Many had a dream…
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Get married
Start a family
Get a good, steady job with a big company…get
promoted…retire after 30 years
Own a home
Raise the kids away from the city
Have some stability in life
In short: live the “American Dream”
The Baby Boom
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Returning GI’s got married and started
having kids: the Baby Boomers
(generally, those born between 1946-62)
An Automobile Culture
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Pent up demand for cars (not many available in
the 1940s because of WWII!)
More power
Some with power steering
New styling (fins are stylish???) and colors!
New “Roadside” Industries born
Fast food...
Motor hotels…or,
motels for short
More effects of the car culture:
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Americans didn’t have to live in the noisy,
crowded, cities…
The explosive growth of the suburbs
Builder William Levitt used mass
production philosophy to produce
hundreds of inexpensive tract homes (still
done today?)
Levittown, N.Y.
In the ‘burbs…like Levittown, a family
could pursue the American Dream
The “Nuclear Family”
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Dad was the breadwinner
Hoped to get a job with a solid
corporation and advance up the corporate
ladder…
Mom
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Stay at home…raise the kids…do the
cooking, cleaning, etc.
The kids
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Innocent…honest…naïve
And TV portrayed the typical American
family like:
The Cleavers: YouTube - Leave It To
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End of Part I Powerpoint