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A story of glamour, duplicity and the FBI's battle against communism in Hollywood

Host Oona Chaplin guides listeners through the period known as the Red Scare - an ideological battle that implicated Hollywood’s biggest stars, including her grandfather, Charlie.

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Hollywood Exiles: 6. Hollywood on trial

27/03/2024 GMT

6. Hollywood on trial

BBC - Hollywood Exiles, 6. Hollywood on trial

Washington turns its spotlight on Hollywood in the search for “Unamerican” activities

The House Unamerican Activities Committee calls on movie industry witnesses to testify. Hearings with Tinseltown celebrities create a sensation. Katharine Hepburn makes a stand.

The House Unamerican Activities Committee starts calling witnesses. Their hearings with Tinseltown celebrities create a sensation and put Hollywood's alleged communists in the spotlight. Dalton Trumbo is among those summoned to Washington for hearings. Oona Chaplin explains why her grandfather Charlie was not called to appear, despite his reputation as a leftist. Actress Katharine Hepburn takes a public stand against HUAC, mocking its hearings at a Los Angeles rally.       

Archive used: 

Testimony of J. Edgar Hoover before HUAC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1947
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood Show, 25 February 1951
Katharine Hepburn for Progressive Citizens of America at Gilmore Stadium, Alco Records, 1947
‘Monsieur Verdoux’, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1947
Recordings of House Unamerican Activities Committee by Paramount Newsreels

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