The Hollywood Blacklist's Influence On The Film Industry
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The Paramount Decision of 1948 and the Hollywood Blacklist influenced how filmmaking would continue in the United States over the following years.
The Paramount Decision was a result of a law suit brought against the top studios. Included were Paramount, RKO, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, Universal and United Artists. This law suit addressed areas where the studios monopolized the industry. Many studios owned the business from holding contracts with employees such as the actors, writers, directors, producers and even stage developers and their control extended to controlling where a film was viewed. They owned theaters individually and together with about 70% of theaters being owned by studios and the independent theater owners…show more content… Studios owning theaters had to leave the theater business or split the company as Paramount did. They developed a company manage their theaters. Fortunately for the independent owners with the block bookings disbanded they were about to contract along with the large theaters for top first run movies.
The Hollywood Blacklist started with a group of 10 writers and directors who were required to testify in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. These 10 were suspected of being Communist or sympathetic to the Communist Party. They refused to testify and being held in contempt spent time in prison.
The Blacklist expanded over the years and included actors, directors, writers, musicians and others who depended on the studios for income. People on the list were rarely verified as being justly put onto the list. Being on the list indicated that you either were a practicing Communist, Sympathetic to the Communist Party, or it could be as simple as being an unknowing friend or acquaintance in the wrong place at the wrong time. This list was not used consistently and not everyone on the list were known but if you were a know name on the list it meant you could not find work within the industry and many moved onto other forms of