How Hollywood went to Washington (and lost)A dangerous silence envelops the dark and dingy courtroom. It's punctuated only by the hiss of an indecisive fluorescent lamp that seems to flirt with the idea of ​​shutting down completely. The dim spectrum of the lamp illuminates the plaintiff's pale face. His bespectacled eyes peer up from horn-rimmed glasses. Suddenly, a gruff voice pierces the silence. It's a voice that wears impressive but bland clothes. It's a voice that drinks black coffee and smokes generic cigarettes. When he speaks, he asks, "Are you, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?" The little man in the chair, the pale plaintiff with glasses, remains stoic and even the flickering fluorescent lamp seems paralyzed with anticipation. . Slowly, almost imperceptibly, his mouth opens and his throat makes a cough-like noise. The promise of words yet to be whispered falls from his lips. Then the moment has passed. The mouth closes, the throat clears and again there is silence, and with the last flicker of the undecided lamp, there is also darkness. The scene described above is a depiction of a typical day in court for one of the nineteen men on trial during the Hollywood blacklist. The years following World War II are often labeled the “golden years” of the 20th century. However, this was an era full of fear and suspicion. Tired of the threat the communist Soviet Union posed to democracy, the United States government was eager to uncover any hint of Soviet subterfuge. Therefore the communists became pariahs and this led to the active persecution of anyone suspected of communist affiliation. This was exemplified in both the McCarthy hearings and the… middle of paper… Rony hearing,” as well as the “premature deaths and suicides” it caused and the “boring and hypocritical films” it spawned. It may seem difficult believe that Americans allow such an undemocratic practice in this nation. Fortunately, today filmmakers can make films on the topic of their choice without being judged for treason. However, the memory of this dark time will live on forever bowels of a courtroom and resonates in the hearts of the American people In the words of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the only judge who decides whether the movie industry is “good” or “bad” is “the man or the woman who goes to the movies.” It is an individual's duty to evaluate a film and interpret the art.