Hollywood Exiles

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

9. Naming Names

20240318

20240417 (WS)
20240421 (WS)

After years of allegations and suspicion, those accused of so-called un-American political beliefs are driven from the movie industry. Mitzi Trumbo recalls visiting her father Dalton in prison. Host Oona Chaplin speaks to some of those whose careers were ruined and friendships fractured, as anti-communist fervour pushed witnesses to expose the names of alleged communists. Norma Barzman describes this as a period of political exile. Charlie Chaplin faces the FBI.

Archive:

Limelight, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1952

Johnny Guitar, directed by Nicholas Ray for Republic Pictures, 1954

Senator Joseph McCarthy speaking on America's Town Meeting of the Air, ABC Radio, 3 April 1947

Attorney General James McGranery press conference 1952, John E. Allen Archive

Careers destroyed and friendships fractured as Charlie Chaplin faces his fate in America

Careers are ruined and friendships fractured as anti-communist fervour pushes witnesses to expose names of alleged communists. Charlie Chaplin faces the FBI.

An American Dream

20240122

20240221 (WS)

Charlie Chaplin was one of Hollywood's first and biggest stars. He helped create the art and industry of movies. But by the 1960s, he was exiled. Oona Chaplin follows her grandfather's rise from the grinding poverty of his childhood in Victorian London to wealth and fame in Hollywood. In many ways, it seemed like the embodiment of the American Dream. But almost as soon as he hit the big time, Chaplin made some powerful enemies. Federal investigators were suspicious of his political beliefs and began to build a file on him. We learn how Hollywood became the battleground for the soul of America.

From the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts.

Archive:

Communism Condemned, Universal Newsreel, 1947

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood show, 14 January 1951

Testimony of J. Edgar Hoover before HUAC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1947

Charlie Chaplin is near-exiled following an FBI campaign to root out communism in the US

Charlie Chaplin was one of Hollywood's first and biggest stars. He helped create the art and industry of movies. But by the 1960s, he was exiled - was it because of politics?

Red Menace

20240129

20240228 (WS)

Dalton Trumbo's career as a screenwriter blossoms just as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover makes Hollywood his focus for rooting out communism. Trumbo becomes active in the Screen Writers Guild, a harbour for radical politics. Charlie Chaplin makes influential friends on the political left. With his first talking film, The Great Dictator, Chaplin draws critical praise and unwanted attention with a rousing speech. Shifting alliances between Soviets and Nazis force an awkward political reckoning in the US. Host Oona Chaplin explores the FBI's covert operations which targeted alleged communists. We learn how Hollywood became the battleground for the soul of America.

From the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts.

Archive:

Interviews with Dalton Trumbo, UCLA Department of Communication Archive, 1972

G-Men trailer, directed by William Keighley, Warner Brothers 1935

Upton Sinclair interviewed by Joe Toyoshima, 1966

The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1940

Battle of the United States, J. Edgar Hoover, Army-Navy Screen Magazine, 1940

Oona Chaplin reveals J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to root out communists in Hollywood

Dalton Trumbo's career as a screenwriter blossoms, just as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover makes Hollywood his focus for rooting out communism.

The Case Against Charlie Chaplin

20240205

20240306 (WS)

Charlie Chaplin's personal life sparks legal woes. Hedda Hopper, known as the queen of Hollywood gossip, was Chaplin's nemesis, and she deemed him 'un-American. ? Joan Barry was just 22 years old when she arrived in Hollywood with dreams of stardom. She soon met Chaplin and the pair became romantically entwined. When the relationship went sour, Chaplin's enemies – including J Edgar Hoover and columnist and radio star Hopper – saw an opportunity. Chaplin soon landed in court facing charges under the White-Slave Traffic Act.

Archive:

The Hedda Hopper Show, 3 December 1940

J. Edgar Hoover, Battle of the United States, Army-Navy Screen Magazine, 1940

Pearl Harbor newsflash, WOR Radio 1941

The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1940

Movie star Charlie Chaplin stands trial amid a media storm

A relationship of Charlie Chaplin's lands him in legal trouble, as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and the FBI conspire against him. Hopper calls him and his movies “un-American. ?

Hearts And Minds

20240212

20240313 (WS)

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and allies like Ayn Rand were convinced that Hollywood was infested with communists. Now they started scouring the movies themselves for evidence of propaganda. Anti-communist figures in the movie business, including John Wayne and Gary Cooper, create the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals to counter groups like the Writers Guild. Even American classics like It's a Wonderful Life came under FBI scrutiny. Studios began to feel the pressure – even changing seemingly innocuous scripts to avoid political heat.

Archive:

The Locket, directed by John Brahm for RKO Pictures, 1946

Robert F Wagner on National Labour Relations Act, Labor Comes of Age, ABC Television, 1965

Ayn Rand interviewed by Mike Wallace, ABC Television, 1959

Interviews with Dalton Trumbo, UCLA Department of Communication Archive, 1972

Woman of the Year, directed by George Stevens for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1942

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood Show, 14 January 1951

It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra for RKO Pictures, 1946

The FBI and Ayn Rand scrutinise movies for 'subversive' leftist propaganda

J. Edgar Hoover and allies like Ayn Rand scrutinise movies, even classics like It's a Wonderful Life, for “subversive ? leftist propaganda.

Billy's List

20240219

20240320 (WS)

Rumours of communist infiltration in the movie business had circulated for years. Showbiz insider Billy Wilkerson is the first to publicly name alleged Tinseltown “communists ?, including Dalton Trumbo, in his paper, the Hollywood Reporter. William R. Wilkerson III speaks about his father's friendship with billionaire producer Howard Hughes, a rabid anti-communist. He describes how his mostly apolitical father's anti-communist stance was shaped by a visit to the Soviet Union. Wilkerson III recalls how his father's close connections with stars like Jimmy Cagney gave him political influence in Hollywood. Oona Chaplin learns how future president Ronald Reagan operated as an FBI informant.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
	9. Naming Names	20240318	20240417 (WS) 20240421 (WS)	After years of allegations and suspicion, those accused of so-called un-American political beliefs are driven from the movie industry. Mitzi Trumbo recalls visiting her father Dalton in prison. Host Oona Chaplin speaks to some of those whose careers were ruined and friendships fractured, as anti-communist fervour pushed witnesses to expose the names of alleged communists. Norma Barzman describes this as a period of political exile. Charlie Chaplin faces the FBI. Archive: Limelight, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1952 Johnny Guitar, directed by Nicholas Ray for Republic Pictures, 1954 Senator Joseph McCarthy speaking on America's Town Meeting of the Air, ABC Radio, 3 April 1947 Attorney General James McGranery press conference 1952, John E. Allen Archive Careers destroyed and friendships fractured as Charlie Chaplin faces his fate in America Careers are ruined and friendships fractured as anti-communist fervour pushes witnesses to expose names of alleged communists. Charlie Chaplin faces the FBI.
01	An American Dream	20240122	20240221 (WS)	Charlie Chaplin was one of Hollywood's first and biggest stars. He helped create the art and industry of movies. But by the 1960s, he was exiled. Oona Chaplin follows her grandfather's rise from the grinding poverty of his childhood in Victorian London to wealth and fame in Hollywood. In many ways, it seemed like the embodiment of the American Dream. But almost as soon as he hit the big time, Chaplin made some powerful enemies. Federal investigators were suspicious of his political beliefs and began to build a file on him. We learn how Hollywood became the battleground for the soul of America. From the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts. Archive: Communism Condemned, Universal Newsreel, 1947 Hedda Hopper's Hollywood show, 14 January 1951 Testimony of J. Edgar Hoover before HUAC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1947 Charlie Chaplin is near-exiled following an FBI campaign to root out communism in the US Charlie Chaplin was one of Hollywood's first and biggest stars. He helped create the art and industry of movies. But by the 1960s, he was exiled - was it because of politics?
02	Red Menace	20240129	20240228 (WS)	Dalton Trumbo's career as a screenwriter blossoms just as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover makes Hollywood his focus for rooting out communism. Trumbo becomes active in the Screen Writers Guild, a harbour for radical politics. Charlie Chaplin makes influential friends on the political left. With his first talking film, The Great Dictator, Chaplin draws critical praise and unwanted attention with a rousing speech. Shifting alliances between Soviets and Nazis force an awkward political reckoning in the US. Host Oona Chaplin explores the FBI's covert operations which targeted alleged communists. We learn how Hollywood became the battleground for the soul of America. From the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts. Archive: Interviews with Dalton Trumbo, UCLA Department of Communication Archive, 1972 G-Men trailer, directed by William Keighley, Warner Brothers 1935 Upton Sinclair interviewed by Joe Toyoshima, 1966 The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1940 Battle of the United States, J. Edgar Hoover, Army-Navy Screen Magazine, 1940 Oona Chaplin reveals J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to root out communists in Hollywood Dalton Trumbo's career as a screenwriter blossoms, just as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover makes Hollywood his focus for rooting out communism.
03	The Case Against Charlie Chaplin	20240205	20240306 (WS)	Charlie Chaplin's personal life sparks legal woes. Hedda Hopper, known as the queen of Hollywood gossip, was Chaplin's nemesis, and she deemed him 'un-American. ? Joan Barry was just 22 years old when she arrived in Hollywood with dreams of stardom. She soon met Chaplin and the pair became romantically entwined. When the relationship went sour, Chaplin's enemies – including J Edgar Hoover and columnist and radio star Hopper – saw an opportunity. Chaplin soon landed in court facing charges under the White-Slave Traffic Act. Archive: The Hedda Hopper Show, 3 December 1940 J. Edgar Hoover, Battle of the United States, Army-Navy Screen Magazine, 1940 Pearl Harbor newsflash, WOR Radio 1941 The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin, United Artists, 1940 Movie star Charlie Chaplin stands trial amid a media storm A relationship of Charlie Chaplin's lands him in legal trouble, as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and the FBI conspire against him. Hopper calls him and his movies “un-American. ?
04	Hearts And Minds	20240212	20240313 (WS)	FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and allies like Ayn Rand were convinced that Hollywood was infested with communists. Now they started scouring the movies themselves for evidence of propaganda. Anti-communist figures in the movie business, including John Wayne and Gary Cooper, create the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals to counter groups like the Writers Guild. Even American classics like It's a Wonderful Life came under FBI scrutiny. Studios began to feel the pressure – even changing seemingly innocuous scripts to avoid political heat. Archive: The Locket, directed by John Brahm for RKO Pictures, 1946 Robert F Wagner on National Labour Relations Act, Labor Comes of Age, ABC Television, 1965 Ayn Rand interviewed by Mike Wallace, ABC Television, 1959 Interviews with Dalton Trumbo, UCLA Department of Communication Archive, 1972 Woman of the Year, directed by George Stevens for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1942 Hedda Hopper's Hollywood Show, 14 January 1951 It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra for RKO Pictures, 1946 The FBI and Ayn Rand scrutinise movies for 'subversive' leftist propaganda J. Edgar Hoover and allies like Ayn Rand scrutinise movies, even classics like It's a Wonderful Life, for “subversive ? leftist propaganda.
05	Billy's List	20240219	20240320 (WS)	Rumours of communist infiltration in the movie business had circulated for years. Showbiz insider Billy Wilkerson is the first to publicly name alleged Tinseltown “communists ?, including Dalton Trumbo, in his paper, the Hollywood Reporter. William R. Wilkerson III speaks about his father's friendship with billionaire producer Howard Hughes, a rabid anti-communist. He describes how his mostly apolitical father's anti-communist stance was shaped by a visit to the Soviet Union. Wilkerson III recalls how his father's close connections with stars like Jimmy Cagney gave him political influence in Hollywood. Oona Chaplin learns how future president Ronald Reagan operated as an FBI informant. Archive Ronald Reagan's 'evil empire' speech, 1983, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson is first to name movie business communists Communist accusations in Hollywood continue. Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson develops an anti-communist friendship with Howard Hughes.
05 LAST	Billy's List	20240219	20240320 (WS)	Rumours of communist infiltration in the movie business had circulated for years. Showbiz insider Billy Wilkerson is the first to publicly name alleged Tinseltown “communists ?, including Dalton Trumbo, in his paper, the Hollywood Reporter. William R. Wilkerson III speaks about his father's friendship with billionaire producer Howard Hughes, a rabid anti-communist. He describes how his mostly apolitical father's anti-communist stance was shaped by a visit to the Soviet Union. Wilkerson III recalls how his father's close connections with stars like Jimmy Cagney gave him political influence in Hollywood. Oona Chaplin learns how future president Ronald Reagan operated as an FBI informant. Archive Ronald Reagan's 'evil empire' speech, 1983, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson is first to name movie business communists Communist accusations in Hollywood continue. Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson develops an anti-communist friendship with Howard Hughes.
06	Hollywood On Trial	20240226	20240327 (WS) 20240331 (WS)	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 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.
07	Are You Now, Or Have You Ever Been	20240304	20240403 (WS) 20240407 (WS)	The House Unamerican Activities Committee begins its hearings into alleged communist subversion in the movie business. The hearings cement a phrase in American history: “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the communist party? ? Friendly witnesses, including actors Gary Cooper & Robert Taylor, are called to the stand, along with movie mogul Jack Warner of Warner Brothers. Walt Disney uses the opportunity to call out alleged communists among members of the striking animators' union. Dalton Trumbo and his allies challenge the legitimacy of HUAC and its hearings. Archive: Mission to Moscow, directed by Michael Curtiz for Warner Bros., 1943 Recordings of House Unamerican Activities Committee by Paramount Newsreels A sensational Washington inquiry into Hollywood communist subversion begins Politicians looking to put on a show grill film industry workers. Actors Gary Cooper & Robert Taylor are called to the stand, along with Jack Warner of Warner Brothers.
08	The Un-americans	20240311	20240410 (WS) 20240414 (WS)	Hollywood producers gather at the Waldorf Hotel to plot strategy. They push back against allegations of “subversive ? content. Motion Picture Association of America president Eric Johnston makes the case that movies are a force for moral good. He also calls for a hardline: he pushes studios to purge communists and sympathizers from their payrolls. This marks the beginning of the so-called “blacklist ? era in Hollywood. Screenwriter Norma Barzman recalls this as a repressive period, when creative people were self censoring their political beliefs Archive: Recordings of House Unamerican Activities Committee by Paramount Newsreels The Hollywood Ten, directed by John Berry, 1950 Dalton Trumbo interviewed for Hollywood on Trial, directed by David Helpern, Corinth Films, 1976 The Hollywood Ten hit a legal brick wall as the blacklist era begins The Hollywood Ten's legal strategy fails disastrously. They run out of options. More widely, writers such as Norma Barzman begin to feel they're being censored.
10	Exile	20240325	20240424 (WS) 20240428 (WS)	Although the blacklist era ends, the scars remain. Dalton Trumbo discovers a backdoor to Hollywood screenwriting work. Families of Hollywood workers reckon with the fallout in generations to come. After decades away, Charlie Chaplin makes a triumphant return to America. Ellen Geer recalls the effects of the blacklist on her father Will Geer, who refused to expose his friends. Oona Chaplin reflects on the lasting effects of anti-communist fervour on her family and the wider culture. Archive: Oscars ceremony highlights: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 29th Academy Awards 1957, and the 44th Academy Awards 1972 The Dude goes West, directed by Kurt Neumann, King Brothers Productions, 1948 Dalton Trumbo interviewed on television program Night Beat, 19 September 1957, Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research The Waltons, Lorimar Productions 1972 The anti-communist chill drives countless Hollywood figures into career exile Although the blacklist era ends, the scars remain. Families of Hollywood workers reckon with the fallout in generations to come.