In 1917, Russia became the world’s first communist nation by overthrowing their previous form of government. This was known as the Bolshevik revolution. Most Americans, especially the American government feared that communist sympathizers would start a revolution in America as they did in Russia. Americans became paranoid of communists, anarchists, socialists, and of anyone who had opposing views of the American government. “Reds”, also known as radicals, were people suspected of communism, anarchy, socialism, and anyone who had opposing views of the American government. The red scare during the early 1900s surely created a variety of cultural and political firestorms. A popular medium which was caught up in this political firestorm during red scare era was the films that were produced in Hollywood during this period. The motion pictures that came out during this period surely played a vital role in fueling the red scare even more among the general public while propagandizing the threat of communism considered very un-American [1].
Between the red scare years of 1919 to late 1920’s, there were a series of motion pictures that came out directly attacking the threat of communism and helping the American government during that time to spread the anti-communist word. The first film came out was Bolshevism on Trial based on a novel written by the Reverend Thomas Dixon. This film makes socialism looks ridiculous in theory and practice. Bullin' the Bullsheviki was another anti-communist movie that came out in the same year, 1919. This is a comedy movie that shows a young idealist who must be disabused of his Bolshevik ideas. There were so many other anti-communist movies that came out even after the red scare was over in 1920’s. It seemed like Hollywood was almost fascinated about making anti-communist movies. The New Moon, The Red Viper, The Right to Happiness, Dangerous Hours, and Lifting Shadows adds to the list of anti-communist movies that came out from 1919 to 1920 [2].
Hollywood should be credited for its role in sending an anti-Communist message to the American population during the red scare era. Nevertheless, the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) interrogated many film industry people during this time suspected of spreading communist propaganda. Countless careers were destroyed and only ten individuals actually went to jail, came to be known as "The Hollywood Ten." Hollywood movie directors clearly understood the relationship between the workers and the movies. Lewis Jacobs’s The Rise of American Film: A Critical History, initially published in 1939, was a breakthrough volume in film history. Jacobs’s basic thesis was that film-makers were generally sympathetic to the plight of individual workers but not to working-class organizations or activism. Jacobs also explored how films of the red scare era repeatedly attacked “labor, liberalism, and Bolshevism.” According to the article, although he failed to connect conservative attacks off screen, Jacobs implicitly shows how anti-Red films helped discredit radicalism in the eyes of the 1920s movie-going public [3]. The American film industry used the Red-Scare of 1919-1920 for various plots, ranging from drama to comedy. Although most of these films were based on fiction, they served to reinforce in the moviegoer his or her own perceptions of the communists [4].
The working class had a different point of view regarding the Hollywood movies that came out during that era. They saw it as a medium used by the wealthy to distribute among the working class, the plight of the problems the economically fortunate was facing due to the series of strikes and bombings taken place during the red scare era. According to some, movies were part of instruments of social transformation that were part of larger struggles for cultural and political power. Filmmakers focused on the working class as mostly uneducated individuals who were not capable of solving their own problems. The film industry acted as a mediator or a diplomat between the workers and the owners trying to resolve the conflicts. People soon realized there was little to fear from all these groups. When the Attorney-General predicted mass riots and demonstrations on May Day, 1920, and nothing happened, the Red Scare fizzled to an end by the end of the summer. However, anti-foreign feelings still continued to shape government policy by the political parties for many years to come.
1. Pearson, Glenda. "Red Scare Filmography," University of Washington Libraries, 05 Mar. 1998. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/AllPowers/film.html
2. Pearson, Glenda.
3. Ross, Steven J. American Workers, American Movies: Historiography and Methodology. Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Labor and Working-Class, Inc. Spring, 2001. Pp.81-105 http://www.jstor.org/stable/27672711
4. Langman, Larry. (1998). American film cycles: The silent era. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
http://books.google.com/books?id=ltcNWzVEaEUC&pg=PA307&lpg=PA307&dq=red+scare+film+industry+1919+1920&source=bl&ots=YMns8G_viQ&sig=c4r8u1XPjYJqnGeHB290dyuA2to&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BzmEUpmxGsTXigKgsIG4BA&ved=0CE0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=red%20scare%20film%20industry%201919%201920&f=false
Between the red scare years of 1919 to late 1920’s, there were a series of motion pictures that came out directly attacking the threat of communism and helping the American government during that time to spread the anti-communist word. The first film came out was Bolshevism on Trial based on a novel written by the Reverend Thomas Dixon. This film makes socialism looks ridiculous in theory and practice. Bullin' the Bullsheviki was another anti-communist movie that came out in the same year, 1919. This is a comedy movie that shows a young idealist who must be disabused of his Bolshevik ideas. There were so many other anti-communist movies that came out even after the red scare was over in 1920’s. It seemed like Hollywood was almost fascinated about making anti-communist movies. The New Moon, The Red Viper, The Right to Happiness, Dangerous Hours, and Lifting Shadows adds to the list of anti-communist movies that came out from 1919 to 1920 [2].
Hollywood should be credited for its role in sending an anti-Communist message to the American population during the red scare era. Nevertheless, the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) interrogated many film industry people during this time suspected of spreading communist propaganda. Countless careers were destroyed and only ten individuals actually went to jail, came to be known as "The Hollywood Ten." Hollywood movie directors clearly understood the relationship between the workers and the movies. Lewis Jacobs’s The Rise of American Film: A Critical History, initially published in 1939, was a breakthrough volume in film history. Jacobs’s basic thesis was that film-makers were generally sympathetic to the plight of individual workers but not to working-class organizations or activism. Jacobs also explored how films of the red scare era repeatedly attacked “labor, liberalism, and Bolshevism.” According to the article, although he failed to connect conservative attacks off screen, Jacobs implicitly shows how anti-Red films helped discredit radicalism in the eyes of the 1920s movie-going public [3]. The American film industry used the Red-Scare of 1919-1920 for various plots, ranging from drama to comedy. Although most of these films were based on fiction, they served to reinforce in the moviegoer his or her own perceptions of the communists [4].
The working class had a different point of view regarding the Hollywood movies that came out during that era. They saw it as a medium used by the wealthy to distribute among the working class, the plight of the problems the economically fortunate was facing due to the series of strikes and bombings taken place during the red scare era. According to some, movies were part of instruments of social transformation that were part of larger struggles for cultural and political power. Filmmakers focused on the working class as mostly uneducated individuals who were not capable of solving their own problems. The film industry acted as a mediator or a diplomat between the workers and the owners trying to resolve the conflicts. People soon realized there was little to fear from all these groups. When the Attorney-General predicted mass riots and demonstrations on May Day, 1920, and nothing happened, the Red Scare fizzled to an end by the end of the summer. However, anti-foreign feelings still continued to shape government policy by the political parties for many years to come.
1. Pearson, Glenda. "Red Scare Filmography," University of Washington Libraries, 05 Mar. 1998. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/AllPowers/film.html
2. Pearson, Glenda.
3. Ross, Steven J. American Workers, American Movies: Historiography and Methodology. Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Labor and Working-Class, Inc. Spring, 2001. Pp.81-105 http://www.jstor.org/stable/27672711
4. Langman, Larry. (1998). American film cycles: The silent era. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
http://books.google.com/books?id=ltcNWzVEaEUC&pg=PA307&lpg=PA307&dq=red+scare+film+industry+1919+1920&source=bl&ots=YMns8G_viQ&sig=c4r8u1XPjYJqnGeHB290dyuA2to&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BzmEUpmxGsTXigKgsIG4BA&ved=0CE0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=red%20scare%20film%20industry%201919%201920&f=false