5. The Hollywood 11 became the Hollywood 10
The eleven subpoenaed to testify in 1947 included among them Bertolt Brecht, a German-born poet and playwright. Brecht decided to forego his initial position and testify before the HUAC, appearing on October 30, 1947. In reply to questions from the committee, he offered inside jokes, spoke in a heavy accent, and often uttered complete nonsense. The committee relied on translators in some cases. They merely added to the confusion and lack of communication when Brecht claimed their translations did not match his answers. When he finished, the Committee thanked him for his co-operation and the information he provided. The following day Brecht, who had lived in exile in the United States since 1941, returned to Europe. He never returned to America.
The remaining ten witnesses refused to answer the committee’s questions. Through their attorney’s they cited their rights protected by the First Amendment. Some, including Dalton Trumbo, attempted to read a statement prior to questioning; the committee gaveled them into silence. The question, often shouted repeatedly, “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party”, became the catchphrase from the hearings. The HUAC cited the ten as in contempt of Congress, initiating a trial for the charge before the full House of Representatives. In all, the HUAC interviewed over 40 witnesses during the hearings prior to the Hollywood Ten, as they came to be called. Nearly all were co-operative, becoming friendly witnesses, which protected their stature in Hollywood with their employers.
