The Hollywood Ten, or Hollywood Ten, were a group of screenwriters, directors and film producers who were cited for contempt of Congress in 1947 for refusing to answer questions about their alleged membership of the Communist Party. They were blacklisted by the film studios, effectively ending their Hollywood careers for many years. Although individual members may have held a variety of political views, they were grouped together as the Hollywood Ten because of their similar treatment in Congressional hearings and blacklisting by the film industry. The members of the Hollywood Ten were: Alvah Bessie - Screenwriter, author and journalist Among her notable works, Bessie co-wrote the screenplay for "Objective, Burma!" (1945), a war film starring Errol Flynn. Herbert Biberman - Director, screenwriter and producer Biberman directed several films, including "Salt of the Earth" (1954), a drama dealing with social issues and workers' rights. Lester Cole - Screenwriter and founding member of the Screen Writers Guild Cole contributed to over 40 screenplays throughout his career, including "If I Had a Million" (1932), "The Invisible Man Returns" (1940) and "None Shall Escape" (1944). Edward Dmytryk - Director and screenwriter Dmytryk directed such acclaimed films as "Murder, My Sweet" (1944), "Cornered" (1945) and "Crossfire" (1947). Ring Lardner Jr. - Screenwriter and journalist Lardner won two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Woman of the Year" (1942) and "MAS*H" (1970). He also wrote the screenplay for "Laura" (1944). John Howard Lawson - Screenwriter, playwright and founding member of the Screen Writers Guild Lawson wrote the screenplays for such films as "Blockade" (1938), "Algiers" (1938) and "Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman" (1947). Albert Maltz - Screenwriter and playwright Maltz wrote the screenplays for "Pride of the Marines" (1945), "The Red Pony" (1949) and "Broken Arrow" (1950). He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Naked City" (1948). Samuel Ornitz - Screenwriter, novelist and founding member of the Screen Writers Guild Ornitz wrote the screenplay for "Little Orphan Annie" (1932) and co-wrote the screenplay for "Marked Woman" (1937), with Bette Davis. Adrian Scott - Producer and screenwriter Scott was producer and screenwriter for such films as "Murder, My Sweet" (1944) and "Cornered" (1945), directed by Edward Dmytryk. Dalton Trumbo - Screenwriter, novelist and founding member of the Screen Writers Guild Trumbo is perhaps the most famous member of the Hollywood Ten. He wrote the screenplays for "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944), "Roman Holiday" (1953) and "Spartacus" (1960). Trumbo also won two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Roman Holiday" (under a pseudonym) and "The Brave One" (1956). The term "Hollywood Ten" has been used by the media and commentators to describe these ten individuals as a group, but it's important to note that they weren't necessarily an organized group or united by a common ideology. Some were members of the Communist Party, while others were simply left-wing sympathizers or held progressive political views. The treatment of the Hollywood Ten was one of the first notable examples of the Hollywood blacklist, which affected many other film professionals suspected of Communist links during the Red Scare era. The blacklist lasted until the early 1960s, when influential directors and producers began to publicly hire people who had previously been blacklisted, helping to put an end to this discriminatory practice. The link between the Hollywood Ten and the Screen Writers Guild (SWG) lies mainly in the fact that several members of the Hollywood Ten were influential screenwriters and founding members of the SWG. The Screen Writers Guild was founded in 1933 to represent the interests of screenwriters and defend their rights in terms of remuneration, credits and working conditions. Founding members of the SWG included John Howard Lawson, Lester Cole and Samuel Ornitz, who were also members of the Hollywood Ten. When the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) launched investigations into allegations of Communist infiltration in Hollywood in 1947, several Screen Writers Guild members were targeted for their alleged Communist Party membership or progressive political views. Members of the Hollywood Ten were summoned to testify before HUAC, and their refusal to answer questions about their political affiliations led to their being held in contempt of Congress and blacklisted by the film studios. The Screen Writers Guild was faced with a dilemma over how to respond to Hollywood's blacklisting and treatment of the Hollywood Ten. While some SWG members supported the Hollywood Ten and opposed the blacklist, others feared the repercussions for their own careers and the SWG's reputation if the organization took too radical a stance. In the end, SWG adopted a cautious stance and failed to fully protect the rights of its members affected by the blacklist. Over the years, the Screen Writers Guild evolved into the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which continues to represent screenwriters and defend their rights in the film and television industry. The legacy of the Hollywood Ten and the Hollywood Blacklist serves as a reminder of the challenges screenwriters have faced in the past and the importance of a strong organization to support them and protect their rights. The careers of these artists were heavily impacted by the Hollywood blacklist, but their work continues to be appreciated and studied for its contribution to film history.