Hunting for Body Snatchers

It was a dark period in modern American history. It saw treason charges against thousands in the entertainment industry, including Shirley Temple, Lucille Ball, Judy Holliday, Charlie Chaplin, Zero Mostel and the creator of Mr. Magoo, John Hubley. Hundreds of talents of the age, like Chaplin, directors Joseph Losey and Jules Dassin, or writers Ring Lardner Jr., Albert Maltz and Herbert Biberman, were forced into exile or denied the right to work under their own names, with scenarist Dalton Trumbo receiving two Academy Awards under aliases. Edward G. Robinson, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Hayden and Lee J. Cobb were permitted employment only after humiliating public recantations of their beliefs and connections. Former leftists, including director Elia Kazan, writer Budd Schulberg and composer David Raksin, willingly named names in a witch hunt seeking to ferret out those with suspect political beliefs. John Garfield and boxer/actor Canada Lee, who died...