Owning the Image II: Politics and Cultural Clout
During the Blacklist Era, hundreds of prominent industry leaders, famous figures, and influential writers were called to testify before HUAC regarding their status – and the status of their friends, relatives, and colleagues – as members of the communist party. Though most were not full-fledged members of subversive groups, participation or even perceived sympathy toward relevant activities or organizations was proof enough of guilt for investigators. Those who did not fall under suspicion themselves – or who felt they needed to somehow prove their innocence – often chose to name acquaintances who they felt could be sympathetic to communist or socialist causes. In any case, even being subpoenaed to testify before HUAC could be the kiss of death for those trying to maintain careers in the entertainment industry, particularly after the publication of Red Channels, a printed list of individuals known to be communist sympathizers.
In late 1947, a number of prominent Hollywood stars, including Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, and Paul Henreid, formed the Committee for the First Amendment and traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak against the actions of HUAC and the blacklisting of their colleagues. The trip was highly publicized and, for a short time, intensely politicized the star images of each participant. Fearing the public backlash and potential decline in his career subsequent to it, Bogart eventually released a statement to the press declaring that the trip to D.C. was “ill-advised.”
For her part, because Bacall’s career was so circumscribed by Bogart’s presence already, it is difficult to determine whether her participation in the group and political outspokenness during this time had a long-term effect on her career. That being said, a number of fan letters sent to Hedda Hopper in early 1948 indicate some impact on the public reception of her star image, at least temporarily. At this time, major star Barbara Stanwyck pulled out of the Warner Bros. adaptation of Ayn Rand’s conservative treatise The Fountainhead, and rumors were swirling about Bacall as a possible replacement. Several readers of Hopper’s column voiced their disagreement with the possible casting decision:
Letter dated February 26, 1948:
“…noticing an announcement in your column that Warner was replacing B. Stanwyck in a coming picture by Lauren Bacall, would certainly give one the impression that they are ignoring the feelings of the AMERICAN theater-going public. Actions speak for themselves and I am sure the box office receipts will manifest our views more emphatically than words. …P.S. this is applicable also to Bogart.”
Letter dated February 28, 1948:
“Many people have made a list of the actors and actresses ho took the plane trip and have made it a rule not to attend pictures in which those persons appear, and it will be some time before they are reinstated in the public opinion. The only way good Americans can help this country keep the freedom we hold dear is or everyone to refuse to give support to those who carry the idea of ‘civil rights’ too far to the left. It has brought disaster to most of Europe and it can happen here. Time will prove just where those misguided actors and others in the movie business stand, but until then why not give the star roles to the many versatile actors who have never faltered in their Americanism? You might find the box office receipts would swell to a new high.”
