Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Red Hollywood (1996)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

Red Hollywood
Red Hollywood is a documentary that examines the contributions of blacklisted writers and directors in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1950s. Narrated by filmmaker Billy Woodberry, the film draws from 53 features to present a revisionist history of left-leaning filmmakers who addressed social issues in their work. The documentary is based on an essay by Thom Andersen, which was expanded into a book by Noël Burch. The film includes interviews with members of The Hollywood Ten, such as Abraham Polonsky and Ring Lardner, Jr., as well as other blacklisted artists like Paul Jarrico and Alfred Levitt. Through these interviews and film clips, Red Hollywood shows the impact of McCarthyism on creative expression in the film industry.

Why Watch

  • •Meet Abraham Polonsky and Ring Lardner, Jr. in interviews.
  • •Find out how McCarthyism affected Hollywood filmmakers.
  • •See 53 films that tackled social issues of the 20th century.

Did You Know

•Red Hollywood features interviews with members of The Hollywood Ten.
•The documentary includes 53 films made by blacklisted artists.
•It received a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Perfect For

Film history enthusiastsMcCarthyism studiesSocial issue cinema