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Quiz about Blacklisted
Quiz about Blacklisted

Blacklisted! Trivia Quiz

During the late 1940s and 1950s, many talented people in the arts, mainly writers, actors, and directors, were barred from their craft because of alleged association with groups that were labeled 'unamerican'. This is a quiz about a few of these.

A multiple-choice quiz by Rehaberpro. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
Rehaberpro
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
318,928
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
1387
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. My career was bumping along nicely. I even had romantic leads such as in "Tom, Dick, and Harry" (1941). I appeared in "Winterset" on Broadway and on the screen (1936), a play written for me by Maxwell Anderson. I was the original George in "Mice and Men" (1939) and played famed World War Two war correspondent Ernie Pyle in "The Story of GI Joe". But my liberal views got me in trouble and I had to leave Hollywood. Who am I? Hint


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Question 2 of 10
2. Yes, I did sympathize with Communists who were opposed to World War Two. I made no secret of my affiliation. I contributed articles to the "Daily Worker". Because I refused to give information to the House Un-American Activities committee, I was sent to the federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky for eleven months in 1947. I had been one of the most successful screen writers in Hollywood with such films as "Bill of Divorcement" (1940), "Kitty Foyle" (1940), "30 Seconds over Tokyo" (1944), and "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" (1945). That meant little. I was blacklisted until 1960. Who am I? Hint


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Question 3 of 10
3. I came out of relative obscurity to soar to an Academy Award nomination in the lead role in "The Jolson Story (1946). But my fortunes plummeted just as quickly when I confessed, in tears, before the House Un-American Activities Committee that I had been a member of the member of the Communist Party. I thought that coming clean, I would exonerate myself but I was blacklisted any way. Do you remember me? Hint


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Question 4 of 10
4. People have called me larger than life as, whenever I am in a play or in a film, I make myself noticeable. Sometimes my unpredictable behavior and ad- libbing make it difficult for my fellow performers. I had a very successful stage career before coming to Hollywood. I was the original Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" and Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
I played my appearance before HUAC as a joke but it didn't help. Hint


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Question 5 of 10
5. I was nominated for an Oscar in 1950 for my performance in "The Asphalt Jungle". I played the title role in the 1939 film "Gunga Din" and the High Lama in "Lost Horizons" in 1937. My blacklist time lasted six years until I was hired for the 1959 epic "Ben Hur". In the 1960s I gained fame on one of the first television medical shows. Who was I? Hint


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Question 6 of 10
6. My distinctive voice gave me a leg up in acting. When sound films came into being, I was a reliable character actor, particularly in comedies. I was a founding father of the Screen Actors' Guild. After HUAC got through with me, I spent 15 years abroad until I was cast in the TV series "Hart to Hart". Name me. Hint


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Question 7 of 10
7. My name may not be as familiar as some others. I worked mainly in radio and I gained a reputation as a storyteller. There came a time when I could not find work in radio and had been blacklisted by AWARE, an organization subservient to Senator Joe McCarthy. But instead of going to Europe, working under a different name, or just wasting away, I took it to court and won. Who am I? Hint


NEXT>

Question 8 of 10
8. I have been a successful actress and have many directing credits on my resume. I first gained fame for my role as a shoplifter in "Detective Story" (1951) for which I got an Oscar nomination. Later I won the Academy Award for "Shampoo"(1976). Why was I blacklisted? I refused to testify against my husband Arnold Manoff. Who am I? Hint


NEXT>

Question 9 of 10
9. I was often cast as a rebel and a blue-collar guy in movies. My wife was a Communist but I gave it little thought when I went before HUAC. The blacklisting hit me hard. I tried to redeem myself in a letter "I Was a Sucker for a Left Hook" in which I repudiated Communist links. I never made a single film after my blacklisting. Who am I? Hint


NEXT>

Question 10 of 10
10. Although I had leftist leanings, I later changed my mind about the Communist Party. Before the HUAC I supplied the names of those I knew who were either members or associates of the Party. Although HUAC did not blacklist me, I lost many friends and found work difficult and was branded the 'Benedict Arnold of Hollywood'. My career has been mostly as a director and I won two Academy Awards for "Gentleman's Agreement" (1948) and "On the Waterfront" (1954). Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. My career was bumping along nicely. I even had romantic leads such as in "Tom, Dick, and Harry" (1941). I appeared in "Winterset" on Broadway and on the screen (1936), a play written for me by Maxwell Anderson. I was the original George in "Mice and Men" (1939) and played famed World War Two war correspondent Ernie Pyle in "The Story of GI Joe". But my liberal views got me in trouble and I had to leave Hollywood. Who am I?

Answer: Burgess Meredith

 After he was blacklisted, Meredith made only one film during the 1950s and that was not until 1957. During this time he returned to the stage and did television work. He went on to have two academy award nominations back-to-back for "Day of the Locust" (1975) and "Rocky" (1976).

He originated the role of the Penguin in the Batman TV series. His last film appearance was in "Grumpy Old Men" (1993) and "Grumpier Old Men" (1995).
2. Yes, I did sympathize with Communists who were opposed to World War Two. I made no secret of my affiliation. I contributed articles to the "Daily Worker". Because I refused to give information to the House Un-American Activities committee, I was sent to the federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky for eleven months in 1947. I had been one of the most successful screen writers in Hollywood with such films as "Bill of Divorcement" (1940), "Kitty Foyle" (1940), "30 Seconds over Tokyo" (1944), and "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" (1945). That meant little. I was blacklisted until 1960. Who am I?

Answer: Dalton Trumbo

 In 1960 Stanley Kubrick broke the blacklist by naming Trumbo the screen writer of "Spartacus". However, the truth was that Trumbo continued to write screen plays all through the 1950s. Using 'front' names, he either authored or co-wrote "Gun Crazy" (1950), "He Ran All the Way" (1951), "Roman Holiday (1953), and "The Brave One" (1956).

After 1960 he is credited with "Exodus" (1960), "Hawaii" (1966), and "Pampillon" (1977). Incidentally, the three incorrect answers were 'front' names that he used.

In 1993 The Academy corrected the award to Ian Hunter for "Roman Holiday" and gave it posthumously to Trumbo. For those of you who would like some insight into this era, might want to see "The Front" (1976) directed by Martin Ritt.
3. I came out of relative obscurity to soar to an Academy Award nomination in the lead role in "The Jolson Story (1946). But my fortunes plummeted just as quickly when I confessed, in tears, before the House Un-American Activities Committee that I had been a member of the member of the Communist Party. I thought that coming clean, I would exonerate myself but I was blacklisted any way. Do you remember me?

Answer: Larry Parks

 Not much happened to Parks after his blacklisting. He made only one movie during the 1950s and had a few limited television appearances. He was married to Betty Garret, a singer, dancer, and actress from 1944 till his death in 1976.
4. People have called me larger than life as, whenever I am in a play or in a film, I make myself noticeable. Sometimes my unpredictable behavior and ad- libbing make it difficult for my fellow performers. I had a very successful stage career before coming to Hollywood. I was the original Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" and Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" I played my appearance before HUAC as a joke but it didn't help.

Answer: Zero Mostel

 It began with the committee's counsel immediately launching his attack. 'Mr. Mostel, are you or are you not a Communist?' Zero leaped out of his chair behind the counsel's table, knocking the microphones to the floor, and reached for the throat of HUAC's attorney while shouting, 'That man called me a Communist! Get him out of here!'

That is how Mostel approached the questioning. After 1951 he made no films until 1961. In 1968 he starred as Max Bialystock in "The Producers", his most recognizable role.
5. I was nominated for an Oscar in 1950 for my performance in "The Asphalt Jungle". I played the title role in the 1939 film "Gunga Din" and the High Lama in "Lost Horizons" in 1937. My blacklist time lasted six years until I was hired for the 1959 epic "Ben Hur". In the 1960s I gained fame on one of the first television medical shows. Who was I?

Answer: Sam Jaffe

 From 1961-1965 Jaffe starred as Dr. Zorba on "Ben Casey". Later in his career he made frequent one shot appearances in television programs.
6. My distinctive voice gave me a leg up in acting. When sound films came into being, I was a reliable character actor, particularly in comedies. I was a founding father of the Screen Actors' Guild. After HUAC got through with me, I spent 15 years abroad until I was cast in the TV series "Hart to Hart". Name me.

Answer: Lionel Stander

 Stander is one of the most quoted artists regarding the blacklisting:

"[Testifying before HUAC] is like the Spanish Inquisition. You may not be burned, but you can't help coming away a little singed."

"I don't know about the overthrow of the government. This committee has been investigating 15 years so far, and hasn't found one act of violence."

"I know of a group of fanatics who are desperately trying to undermine the Constitution of the United States by depriving pacifists and others of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness without due process of law."

"... I don't want to be responsible for a whole stable of informers, stool pigeons, and psychopaths and ex-political heretics, who come in here beating their breast and say, 'I am awfully sorry; I didn't know what I was doing. Please--I want absolution; get me back into pictures.'"

"My estimation of this committee is that this committee arrogates judicial and punitive powers which it does not have."
7. My name may not be as familiar as some others. I worked mainly in radio and I gained a reputation as a storyteller. There came a time when I could not find work in radio and had been blacklisted by AWARE, an organization subservient to Senator Joe McCarthy. But instead of going to Europe, working under a different name, or just wasting away, I took it to court and won. Who am I?

Answer: John Henry Faulk

 The proceedings lasted five years. Backed by such personalities as Edward R. Murrow and the legal skills of Louis Nizer, the case was won with a 3.5 million dollar award for damages. That was eaten up by the appeals court and legal fees but it was the final nail in the coffin of the blacklisters. Faulk's book, "Fear on Trial" was filmed with William Devane as Faulk and George C. Scott as Nizer.
8. I have been a successful actress and have many directing credits on my resume. I first gained fame for my role as a shoplifter in "Detective Story" (1951) for which I got an Oscar nomination. Later I won the Academy Award for "Shampoo"(1976). Why was I blacklisted? I refused to testify against my husband Arnold Manoff. Who am I?

Answer: Lee Grant

 After "Detective Story" she did not appear in a film until 1959 and one was a minor part and the other was uncredited. She went on to win other nominations including "The Landlord" (1970) and "Voyage of the Damned" (1976). Her daughter Dinah Manoff, is a televsion personality. Grant has directed 22 films, mostly documentaries, and 43 episodes of "Intimate Portraits" for Lifetime Television.
9. I was often cast as a rebel and a blue-collar guy in movies. My wife was a Communist but I gave it little thought when I went before HUAC. The blacklisting hit me hard. I tried to redeem myself in a letter "I Was a Sucker for a Left Hook" in which I repudiated Communist links. I never made a single film after my blacklisting. Who am I?

Answer: John Garfield

 John Garfield paid the ultimate price. Stress brought on by HUAC contributed to his death of a heart attack at age 39. Garfield was one of the first 'method' actors who honed his skills on the stage. His most well known film is "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) with Lana Turner and "Body and Soul" (1947) for which he received an Academy nomination. Two films to check out are "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939) and "Seawolf" (1941).
10. Although I had leftist leanings, I later changed my mind about the Communist Party. Before the HUAC I supplied the names of those I knew who were either members or associates of the Party. Although HUAC did not blacklist me, I lost many friends and found work difficult and was branded the 'Benedict Arnold of Hollywood'. My career has been mostly as a director and I won two Academy Awards for "Gentleman's Agreement" (1948) and "On the Waterfront" (1954).

Answer: Elia Kazan

 Kazan always said that he was true to himself. When the blacklist was put behind Hollywood in the early 1960's, it took until 1999 until the Academy awarded Kazan a Lifetime Achievement Award. This did spark a controversy by those still around who were hurt directly or indirectly by Kazan's testimony.
Source: Author Rehaberpro

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