In September 2025, Disney and ABC made the announcement that Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show would be suspended indefinitely. This decision followed a conservative backlash against Kimmel’s remarks regarding the killing of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk. Former President Donald Trump endorsed this action, deeming it “great news for America” and advocated for the cancellation of other shows that criticized his administration. Although Kimmel’s suspension was lifted within a week, many analysts interpreted this incident not as a sudden crisis but as a continuation of Hollywood’s tendency to yield to authoritarian pressures.
In a guest editorial for the New York Times, journalist Gabriel Sherman, known for his work on the Trump biopic The Apprentice, drew parallels between Kimmel’s suspension and the Hollywood blacklist era of the 1940s and 1950s. During that period, many film industry professionals were accused of having communist sympathies, leading to bans on their professional activities and, in some cases, forcing them into exile. Sherman noted, “Studios always claimed they had no choice, but each time, they did – and they made it happen.”
This dark chapter of Hollywood history is once again in focus at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, curated by Iranian filmmaker and critic Ehsan Khosbakht. The festival features an extensive retrospective that includes a variety of films, shorts, archival footage, and contemporary documentaries. Many screenings are dedicated to the works of blacklisted artists, showcasing projects created during the height of the “red scare,” often under pseudonyms. Khosbakht has also included controversial figures like Elia Kazan and Edward Dmytryk, who were notorious for naming their colleagues during congressional hearings. This juxtaposition challenges the prevailing Us-v-Them narrative and highlights one of the tragic consequences of the blacklist: the dismantling of a vibrant leftist presence in Hollywood. Under the pressures of McCarthyism, those who once shared political beliefs found themselves on opposing sides.
John Garfield emerged as one of the most notable victims of this era. Renowned for his intense performances and as a pioneer of method acting, Garfield starred in films such as The Postman Always Rings Twice, Body and Soul, and Gentleman’s Agreement. His opportunities dwindled after he refused to disclose names to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), ultimately leading to the premature end of his career. His struggles in his final years resonate eerily with his last film, He Ran All the Way (1951), in which he portrays a man on the run after committing a crime. This film, a highlight of the retrospective, features a tense narrative that unfolds in a cramped apartment where Garfield’s character holds a family hostage as law enforcement closes in. While the setup is common in noir films, the socially aware screenplay co-written by fellow blacklistee Dalton Trumbo elevates it to a poignant allegory of the political persecution faced by Hollywood figures.
Recurring motifs of persecution, confinement, and conflicting loyalties are prevalent in films from this period. Noteworthy examples include John Cromwell’s 1950 women’s prison drama Caged, Fred Zinnemann’s 1952 classic High Noon, and Irving Lerner’s 1959 thriller City of Fear. These films reflect the culture of fear that blacklisted artists experienced, while others portray the radical, socialist convictions that initially led to their ostracism. Titles like Dmytryk’s 1943 Tender Comrade, which depicts women waiting for their partners during wartime, and the 1954 Salt of the Earth, a portrayal of a miners’ strike made outside the studio system, illustrate working-class struggles. Additionally, films such as Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) and Intruder in the Dust, adapted from William Faulkner, expose issues of racism and sexism.
This retrospective allows audiences to appreciate the Hollywood left as both an artistic and political movement, complete with its own distinctive visual and narrative elements. It also reveals the ideological contradictions inherent in working within the studio system, where films created for the war effort—sometimes featuring sympathetic portrayals of the USSR, then an ally against Axis powers—would later be deemed treasonous.
Many blacklisted individuals faced exile, and this retrospective thoughtfully includes productions from countries such as Argentina, Spain, and Italy. The United Kingdom became a crucial creative sanctuary, hosting a significant number of American blacklistees, particularly in London. However, many of these artists struggled to secure work. Joseph Losey, who later became a vital figure in British cinema with films like The Servant (1963) and The Go-Between (1971), recalled his initial arrival in London with great anxiety: “I was petrified, and I experienced physical attacks. I thought I was going to die.” He channeled this turmoil into his 1956 film The Intimate Stranger, co-written with blacklisted writer Howard E. Koch. This film, centered on a US filmmaker in London, swaps themes of political persecution for those of infidelity, yet retains a sense of paranoia. The protagonist expresses, “I feel as if I’m out in the open with somebody ready to take a potshot at me, and I don’t know who or where or how.”
A noteworthy aspect of the blacklist narrative is the brief return of Charlie Chaplin to the UK. Despite being targeted by HUAC, Chaplin was never summoned to testify, and his re-entry permit to the United States was revoked in 1952 while he was abroad. This moment underscores the enduring impact of the blacklist on Hollywood and its artists.
