After declaring that Hollywood filmmakers "employed subtle techniques in pictures glorifying the Communist system," the House Un-American Activities Committee held public hearings in October 1947 to question 24 "friendly" and 11 "unfriendly" witnesses from the filmmaking industry.

Ten of the 11 "unfriendly" witnesses -- including director Edward Dmytryk ("Crossfire," 1947) screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr. ("Woman of the Year," 1942) and writer Dalton Trumbo ("Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," 1944) -- were jailed for contempt of Congress and blacklisted by the studios after refusing to answer the question "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?"

Among the 24 "friendly" witnesses who testified at the HUAC hearings were actors Gary Cooper and Ronald Reagan, producer Walt Disney and writer Ayn Rand. The following are excerpts from their testimony.

Ronald Reagan	Gary Cooper
Walt Disney	Ayn Rand