Hollywood is a fickle business. What’s in one day will be out the next and as a starlet, you never know when your time is drawing to a close. For these historical stars, however, their lives in the spotlight played out a little differently and due to their public associations, they made something of a name for themselves. It turns out, you can put a foot wrong when you’re on top of the world and due to truth or rumor, these famous faces were put on the Hollywood blacklist for a considerable amount of time.
- Charlie Chaplin
(source: dmg-entertainment.com)
Perhaps the most recognized face of silent cinema, Charlie Chaplin made a name for himself as a writer, actor and director. While his longevity and success might suggest otherwise, however, the star was not always as beloved by all. Although the star never claimed his allegiance to the communist political party, there was widespread belief that his loyalties lay very much to the left. His political nods and subtle statements within films irked the film industry so much that, in 1952, the star was blocked from entering the United States after traveling abroad. When asked to prove his moral worth, Chaplin gave up his home and returned to live in the United Kingdom. As for the claims? Nothing has ever been brought to light.
- Dalton Trumbo
(source: nola.com)
As well as being one of the minds behind films like Roman Holiday and Spartacus, Dalton Trumbo was unceremoniously booted out of Hollywood. The change came during the mid 1940s, when communist suspicions ran high in the United States. Along with several of his successful colleagues, Trumbo was accused of pledging allegiance to the party. While the screenwriter had once been a member, he refused to approach the claims stated and as a result, was charged with contempt of Congress. In later years, Trumbo wrote under a pseudonym and while he did enjoy successes, life was never the same for the writer.
- Orson Welles
(source: vulture.com)
The man behind Citizen Kane, Orson Welles is remembered as a force to be reckoned with. The star came across his fair share of trouble, however, and was put under surveillance by the FBI. While his progressive political stances put him in trouble, his representation of anti-communist news mogul William Randolph Hearst in Citizen Kane pushed things over the edge. Widespread investigations were opened up to determine whether or not Kane was a communist and while no evidence was found, his name was added to a blacklist.