Joyce A. Evans

After World War II ended, relations between the United States and its former ally, the Soviet Union, plummeted, since the two nations represented the opposing ideologies of capitalism and communism. As the Cold War began, tension over the Soviets' development of nuclear weapons and concerns about possible communist infiltration swept America. In 1947 the government created the United States Information Agency, whose goal was to shape public opinion by popularizing anticommunist themes.

In 1947 the House Un—American Activities Committee (HUAC), concerned that Hollywood might become a source of communist propaganda, began investigating the movie industry for evidence of communist influence. Many politically liberal filmmakers and actors were blacklisted from work in the industry. In response, the major film studios released a series of anticommunist films, such as The...