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Richard Collins was born in 1914. He went to Hollywood and was involved in the writing of Rulers of the Sea (1939), One Crowded Night (1940), Lady Scarface (1941), Song of Russia (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943) and Little Giant (1946).

In 1947 the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began an investigation into the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry. The HUAC interviewed 41 people who were working in Hollywood. These people attended voluntarily and became known as "friendly witnesses". During their interviews they named several people who they accused of holding left-wing views.

One of those named, Bertolt Brecht, an emigrant playwright, gave evidence and then left for East Germany. Ten others: Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Albert Maltz, Adrian Scott, Samuel Ornitz,, Dalton Trumbo, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson and Alvah Bessie refused to answer any questions.

Known as the Hollywood Ten, they claimed that the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution gave them the right to do this. The House of Un-American Activities Committee and the courts during appeals disagreed and all were found guilty of contempt of congress and each was sentenced to between six and twelve months in prison.

Collins was well-known to have been a member of the Communist Party and was sacked by Warner Brothers in 1947. After failing to get work for over four years, Collins agreed to testify before the HUAC in an attempt to get off the blacklist. On 12th April, 1951, Collins named twenty-six people he knew had been members of the party.

After testifying Collins returned to Hollywood and wrote China Venture (1953), Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Kiss of Fire (1955), My Gun is Quick (1957), The Badlanders (1958), Edge of Eternity (1959) and Pay or Die (1960).

 

 

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