October 20, 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee began to lead an inquisition against the glamor of Hollywood and the supposed influence Russia had on them. After World War II, the Cold War began to heat up between the world’s two superpowers—the United States and the communist-controlled Soviet Union. In Washington, conservative watchdogs worked to out communists in government before setting their sights on alleged “Reds” in the famously liberal movie industry.