PBA Galleries

Title-contents sheet + 24 leaves, stencil typescript on rectos only, stapled at top left corner (come sheets loose). 35.5x22 cm. (14x8¾").

Rare gathering of information on the now-infamous House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), produced by the Progressive Citizens of America, a short-lived organization which sprung up as the United States shifted right following the end of WWII and replaced Nazi Germany with the Communist Soviet Union as its prime antagonist. The present publication was instigated by the attack on movie producers, directors and actors by the HUAC, which led to the blacklisting of many of Hollywood's finest talents. As the introductory paragraph states, "The hearings on Hollywood conducted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities have brought forth upon the Committee itself charges of 'un-American' and 'unconstitutional' from major newspapers throughout the country, and widespread demands for abolition of the Committee from persons of varies political beliefs. But the committee's shameful performance at the Hollywood hearings... is not something new. It has always shown a disregard for the Bill of Rights..." The paper goes on to describe the various actions of the committee, its members (which included one Richard M. Nixon), their stand on various issues, the actors, producers and directors being attacked (and some of those doing the attacking, or at least acquiescing), movies deemed pro- (or at last not enough anti-) communist, etc. A truly remarkable document from a watershed period in American political history, and quite rare. No copies are listed by OCLC/WorldCat as being present in institutional libraries. As a final interesting note, at lower left of the first sheet is typed "uopwa #16", indicating it was typed up by a member of the United Office and Professional Workers of America, probably a suspect organization in itself.