In our last episode, we looked at the East Coast blacklist triggered by "Red Channels" -- which listed the "Communistic" activities of supposed radicals -- and the lives that were ruined by it. In this episode we look at the pushback -- the positive results of people standing up to a small number of self-appointed vigilantes, and what happened when networks and sponsors stood strong against threats to shows such as "I've Got a Secret" and "I Love Lucy." We also look at one man who finally had enough and took the blacklist creators and enforcers to court.
Sources:
Fear on Trial, by John Henry Faulk
Desilu: The Story of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, by Coyne Steven Sanders
Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball, by Stefan Kanfer
The Image Empire: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume III, by Erik Barnouw
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