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House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

 

1948 

The head of this commitee was Richard Arens.

 
This committee, coming from the House of Representatives, investigated on Marilyn after her fiancé Arthur Miller had been subponaed in Washington DC, in 1956.

This commitee had first been created to frustrate the action of the agents in the foreign's pay, during the Second World War, but then, it began famous for its fierce struggle against the Communists or sympathizers, and the setting up of a "black list" having led to the gag order, not to say the conviction of prison sentences of great Hollywood figures, guilty of "dangerous political convictions". Arthur Miller thought that the commitee was interested in him for more publicity reasons than political ones.

Miller was called to appear in front of the committee in June 1956.

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In was during this hearing, on June 21, 1956, that Miller announced his imminent marriage with Marilyn.

She held a press conference in the lobby of her building ,,

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The wedding was officially announced the next day, June 22, 1956.

Quickly it became obvious that, despite the FBI efforts, there were no evidences of his belonging to the Communist Party. Miller admitted he had took part in some meetings of the Party writers, but refused to accept having ever been under the "Communist influence". He refused to cite names.

This firm position would have led a conviction for outrage, and Marilyn admired Miller's determination to consider that a writer was free to write what he wanted to and not to denounce the others to save his life.

The most famous incident which happened during the hearings didn't have anything to do with Communism. When Miller asked for his passport to go in England, he justified his request by his wish to attend one of his parts and to accompany his "future wife". When he was asked to clarify his statements, he said : "I'm going to marry Marilyn Monroe before July 13th... She will go to London under the name of Mrs Miller".

Marilyn was used to make Arthur Miller capitulate : one of the head of the Fox studios, Spyros Skouras, visited her to convince her to calm Miller down, and to persuade him to end what he, Skouras, considered as a bad publicity for the studios and for Marilyn; but she didnt' give in.

In May 1957, Miller was charged with outrage for having refused to answer to the questions asked by the commitee. He was declared guilty and fined 500$ and a month of prison. He immediately appealed. Marilyn went with him in Washington DC to support him and stayed lived at his lawyer's, Joseph Rauh and his wife Olie.

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During Summer 1958, Miller was acquitted and his name cleared.

 

The "Hollywood Ten" 

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