The Cold War in relation to cinema The Cold War brought fear to Americans, with communism and the Red Scare. This essay will discuss how films relate to the Cold War. Movies like; the Front, On the Waterfront, Guilty on Suspicion, High Noon and the Crucible. Together with the textbook The Fifties by David Halberstam.If Russia becomes communist, what will become of the United States of America? The Russian Revolution began in 1917, during World War I, Russia wanted to overthrow the government and become communist. President Woodrow Wilson fears Russia's collapse, so he withdraws 5,000 Marines from the war and sends them to Russia in an attempt to defeat the "Reds". If Russia collapsed, the economic status of the United States would also collapse; which means less money for the United States. While the Soviet Union and the first Red Scare began in 1918, America feared it could fall into the hands of communism. With the Great Depression (1929) Americans begin to think that communism could help them recover. The Communist Party grows from about 10,000 to 100,000 members in the United States. The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s, known as the “Red Scare.” This symbolized loyalty to the Soviet red flag. Federal employees were analyzed to determine whether they were loyal to the government. In 1947, the fear of the nation becoming communist increased dramatically because communism had spread to China, Korea, and Vietnam. This begins the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) established by President Truman to investigate pro-communists in the United States. Communism threatened to destroy the American way of life; capitalism, individualism, beliefs and religious freedom. The Americans had good reasons... middle of paper... the city stopped cooperating, stopped giving names. John Proctor did not confess to a lie, so he was hanged. After nineteen executions, the Salem witch hunts came to an end, as more and more accused people refused to save themselves by making false confessions. This ties back to the Hollywood Ten who invoked the 5th Amendment and refused to cooperate with the committee. All the films mentioned tie into the "Red Scare" era. From High Noon to the Crucible, everyone mentions dropping names in order. to save themselves or be removed from the blacklist. John Proctor said it best with his quote “I can't sign because it's my name! Because I can't have another one in my life! Because I lie and indulge in lies! How can I live without my name? I gave you my soul; leave me my name!” John Proctor was the voice behind all those who were blacklisted.