Northern California ACLU Releases “Operation Correction” Film Rebutting Distorted HUAC Film
In response to the tumultuous demonstrations of the House Un-American Activities Committee at hearings in San Francisco that began on May 12, 1960, HUAC produced a short film titled “Operation Abolition.” The film was a highly distorted view of the protests. On this day, the ACLU of Northern California released a rebuttal, “Operation Correction.” Both films are available for viewing (see the links below).
The San Francisco protests, which were organized by Frank Wilkinson, head of the first national committee to abolish HUAC, were the first large-scale public protests against HUAC and its methods. Wilkinson had refused to answer questions about his beliefs and associations on July 30, 1958, was cited for contempt of Congress as a result, and sentenced to prison on May 1, 1961. Frank Wilkinson died on January 2, 2006.
HUAC began operating on August 11, 1938 and compiled a 37-year history of smearing people because of their actual or alleged political beliefs and associations. The committee is most famous for its investigation of alleged communist influence in Hollywood, in which members of the Hollywood Ten (witnesses who refused to cooperate with the committee, were held in contempt of Congress and sentenced to prison (October 27, 1947). The House of Representatives finally abolished HUAC on January 14, 1975
View HUAC film “Operation Abolition”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeiW63M3bcI
See the film, “Operation Correction”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be8fZNZAWN4
Learn more about HUAC: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/huac
Learn more at the ACLU of Northern California: https://www.aclunc.org/