In October 1947, nineteen Hollywood personalities were subpoenaed by the House Committee on Un-American Activities to testify about their knowledge of or possible involvement in the American Communist Party. The first ten to be called stood by their First Amendment rights and refused to be cooperative witnesses. They became known as the Hollywood Ten, and were cited for contempt of Congress and given prison sentences of six months to a year. When the Hollywood Ten went to jail, the hearings resumed, and the blacklist began. Hollywood On Trial is a compilation-interview documentary account of the blacklist era in the American film industry, narrated by John Huston, with appearances by (to name just a few): Ronald Reagan, Otto Preminger, Martin Ritt, Zero Mostel, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner, Jr....