The movie capital did not set out to make overtly political films. However, through the Depression years and the Second World War, writers and directors could not help but be affected by the turbulent situations of the day. By 1947 a right-wing America had detected 'communist infiltration' in Hollywood, and the House Un-American Activities Committee set up hearings to root out the principal suspects. The appalling effects of the witch-hunt still reverberate today.