Lillian Hellman

Career overview

Lillian Florence Hellman was an American playwright, prose writer, memoirist, and screenwriter. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 20, 1905, she was known for her success on Broadway. Her dramas were noted for forcefully attacking injustice, exploitation, and selfishness. During the 1930s, Hellman devoted herself to a radical political movement in Hollywood alongside other writers and actors. One of her credits as a writer is The Little Foxes.

Hellman's career was impacted by her political activism and communist views. She was blacklisted by the American film industry following her appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities during the anti-communist campaigns of 1947 to 1952. While she continued to work on Broadway throughout the 1950s, this blacklisting resulted in a drop in her income. Although she denied belonging to the Communist Party, some individuals believed she was a member, while others praised her for refusing to answer questions posed by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. She died on June 30, 1984, in Tisbury, Massachusetts.