why did members of the House Un-American Activities Committee target screenwriters, directors, and others who made their living in the movie industry?

The correct answer is A) They feared that the would make popular movies that promoted communist ideas.

The other options of the question were B) They hoped that fear of blacklisting might drive communists out of the country. C) They believed people who worked in Hollywood could be easily blackmailed by the soviets. D) They feared that they would include secret messages to the Soviets within their films.

Members of the House Un-American Activities Committee target screenwriters, directors, and others who made their living in the movie industry because they feared that the would make popular movies that promoted communist ideas.

We are talking about the Red Scare years, in which Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many members of the federal government, the US military and people from Hollywood to have ties with Communists. His political persecution reached members of the film industry that were imprisoned for being suspects of having ties with Communists and could include Communist ideas on film.

Answer:A They feared that they would make popular movies that promoted Communist ideas