Ring Lardner Jr.: The Unfriendly Witness

An Oscar-winning screenwriter who became a symbol of resistance against the Hollywood Blacklist.

• The Hollywood Ten (1947): Cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer the House Un-American Activities Committee’s questions about communism.
• The Quote: famously stated, ‘I could answer the question, but I would hate myself in the morning.’
• The Penalty: Fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year in prison, serving 10 months in Danbury Prison.