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Background.
House Un-American Activities Committee.
The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was established in 1938 and focused its efforts on investigating alleged disloyalty perpetrated by ordinary people, public employees and any organization suspected of having links to groups that advocated on behalf of communism and facism.1 The HUAC's attention quickly turned to the arts and the potential it had to effect ordinary citizens' beliefs and practices. People involved in various artistic disciplines were called before the committee, with their attention eventually turning in earnest towards Hollywood in 1947. Chaplain, who had been loosely watched by the FBI since the 1920s, came under increased scrutiny during this time due to the political nature of films such as The Great Dictator (1940).2 Chaplin was never officially accused of being a communist but the legal troubles and controversy he had endured during the 1940s as well as his connections with known Marxists meant that the ire of both the commission and the public had already been raised. Chaplin had married Oona O'Neill in 1943 when she was 18 years old and been involved in a protracted, highly public paternity trial the following year. It has been suggested that much of the information about Chaplin's private life that appeared in gossip columns during this time had been supplied directly by the FBI.3.
When returning from London for the world premiere of Limelight (1952) Chaplin received a cablegram informing of the United States' decision to revoke his re-entry visa pending an interview on his political views and moral behavior. Chaplin declined the invite and instead decided to abandon the US entirely, moving to back to Europe and taking up residence in Switzerland instead. He would not return to the United States until 1972 – five years before his death – "when an apologetic Hollywood honored him with a life achievement award during the Oscar ceremonies.