Today, people point fingers and shout, “terrorist!” Not long ago, the accusation was “Communist!” Many who testified before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee said they did so out of desperation and fear. Those who refused to speak were fired or blacklisted. Others fled rather than betray friends...or their belief in American liberty. David Weber and Jana Vardian were Hollywood’s golden children. Then HUAC shattered their idyll, sending David and his parents into exile in Europe; Jana’s father testified and soon became a famous director. When people with ties to HUAC and to David’s father begin turning up dead, long-buried secrets are dragged into the open. FBI agent Brian McKenna quickly tags recently repatriated David as the prime suspect, but in a world where special effects can turn a man into a beast, Hollywood’s sheen of glamour cannot long mask its dark past.
