Hellman was a member of the Communist Party from 1938–40, by her own account written in 1952, "a most casual member.

What was Lillian Hellman known for?

Lillian Hellman, (born June 20, 1905, New Orleans, La., U.S.—died June 30, 1984, Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard, Mass.), American playwright and motion-picture screenwriter whose dramas forcefully attacked injustice, exploitation, and selfishness.

When was Hellman accused?

Hellman's leftist politics informed much of her writing and public persona. Indeed, her communist sympathies led to her being blacklisted in Hollywood in the late 1940s and summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952.