KEY POINTS:
Bernard Gordon, who has died at 88, was a screenwriter blacklisted during Hollywood's anti-communist crusade in the 1950s.
Gordon wrote dozens of movies but many never carried his name until the Writers Guild of America began restoring credits to blacklisted writers in 1980.
Among Gordon's co-writing credits were 1957's Hellcats of the Navy, which starred Ronald Reagan and his future wife, Nancy Davis. Gordon's movies included 55 Days at Peking, Battle of the Bulge and the 1962 science fiction cult classic Day of the Triffids, along with low-budget fare like Zombies of Mora Tau.
Gordon moved to Hollywood around 1940. He was declared physically unfit for the military and spent World War II working in the film industry. He also joined the Communist Party and was active in a labour guild.
Gordon was subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, investigating Communist influence in Hollywood. He was never called before the panel, but an acquaintance named him before the committee and he was fired from a studio and blacklisted, with hundreds of other film industry workers.
