Director Elia Kazan had key role in Hollywood's brightest, darkest moments.

(From Agence France Presse)

Director Elia Kazan, one of Hollywood's most celebrated and influential directors, had a starring role in one of the film industry's darkest moments.

Kazan was an acclaimed director on stage and screen who directed classics such as "A Streetcar Named Desire," "East of Eden" and "On the Waterfront" -- films that lived on in American memory well after their runs ended.

But Kazan's name is still linked to the day, April 10, 1952, when, in the midst of the Cold War, he testified before the infamous US House Committee on Un-American Activities.

He named eight people who, like himself, were members or former members of the Communist Party. His …