Communist infiltration of Hollywood motion-picture industry : hearing before the Committee on Un-American activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-second Congress, first session (1951)

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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 1837 Mr. Tavenner. As far as our public hearings are concerned we have disclosed the fact that 78 writers in the Screen Writers' Guild were members of the Communist Party. Therefore, if you say that their membership turned out at these meetings and stayed there and out- lasted other people by staying when the others had gone, they would be able to control any meeting that you had? Mr. Tunberg. They could do this and, also, they were very clever. Mr. Tavenner. That is, any meeting where you had just a mere quorum present ( Mr. Tunberg. Exactly. In many cases, they would attract other people to their banner, of course; liberals who didn't understand what was happening. They were very smart about espousing causes which could not be identified as communistic or political, and many times they would seduce genuine, honest liberals into voting their way, so in addition to the basic number,-whatever it was, there were a few others who would vote with them on these occasions and, as you point out, they did outwait people. People would get tired and go home, and they would bring up the really important thing that was in their mind late in the evening when most of the members had gone home, but their hard core of members had remained. Mr. Tavenner. Well, did your organization take any steps to cor- rect the situation with reference to your 10 percent quorum? Mr. Tunberg. We did. We increased it to 20 percent. Mr. Tavenner. When was that action taken? Mr. Tunberg. I don't remember the exact date. I think it was in 1947. Mr. Tavenner. Now, I think it is very important for you to explain these matters, because the problem that you were confronted with is the same problem that any organization is confronted with which has either been taken over by the Communist Party or deeply in- filtrated by the Communist Party. It might apply to parent-teachers association or any other group of people, so I think it very important that you outline these matters fully. Mr. Walter. Before going into that I think it would be interesting for us to know who the members of the All-Guild Committee were in making this fight against communism. You have given the name of Mr. Rivkin, I believe. Who were the other members ? Mr. Tunberg. The members of this anti-Communist front? Mr. Walter. Yes. Mr. Tunberg. They were prominently Emmet Lavery, who was president in the beginning who carried on this fight almost alone. Then he attracted men like Allen Rivkin, George Seaton, Valentine Davies—a great many people—Mary McCall, Irving Stone was one of the most vociferous members of the All-Guild Committee. Do you want more names? Mr. Walter. Yes. Mr. Tunberg. Charles Bracket!, who is president of the academy. Richard Breen. Mr. Jackson. Adele Buffington ? Mr. Tunberg. Adele Buffington, yes. Adele Buffington. Meehan was one. Mr. Jackson. Morrie Riskind? Mr. Tunberg. Morrie Riskind—I don't recall that he was in the All-Guild. I believe he was a member of this group, although I don't