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82 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY the Arts, Sciences, and Professions. This I won't say because I don't know. There were Communists attached to the lab. Mr. Tavenner. Well, were there Communists attached to these other organizations which you say you were a member of? Mr. Parks. This I'm not familiar with. I don't know. I don't know who else was a member of them besides myself. Mr. Tavenner. Your answer is because you do not recall who were members of those other organizations ? Mr. Parks. I think that that is the gist of my answer; yes. Mr. Tavenner. But you do recall that at the Actors' Laboratory there were members of the Communist Party ? Mr. Parks. That's true. Mr. Tavenner. Did those Communist Party members endeavor to obtain control of the activities of the organization and of its various offices ? Mr. Parks. No ; I would not say that this was true at all. The lab was a school for acting and was also sort of a showcase for actors. I left the lab because I disagreed with the purpose. I was in favor of forming a permanent repertory theater. It was felt by the majority of the lab that they wanted it the way it was, as a school. I wasn't interested in the school. They wanted it as a showcase. I didn't want it as a showcase. I wanted a permanent repertory theater for a small group of professional actors, and it was on this basis that I left the Actors' Lab. Mr. Tavenner. "Well, what was your opportunity to know and to observe the fact that there were Communists in that organization? Mr. Parks. I knew them as Communists. Mr. Tavenner. Well, what had been your opportunity to know them as Communists. Mr. Parks. May I answer this fully and in my own way ? Mr. Tavenner. I would like for you to. Mr. Parks. All right. Mr. Tavenner. I hope you will. Mr. Parks. I am not a Communist. I would like to point out that in my opinion there is a great difference between—and not a subtle difference—between being a Communist, a member of the Commu- nist Party, say in 1941, 10 years ago, and being a Communist in 1951. To my mind this is a great difference and not a subtle one. It is also, I feel, not a subtle difference to be a member of the Com- munist Party and being a Communist. I do not believe in my own mind that this is a subtle difference either. I would furnish you with—I guess you would call it an allegory as to what I mean so that you will see why I say it is not a subtle dif- ference. The President of this country is a Democrat. He is the head of the Democratic Party. They have a platform, certain aims. There are many people who call themselves Democrats. There are certain southern Democrats, for instance, that do not follow the aims and platform of the Democratic Party as we call it, yet they are called Democrats. Well, in fact, they in my opinion are Republicans really; at least, this is the way they work. Mr. Tavenner. Well, now, that could be said and a similar analysis could be given of the Progressive Party or any other party, but let us