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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 145 the Communist Party which has been cited as a Communist front, or has had Communist Party leanings, so far as vou know 2 Mr. Hayden. I know of one instance, and I would like to set that straight. There was an outfit in Hollywood, the Committee for the First Amendment, formed in October 1947. I broke once and for all with the Communist thing in December 1946. Actually, the break coincided with the fact I was living on my boat in Santa Barbara. That summer my wife and I went East, on the coast of Maine, and when we came back I had a call from Alexander Knox saying this Committee for the First Amendment was being formed, and would I join. I said I would think it over. I was told who was sponsoring it, spearheading it. I thought it over very carefully, and I assured myself—I may be wrong, but my conclusion was that this was in no way a Communist front at that time. So I joined, and I came to "Washington in the fall, I think, October of that year, 1947. I would like to go on with the people who did join. I think you are probably familiar with the membership list of that organization, and if it has since been determined that this thing was spearheaded by Communists, believe me these people didn't know it. The people who lent their names and gave money to this Committee for the First Amendment, to the best of my knowledge certainly had no idea that it was a Communist front, any more than I had. That is the one thing which, as you said, has been cited. Mr. Tavenner. Who were those who spearheaded the Committee for the First Amendment, to your knowledge ? Mr. Hayden. The first name that comes to mind is Humphrey Bogart, and his wife. It would be hard for me to remember. I wish I had a list. I know it runs into hundreds of so-called Holly- wood names. I know there was a tremendous gathering at Ira Gershwin's house at which a couple of hundred people were present. The spokesmen were John Huston and Phil Dunne. It is common knowledge all the people who flew East at that time. Mr. Tavenner. I interrupted you in the course of your statement. Mr. Hayden. I would like to go on and sum this thing up once and for all, if I may. I did belong to the Communist Party from June until the middle of December 1946. Mr. Tavenner. When you joined the Communist Party, were you. advised by anyone that to do so would improve your chance of pro- motion in Hollywood? Mr. Hayden. No ; I was not. On the contrary, I had certain reser- vations in my mind and I kept pretty quiet, I kept completely quiet, about my association with the Communist Party. I didn't think it would help me in any way, shape, or manner; on the contrary. Mr. Tavenner. In the course of your experience in Hollywood, did you at any time become acquainted with any Communist activity on the part of any high official of the motion picture industry ? Mr. Hatden. Yes, there was one instance. Shortly after I joined, I would say in July, Bea Winters said there was an important man who would like to come and talk with me. We met at the restaurant Victor's on Sunset Boulevard. He came in. I don't know the name