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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162 COMMUNISM EST MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Potter. If I recall your testimony correctly, your cell instructed you to contact this group, much larger group, of actors and actresses, to get the guild to support the strike. Is that true ? Mr. Hayden. Yes. Mr. Potter. In the cell meeting, did they tell you to go over and to make certain contacts in the other organization and work through them ? Did they give any names of persons you were to work through ? Mr. Hayden. I don't remember exactly. I know it was suggested I attend that cocktail party, at which a large number of people were present. The suggestion was simply that I devote myself to this activity rather than the weekly meetings. Mr. Potter. Did you report back to the cell ? Mr. Hayden. I would go back once a month or so. Mr. Potter. To report your progress ? Mr. Hayden. What was going on; yes. Mr. Potter. How successful were you with the other group ? Mr. Hayden. I am sure, as a matter of fact, the move was very un- successful. It ran into the board of directors of the Screen Actors' Guild, and particularly into Ronald Reagan, who was a one-man bat- talion against this thing. He was very vocal and clear-thinking on it. I don't think many people realized how complex it was. I know I didn't. There was very little headway made. Mr. Potter. I know I would, and I assume the rest of the committee would like to know the activities of a cell. We have had testimony to indicate it is a coffee-and-doughnut society. You have indicated part of it was devoted to a discussion of Communist Party principles. What did you discuss? Did you discuss, for example, membership, how you could increase your membership ? Mr. Hayden. That was frequently a subject of discussion, whether anyone had ideas about new recruiting; who were near those being recruited; and things like that. Mr. Potter. What criteria did you have for knowing whether a person was ready for the cell, or ripe to be plucked ? Mr. Hayden. I never recruited anybody. I assume whenever they found somebody receptive to their theories, they would get him to come to an open meeting, and in that way ask him to become an active member. Mr. Potter. Would you say it is difficult to be a half-hearted mem- ber when you are a member of a cell ? Mr. Hayden. One of the most impressive things about that group was the dedication of the people to it. Mr. Potter. Was that through discipline ? Mr. Hayden. I don't know how to answer that. As far as I know, there was little or no discipline. Mr. Potter. At the meetings of your cell group, did you discuss at any time means of financing front organizations ? Mr. Hayden. I never heard that discussed. Mr. Potter. You never heard that discussed ? Mr. Hayden. I never heard it discussed. Mr. Potter. And you have given the committee a list of contribu- tions that you have made? Mr. Hayden. Yes.