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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 369 Howard Lawson made a speech about Russia and America, that Russia and America were Allies, capital and labor don't have to fight any more, and the thing to do is to believe this idea. Now, whether I signed or not at that time, I don't remember; but I do know a lot of guys of the lab said, "Come together and be in this thing, and it sounds great." So I followed a couple of the guys, and we signed up, I believe. I believe—I don't remember exactly—following that I at- tended about 12 cell meetings at the lab, where I saw Joe Bromberg and Morris Carnovsky. Oh, yes, whether at that time I signed a petition or not, I don't remember, but at that party, as I understand it, other guys did. I followed that. Now, then Mr. Tavenner. This, you say, was in 1944 that you went back into the Communist Party ? Mr. Lawrence. I don't think I went back in. It was an idea. He said, "The Communist Party doesn't have to exist any more as a party." This was the idea—that we guys can say that there doesn't have to be a Communist Party, because Russia and America are friends. Mr. Tavenner. Did they call it the Communist Political Association? Mr. Lawrence. That's it, they did. They did call it the Communist Political Association. Mr. Tavenner. Then this was the period when the Communist Po- litical Association was acting in the place of the Communist Party? Mr. Lawrence. That's correct. That's correct, sir. Mr. Tavenner. And that is when you again affiliated with the group ? Mr. Lawrence. Yes. I affiliated with the group only because I was working in the Actors' Lab. Mr. Tavenner. Was this a group of persons within the Actors' Lab with which you affiliated ? Mr. Lawrence. Yes, there were a group of people. This was the time. Now, what they did at the Actors' Lab interested me more, because they were talking about actQrs' problems. That's why I be- came interested in it. They discussed plays that they were going to do at the lab. They discussed ideas for new plays, and so on and so forth, and I found it was interesting for me. So I went there. Mr. Tavenner. Can you give us the names of those who were mem- bers with you in this cell within the Actors' Lab ? Mr. Lawrence. Well, there was J. Bromberg, J. Edward Bomberg, the man I mentioned before. There was Karen Morley. I don't know whether she was connected directly with the lab. I went to a meeting at her house. There was Morris Carnovsky. Mr. Tavenner. Tell us a little about Morris Carnovsky. How do you spell that? Mr. Lawrence. C-a-r-n-o-v-s-k-y. Mr. Tavenner. Do you know how he was employed at that time ? Mr. Lawrence. He was working in the industry. He was a motion- picture actor. Mr. Tavenner. A motion-picture actor? Mr. Lawrence. Yes, sir. Mr. Tavenner. Did the Communist Party cell ever meet in his home to your knowledge ? Mr. Lawrence. Yes, I did meet in his home. Mr. Tavenner. Do you recall how often you met in his home?