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422 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY to go to a recruiting meeting, and eventually I went to a Communist Party meeting. Immediately after that the Communist Party was dissolved as such and became the Communist Political Association. At this time the line was that communism can work with capitalism because capitalism is now enlightened; there is no need for revolution, and no need for conflict. Mr. Tavenner. That doctrine was very short-lived ? Mr. Dmytryk. About a year, I think. Browder got kicked out for it. Also, during this time there was a good deal of disorganization in Hollywood. I attended only about six or seven regular group meet- ings and perhaps' three special group meetings in all the time I was in the party. Mr. Potter. Who asked you to attend the first recruiting meeting ? Mr. Dmytryk. The man who spoke at this meeting was Alvah Bessie, later one of the "Hollywood Ten." Mr. Tavenner. Alvah Bessie ? Mr. Dmytryk. A-1-v-a-h B-e-s-s-i-e. Mr. Tavenner. Who were some of the others in that group with you? Mr. Dmytryk. At that recruiting meeting, which was held at Frank Tuttle's house, although he was not there, the only one I knew was Alvah Bessie, because he spoke. That was not a regular Communist meeting. Later I went with a friend of mine—I won't mention his name because he has since died—I went to a meeting in San Fernando Valley at which I signed a Communist Party card. Mr. Tavenner. Was that a cell ? Mr. Dmytryk. We didn't call them cells. This was a neighborhood group. Mr. Tavenner. Can you give the names of people with you in that group ? Mr. Dmytryk. One was Lester Cole. Another was a man named Sackin, S-a-c-k-i-n. I had known him in the picture business. I think his first name was Lou or Moe, L-o-u or M-o-e. I think there are two of them. I cannot positively identify him. Mr. Tavenner. You mean there are two separate people? Mr. Dmytryk. Yes. The others I didn't know. There is a reason for that. When you first come to a Communist Party meeting you are not introduced by your last name, nor are the others introduced to you by their last names, so unless you happen to know them, you don't know who they are for a long time. I went to only a couple of these meetings. Later I moved to Beverly Hills, and went to a couple of meetings there, and then moved to another group, so I never got to know any of these people. Mr. Tavenner. Describe each of these groups to which you were assigned. Mr. Dmytryk. The second group I was assigned to met in Holly- wood. In this group I saw Herbert Biberman; Arnold Manoff, M-a-n-o-f-f; Mickey Uris, U-r-i-s; and Leonardo Bercovici. Mr. Tavenner. What is the spelling of that last name ? Mr. Dmytryk. I think it is B-e-r-c-o-v-i-c-i. It is lucky I am Slavic or I couldn't spell those names. Mr. Tavenner. Were there others in that group that you can recall ?