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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 431 activities of theirs. I really can't remember that. Later when I came back from Europe, actually as a member of the ten I again was placed on the board. Again I attended only one meeting. They actually always elected a great many people on the board, knowing only a few could attend as a rule. I had other things to do, and I only attended one. The reason for my being on the board was about that time—that is, around, I should say, the middle of 1949, at the latest—the Council of Arts, Sciences, and Professions took the case of the Hollywood ten as their leading cause; that this was the thing they were really going to fight for. I want to explain a little bit about the Council of Arts, Sciences, and Professions. It is unquestionably what could be called a Commu- nist front. However, without question, also, the majority of people who belong to it are not Communists. This is true in Hollywood, and I think this is largely true throughout the rest of the country. Never- theless, I think at one time I know that the secretary of it, a man I mentioned, George Pepper—he was secretary of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions, and in general I think it can be said to have been run by Communists. Mr. Tavenner. Was it affiliated with the Progressive Citizens of America ? Mr. Dmytrtk. I believe so. Mr. Tavenner. When the Progressive Citizens of America dis- solved into the Wallace Progressive Party movement in 1948, do you know what effect that had upon the Council of Arts, Sciences, and Professions ? What happened to it ? Mr. Dmytryk. I would say that the Council of Arts, Sciences, and Professions was one of the Progressive Party's chief supporters, be- cause I know they ran affairs to collect money for the Progressive Party for the Wallace movement. That at that time was their chief job. Mr. Tavenner. Now, you have described to us in great detail the experience you have had in connection with the picture Cornered when you were told at the conclusion of that incident by Howard Lawson that if you could not accept the discipline of the Communist Party, probably the best thing for you and Scott to do was to get out. Mr. Dmytryk. Yes. Mr. Tavenner. I understood you to say that that incident had a lot to do with your determining that you would get out of the party. Mr. Dmytryk. Yes; it did. Mr. Tavenner. Now, explain that more in detail. Mr. Dmytryk. Well, it is simply this: That I had always believed in the right of every individual to think as he wished, and particularly for every artist to be perfectly free in what he had to say. I had never gone along even during the period I was a member of the Com- munist Political Association and Party with any kind of thought con- trol, and before that actually I had never myself experienced any such instances. The fact that they tried to tell us what to do, that others got together and tried to tell us what to do, shocked me very deeply. I knew myself that I could never submit to that kind of discipline. Mr. Tavenner. Now, in that connection there has come to our atten- tion an incident of a similar circumstance that came over the radio