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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 489 industry, and Fred Niblo, Jr. has had practically no work since that time. Mr. Velde. Can you trace that to the fact he was a member of the Motion Picture Alliance in any detailed way ? Mr. Brewer. Well, at this time, as I say, the atmosphere against anyone who fought communism was very bitter. I was denounced. I was accused of being anti-Semitic too. My work is not in the field of the creative artists, but I have seen Mr. Niblo's credits, and he had a substantial record, and it fell completely and he is now work- ing at Lockheed. Another individual who testified before the committee in 1947 is Jack Moffitt, who also has had no work. Mr. Kearney. Following out the line of questions by Mr. Velde, in view of the attitude we have been led to believe of the motion pic- ture industry today, why is it that Fred Niblo can't get back to work in the motion picture industry? Mr. Brewer. I can't answer authoritatively for that. It is hard for me to describe the situation that existed in Hollywood at that time. I lived through it. Mr. Kearney. I am referring to today. Why can't he get back today? Hasn't the attitude among the motion-picture producers changed since those days? Mr. Brewer. I think it has. Of course there is this fact that has to be taken into consideration, that there is a reduced amount of employment today as against what it was. The industry is being very selective. There are serious economic problems. My attitude is that now that this thing has been pointed up he will get work. But I think the influence of this group that existed in 1945, and their character assassination program—which I assure you was so effective that it is beyond my power to describe it—I think they were able to so discredit Mr. Niblo that they decided there was somebody better than he was. Mr. Kearney. I apologize to counsel for interrupting, but I would like to ask this question: Do you have any knowledge as to whether any of the 10 Hollywood convicted writers are now selling their wares to the motion picture industry through a second or third party ? Mr. Brewer. Well, I have some information which would indicate that that was the case, but I can't prove that that is the case. Mr. Kearney. In other words, you have a great suspicion that that is the case? Mr. Brewer. Yes, I have information that that is the case. Mr. Kearney. But you have no proof ? Mr. Brewer. That is right. Mr. Potter. Are there any records that would bear out your testi- mony about this character assassination ? Mr. Brewer. I do not think the opinion of one man is of much value, but I think if you could document the employment records of those individuals that were not acceptable to the Communist group as against those individuals who were in the forefront of it, I think you would find a rather substantial indication that there were influences at work; Those influences work in many, many ways. Lots of times the opinion of a secretary or of a clerk in a casting bureau can make the difference between whether one man is hired or another man is hired.