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1436 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY and of all of their front organizations and of all of their immediate aims to be competent to recognize any such Communist content when they saw it. Mr. Tavenner. Well, now, what instances can you point out to the committee in which the Communists succeeded in influencing the •content of the film ? Mr. Ashe. As I said I didn't come prepared on this point. I would like to point out, however, that Blockade was written by Clif- ford Odets, I believe; and John Howard Lawson took the credit. Blockade was certainly a Communist film from start to finish. It used the situation in Spain, it is true, as the focal point for the film; but, if I had the time and had resources, I think I could trace Blockade right back to its original source; namely, one of the leading propa- gandists for the Soviet Union who had used the same film years and years and years before—used the same theme. The same theme was used at still a later date by a German producer who was a Communist, and in 1938, Mr. Lawson and Clifford Odets helped themselves to it again—gave it a different name, a little different treatment. The theme was exactly the same. Mr. Tavenner. Now, do you think the success in being able to im- jjart the Communist line into the film was the result of carelessness or any deliberate attempt on the part of the producers to permit such a thing Mr. Ashe. No. Mr. Tavenner. Or was it a thing that you think was accomplished through stealth and deceit, or how do you explain it? Mr. Ashe. I explain it on the basis that it was a deliberate, calcu- lated, carefully planned maneuver on the part of the Communists who were in a position to do it and also upon the lack of vigilance •on the part of non-Communists and anti-Communists that have never taken the time to find out what communism is and who are allergic to finding out to this day. Mr. Tavenner. Is there any other instance that you can point out to the committee? Mr. Ashe. Not offhand. Mr. Tavenner. Now, we were engaged in discussion of the princi- pal objectives of the Communist Party in the organization of the party in Hollywood. Now, you have named, I believe—this is the fourth Mr. Ashe. The fourth point. Mr. Tavenner. Point. Mr. Ashe. The fifth point is the objective of the Communist Party to penetrate the craft unions in Hollywood and to control them. This ties in, of course, very nicely with all of their other objectives in Holly- wood. Mr. Tavenner. What was done by the Communist Party to organize or to capture the craft unions in Hollywood ? Mr. Ashe. Well, of course, a considerable part of that took place after I was either inactive or actually out of the Communist Party. However Mr. Tavenner. Yes. I mean for you to testify only regarding your own observations and the knowledge acquired by you while you were a functionary of the party.