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COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 1499 Mr. Blankfort. I was under contract there for 1 year. I am curi- ous, Mr. Tavenner, if these questions lead up to the control of content of film, which one of your members, a member of this committee, has already expressed on the air that they have done something in this regard, and will the committee like me to put into the record Mr. Wood. It would be most helpful if you will confine your answers to the questions. Mr. Blankfort. Perhaps to the committee but not to the American people. Mr. Tavenner. The committee, I am certain, would be very glad to have the benefit of any knowledge you may have as to the control of content of film. Mr. Blankfort. Well, if this is the question, I would like to answer it, sir. Mr. Velde, on the air, I believe in one of these Meet the Press programs, when asked by the reporters whether or not he felt that this committee had influenced content in film, remembering it as clearly as I can, here is what Mr. Velde said Mr. Tavenner. Just a moment. I am not asking you Mr. Blankfort. You have asked me, sir, and I would like to answer. Mr. Tavenner. Just a moment. I have asked you what you know, if anything, regarding efforts made to control the content of films and I will ask you to confine yourself to your answer. Mr. Blankfort. Yes, I will do that. Knowledge comes to me through many sources, of course, and I would like to think that the words of a member of this committee have some worth in giving me knowledge. Mr. Velde on the air said that even though he did not think, perhaps, that this committee did influence films, but he ventures to say that there will be less films now on racial problems, and I don't think he meant Santa Anita or Hollywood Park. Mr. Tavenner. Now, will you answer my question. Mr. Blankfort. What is your question, sir? Mr. Tavenner. I didn't think that you were addressing yourself to the question. Mr. Blankfort. Oh, your question is, What do I know about the control of content of film? Mr. Tavenner. The question is, What information do you have regarding any effort made in the industry to control the content of films in connection with the Communist Party ? Mr. Blankfort. I refuse to answer any question in relation to the Communist Party on the basis of the fifth amendment. Mr. Tavenner. Do you have such information ? (Witness confers with counsel.) Mr. Blankfort. I decline to answer that part of the question which refers to the Communist Party on the basis of the fifth amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Mr. Tavenner. What were the principal films which you produced while a producer ? Mr. Blankfort. I say this shamefacedly, because I was an associate producer doing B pictures, and I have developed a kind of psychologi- cal block, hoping to forget the titles, but I was associate producer on a film called Easy to Look At, and another thing called the Crimson Canary and, believe me, the title "Crimson" had nothing political in it. As a matter of fact, the original title was to be Hear That Trumpet Talk, but it seems that the New York office of Universal had sold a