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1558 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Levitt. What I realize mostly is that this is my country, to which I give my allegiance, and this is the country whose imperfec- tions, when they exist, I wish to do everything I can to right, accord- ing to how I see it. I feel that any attempt to prevent me from doing so by blacklist, by official censure, or anything else tends to prevent the free exchange of ideas upon which this country is based. It doesn't make any difference if you should set examples of others who do not agree with these ideas. This does not diminish my belief in my ideas at all. Mr. Potter. The very organ in which you wish to find expression for the opinions that you have just stated certainly can't be found in the Communist Party. Mr. Levitt. This is a statement? Mr. Potter. I am not asking a question; I am just making a state- ment. I have no further questions. Mr. Levitt. Whether or not this is true, this still does not affect my belief. Mr. Potter. I know. It is a discussion. I have no further questions. Mr. Wood. Any further questions, Mr. Counsel ? Mr. Tavenner. Yes, sir. I would like to ask you, Mr. Levitt, what screen credits you have acquired while a writer, or the principal ones. Sir. Levitt. My name appears on a film called the Boy With Green Hair; a script called the Wild Country, which is not yet produced; and a film called Shakedown; on a film called Mrs. Mike; and on a script which is now in preparation called Dream Wife. Mr. Tavenner. Did I understand you to say that for a period of time you served in the capacity of a reader? Mr. Levitt. That's correct. Mr. Tavenner. Where was that service performed? Mr. Levitt. I first engaged in what is called outside reading. I don't know whether this is familiar to the committee or not. It is kind of a complicated procedure which has been done away with now. The studios all have their regular reading staffs, and there was a certain amount of work which would be beyond the capacity of their regular staffs, and there was a corps of outside readers developed who wanted to eventually become staff readers. Through the Readers' Guild the studio reading department heads would have a list of people, as they were available, and they would be assigned to read and synop- size a piece of work. I did this for a period of time. Then I was hired at Selznick Studios on a rather special project that was not re- lated to films actually. I believe Mr. Selznick at that time, whom I have never met, was looking for a play for some theater project that he had up-State in Santa Barbara. After that I became a staff reader at Paramount. Mr. Tavenner. How long did you serve as a staff reader and when? Mr. Levitt. I believe that it was 1941 and 1942. I know that it ended in 1942 because I went into the Army from Paramount, and I believe it began in 1941. Mr. Tavenner. Were you a member of the Communist Party at the time you served as a staff reader? Mr. Levitt. I decline to answer that question on the grounds previously stated.