Communist infiltration of Hollywood motion-picture industry : hearing before the Committee on Un-American activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-second Congress, first session (1951)

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1582 COMMUNISM IN MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Tavenner. Bv fraction, what do Ton mean? Mr. Berkeley. Well, a fraction is a group of party members—now, there were two kinds of fractions. There is an open fraction and there is a closed fraction. When I use the word "fraction" from now on, I mean a closed fraction at which only party members are admitted. The fraction is composed of Communists who have a common interest either in a mass organization in which they are functioning or a trade-union, a political party or such like. There were fractions of the actors, fractions of the writers, I presume fractions of the direc- tors, though I have no knowledge of that; fractions in the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and other front organizations. Mr. Tavenner. But in short, it meant membership in the Com- munist Party? Mr. Berkeley. Yes, sir. J. Edward Bromberg and his wife, Goldie—Bromberg is spelled B-r-o-m-b-e-r-g; he is an actor—were also at the meeting. Present was Miss Madelaine Ruthven, R-u-t-h- v-e-n, who later became organizational secretary for the Hollywood section; an actor named Victor Killian, K-i-1-l-i-a-n. Mr. Tavenner. Is that the same person that testified before the Committee on Un-American Activities in Washington ? Mr. Berkeley. I believe it is, sir. I believe so. Mr. Tavenner. I possibly should have said, who appeared before the committee. Mr. Berkeley. I realize that. Also present was Don Gordon, an assistant story editor,, I believe, at the time at one of the studios; I think RKO. I am not sure. Pie is here now. Perhaps he can tell you later. Lou Harris was there. Mr. Tavenner. Now, some of the persons present at this meeting, I understand, were not members of the Communist Party ? Mr. Berkeley. That's right, sir. Mr. Tavenner. I want to make it clear that I am asking you to name those who were members of the Communist Party, to your knowledge. Mr. Berkeley. Mr. Tavenner, I will not mention a name unless I am dead certain that this person was a member of the Communist Party, because I am not going to hang anybody that doesn't deserve it. Mr. Tavenner. Then Donald Gordon, I understand from vour testimony Mr. Berkeley. Don Gordon. Mr. Tavenner. Don Gordon was a member of the Communist Party, to your knowledge? Mr. Berkeley. Yes, sir. I met with him with the Screen Writers Guild. I attended a meeting of the Screen Writers Guild at which I met Don Gordon, and, subsequently, later met him at the meetings of the writers' fraction. Also Mr. Tavenner. You may proceed. Mr. Berkeley. Also there was Lou Harris and his wife, Vera. Lou later became a producer at Paramount. His name is spelled H-a-r- r-i-s. Herbert Biberman—I think you know how to spell that name— the director, was there with his wife, Gale Sondergaard, as well as Sonja Dahl, who, I believe, then was D-a-h-1, Dahl; I don't know whether she spells Sonja with a "y" or an "i". She was then secretary, I believe, of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and later, I think, married Herbert Biberman's brother, Edward Biberman, and Edward