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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COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 2087 was hired. It may have been we looked at his record and thought maybe he could write that kind of a story. Neither of us could re- member. I tried. I called him on this; I called the producer for whom these writers worked to try to refresh my memory. Mr. Wheeler. Who was the producer? Miss Ettinger. Jules Schermer. He is no longer at Columbia; he is at Fox. Mr. Wheeler. I notice Leonardo Bercovici was hired on March 6, 1950. Do you recall that ? Miss Ettinger. Yes. A deal was made on Leonardo Bercovici between Sylvan Simon and, I think, Ray Starck. Mr. Wheeler. Did you have anything to do with that ? Miss Ettinger. No. Ray talked to Sylvan. Mr. Wheeler. I notice Martin Berkeley was hired in May 1945. Do you recall the circumstances? Miss Ettinger. I had just arrived in Hollywood. Mr. Wheeler. You had nothing to do with that? Miss Ettinger. I had nothing to do with that. Mr. Wheeler. This list also reflects that Alvah Bessie was hired in December 1946. Do you recall the circumstances under which he was hired ? Miss Ettinger. I discussed that with the producer Jules Schermer. We couldn't remember why he was hired, whether it was because he was fit for that job or what. I have a recollection that he may have written a book on Spain and we thought that that would fit in be- cause this was a story about Spain. I looked up this story but I didn't look up his card. I got so mixed up that I forgot. Mr. Wheeler. What is your attitude regarding qualified writers who presently cooperate with the committee? Miss Ettinger. I can answer that only by saying that writers hired by Columbia, since I suggest them, are hired purely on the basis of their talent. Mr. Wheeler. No reflection Miss Ettinger. Absolutely none. Mr. Wheeler. No reflection will be cast upon them because of their cooperation ? Miss Ettinger. Absolutely none. We are desperate for good writers and that is the way we hire them. Mr. Wheeler. Lester Fuller was hired on October 11, 1949, by Columbia. Do you recall the circumstances under which he was hired ? Miss Ettinger. 1949 ? I looked at that, I saw it wrong. I thought it was 1950. Mr. Wheeler. A Day in the Life of a Detective. Do you remember about that? Miss Ettinger. Yes; I do remember. We had a man at the studio, who is no longer there, Erwin Gelsey. Erwin was a man who had worked on the script after the writers worked on it. He worked very close with Jerry Bresler who had A Day in the Life of a Detective. It was just a title, and no story. Jerry had gone through severe headaches because we had a writer on it for quite a while and nothing had happened or come through to satisfy Mr. Colin. I remember this because I was upset about it, I felt it my function, and Erwin had