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2338 COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY employment Insurance for the Unemployed was a Communist-front I would have joined it anyway. I believed, at that time, that the Communist movement represented a progressive force in the American life. Wherever I disagreed—as I said, there were many things that 1 disagreed with them with—wherever they moved in this type of activitiy, I supported them. Mr. Walter. Did you not recognize the fact that those Communist- front organizations were nothing but band-wagon riders. They cer- tainly did not take the lead in bringing about social reforms. When they saw that a social reform was about to become effective, then they adopted that as their policy because it was the popular thing. Mr. Blankfort. Sir, I did not see it, and I was not sophisticated enough at the time. Mr. Walter. I want to say to you that those of us who have brought about social legislation have frequently been embarrassed by the sup- port that we have received from those groups. Mr. Blankfort. I can well understand that. Mr. Walter. So that they actually were a hindrance rather than any help in bringing about any social reforms. Mr. Blankfort. I believe that, yes, sir. But in the early 1930's I didn't know as much about it. Eight up beyond the 1930's, wherever there were activities, possibilities for action, I partook. Mr. Tavenner. Did you partake in the sense of joining any groups which were studying Communist Party ideology? Mr. Blankfort. No, sir. Mr. Tavenner. In this connection, you say you did become active and take part in a number of activities, which you now recognize, probably, as Communist fronts or organizations and publications sponsored by the Communist Party. The Daily Worker was known to you at the time you worked there as an organ for the Communist Party, was it not? Mr. Blankfort. Yes, sir; I did. Mr. Tavenner. And the same was true when you were employed and worked for the New Masses. Is that not correct ? Mr. Blankfort. Well, no, sir. In the first place, I wasn't employed, but when I wrote reviews for the New Masses I didn't believe that it was a Communist Party Magazine. Mr. Tavenner. I would like to show you a photostatic copy of a clipping taken from the Daily Worker of April 27, 1934. This article does not appear to be a review, but it appears to be an article on the problems connected with producing a play called The Stevedore. According to the Daily Worker, the article was written by Michael Blankfort, director of The Stevedore. Do you recall the article? Mr. Blankfort. I didn't recall it until I saw it. Mr. Tavenner. Do you recognize it as a contribution which you made to the Daily Worker? Mr. Blankfcrt. I am certainly sure it is, and I would like to point out that it is about a play that I had been the director of, a play. As a director of a play, I had written articles about this play, the only play I did direct, for any periodical that would have asked me. It was part of the publicity program for a play. Directors do that; actors and playwrights do that regularly. It is part of the procedure. Mr. Tayknner. I want to point out to you several expressions used