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2340 COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY acter. My experience has been in America that to use that word to any class or any group in our country would be completely misleading. It has no sense. Mr. Velde. Do you recall when you stopped using it,- or any of the other well-known Communist terms ? Mr. Blankfort. No, sir; I don't recall. I was not conscious of ever saying that. Mr. Tavenner. Of course, it is a term that has been used back in French history, but was it not adopted in the Communist Manifesto itself, and appears in the manifesto? Did you learn of it there? Mr. Blankfort. I read the manifesto. Mr. Tavenner. Well, did you find it there ? Mr. Blankfort. No. I read the word "bourgeois" long before I read the Communist Manifesto. Mr. Tavenner. I understand, but you do know it was recognized, as a Communist Party term in the manifesto—the Communist Mani- festo? Mr. Blankfort. Well, the Communist Manifesto preceded the Com- munist Party by a long number of years, and the writings of the Amer- ican Socialists, Jack London, whom I remember reading, and Debs, used the word "bourgeois" very, very often. However, I think your point is about the use of the word as a Communist Party or a Com- munist stereotype. On that, there is no disagreement. I am sure it was used as a Com- munist stereotype. Mr. Tavenner. But do you mean to tell the committee that at the time you were using language of that type, while working for the Communist Party organs, you were not a member of the Communist Party ? Mr. Blankfort. Yes, sir. Mr. Tavenner. I show you a photostatic copy of the clipping from the Daily Worker of December 21, 19:$5. This article is entitled "Introducing the Staff." The name of Michael Blankfort appears as the theater editor. Does that refer to you ? Mr. Blankfort. That is me. Mr. Tavenner. Does that not indicate a connection with the pub- lication of that paper of a more definite character than merely that of making reviews for the paper, when you would be paid for it only in theater tickets? I mean, does it not show that you had a definite position with the Daily Worker ? Mr. Blankfort. The fact is that I did no more for the Daily Worker than I described. I cannot be responsible for the way the Daily Worker advertised my appearance as a play reviewer in it. Mr. Tavenner. Well, were you not the theater editor of the paper? Mr. Blankfort. I never considered myself the theater editor. Now, I believe that on several issues my name did appear as the theater editor. But what does an editor do ? He makes up a page, he is re- sponsible for the theater section. As far as I know, I never was re- sponsible for anything but my play reviews. I never attended a staff meeting. I assumed that that is what a regular member of the staff would do. Mr. Tavenner. According to this same article, the editors of the Daily Workers are C. A. Hathaway, Joseph North, James Allen, and