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 2345 (Representative Francis E. Walter returned to the hearing room at this point.) Mr. Tavenner. How long had you known Michael Gold? Mr. Blankfort. Probably for 2 or 3 years. At the time the play was produced, which I believe was 1936, I didn't see him. I mean, I knew him but I didn't have contact with him. I didn't talk with him. Mr. Tavenner. At the time you collaborated in the work referred to Mr. Blankfort. We didn't collaborate in the sense of two people getting together and working. I got his script and rewrote it, and then either gave it to him or sent it to him, and I think he wrote me about it. He didn't like some of the things I had done with it, and so on. Mr. Tavenner. I show you a photostat copy of an article that appeared in the Daily Worker on December 9, 1936. I ask that it be introduced in evidence and marked "Blankfort Exhibit 5." Mr. Walter. It will be marked and received. (The document referred to, marked "Blankfort Exhibit No. 5," is filed herewith.) Mr. Tavenner. It is an announcement of the twenty-fifth celebra- tion of New Masses. At this celebration, it appears that they played Anniversary Cavalcade by Michael Blankfort. Would you tell the committee the circumstances under which you contributed to that occasion ? Mr. Blankfort. That is true. They dropped me as a contributor. Mr. Blankfort. The Anniversary Calvacade, as I have now recalled it to me, the New Masses was an outgrowth of a magazine called the Masses, which in turn was an outgrowth of the magazine called, I think, the Liberator, which, in turn, I believe, was an outgrowth of a magazine called or published by the Inter-Collegiate Socialist Society. That is, it was kind of an inheritance. I believe Max Eastland was the editor of the old Masses, as was perhaps John Reed or Jack London, and so on. I would like to be able to recall with absolute accuracy who asked me, or how I came to write this. But obviously, someone asked me whether I would write a history of the New Masses. That is why it was called Anniversary Cavalcade, and I wrote one. I went to the library, I looked up the Liberator, I looked up the old Masses, and I got material from them and I wrote the Calvacade. Mr. Tavenner. This was some years after you say they had dropped you because of your attitude toward your work on reviewing plays? Mr. Blankfort. That is true. They dropped me as a contributor. Mr. Tavenner. And then came to you again to perform this par- ticular work? Mr. Blankfort. Yes, sir. Mr. Tavenner. I show you another photostatic copy of a page from the March 9, 1936, issue of New Masses, which I desire to offer in evidence and have marked as "Blankfort Exhibit No. 6." Mr. Walter. It will be marked and will be received. (The document referred to, marked "Blankfort Exhibit No. 6," is filed herewith.) Mr. Tavenner. It contains a review by Michael Blankfort of An Actor Prepares, by Constantine Stanislovsky. Do you recall that occasion?