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COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 3459 Mr. Tavenner. Do you know whether Obergaard was connected with any Communist trade-union organization at that time? Mr. Odets. There was some such talk. It was obvious that he was a trade-union man. It was on that basis that we would have con- sulted with him. But what exactly it was, I am not sure. Mr. Tavenner. During the course of your membership in the party, were you required to make a study of Marxist literature? Mr. Odets. Yes, sir; it was a great day for literature. One read and one was supposed to read constantly. Mr. Tavenner. Did you take up those studies in meetings of your group ? Mr. Odets. I personally did not do too much because it was a little beyond me, and my interest was going toward writing plays. To study these matters required really months of very serious study which I did not give them. Mr. Tavenner. Did you attend meetings where the principles of Marxism were discussed and studied ? Mr. Odets. I never did. I personally never did that. Mr. Tavenner. You mean you never attended or never studied ? Mr. Odets. I never studied in such groups. It would be a matter of taking home a newspaper or pamphlet and reading it. There were such study groups but I did not attend them. Mr. Tavenner. Where did you obtain the material? Mr. Odets. The material was bought. The material was bought at the Workers' Bookshop. Or it was given to you or bought for you by some other member. Mr. Tavenner. How many meetings did you attend in the group ? Mr. Odets. I am quite certain they were very few. Mr. Tavenner. Were meetings held regularly ? Mr. Odets. I think that meetings are held regularly. Let us say, for instance, once a week. And that special meetings would be called on the basis of some complaint or something that had to be fixed. I gave you what seemed to be a rather silly example of saying, "Well, we don't get clean drinking glasses around here." They would call a meeting at 10 or 11 o'clock that night to discuss that subject. I thought it was a little silly, and I refused to attend such meetings. Mr. Tavenner. Were any of the meetings held in your home? Mr. Odets. No; I don't think I had a home then. I was a very poor man. Mr. Tavenner. When was the period of time that Wellman was vis- iting you in your home? Mr. Odets. This would be later. Mr. Tavenner. How much later ? Mr. Odets. I might think in the next 6 months or a year. Mr. Tavenner. Will you fix the time as nearly as you can by giving us the months of the year that it may have occurred. Mr. Odets. That is difficult, because, because this was on and off for a number of years. Mr. Tavenner. Can you state the year? Mr. Odets. I would be guessing. Mr. Tavenner. Just not a guess, but your best judgment. Mr. Odets. Well, if I said he visited me once or twice in 1935 and then perhaps later in 1936, this would be my best judgment, Mr. Tavenner. Did he visit you at any time after 1936?