Communist infiltration of Hollywood motion-picture industry : hearing before the Committee on Un-American activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-second Congress, first session (1951)

COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY 3485 Mr. Odets. They have used the play a great deal. I have said here several times that they thought it was a wonderful play to have, a wonderful play to use. I would not like you to misconstrue anything I have said as saying that the Communist Party didn't think the play was not a very fine play, particularly to produce. It was at one time a kind of light machinegun that you wheeled in to use whenever there was any kind of strike trouble. Mr. Tavenner. According to the March 16, 1937, issue of the Daily Worker, the Chicago Kepertory Group produced Waiting for Lefty for the reason assigned that it hits the nail on the head so perfectly. It deals with the problem of taxicab drivers to form their own union and to strike for better living conditions as stated. With the taxicab strike on Chicago's own doorstep, the Chicago Repertory Group, it was said, was able to respond perfectly at the psychological moment. So again, the play was used in special instances, apparently, by the Communist Party. Do you know of any other instances? Mr. Odets. I don't offhand, no; I don't know of any instances, but I should think there were dozens and dozens of them. I mean, I know that the play has been translated into almost every language in the world, and I know that that play must have played in over 200 different American cities in its 15 or 17 years of existence. Mr. Tavenner. This would all seem to confirm your statement that the criticism made of your play was done for the purpose of in- fluencing you in your future writings because the Communist Party has not only praised, from time to time, the work, but has actually used it in special instances on many occasions for its own propaganda purposes. Mr. Odets. That is about the only one of my plays that they have done that with. Mr. Tavenner. Mr. Odets, there is considerable information in the files of the committee that reflects your interest in, your support of, or your affiliation with a number of organizations of a communis- tic nature, usually referred to as Communist-front organizations. Inasmuch as all of this so-called activity occurred after you say you left the Communist Party, the committee would like to know how you were approached for support of these different groups, what in- duced you to lend your name, if you did do so, and any other explana- tion that you care to offer. The first matter that I desire to ask you about, you were a member of the party at the time that it first arose, or your alleged affiliation with it arose. Were you affiliated with an organization known as the International Union of Revolutionary Writers ? Mr. Odets. I can only say that the name is familiar. Was that an American organization or was that an organization of Mr. Tavenner. That was a Soviet organization. Mr. Odets. Yes, that was an organization to which almost every important writer in the world belonged to, back in 1934, 1935, and 1936. Mr. Tavenner. Did you have any correspondence with the organ- ization? Mr. Odets. WTiat they did was send—they had a monthly or every other month—some magazine, the name of which I don't remember, which they sent free, and they sent literature. They sent pamphlets