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 3511 affiliation with Communist-front organizations as shown by these, exhibits ? Mr. Odets. Well, I will say again, as I said before, Mr.'Tavenner, that the lines of leftism, liberalism, in all of their shades and degrees, are constantly crossing like a jangled chord on a piano. It is almost impossible to pick out which note is which note. I have spoken out on what I thought were certain moral issues of the day, and I found myself apparently in line with your documentation, I have found myself frequently on platforms with Communists that I did not know about then but evidently are now known Communists. I have said before that many of these people have some very good tunes. They have picked up some of our most solemn and sacred American tunes and they sing them. If I as an American liberal must sometimes speak out the same tune, I must sometimes find myself on platforms, so to speak, with strange bedfellows. I have never wittingly, since these early days, have ever wittingly, joined or spoken on an exclu- sively Communist program or platform, not to my knowledge. I see that one must do one of two things. One must pick one's way very carefully through the mazes of liberalism and leftism today or one must remain silent. Of the two, I must tell you frankly I would try to pick the first way, because the little that I have to say, the little that I have to contribute to the betterment or welfare of the American people could not permit me to remain silent. Mr. Velde. Mr. Odets, would you, if you had this to do over again— that is, join all of these Communist-front groups—would you do it at the present time? Would you sponsor the same things that you call liberalism and so forth? Mr. Odets. I do not think I would sponsor many of them. I would pick very carefully and would be careful where I put my signature- Mr. Velde. Which one of these organizations would you continue to sponsor? Mr. Odets. I cannot say at the moment, but what I would like to do, if I had a program for the future, what I would like to do would be, if there were organizations that stood for what liberals stood for, if they were Communist dominated or controlled, I would like to wrest away from the Communists their control of these organizations, one or two of them. I mean, I do not know right now to what extent an organization like the Arts, Sciences, and Professions Committee or Council is Communist dominated, because it is a valuable organiza- tion, but with many fine, outstanding citizens in it, I would like to wrest control of it away from the Communists. Mr. Velde. But do you still support it in its present constituencv ? Mr. Odets. I mean honestly to go back to New York City and make an earnest and sincere investigation of the organizations, particularly in regard to that one organization. Of all of these Mr. Velde. Until you do make that investigation, you are going to continue to support the organization ? Mr. Odets. I am going to make the investigation immediately. Mr. Wood. Any further questions, Mr. Counsel ? Mr. Tavenner. No, sir. Mr. Wood. Any reason why the witness should not be excused from further attendance before the committee? Mr. Tavenner. No, sir, I think not.