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

3530 COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD MOTION-PICTURE INDUSTRY Mr. Roberts. It is very easily fixed in my mind because it is shortly after Roosevelt's death. I would say somewhere toward the end of April or the beginning of May in 1945. Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, the circum- stances under which you became a member and what led up to it ? Mr. Roberts. I think the only thing to do is to begin at the begin- ning. I have listened to Miss Lennart testify and I also listened to Odets this morning. The feeling I have is that it is very difficult for us to understand, but communism in Hollywood, as I have seen it and I am sure as Miss Lennart has seen it, is on a purely local level. It doesn't seem to go anywhere. It is true they have used names; they have used money; they have used everything. But, to the average screen writer or an actor in Hollywood, it all seemed to be part of Hollywood and no more. I arrived in Hollywood, as I said, in 1936. What Miss Lennart seemed to get at was that the only people who seemed to be friendty were the Communists. They had a reason, a strong reason. They were completely accessible. It wasn't the idea of a better life for the country or even the State or the city. It was the idea of finding somebody who could be pleasant and find a place to go. The Communists were out there in full force, with names, with people of real prestige and position, when they shook your hand, and that was the beginning of it. As early as 1938,1 used to go to a book store called the Book of the Day Shop. Mr. Tavenner. Don't lower your voice, just slow up. Mr. Roberts. I went to a book store called the Book of the Day Shop. There I met Arnaud D'Usseau and his wife Susan D'Usseau. We became friendly, and as early as 1938 they asked me to join the party. I was rather surprised that this was the price of hospitality. I refused the invitation. This thing was repeated over and over again during a 9-year period from about 1938 to about 1945. Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean by the same individuals or by different people ? Mr. Roberts. No, not by the same individuals. In 1941 or 1942, I had adjoining offices to Lees and Rinaldo, Robert Lees and Frederick Rinaldo. I was invited to Mr. Lees' home for dinner. It seemed to be a fine dinner, and the minute dinner was over I was asked if I would care to join the party again. This was a constantly repeated thing. As late as 1943 or 1944 I was invited with a group of die-hards to an open meeting at the home of Ben Barzman, who was a screen writer, to explain what my objections to the Communist Party were. John Howard Lawson was there, and answering most of the questions. I complained about the American Peace Mobilization becoming the American People's Mobilization overnight. I complained about their explanations on Finland. I found great fault with the Russo-Hitler pact, and in all three cases they immediately admitted "We were wrong, but everybody makes mistakes." The answer still wasn't good enough, and it wasn't until 1945, after the death of Franklin Roose- velt, that a very, very close friend of mine said that this was the death of liberalism in America, and that he had been questioned or had been asked to join the party repeatedly and that he would join if I would. His name was Bernard C. Schoenfeld. Mr. Tavenner. Spell it, please.