Hearings regarding the communist infiltration of the motion picture industry. Hearings before the Committee on Un-American Activities, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, first session. Public law 601 (section 121, subsection Q (1947)

COMMUNISM IN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY 41 From the cliiy it was founded under the same management that now exists, Warner Bros, has been wholly dedicated to the system of government that has made the American way of life a shining example to peoples throughout the world. We have been aggressive in our defense of that way of life because we feel we must crusade for the things in which Americans believe. We are happy that other motion-picture producers are joining in the aggressive course Warner Bros, has pioneered, and we hope still others will follow. We cannot combat the enemies of freedom by closing our eyes, shutting our ears, aud sealing our mouths. It's better to fight with words, pictures, and ballots than with guns, atomic bombs, and poison gas. American needs awakening. The backsliders, the in-betweeners, and the straddlers are too content to drift with the dangerous tides the subvei-sive elements are stirring. Aud too many sound-to-the-core Americans are thoughtlessly ignoring those tides. We've got to jar ourselves into alert awareness of what is going on. This company has endeavored with all the means at its disposal to keep America alert against the loss of liberties which, if lost, must be redeemed in blood. Through topical entertainment features and short subjects we have retold the lessons so simply and clearly expounded in the three great basic documents of our Government. Through the same media, we have warned of dangers ahead. One of our first major feature pictui'es, My Four Years in Germany, based on the experiences of former Ambassador James Gerard, was inspired by the dangers facing our Nation in World War I. A short generation later we were first to warn of another and greater peril in Confessions of a Natzi Spy. During the tragically brief interim between our two World Wars we made the short historical films based on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Our feature films before and during World War II included, among many others, the inspiring life stories of such great Americans as Sgt. Alvin York, Knute Rockne, Mark Twain, and George M. Cohan. At the same time we were filming I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, Black Fury, Black Legion, and other pictures which exposed various evils threatening the American way of life. During the war period Warner Bros, film production was dedicated to the cause of Allie<l victory. With the conflict ended, we turned to the urgent task of pi'eserving the peace, which to our wa.y of thinking means preserving the Government of the United States and the American way of life. Our academy-winning documentary Hitler Lives was the first postwar picture of perils ahead, using the most flagrant example of what happens to an inert people as warning of what can happen again. I cite that record in sketchy outline not alone as a matter of pride but as a testimony of the earnestness of the course Warner Bros, will continue to pursue. We never have used kid gloves or appeasement or middle-of-the-road tactics in dealing with American problems. Mr. Stripi.ixg. Mr. W^arner, since yoii have been in Hollywood has there ever been a period during which you considered that the Communists had infiltrated into your studio? ^Ir. Wakxer. Yes. Do you mean by huge numbers or what? Mr. Stripiing. In any degree. Mr. Warner. Yes; there has been a period. Mr. SriiiPMNG. When was that? Mr. Warxek. Chiefly I would say starting in about 1936 or 1937. That is the first time I started to notice that type of writing coming into our scenarios. It is being put into scripts to this day in one form or another. Mr. Stripling. In your studio? Mr. Warner. In our studio and every studio: yes. At present I say there is none of it in ours. No one in our studio is working, to my knowledge, that is a member of any party — Communist or Fascist. On the other hand, I would call tliem good Amei'ican men. Mr. Stripiing. Is that due to an effort on the part of the studio management to inirge these peo])le from the studio? Mr. Warner. Absolutely. I wouldn't know about "purge." That is a tough word. If you don't mind my saying it. Mr. Sn:lpiiNG. No. Mr. Warner. Becau.se that is the thing they use every time we let one go, that here comes a brown shii-t or storm trooper.