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 51 fun at our political system. This seems to be the easiest way for writers to get by us, and by the prodvu'tion heads. The rich man is their favorite choice. Now, I have something on the back here. After this big strilve these people were naturally of the opinion that we were sympathetic with them, which we were to labor in general. Laborers were trying to live on $1>S a week in the depression period and my brotlier and I deliberately raised the wage scale from around ;">(» or 00 cents, wluitever it was, to 85 cents, and w^e were rather criticizi^d by people around here. \\'hen the strike started they picked on us first, thiidcing tliat we were with tliem. They instantly found out we were not with them ; it was just to tlie contrary. When asked why they picked on Warner Bros., they sai<l they figured, biMng oui friends, we would succumb immediately and sign the new contract. Tliis was a .)urlsdi<tional strike — not for wages. They are still striking to this day. When they found out about us, they got off of us i-apidly and they don't like us any more. Mr. Thomas. I have one more question. You saw an Associated Press dispatch that appeared in the newspapers a few days ago, in fact, on May 12. It was a statement made by the interpreter Yuri Zliukt)v in which he stated that the United States films smelled a mile of propaganda. This is his exact statement. He said that "American proihicers were cooperating with the State Department and monopoly capital to glut the world market with films giving a distorted, sweetened picture of life in the United States." Why do you thing Mr. Zhukov made that statement V That was just a few days ago. You probably read it. Mr. Wakner. Yes; I did read that statement. Well, I think that they really believe it. They believe that through our pictures we are trying to sell the American doctrine. Mr. THOifAS. Or was it to head off a new flood of pictures that the producers may be considering putting out that might be anti-Communist films? Mr. Wakneu. It could be that. I am sure the Russian i>ropagandists need no aid from anyone. They are pretty clever. They know everything. Mr. Thomas. Isn't it true there will be a rush of anti-Communist films? Mr. WAKNEii. I don't think there will be a rush of them, but there are going to be a few made because we are making one now,' I^p Until Now. We sent a company to Boston to get proper locations. In making this type of film you have to be certain you are portraying the events of the day. You can't say that you are going to make Mission to jMoscow in 1947 because 1942 was an entirely different story. Then they were our allies and when you are fighting your enemy you go along with your allies until you win. Yes ; I feel you have proven a point, in my opinion. Propagandawise they contemplate many anti-Communist pictures and I don't believe there will be so many made. The only one I know going right out to tell the story is the one we are preparing. The rest of them are doing it in one form or another. I don't say anyone will make any pro-Russian pictures, because that is ridiculous. They will try to make good American stories. There have been some verj', very wonderful sequences and American speeches made by the companies in the past. I don't think there is anyone who hasn't tried in one form or another to do that, but every once in a while they will get this anticapitalistic propaganda, as I have found it, and some of it may stick in the films. They have gotten things over on me : I know they have. Mr. Thomas. Have you any more questions? Mr. Stripling. I have no more questions. Mr. McDowell. I have none. Mr. W^arneb. If you don't mind just a moment. Would you want this for the record? You can use it as you wish. These are copies of Communist literature distributed on our picket lines in the 1945 strike. Mr. Thomas. We would like very much to have them. Mr. Warner. We have books that high of evidence that Avent on in front of the studio, but everybody knows about this. Mr. Stripling. I will ask the reporter to mark those exhibits at this point in the record. (The leaflets referred to were marked "Warner's Exhibits 4, 5, and 0."*) Mr. Warner. Screening pictures for subversive messages — that is the cardhial point. We watch everything. One fellow came up and objected and found fault with the destruction of the Indians and what not in order for the white ' See appendix, p. 523. for Warner Exhitiits N().s. 4, 5, and 6, introduced in executive hearing, May 15, 1947, now designated as exliibits 12, 13, and 14.