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)

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COMMUNISM IN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY 357 ture in the studios, the Communists in 1944, 1945, 1946, and 1947 engineered and maintained a running series of jurisdictional strikes against our union. The real urpose of these strikes was the weakening and ultimate destruction of the lATSE, which was the recognized bulwark against Communist seizure of the studio unions. Had those strikes been successful, and the lATSE been defeated, we are sure that the few remaining forces of resistance would have easily succumbed to the unbelivable effective machine which the Communist movement had built in southern California in 1944. With a Connnunist-controlled union representing all Holyw^oocl technical labor supporting a Screen Writers Guild, through which only pro-Communist writers could get into the industry, we believe that the screen would have been effectively captured, notwithstanding the good intentions of the producers of motion pictures. Wliile tliis Communist plan has been defeated thus far, we have not been successful in this fight without tremendous effort on the part of the real A. F. of L. unions in the studios and a tremendous sacrifice on the part of many of our members. Hollywood workers have fought valiantly to prevent their unions from becoming an adjunct of Soviet foreign policy. Hundreds have suffered personal injuries. Homes have been bombed, automobiles destroyed, and children threatened. Intimidation and coercion have cause many to live for weeks in terror. Some may say that the Hollywood story is a figment of a motionpicture make-believe; but to our members in the Hollywood unions, it is very real indeed. To them it has meant the pitting of workers against workers, brother rgainst brother; yes — and even husband against wife. Thus have the Communists sought to justify their slogan that the end justifies the means. The trend of the time has aided our cause. Important persons in the industry who a few years ago greeted our story as too fantastic to believe, are now looking at it with recognition and concern. But we know from expei-ience that the Communists will not give up — the prize is too great. We hope, therefore, that with the help of the committee, the Communist menace in the motion-picture industry may be successfully destroyed, to the end that Hollywood labor may be spared in the future the strife and turmoil of the immediate past. We shall continue to fight, to expose, and to remove the Communist menace from our trade-unions, so that, in keeping with our American system, our labor organizations may continue to be free, clean, progressive, patriotic, and democratic, with continued improvement of working conditions and maintenance of adequate security for the many thousands of employees in this gTeat American industry. The Chairman. Mr. McDowell. ]Mr. McDowell. Mr. Brewer, were you here when Mr. Trumbo testified ? Mr. Brew^er. Yes: I was. Mr. McDowell. You observed him when he refused to testify? Mr. Brewt.r. Yes; I did. Mr. IMcDowELL. Did you observe his actions when he was asked if he belonged to the Screen Writers Guild? Mr. Brewer. I did. Mr. McDowell. Would it offend you if I, or if any other person, would ask you if you belong to a labor union ? Mr. Brewer. It certainly would not.