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 483 TESTIMONY OF LOUIS J. RUSSELL Mr, STKii'LiN(i. Mr. Russell, you are an investigator for the Comluittee on Un-American Activities? Mr. RussEix. I am, sir. Mr. Stripling. You have previously been sworn in this hearing? Mr. Russell. I have. Mr. Stripling. You were detailed to make an investigation to determine whether or not Ring Lardner. Jr., vas ever a member of the Communist Party? Mr. Russell. I was. Mr. Stripling. Will you give the committee the benefit of your investigation ? Mr. Russell. l)in-ing the course of my investigation I obtained information regarding the Comnmiiist Party registration card of Ring Lardner, Jr. This card bears the nuuiber 47180. It is made out in the luime of Ring L., which, during the course of the investigation, developed to be the name of Ring Lardner, Jr., as contained on his Communist Party registration card. This card contains a notation : "1944 Card No. 46806." The address of Ring Lardner is given as 447 Loring, L-o-r-i-n-g; city, Los Angeles; county, Los Angeles; State, California. ' The card contains a notation, "New card issued on November 30, 1944.''« ■ Tlie description of Ring Lardner as contained on the card is as follows: "Male: occupation, writer; industry, M. picture." The question is then asked : "Member of CIO, A. F. of L., independent union, no union" ^ "Inde[)endent union" is checked. Another (]uestion asked is: "Is member club subscriber for Daily Worker" ? The answer, "Yes" is checked. Mr. Stripling. That is all, Mr. Russell. Mr. Chairman, the committee has prepared a memorandum concerning the Connnunist affiliations of Ring Lardner, Jr. Ac-coi'diiij'' to the International Motion Picture Almanac and other sources. King Lardner, Jr., has written the followins; films: Meet Dr. Christian, RKO, 1!».S'.»; Tlie Courageous Dr. Christian. KKO, 1940; Arkansas Judge, Repuhlic. 1941 : W< man of tlie Year, MGM, 1942; The Cross of Lorraine, MGM, 1044; Tomorrow the World. United Artists. 1944: Cloak and Dagger, Warner Bros., 1946. The files, records, and imhlications of the Committee on Un-American Activities contain th<' following information concerning the Communist-frt)nt affiliations of King Lardnei-. Jr. : 1. Under date of August 22, 1940, the Hollywood Reporter, a puhlication in Los Angeles, Calif., carried an editorial headed "More Red Commissars." This cdit<jrial is quoted, in part, as follows : Now let us take a look at another memher of tlie Screen Writers Guild's executive hoard — Ring Lardner, .Jr. As chairman of the Guild's powerful original materials connnittee Lardner incuhated and sponsored the James M. Cain plan for literary dictatorship tlirough the so-called American Authors Authority. The Reporter has this to ask Ring Lardner, Jr. : "Are you a memher of the I'omnmnist I'artyV Are you at present assigned to the Party's Northwest (propagan<la ) section? Do you hold Party Book No. 25109?" The article continues: "Lardner has a long record of activity in Connnunist front organizations. The March 19:57 is.sue of The Western Worker listed him as one of the signers <»f an open letter which denounced the demands of tlie American Committee for the Defense of Trotsky for an investigation of the Rn.ssian "purge" trials. This '''■ See appendix, p. 549. for exhibit 90.