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tions<br />
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strengthening<br />
. . . Through<br />
,Ai__<br />
. . One<br />
Charges<br />
Hollywood<br />
Aided Left Wingers<br />
New York—"Through an examination<br />
of bank accounts and sworn statements<br />
of former officials and organizers who had<br />
charge to some extent of the collection of<br />
funds from Hollywood, it can be established<br />
beyond any doubt that large sums of money<br />
have been collected by the Communist<br />
Party from party members, sympathizers,<br />
fellow travelers and dupes connected with<br />
the film Industry."<br />
This is Representative Martin Dies<br />
again. The chairman of the House Committee<br />
on Un-American activities comes to<br />
the fore once more in a second article in<br />
Liberty, this one entitled "Is Communism<br />
Invading the Movies?" His initial effort<br />
was dubbed "The Reds in Hollywood."<br />
Dies says the party began a concentrated<br />
drive in Hollywood in 1934. when it realized<br />
the potential value of the industry from<br />
both a financial and a propaganda standpoint.<br />
The Tom Mooney case, he adds,<br />
"served as an entering wedge, to which<br />
many of the Hollywood actors and writers<br />
gave large sums of money and permitted<br />
their names to be used."<br />
Communist Organizes Groups<br />
A Communist Party member whom Dies<br />
nicknames "Jolin Roe" was able "to start<br />
the organization of sympathetic Hollywood<br />
professional people into small groups<br />
the year 1935 these groups<br />
grew to number 42 professional people<br />
from the Hollywood district. They were<br />
later divided into eight study groups, each<br />
group having a party discussion leader who<br />
discussed Communist Party theory and<br />
ways of increasing the party membership<br />
and party financial contributions from the<br />
Hollywood area."<br />
Dies goes on to describe a party meeting<br />
in August, 1936, which Earl Browder attended.<br />
Tlie latter is said to have "wanted<br />
to use the meeting as the basis for the collection<br />
of a $10,000 campaign fund from<br />
the Hollywood party members and sympathizers.<br />
This meeting was organized and<br />
held at a home in Hollywood. Present were<br />
some prominent actors and screen writers,<br />
the majority of whom were members of the<br />
organized groups. Incidentally, it can be<br />
established by qualified witnesses that the<br />
members of these groups brought Communist*<br />
Party stamps under instructions<br />
from the Communist Party to destroy<br />
them."<br />
In July or August, 1936, Dies continues,<br />
the Central Committee of the Communist<br />
Party sent to Los Angeles one of its principal<br />
cultural organizers who he claims has<br />
contributed often to the party's writings,<br />
"He was assigned to Los Angeles to increase<br />
both the party's revenue and its<br />
numerical strength in the Hollywood area.<br />
He replaced 'John Roe' and he took over<br />
organization and collection of funds<br />
Hollywood. He was under instrucnot<br />
only to bring about a general<br />
of the party's organization<br />
in the Hollywood district, but also to devote<br />
special attention to the development<br />
of cultural organizations such as the Hollywood<br />
Anti-Nazi League and to tradeunion<br />
problems. He was also instructed to<br />
conduct an intensive campaign among the<br />
Studio Shrug Greets<br />
New Dies Blast<br />
Hollywood — "Take your best hold"<br />
apparently reflects Hollywood's unoflicial<br />
reaction to Martin Dies' most recent<br />
threat to "expose Hollywood."<br />
The extended press statement issued<br />
by the Texas congressman on Thursday<br />
had even less immediate effect on<br />
the film capital than did his signed<br />
articles in "Liberty" Magazine. Producers,<br />
individually and as an organization,<br />
chose to ignore the latest blast,<br />
while liberal organizations took it in<br />
stride as they proceeded apace with<br />
their plans for concerted and elaborate<br />
refutation of the Dies charges.<br />
craftsmen employed in the different<br />
studios."<br />
After liquidation of the more loosely organized<br />
groups "the Communist Party organization<br />
in Los Angeles followed a definite<br />
policy of attempting to influence the<br />
production of pictures so as to prevent any<br />
anti-Communist pictures," Dies says. "On<br />
a number of occasions 'John Roe' discu.ssed<br />
with leading members of the Hollywood<br />
groups what their attitude would be,<br />
and on some occasions he would obtain<br />
their assistance in stopping, or in trying<br />
to stop, such production . of the<br />
purposes of the Communist groups was to<br />
endeavor to prepare the manuscripts and<br />
select the casts wherever possible. They<br />
did everything in their power to encourage<br />
the production of anti-Nazi pictures."<br />
It is the declared belief of Dies that the<br />
Communists succeeded to "some extent" in<br />
spreading subtle propaganda through the<br />
media of certain films, "so cleverly done<br />
that it was difficult for the average man<br />
to detect." The strategy. Dies says, was<br />
the continual stressing of the weak points<br />
of the American system without giving due<br />
credit to its accomplishments and the emphasis<br />
of the "defects of our political and<br />
economic systems."<br />
Dies urges the "responsible leaders of<br />
the great film industry to cooperate with<br />
us and to clean their house of un-American<br />
influences. Films must cease to be<br />
used as the vehicle for the dissemination<br />
of the Marxian views. While it is undoubtedly<br />
true," he concludes, "that the<br />
great majority of actors, screen writers,<br />
and producers are patriotic Americans,<br />
and that most of the motion pictures<br />
which have been produced are free of im-<br />
American propaganda, there is no occasion<br />
for the production of any motion picture<br />
the subtle effect of which is to encourage<br />
or promote Socialism or Communism."<br />
No More "GWTW" Dates<br />
Until End of March<br />
New York—M-G-M sales executives say<br />
the current 200 engagements of "Gone<br />
With the Wind" in addition to another<br />
156 bookings that are due to open within<br />
the next six weeks precludes the possibility<br />
of taking any more dates on the film until<br />
the end of March, at which time it is expected<br />
prints presently in work will be<br />
available.<br />
Due to the high cost of Technicolor<br />
prints, said to run about $1,100 each, the<br />
number is being pegged at about 350.<br />
Reports Attendance<br />
Is on the Way Up<br />
New York—Theatre attendance in the<br />
last few weeks has picked up around the<br />
country with resultant optimism reflecting<br />
in company quarters, according to the Wall<br />
Street Journal, usually well-informed financial<br />
newspaper.<br />
The paper reports film men "believe<br />
there is a good chance that the turn has<br />
finally come after a long period of rather<br />
indifferent attendance" and declares the<br />
unprecedented gross of "Gone With the<br />
Wind" in 27 key cities "is in part responsible."<br />
A pickup aside from this one<br />
attraction, however, also is cited.<br />
"Another more cheerful factor is that<br />
the foreign situation is getting no worse<br />
and income, while down, is not so bad as<br />
some had feared," states the story. "Paramount,<br />
which has more theatres in the<br />
United States than any of its competitors,<br />
has suffered a smaller percentage decline<br />
in gross income than most of its rivals.<br />
Earnings for 1939 are expected to be close<br />
to the level of 1938, or around $4,000,000,<br />
equal to about $1 a common share. Paramount<br />
has under way a program of producing<br />
several films in England which, if<br />
completed without interruption, will provide<br />
a number of pictures at lower than<br />
domestic cost.<br />
"Twentieth Century-Fox, which earned<br />
$1.20 a share on its common stock for the<br />
nine months (39 weeks) ended September<br />
30, is unlikely to add very much net per<br />
share for the common in the December<br />
quarter. The current three months, with<br />
better business abroad and at home, should<br />
bring profits back closer to normal.<br />
'Grapes of Wrath.' the company's latest<br />
big release, has had fine reviews and is<br />
apparently one of the big pictures of the<br />
season.<br />
"Warner Bros, currently is doing well<br />
with its 'Fighting 69th' and it is hoped<br />
the <strong>Feb</strong>ruary quarter should be somewhat<br />
better than the November period<br />
when earnings were equal to 14 cents on<br />
the common.<br />
"Loew's reported 71 cents a share on Its<br />
common stock for the quarter ended November<br />
23. which included two of the<br />
worst war months. Allowing for slightly<br />
better foreign income since then and for<br />
'Gone With the Wind' profits. Loew's<br />
might very well show $1 to $1.25 a share<br />
for the period ending in <strong>Feb</strong>ruary."<br />
Para. Partners Discuss<br />
Neely Offensive<br />
Miami Beach—Paramount theatre<br />
partners<br />
and home office executives, in meeting<br />
here, sought to develop means of fighting<br />
the Neely bill. General theatre problems<br />
of specific interest to the company<br />
also were on the agenda.<br />
Present were Barney Balaban, who has<br />
been vacationing here: Austin C. Keough,<br />
Sam Dembow, Leon D. Netter, Leonard<br />
Goldensen and Monty Gowthorpe.<br />
Boston Probes Beano<br />
Boston—The City Council is investigating<br />
Beano here. The group plans more<br />
rigid regulation.<br />
BOXOmCE :<br />
: <strong>Feb</strong>ruary <strong>17</strong>, 1940 I<br />
14-A
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