1947 - Government, USA, HUAC Hearing: Robert Taylor; Howard Rushmore; Morrie Ryskind. 22Oct47 Hearing room as people enter. Still photographers gather as Robert Stripling prepares papers; Robert Taylor enters, talks w/ Stripling takes seat. Taylor poses for photographers & takes out cigarette.
11:12:50 Parnell Thomas talks to him in MS, says don’t be nervous; photographers take pictures.
11:13:35 Audience asked to not applaud. “We are trying to get the facts here; this is no show or anything like that... Taylor talks about the Communist Party & agrees it should be outlawed. Thomas thanks him for his very frank statement. Asks audience & photographers to remain seated while the witness leaves...
Audience applauds as he leaves.
11:14:54 Witness Investigative Journalist Howard Rushmore of New York Journal-American seated at desk, Gerhart Eisler discussed, was Jerome’s boss.
11:1600: Stripling: “Were there any other sacred cows in the movie industry?” “Edward G. Robinson would fall in that category. We had a number of very favorable articles on Robinson...Jerome once told me to always defend Robinson...I don’t know whether or not Robinson is a Communist...but 10 years ago or more he began to join one Communist Front or another...” Goes on to say that League of American Writers was founded by the Communist Party in 1935.
11:17:28 Morrie Ryskind, dramatist, lyricist & writer, sworn in & sits down. SOF “I realize fully the touch job you have. I think we all believe, and want to protect our civil liberties. I see the danger but I alo feel that we didn’t get the Bill of Rights in order to protect Quislings. And I think if we are going to spend $12 million dollars, or whatever it is, to contain the Communists in Greece we out to spend at least a couple of buck over here & do something about that. What good is it doing it over there & not getting rid of it here? Look, I wouldn’t want a bill that would hurt the political expression of any American, but I think it has been proved beyond any doubt that the American Communist Party is not an American Communist Party. If it were, I am afraid I would be sucker enough to defend its right to speak & to preach, but it has been proven it isn't. It is an agent of a foreign government, as the Bulgarian Communist Party is, as the Korean Communist Party is, as the German Communist Party is. It seems to me that by this time, beyond any shadow of doubt, we have proven it. And I don't believe it is up to us to protect the rights of Quislings against the rights of American citizens, because they do assail our rights. They use the techniques of character assassination, & if they ever get control of the screen or of the country, it won't be just characters they will assassinate. I don't know just how you can do it, but I do think it is your problem & I hope to God you do it. I do also think — this may not be pertinent to you, but I think — would you mind very much if I made a suggestion to the producers?
11:19:18 Well, I don’t, I think you better (abrupt end).
Anti-Communist; Friendly Witnesses; Hollywood Ten; Blacklists; 1940s; Motion Picture Industry; House Committee On UnAmerican Activities; Actors; Movies; Politics; Political Evolutionist;
NOTE: Jerome refers to Isaac Romaine aka V.J. Jerome.
NOTE: Partial or entire sold at per reel rate. Printer ride in source material at NARA.
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1947 - Government, USA, HUAC Hearing: Robert Taylor; Howard Rushmore; Morrie Ryskind. 22Oct47 Hearing room as people enter. Still photographers gather as Robert Stripling prepares papers; Robert Taylor enters, talks w/ Stripling takes seat. Taylor poses for photographers & takes out cigarette. 11:12:50 Parnell Thomas talks to him in MS, says don’t be nervous; photographers take pictures. 11:13:35 Audience asked to not applaud. “We are trying to get the facts here; this is no show or anything like that... Taylor talks about the Communist Party & agrees it should be outlawed. Thomas thanks him for his very frank statement. Asks audience & photographers to remain seated while the witness leaves... Audience applauds as he leaves. 11:14:54 Witness Investigative Journalist Howard Rushmore of New York Journal-American seated at desk, Gerhart Eisler discussed, was Jerome’s boss. 11:1600: Stripling: “Were there any other sacred cows in the movie industry?” “Edward G. Robinson would fall in that category. We had a number of very favorable articles on Robinson...Jerome once told me to always defend Robinson...I don’t know whether or not Robinson is a Communist...but 10 years ago or more he began to join one Communist Front or another...” Goes on to say that League of American Writers was founded by the Communist Party in 1935. 11:17:28 Morrie Ryskind, dramatist, lyricist & writer, sworn in & sits down. SOF “I realize fully the touch job you have. I think we all believe, and want to protect our civil liberties. I see the danger but I alo feel that we didn’t get the Bill of Rights in order to protect Quislings. And I think if we are going to spend $12 million dollars, or whatever it is, to contain the Communists in Greece we out to spend at least a couple of buck over here & do something about that. What good is it doing it over there & not getting rid of it here? Look, I wouldn’t want a bill that would hurt the political expression of any American, but I think it has been proved beyond any doubt that the American Communist Party is not an American Communist Party. If it were, I am afraid I would be sucker enough to defend its right to speak & to preach, but it has been proven it isn't. It is an agent of a foreign government, as the Bulgarian Communist Party is, as the Korean Communist Party is, as the German Communist Party is. It seems to me that by this time, beyond any shadow of doubt, we have proven it. And I don't believe it is up to us to protect the rights of Quislings against the rights of American citizens, because they do assail our rights. They use the techniques of character assassination, & if they ever get control of the screen or of the country, it won't be just characters they will assassinate. I don't know just how you can do it, but I do think it is your problem & I hope to God you do it. I do also think — this may not be pertinent to you, but I think — would you mind very much if I made a suggestion to the producers? 11:19:18 Well, I don’t, I think you better (abrupt end). Anti-Communist; Friendly Witnesses; Hollywood Ten; Blacklists; 1940s; Motion Picture Industry; House Committee On UnAmerican Activities; Actors; Movies; Politics; Political Evolutionist; NOTE: Jerome refers to Isaac Romaine aka V.J. Jerome. NOTE: Partial or entire sold at per reel rate. Printer ride in source material at NARA.