Evening star., 1947-10-23
Red Actors Put
At1%byMurphy
AtFi|m Probe
Ready to Quit Again
To Fight Communism
Montgomery Says
DILL EHIA
BULLETIN

6UILel IN
Gary Cooper, the screen star,
branded as totally untrue"
two documents circulated this
year by Communists in Italy
and Yugoslavia purporting to
show Mr.. Cooper was a Com
munist and had been impris-
oned for being one.
Robert Montgomery, veteran
screen star, told the House Com
mittee on Un-American Activi-
ties today that he was quite
willing to give up my job again
to fight" communism.
Both Mr.. Montgomery and Actor
Dancer George Murphy, who fol-
lowed him on the witness stand in
the committees investigation of
communism in Hollywood, declared
only small minority of movie ac-
tors follow the Communist party
line.
Mr.. Murphy estimated that less
than ! per cent of the Screen Ac-
tors Guild membership is Commu-
mist. Mr.. Montgomery described
the Communists among actors as q
militant small minority, we'll Or
ganizeG and we'll disciplined" But,
he added, the size of the group docs
not change the picture as far as the
danger is concerned"
Cooper, McCarey to Testify.
Ronald Reagan, sandy-haired
president of the Screen Actors
Guild. told the committee that "as
much as he detests" communistic
philosophy and tactics he did not
want to see the United States COM
promise" any of its democratic
principles in its fight against COM
munism.
Mr.. Reagan, final witness before
the noon recess was to be followed
this afternoon by Actor Gary Coop
er and Leo MeCarey. producer and
director. Mr.. Reagan declared the
Screen Actors Guild has done "a
pretty good job in preventing
Communists from making gains in
the organization
In contrast with the almost simon
pure Actors Guild, the committee
was given a far different view of
the Screen Writer'S Guild by two
movie writer's who preceded the ac-
tors on the stand.
Fred Niblo, jr., said he was con-
vinced the Screen Writers Guild
was the "sparkplug and spearhead"
of Communist activities in Holly
wood. He and fellow writer's who
joined the Motion Picture Alliance
for the Preservation of American
Ideals, he said, were virtually put on
trial by the guild sin an atmosphere
that suggested the Moscow purge
trials"
Intimidation Laid to Claque.
Another veteran screen writer,
Richard Macaulay, told the commit
tee that i-Communists who at
tempted to speak up at guild meet
ings were subjected to constant
program of intimidation by well
organized claale."
Mr. Macaulay gave the committee
. list of % screen writer's who. he
said, consistently followed the Com
munist Party line. always voted as
a bloc, indulged in a campaign of
abuse against anti-Communist col
leagues and consistently Joined
Communist front organizations.
The list included:
Alvah Bessie, Gordon Kahn, Les
ter Cole, Ring Lardner, jr.; John
Howard Lawson, Marian Spitzer
Paul Trivers, Maurice Rapf, John
Wexley. William Pomerance Melvin
Levy, Clifford Odets, Michael Blank
fort, Howard Koch, Albert Maltz
and Dalton Trumbo.
Spectators, who filled every seat
in the big caucus room or waited
in vain to gain admittance behind
the barricade-lined rotunda bal
cony, saw Mr.. Montgomery enter
the hall in a blaze of flashlights
After telling the committee he had
been Hollywood actor for 20 years
and former president of the Screen
Actors Guild. Mr.. Montgomery said
Communists have been operating In
the guild since 1888.
''Were they ever successful in
dominating the guild he was asked
Never under any circumstances,
the actor responded.
Battle for Resolution.
He went on to describe the efforts
made by left-wing group within
the guild to prevent the guild from
issuing a statement last year an
nouncing that it was vigorously op-
posed to any real Fascists or Com
n1unists in the motion picture indus
try or in the ranks of labor.
The resolution, he said, was made
public three months after he first
offered it. During that period, he re-
called, various compromise resolu-
tions were offered from all of which
the fat statement of the guilds op-
position to communism was
strangely absent Asked If he was
aware of Communist influences in
other Hollywood guilds. he said he
assumed they were small minorities
Then he added:
THE fact these minorities are
tiny does not change the picture
as far as their danger is concerned.
They are well organized and well
disciplined. They appear at meet
ings with completed program for
the evening.
Committee Counsel Robert E