Evening star., 1948-04-18
By Chris Mothisen

The HOLLYWOOD lawyers ndQ we'll
prepared scenario, but Judge tore
up the script.
That, in brief, is what has hap
pened to the amply-staffed defense
Of John Howard Lawson, SO, f1lm
writer being tried on a charge OF
contempt of Congress in District
Court.
His case. the first of 10 arising
from the motion picture industry
communism hearings of the House
Committee on Un-American Activi-
ties last october, probably will go to
the jury tomorrow. Unless the pro-
ceedings take a surprise turn, the
Jury will have little evidence to
ponder in arriving at its verdict.
The Government used only one
witness Chairman Thomas Of the
committee. His testimony consisted
principally of reading into the rec
ord a transcript of the exchanges
during Lawson's appearance at the
hearings.
Real Production Expected.
The defense had been expected to
put on real production, with film
land names" as witnesses. The
staff Of lawyers representing Lawson
was ready to do this when the trial
opened last Monday.
Robert W. Kenny, former Attorney
General of California, staunch
champion of Henry A. Wallace's
presidential candidacy and self
styled simple, barefoot Hollywood
lawyer" told reporters he and his
associates had covered everything.
They were ready to argue, among
many things, that the House COM
mittee was illegal, that it had no
reason to believe there was Com
munistic influence in Hollywood,
that asking Lawson about his polit
ical beliefs was in violation of the
Constitution, that the question was
not pertinent to the inquiry and
that, even so, Lawson had not re-
fused to answer but had been pre-
vented from phrasing his reply in
his own way.
The Jury heard little from the de-
fense, however, because Justice Ed
ward M. Curran ruled most OF its
proposed testimony was not rele-
want to the issues of the case. First
Justice Curran eliminated the ques-
ton of the pertinancy Of the query
made of Lawson at the hearing from
the iurys consideration. He ruled
I it was a matter of law. to be decided
by the court. After hearing argu-
ment. he decided the question had
been pertinent.
The Jury was out of the court
room while this phase of the case
was under consideration.
Attorneys Try Again.
Staggering from this harsh treat
ment of their script, the West Coast
attorneys and their Washington and
New York colleagues called Rich
ard Griffith, executive secretary OF
the National Board of Review OF
Motion Pictures to the witness
stand. The jury was back in the
box
The defense started to question
Mr.. Griffith about the high ratings
given by the board to pictures for
which Lawson did the writing. AS
sistant United States Attorney Will
liam Hitz objected this had nothing
to do. with. whether. Lawson refused
to answer a question. Justice Cur
ran agreed.
In turn, the defense tried to ask
Representative Eberharter. Demo-
crat. of Pennsylvania, former
member, about the committees
Methods attempted to show 1.-The
Jury the film and scripts of Colin
: terattack: Sahara and "The> job
son Story" three of Lawson's screen
efforts, and sought to develop from
Dore Schary, production executive
of the RKO studios, that it would
be virtually impossible for a writer