1947 Bertolt Brecht gave evidence to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) on the morning of 30 October 1947. He was, by definition, un-American. Although he had passed the first stage of the naturalisation process, and had expressed his intention to move to America as early as 1941, he was still a foreigner. He testified as one of the so-called ‘Hollywood 19’ – voluntary witnesses who aimed to oppose the witch-hunt against supposed ‘Reds’ in the American movie industry. They had agreed they would not give a direct answer to the key question: ‘Are you, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?’
Brecht’s connection with Hollywood was slight and he was, as he informed the Committee, a ‘guest’ in the country. He is said to have rehearsed for his appearance with his friend Hermann Budzislawski, in order to give the most evasive and slippery answers. He had been, of course, deeply involved with the communist movement.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, ‘Brecht spoke with a heavy accent and puffed at a long cigar with easy poise’ (his responses can be sampled at: http://www.archive.org/details/BrechtAndTheHuac).
The chaotic nature of the proceedings is evident from the following excerpt (‘Stripling’ is the HUAC Chief Investigator Robert E. Stripling):
Stripling: Uh, Mr Brecht … is it true that you have written a number of very revolutionary poems, plays, and other writings?
Brecht: I am uh written a number of poems, songs, and plays, in the fight against Hitler, and, of course, they can be considered, therefore, as revolutionary, cause, I, of course, was for the overthrow, of that government.
Unidentified voice: Mr Stripling, we’re not interested in …
Stripling: Yeah …
Unidentified voice: … any works that he might have written, uh, going for the overthrow of Germany.
Stripling: Yes, I …
Unidentified voice: The government there …
Stripling: Uh well, from the examination of the works which Mr Brecht has written, particularly in collaboration with Mr Hanns Eisler, uh, he seems to be a person of international importance to the, Communist revolutionary movement. Now Mr Brecht, uh, is it true, do you know whether or not you have written articles, for …
[Gavel bangs three times]
Thomas: There’s gonna be another fall here pretty soon so will you boys just, sit down quietly please, while we’re … [murmur from audience] … Go ahead.
HUAC was totally baffled by their German witness and made no request that he hang around to make them look even more clumsy. Brecht left the country for Europe on an Air France flight on 31 October 1947. He would never return.