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% One of the best known paintings of the founder of the

world’s first socialist state js this one, V.

Rostrum, by A. Gerasimov.

BOOKS

I. Lenin on the

October Revolution
impact on Canada

THE doubting Thomases
the beep-beep of the satel-
the 40
years of working class power

It is good

lite bears witness to
in the Soviet Union.
at this time to recall the first
days, and the role that was
played by all
the world, including our own
country, to prevent Churchill’s

workers over

wish “to strangle bolshevism
at its birth’ from being ful-
filled.

A new pamphlet, 1917-1957:
Forty Years of Great Change,
by Tim Buck (obtainable here
at the people’s Co-op Book-
store, 337 West Pender Street,
price 15 cents) certainly fills
the bill. Written by a man
who was himself a worker in
«a machine shop in 1917- and
active in both the trade union
and socialist movement of the
day, it is a vivid description
of how the workers in Canada
responded to the transfer of

power to the Soviets.

Starting from the statement,
“This year. is also the 40th an-
niversary of a great change in

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Phone: 566-R-3
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Canada — which took place
along with the Russian Revo-
lution. It is agreed now,*uni-
versally that the October Revo-
lution changed the course of
but

few people’ recognize what, a

world history, relatively
powerful influence’ it exerted
in our country.” Buck verifies
his point with a recounting of
history.

The impetus and stimulus to
the trade union movement in
throughout the
country is illustrated by per-
sonl experiences of the author.
And along with this is. the
stirring record of labor’s op-
position to © Canada’s partici-
pation in the army of interven-
tion, and its solidarity actions
with the Russian workers.

the shops

The interconnections  be-
tween the gains and struggles

of workers the world over is
strikingly illustrated — along
with a discussion of the path
ahead for Canadian workers

— to join with one-third of
the world already socialist.

One of the best pamphlets
Tim Buck has written, Forty
Years of Great Change should
be read and passed on. Its
story is part of Canada’s tra-
ditions. More — imagination
could have been used in its
format to make this pamphlet

more attractive.

Hollywood invades Rome—and
imports McCarthyite tech

; ibs PNEUMATIC charms of
the celebrated Lollobrigida
and Sophia Loren are appar-
ently useful for other purposes
than creating vicarious delight
in male motion picture fans.

According to the Christian
Science Monitor the glamor of
the two Italian actresses Serves
as an “anti-Communist” pur-
pose — at least in Italy.

Arnold Beichman, the Moni-
tor’s Rome correspondent, tells
how Gina -and Sophia were
“enlisted” by the AFL to help
bust the General Confedera-
tion of Italian Workers, which
this writer says is “Communist
controlled” and formally had
80 percent of all Italian film
workers organized.

Now, says Beichman, it, only
has 10° percent of those work-
whereas the United Fed-

ers,
eration of Entertainment
Workers (affiliated with the

“anti - Communist Confedera-
tion of Italian Workers”) has
66 percent. ‘
It was as simple as apple
the Monitor correspond-
ent. Wgites.
secretary of the “democratic”
union, worked closly with. Pat
Somerset, business agent of the
U.S. Screen Actors Guild. They
reached an agrement that:
@ SAG would notify the ital-

pie,

ian union well in advance
when a U.S. movie company
planned to make a film in
Italy.

@ The Italian ‘“democratic’”
union would then Start to sup-
ply manpower for the up-

coming film.

® If a US. film company in-
sisted on “dealing with a Com-
munist union,” Rocchi would
notify Somerset, “who will
then take the matter up with

Claudio Rocchi, .

GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA

the company in order to per-
suade it to support a demo-
cratic trade union.”

“Take up” apparently can be
translated as pressure. For in
1954, according to Beichman,
Rocchi, working with the
AFL’s Irving Brown and
Harry Goldberg, got :a report
to the AFL Hollywood Film
Council telling which com-
panies were “supporting Com-
munist labor and which were
cooperating with democratic
elements.” The Hollywood
unions warned that they
would initiate a campaign of
public condemnation of those
companies which persisted in
cooperating with Communists.

“That did it.”

$e 50 5e 3

Where do Gina and Sophia
come in? Well, Sophia is a
member of the national direct-
ing board of the United Fed-

eration of Entertainment

Workers.

This union,
“did an organizing job of its

own exploiting the anti-Com—

munism of top Italian movie

stars, and asking them to take ~

. . . ”
leadership posts in the union.

Sophia’s normal dues to het

union would be one percent of ‘

her salary—‘“rather astronomy
eal” says. Beichman. So they

give her a special rate—only

$400 per picture “and her pop: ~

ularity in Italy is such that she
is a major asset in the ant

”

Communist fight

The rise of the “democratic”
union appears to have coincid-
ed with Hollywood’s invasio?
of Rome.

“Several years ago,’ Beich-

man ‘relates, “the (U.S.) com
panies decided to use
lira to finance movies made

in Italy, with Hollywood stat

for showing in the united
States. Costs are certainly
cheaper here o 4
MGM, for example, moves
into Rome this fall for a $
million production of BP
Hur. With that kind &
money the Italian film indus”
try has been eclipsed and Ital
ian film artists who want
work have to toe the Holly”
wood political line.
this
lity

Lost somewhere in _all
has been the artistic vit@
of Italian movie - making,
world’s toast in the post-
ond World War years:
those great films belonged ¢,
a “Communis t-controlled
union. ’

Sec
t

|

THREE DAY BOOK SALE
Thurs., Fri, Sat. — Nov. 14, 15,16

- PEOPLE'S CO-OP BOOKSTORE

337 West Pender Street

A wide selection of books at real bargain prices.

Store will remain open until 9 p.m.
Thursday and Friday of the sale |

‘

November 8, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PA®

niques

Beichman says ~

thei!

FP eee Let LY