American Monsters: Chapter 5

A New World of Congressmen and Monsters

This is a transcript of the first HUAC hearing of The Frankenstein Monster on Friday, September 21st, 1951.

The Speakers are as follows:

• Adam Frankenstein (The Monster)

• HUAC Chairman John Stephen Wood (Democrat, Georgia)

• HUAC Chief Investigator Robert E Stripling

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wood: Mr. Frankenstein, we thank you for your swift cooperation in appearing before the committee so quickly.

Frankenstein: Mr. Chairman, I’m happy for the opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about my political affiliation.

Wood: Then you are aware of the claims that were made in Martin Berkeley’s testimony earlier this week.

Frankenstein: I am.

Wood: And you wish to make it clear he is mistaken?

Frankenstein: I have a personal statement I’d like to share if the committee will allow-

Stripling: Mr. Frankenstein…there’s no need to share any sort of statement if your answer to the question is no.

Frankenstein: Which question, sir?

Stripling: Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?

Frankenstein: I am not. But if you’ll allow to me read my statement-

Wood: The committee will review your statement for its pertinence to this inquiry later. You are then inferring that Mr. Berkeley lied to the committee?

Frankenstein: I don’t…I don’t know that he lied. Maybe he thinks it’s true-

Stripling: Why would he think it’s true?

Frankenstein: I’m not sure. We’ve never met.

Stripling: How long have you been employed by Universal Pictures?

Frankenstein: Twenty years this October.

Stripling: And you’re testifying that in all that time you never once met or spoke with Martin Berkeley?

Frankenstein: It’s hard to say. The studio employs thousands of artists.

Stripling: And you’re a big star.

Frankenstein: Thank you.

Stripling: That was a question, Mr. Frankenstein.

Frankenstein: Ah…I’m sorry I-… Well…I’m one of their top box office draws, yes.

Stripling: So a celebrity like yourself wouldn’t associate with a low level writer?

Frankenstein: Oh no, that’s not- I have friends at every level in just about every department. Writers, costumers, builders-

Wood: Would you say you have a special affinity for the common man?

Frankenstein: I don’t…I’m not sure I understand the-

Wood: Do you identify with blue collar workers?

Frankenstein: Yes. Very much so.

Wood: Is that what led you to participate in the anti-studio demonstration known as “Bloody Friday” in October of 1945?

Frankenstein: That’s a…I marched in the picket line outside Warner Brothers, but I was never arrested or-

Stripling: Why did you attend the picket? The Screen Actors Guild wasn’t on strike, were they?

Frankenstein: No but hundreds of set painters and carpenters at Universal had been without work for months and I wanted to show my support.

Stripling: Do you often rabble rouse with communist-friendly unions?

Frankenstein: Not at all. I attended because I’d heard hired thugs were threatening the picketers and I figured if I was there-

Stripling: You’d intimidate them?

Frankenstein: Well. I am a 7 foot tall monster, sir. And if I’m standing between two groups of men who want to fight, chances are I can keep the peace. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to get hurt.

Wood: But people did get hurt on “Bloody Friday,” didn’t they?

Frankenstein: Unfortunately, yes. The police started lighting flares and…

Stripling: It was reported that you “ran amok.”

Frankenstein: Those reports were very much sensationalized.

Stripling: Then you’d say your behavior that day was entirely peaceful?

Frankenstein: I… I’m something of a pyrophobic. When I saw fire, I needed to get away from the crowd fast. In doing so I understand I damaged some property.

Stripling: $68,000 in damage to the Warner Brothers lot at last estimate.

Frankenstein: I promptly apologized and repaid the damages out of court.

Wood: Would you describe yourself as a law-abiding American, Mr. Frankenstein?

Frankenstein: I would. I consider my citizenship a hard-earned privilege.

Wood: You have no allegiance to your country of origin?

Frankenstein: That’s a bit complicated. I was created in Ingolstadt in the year 1816 just after the founding of the German Confederation. My father however was Swiss and I spent my subsequent years in Geneva and England. I never received a passport or a birth certificate due to the unusual nature of my-

Wood: Your naturalization papers say you came to the United States through Canada.

Frankenstein: Yes, I had lived on Umingmak Nuna since the death of my father.

(Murmuring amidst the committee)

Frankenstein: Excuse me. That’s Ellesmere Island to English-speakers. Near the Arctic. That’s where Carl Laemmle’s men found me and offered me a contract with Universal. I’ve lived here in the States ever since.

Wood: Then in your 135 years, you never visited the Soviet Union?

(Pause)

Wood: Mr. Frankenstein?

Frankenstein: I don’t think so. It’s hard to keep up with the borders.

Wood: Do you testify under oath that you’ve had absolutely no dealings with the Soviets in your lifetime?

Frankenstein: I do.

Stripling: Then why, Mr. Frankenstein, does our committee have in our possession evidence of extensive mail correspondence between you and Kuntsevo dacha ranging from July 1941 through February 1942?

(Crowd crosstalk and murmur)

Frankenstein: I’m not…I don’t recall- What is the nature of your evidence?

Stripling: A second witness has brought to our attention no less than 146 individual intercepted documents. Each detailing the instructions needed to recreate your father’s experiments.

Frankenstein: Why on earth would I would do that?

Stripling: This committee believes for the past decade, you have been committing ongoing seditious treason.

Frankenstein: That’s ridiculous! To what end?

Stripling: Conspiring to give eternal life to General Secretary of the Communist Party, Joseph Stalin.

(Audience outcry)

(Gavel strikes three times)

Frankenstein: (unintelligible)

(Continued audience outcry and gavel strikes)

END OF TRANSCRIPT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~