 He was also involved in organizing anti-fascist demonstrations.His brother, James Lardner, was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, and was killed in action in Spain in 1938.Although his political involvement upset the owners of the film studios, he continued to be employed and in 1947 became one of the highest paid scriptwriters in Hollywood when he signed a contract with 20th Century Fox at $2,000 a week (equivalent to $ a week today).