Screen Guilds Magazine (February 1936)

ANNOUNCES WAMPAS PORTABLE RADIO MOST POWERFUL SET FOR SIZE BUILT Very Smart Genuine Leather Case • Portable Automatic Combination Exquisite Tone • Pianos and Radios Rented Kelly Music JOHN T. KELLY, JR. The Nation's Best in Radio 1043 Westwood Blvd. Westwood, Calif. W. L. A. 34034 6367 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood GLadstone 6302 The Government, A Competitor of Labor (Co?itinued from Page 1) that has been or is to come can be found in Hollywood among the acting ranks. There have been hundreds of military pictures made with Hollywood actors who are now walking the streets out of work ... I think it is about time that the government ceased to be these men’s comptitors. “All the uniforms and equipment that have been used in these military pictures are rotting and lying idle in the Costumers’ stores, while the govern¬ ment has taken their business away from them. Is this fair competition? “Warner Bros, are now using the military forces in San Diego; they are making no pretense about the use. They are using the men on the government’s pay-roll as atmosphere, extras, bit- players and even part players who are speaking lines. They have recently finished “Here Comes the Navy”, which is cleaning up at the box-office. The tax-payers who paid to produce it are forced to pay to see the picture. “If the government wants to let the public see what is being done in the mili¬ tary field, they have the news-reel to exhibit their accomplishments. If it is necessary for the public to see a mili¬ tary picture for educational purposes, I think the proper procedure would be for the government to produce the pic¬ ture and exhibit it free of charge, give it to the schools, churches, libraries, etc. “. . . . I protest the use of the tax¬ payers’ money for private gain. ...” T HAT letter tells the story as it ex¬ isted at the end of 1934. In the slightly more than a year that has elapsed since October 6, 1934, the prac¬ tice of unfairly competing with motion picture workers has become more fre¬ quent and more obvious. But in 1934 the Guild tried to stop the abuse. Our protests were sent to the Department of Navy and the War Department. I received some interesting replies. The one from Claude Swanson, secretary of the Navy, contained the following state¬ ment : “On several occasions the Navy De¬ partment has cooperated with the mov¬ ing picture industry in the productioin of pictures which would eventually give favorable publicity to the Navy and ac¬ quaint our citizens with life at sea. In every case, this has been done with¬ out sacrifice to Naval efficiency, or to undue interference with the regular operating schedules of the units con¬ cerned. “The policy of the Navy Depart¬ ment, in all cases, is not to extend co¬ operation where it will interfere with private enterprise or individuals. Such cooperation that has been given has been given at no expense to the Federal Government, and it is believed that there is little justified cause for com¬ plaint from individuals . . . .” I should like to ask, if cooperation does not interfere with private enter¬ prise or individuals, how is it that the government experts serve as technical advisors when there is a large group of military tchnical advisors in Hollywood whose sole income is derived from giv¬ ing advice on military pictures? The accredited technical advisors work on those productions made with motion picture “armies.” And what about the sailors used for atmosphere ? Shouldn’t extras be receiving salaries for similar work? Then the food, sup¬ plies like gasoline and costumes, how do produce concerns, oil companies and costume houses benefit, when the gov¬ ernment supplies all these things? G EORGE B. Dern, secretary of the War Department, who answered me in a letter, dated November 17, 1934, made a point of the following: “. . . For this reason the employment of military personnel in photoplays is forbidden except by approval of the War Department and provided certain conditions obtain. Some of these con¬ ditions are: “(a) The picture must possess edu¬ cational value as either a record of his¬ torical incidents or as indication of cor¬ rect military methods. “ (b) It must not unduly interfere with training programs. “(c) It would not be practicable were the roles filled by civilians. “(d) It does not involve compensa¬ tion to any officer, enlisted men or mili¬ tary fund other than as a reimburse¬ ment for actual expense or loss of property. “. ... You may rest assured that the War Department is not desirous of competing with civilian enterprise or of depriving labor of employment. Con¬ tinued efforts will be made to guard against any injustices to your profes¬ sion as well as to other professions and trades. ...” Does this letter explain the recent predominance of Navy and Marine over Army pictures in the Military classifications ? Most of the above happened more than a year ago—when the Screen Ac¬ tors’ Guild, and its branch, the Junior • 22 The Screen Guilds’ Magazine