The Film Daily (1943)

Wednesday, May 19, 194 Charges Isolationists Back Anti-War Film Drive Diet of Escapist Entertainment Means False Security Sense — Warner (Continued from Page 1) L. Warner, Joseph Bernhard, Charles Einfeld, Ben Kalmenson, Harry M. Kalmine, Samuel Schneider, Mort Blumenstock, Harry Goldberg, Joseph H. Hazen, Robert W. Perkins, Stanleigh P. Friedman, Samuel Carlisle, Norman H. Moray, Howard Levinson, Robert Schless, Joseph Hummel and other home office executives also participated. Says War Pix Drawing Blasting what he termed the "appeaser -element" and citing high attendance figures at theaters throughout the country to disprove the isolationist group's claims that the public is being overfed with war pictures, Warner said his company does not intend to either play ostrich or lull the American people into a false sense of security by a diet of escapist entertainment. WB's prexy also urged exhibs. not to be intimidated or coerced by groups or persons who are not wholeheartedly behind the war effort. He said the film theater, like the newspaper and the radio, has an obligation on the home front, to keep the public informed as well as entertained, and that it cannot ig nore the things that are uppermost in everybody's mind. Text of Warner's statement follows: "When this war. is over, Warner Bros, does not want to be known as the company that made the greatest musical movie during the war. "We will leave the fairy tale version of the world we live in to that small group of entertainment appeasers which is presently at work in this industry or being pressured by groups from the outside. It is this group which refuses to recognize that the American motion picture audience has an adult mind. "Even the younger element is far more intelligent than it is given credit for. Boys of 18 are now going to war. That means the 16-yearolds already are thinking seriously of what's ahead for them. They want to know what they are going to fight for and about, and the screen must help to make the issues understandable to them. If we don't do this we are failing in our most important obligation. "I wouldn't believe it, not for a single moment, if someone were to tell me that any mother who has a son with the victorious American forces in Africa, can't wait for dinner to be finished so she can rush to her radio and hear anything but the latest news. And I can see no reason to believe that the same mother goes to the neighborhood theater these terribly trying days in order to flee any mention of this war in which she and her son are so desperately involved. "They Want — the Truth" "No. The mother, father, sister, brother, sweetheart, friends and neighbors of the man at the front are not anxious to run away from anything. They want to know the truth. They want to know what their boy Male© Theaters Open Despite Arh. Flood Memphis — Theaters in the flooded area of Arkansas continued to operate, even though water was in the street in front of some of the houses. Film Transit reports that additional service was instituted to get service through to difficult points to reach such as Van Buren, Clarksville, Ft. Smith and Russellville. In this particular area, Malco circuit has some 15 theaters. Stone to Make $12,000,000 Worth of UA Pix in 6 Years (Continued from Page 1) $12,000,000 worth of pictures during the next six years for United Artists release, it was announced by Edward C. Raftery. Edward F. Finney, associate producer on Stone's initial picture, "Hi, Diddle, Diddle" is also included in the deal. "This is the Army" Bows In 400 Theaters July 23 Irving Berlin's "This is the Army," now nearing completion at Warners Coast studios, will open with 400 day-and-date engagements the week of July 23, it was announced yesterday by Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager. Broadway engagement of the picture is tentatively set to open July 23 at the New York Strand. Because of the picture's patriotic nature and the fact that all profits will go to the Army Emergency Relief Fund, it was decided, following conferences between H. M. Warner, Major Albert Warner, Jack L. Warner, who is personally supervising the production, Joseph Bernhard, Charles Einfeld, Mort Blumenstock and Kalmenson, to put the pic into distribution immediately following its completion and to give it the most extensive campaigns ever accorded a WB release. A number of innovations for sepcial handling are now being worked out by Einfeld, Blumenstock and the Warner special events staff. is doing, and how he's doing it — and, most important, WHY he's doing it. "Americans are not fighting this war simply because they have remembered Pearl Harbor. We are not spending these precious lives and breaking up these treasured homes to satisfy a mere lust for revenge. I like to think — in fact, I know — that this great worldwide struggle is being endured for something as specific' as a universal guarantee of the Four Freedoms. The measures by which we will obtain this new and greater democracy and the significance to each and every one of us of these freedoms must be understood. "Here is where we of the film industry come in. With a medium reaching forth to the greatest mass audience in the world, we have an obligation and a duty far more vital than the mere whiling away of two hours on a dull mid-week evening. People want to be and must be entertained, but not nearly as much as some might think, and certainly not as idly as in the past. The people are busy these days. They are making weapons and shipping them ; they are taken up . with budgets that must be stretched over a rising scale of living and the regular purchase of War Bonds ; they are doing what they can to relieve the intensity of a soldier's life; they are getting ready to protect themselves on the day when the enemy might dare to attack us here at home, and they are well aware that there are many new things that must be learned about this quickly-changing world. Leisure hours are scarce, and win-the-war Americans learned long ago that the value of an hour is doubled when it is employed to collect entertainment and information simultaneously. "There are forces in this land who would like the people to live in darkness. I take issue with them because I have always felt that it is no one's assignment not to reason why but to do or die. It is the people who are fighting this war — and it is the people who must be given every opportunity to examine each why and wherefore. If it has been our good fortune to be among the pilots of an industry capable of presenting information and understanding in the most palatable form yet devised, then let us steer a proper course. "Were we to do anything else at such a moment, when so many are making so many great sacrifices, there would be little justification for our existence. "Moreover, we must do more than justify ourselves if we would share in the benefits of the post-war world. We must work to eliminate shortcomings and catch-penny tricks. Let us not make a war picture just like several other war pictures simply because the others proved profitable. There are many facets to this war, a large part of them reI quiring delicate handling and considerable courage on the part of the man who would attempt to picturize them. This, then, is our chance to demonstrate that we possess that necessary courage and sensitivity, and our chance to make all other Americans feel damned glad that we were numbered among them in this crisis. "So let's pay no heed to the apologists among us. We have a vital role to play in this drama and an awaiting audience that is literally starving for brain food. Those who would ration it are those who have always looked down from their isolated ivory towers and sneered, 'Ah, what does the public know?' Well, we here say the public knows a great deal and wants to know a great deal more — and who will stand in their way? "Remember this: Ignorance never won any kind of a fight, and there is little reason to believe that timidity will help it win this one. "And to the exhibitors of the country I want to say, don't be intimidated or coerced by persons who are not wholeheartedly behind our war effort ; don't be influenced by those who are trying to keep the truth from our audiences. "The exhibitor's responsibility to his community today is bigger than it ever has been. He is one of the most important bulwarks of the home front. Like the newspaper and the radio, he must do his part in keeping the public informed as well as entertained. Any arbitrary exclusion of war films, either to satisfy a small appeaser element or for personal reasons without regard to the general public interest, is equivalent to sabotage. "A radio station wouldn't think of barring war news and programs. A newspaper certainly wouldn't put a ban on dispatches from the fighting fronts. And the motion picture theaters of the country likewise cannot ignore the things that are foremost in the public mind. Exhibitor Co-operation Vital "I don't believe there is an exhibitor anywhere who wants to shirk his duty. I know every single one of them wants to be right there in the front line doing his utmost to help bring an early end to the war. Without this co-operation from exhibitors, we cannot have the strong united home front that we need to back up the boys at the battle front. "In the years to come, the contributions of our industry to the winning of the war will be tabulated and appraised. By what we are doing now, we will be judged in the future. "I am sure, when that checkup is made, the exhibitors will not be revealed as having let our fighting men down, as having failed to do their part in the great flght for freedom." 20th-Fox Re-elects Skouras, Willkie j (Continued from Page 1) ing at the home office. Wendell Willkie was chosen to continue chairman of the board, w( h' He mann G. Place was retained iMvhai man of the executive committee. Other officers re-elected were ^ C. Michel, executive vice-presiden William Goetz, vice-president charge of studio operations; Thorn; J. Connors, vice-president in charj of world-wide distribution; Wilfri J. Eadie, comptroller and assista:) treasurer; Felix A. Jenkins, seer! tary; J. Harold Lang, George Wasson, Jr., Leslie Peppiatt, assii tant secretaries; Read B. Simonsoi Fred L. Metzler, assistant treasure! ( John P. Edmondson was replacij as an assistant secretary by Norm;: B. Steinberg. Towell Now a Vice-President I Sydney Towell, while re-electl treasurer, was at the same time ell vated to a vice-presidency. New I the lineup of officers is Murray Si verstone, who was recently placrl in charge of foreign distributicj with the title of vice-president. Five' amendments to the company's cl tificate of incorporation were approved al all directors re-elected at the stockholdel meeting. The stockholders . opened the way for I possible increase in the size of the compana executive committee by voting to have tl number of members range to as high I seven, with a minimum of three. The co: mittee now consists of four members. T] stockholders also voted to fix the number directors at no less than three and no m than 15. The board at present consists 13 members. A third amendment passed by the stoc holders provides for the expansion of t purposes and scope of the corporation. O of the important purposes of this amendme i is to make possible further exploitation aT possible enlargement of certain producti.il oil wells upon recently acquired studio pr<7(' erty and development of oil-bearing san|3| which may exist under studio land. The two remaining amendments approvfil] by the stockholders give each officer and < j rector the right to be indemnified by t|| company for all expenses incurred in the c fense of any action in which he is made j party by reason of his being or having beJ< identified with the corporation. Directors Held Over Directors held over for another term wer Skouras, H. Donald Campbell, Connors, Jol R. Dillon, Goetz, Daniel O. Hastings, Jenkit Michel, William P. Philips, Place, Set. Porter, Towell, Willkie. Represented at the meeting were 1,246,6common shares out of a total of 1,742,0 11/24 and 798,318 preferred out of a tot of 908,681^. The only question asked at the meetif bore on the termination of Goetz' contra with the company. Among officers of the company present wej Skouras, Towell, Jenkins, Michel, Connoit Silverstone. Also present were Richard, j, Wright, Otto Koegel and Bruce Tuttle 1 D wight, Harris, Koegel & Caskey, the co4| pany's legal representatives. Joe Blair Quits Reviews West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DA1L\\ Hollywood — Joe Blair has resigns as editor of the Hollywood Motic « Picture Reviews. He plans to spei: a vacation of two months in Mexic and may also purchase a ranch < New Mexico.