Harrison's Reports (1941)

152 HARRISON'S REPORTS September 20, 1941 F. H. Peter Cusick, executive secretary of Fight for Freedom, Inc., wrote to Senators Clark and Nye asking them whether they had ever protested against the showing in this country of the German film "Victory in the West," but he has not received a reply. Consequently he made his letter public. "Four days of inquiry and statements," he said, "have failed to clarify what it is the isolationist Senators conducting the investigation on anti-Nazi propaganda in the motion picture industry seek to achieve, unless it be to force the industry to present the Axis in a favorable light regardless of the facts. "Telling the truth about Nazi conduct is bound to make decent people feel like destroying the Axis." The prize for the defense of the motion picture industry, however, is deserved by Wendell Willkie, Republician Presidential nominee in last year's elections. His letter to the subcommittee before the opening of its sessions was a masterpiece; knowing from experience that he would not be permitted to crossexamine witnesses, he presented his facts to it by a letter. The effect of that letter was to put the subcommittee on the defensive from the very beginning. * * * AMONG THOSE DENOUNCED BY Senator Nye as purveying propaganda tending to lead us to war has been March of Time, for having presented to the public films, he said, which were "part actuality, part fiction, part scenic, part fake and part acted." In 1935, Senator Nye was conducting a vigorous campaign against makers of munitions, the "international racketeers who rearmed Germany." In order to present Senator Nye's campaign to the American public, March of Time produced a subject entitled "Munitions Makers." In producing it, March of Time required Senator Nye to pose for several scenes with Senator Clark, who both are leading figures in the subcommittee's investigation of the motion picture industry. In commenting upon Senator Nye's outburst against March of Time, Louis de Rochemont, its producer, issued the following statement : "Senator Nye in 1935 seemed to consider the reenactment as a legitimate means of portraying news. I wonder what has happened to make him change his opinion. The method of reenactment which we used with Senator Nye is the same that we use today. We insist on having the real people wherever possible and our reproduction of any news fact is as accurate as research and human diligence can make it. "At the time we were giving footage to Senator Nye's campaign against munition profiteers, we were also calling the attention of the American public to the activities of Adolph Hitler. We have not had any reason to regret our statement of the case against international war makers, but we particularly pride ourselves on having called the turn as early as 1935 on Adolph Hitler, who has proved to be the greatest war maker of history. We only regret that Senator Nye has not been able to continue his own opposition to the Nazis with the same vigor as the March of Time." If Senator Nye had devoted one-half of his time and energy into warning this nation of the danger from the rearming of Hitler and from our inability to meet it because of our unpreparedness, what a different world this would be! The bitter attitude of Senator Nye and of the others against all those who disagree with their viewpoint is leading them into blind alleys. IN COMMENTING UPON Abram F. Myers' statement that the Philadelphia meeting of Allied States Association will be open to any exhibitor or exhibitor leader, no matter what his affiliation, Lionel Toll, editor of "The Independent," the house organ of Harry Brandt's organization in this city, said partly the following in his September 6 issue: "If it turns out to be that [an all-industry meeting], every one will benefit. If it doesn't it will be a repetition of what occurred in Minneapolis. ..." Since Mr. Toll speaks the mind of Harry Brandt, and since he has mentioned the Minneapolis convention, Harrison's Reports takes the opportunity of expressing a hope and a desire as accomplished facts, (since the convention will have been over by the time you read this editorial) that Harry Brandt has not taken the floor and kept on talking interminably, as he and his lawyer, Milton Weissman, did in Minneapolis, causing everybody to squirm in his seat, and driving many exhibitors out of the convention floor. If Harry Brandt cannot say in fifteen minutes what he has to say, then it is not worth saying. And this goes for every exhibitor, too, except for those exhibitor leaders who have to make a report to the convention. A NEW SPIRIT SEEMS TO BE prevailing in the motion picture industry: the heads of almost every company have signified their intentions to attend the Allied convention in Philadelphia. In the early years of Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, when that organization was yet a purely independent body, the heads of all big companies attended its annual conventions. Then the CohenWalker split took place and the heads of the big companies ceased attending the conventions. Allied was formed, but there was stern opposition to it, and none of them would attend. But lately Allied has shown such strength that the big companies have begun to feel differently — they have realized that Allied is a factor to be reckoned with. The proposal of Abram F. Myers, counsel for the Allied Organization, for a liaison body to thresh out all fundamental differences between exhibitors and producer-distributors, has been received so warmly that, were it to set up and to be supported by all the industry factors, there is hope that there will be no differences but will be settled at conferences. Let us hope that Myers' idea will find full support. * * * WHAT MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED BY organized effort has been demonstrated conclusively by the success of Allied to induce Congress to abandon the 1 5 % tax on admissions to amusements. Without wishing to minimize the efforts of others, I may say that Allied deserves the greatest share of the credit. There are state and regional units that are not affiliated with any of the national bodies, out of either fear lest they lose their identity, or through some other motive. Harrison's Reports feels that such units do not render their members the best protection that they are entitled to. Need I remind these units of the Esopian fable of the father with the sticks? He gathered his children around him and proved to them that the sticks, as a bundle, could not be broken, but they could one at a time. The independent units should join Allied and add their strength to the common strength. If there are any policies of Allied's that they do not like, they can best fight against them from within the ranks.