Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1941)

October 4, 194 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 17 QUOTES NYE'S APPROVAL OF XSPY' (Continued from preceding page) job for a few people, but for a large specialized organization. We have a story department in New York and one in Hollywood, whose task it is to mull over thousands of plays, books, articles and ideas for picture possibilities. Synopses of attractive stories are turned over by these scouts and readers to our associate editors. If their approval for a picture is obtained, the story is then circulated among our 14 associate producers. If one of them likes the idea, he takes it to Hal Wallis, executive in charge of production. The pictures are finally approved by Jack Warner. As can be easily seen from this brief description, pictures are not made as some people seem to think, on the basis of whim and fancy. If Warner Brothers had produced no pictures concerning the Nazi movement, our public would have had good reason to criticize. We would have been living in a vacuum and dream world. Today 70 per cent of the nonfiction books published deal with the Nazi menace. Today 10 per cent of the fiction novels are anti-Nazi in theme. Today 10 per cent of all material submitted to us for consideration is anti-Nazi in character. Today, the newspapers and radio devote a good portion of their facilities to describing Naziism. Today, there is a war involving all hemispheres except our own and touching the lives of all of us. Produce Patriotic Shorts Warner Brothers produces no news reels. Besides feature pictures, we produce and distribute approximately 100 short subjects a year. These shorts vary greatly in theme and character. But there is one group of shorts, to which I call attention, the so-called Warner Patriotic Shorts. They portray great events in the history of our country, such as the writing of the "Star-Spangled Banner ;" the purchase by President Jefferson of the Louisiana territory; President Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address ; high-lights in the life of President Theodore Roosevelt. These shorts are accurate recordings of historic events in the making of America. Besides being shown in theatres, they are made available without charge to schools and colleges, patriotic groups and societies. There has been a great demand for them. Endorsements and commendations for these pictures have come from 25 national civic groups, 12 national patriotic organizations, 15 national magazines, thousands of schools, educators, libraries and public spirited citizens. _ I submit for the record the list of organizations that have endorsed these pictures. Also I include a few typical letters of commendation, including one from the American Museum of Natural History and the President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I am hopeful that these shorts, recording important events in American history, will help, in a small way, to keep alive in our citizens an appreciation of the blessings and liberties under our form of government. Unfortunately, many of us now take these liberties almost for granted. No Profit Motive Abroad There is one last charge against the motion picture industry that I have not mentioned. It is repugnant to me. In essence, it is that we support Britain and oppose Naziism because we have a financial stake in Britain. Warner Brothers receives a net revenue of approximately $5,000,000 a year from Britain. If we were to stop receiving this revenue, we would continue to operate, just as we did in 1932 through 1934, when our gross revenue declined by $50,000,000. If we were able to adjust our affairs to offset this loss in revenue, then I certainly am not worried about a drop of Darryl Zanuck Cites Story Sources as Accuracy Proof The statement by Darryl F. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production of the twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, before the Senate Subcommittee concerning alleged propaganda in motion pictures follows: At the outset, it seems necessary to state my personal background. I was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, September 5, 1902. At the date of my birth, Wahoo had a population of approximately 891 people. It has become famous as the birthplace of one of baseball's immortals — "Wahoo" Sam Crawford. My mother and father were both born in the United States of America. My grandparents, on both my mother's and father's side, were born in the United States of America. My parents and grandparents were regular attendants and lifelong members of the Methodist Church. I left Wahoo at the age of 15 years and enlisted as a private in the United States Army, in the first World War. I served overseas during that conflict and rose to the rank of Private First Class. Senator Nye, I am sure, will find no cause for suspicion or alarm in that background. Various charges have been made and published in the course of this inquiry. In order to avoid misunderstanding, I would like to make my position clear on a number of these points. In respect to my personal opinion regarding the entry of the United States into the war at the present time : I want to say first that no man who was in France during the last war can look upon war with anything but the deepest abhorrence. I wish our country would never have to fight another war. I want this country to go to war only if that is an absolute necessity either to defend ourselves now or to prevent a future attack. In this time of acute national peril, I feel that it is the duty of every American to give his complete cooperation and support to our President and our Congress. To do everything to defeat Hitler and to preserve America. If this course of necessity leads to war I want to follow my President along that course. It has been further charged that Hollywood has been asked to make propaganda pictures designed to arouse a war spirit in the United States. This is not so. I assure you that no representative of the government has asked me directly or indirectly to make pictures for the purpose of getting this country into war. We have been asked by the government to make training pictures for the United States Army. We have made these pictures at cost and without profit as a matter of patriotic duty. I am happy to say that Chief of Staff, General Marshall, has told me that these films have done an immeasurable amount of good in saving manpower, material and time in organizing the defense of America. As this committee doubtless knows, these pictures are of a strictly educational nature. I cannot believe it is an offense either for the government to ask for this service from the industry, or for the industry to comply with such a request. Cites Films Senator Nye has charged that several pictures made by Twentieth Century-Fox are socalled propaganda pictures. I presume he refers to "Man Hunt" and ."The Man I Married." The first, "Man Hunt," appeared in book form under the title of "Rogue Male," which was published by Little, Brown and Company. It also was serialized in the Atlantic Monthly. As for "The Man I Married," it was published under the title "I Married a Nazi," in Liberty Magazine and in book form under the title of "Swastika." Both were widely read. To condemn the motion picture industry for dealing with subjects as timely, as vital and as important as the current upheaval in the world is to subject the industry to an impossible censorship. It would deny us access to the same vital developments which today fill our newspapers, magazines, books, the radio, and the stage. It would prevent us from giving to the people of America subjects that fill their (Continued on following page) $5,000,000. In truth, this charge challenges our business judgment and our patriotism. No one with any business judgment could possible have acted on the assumption that the policy of this country towards England would be influenced by the relatively small investment of our industries in England. Warner Brothers has certainly not acted on the theory that our government would pull our chestnuts out of the fire. When we saw Hitler emerge in Germany, we did not try nor did we ask our government to appease him. We voluntarily liquidated our business in Germany. Business is based on keeping contracts, and Hitler does not keep his contracts with men, or with nations. No one can do business with Hitler's Germany. If, God forbid, a similar situation should arise in Britain, we would follow the same course as we did in Germany. We never ourselves or through our government will try to save our profits at the expense of other people's lives and liberties. That would be as short-sighted a business policy as it is a national policy. I am an American citizen, and I bow to no one in my patriotism and devotion to my country. Our country has become great because it is in truth, a land of freedom. No one can take these freedoms from the American people. The United States has always been a united nation of free people living in tolerance and faith in each other. We have been able to achieve this unity because of the freedoms of the individual. In conclusion, I tell this committee honestly, I care nothing for any temporary advantage or profit that may be offered to me or my company. I will not censor the dramatization of the works of reputable and well informed writers to conceal from the American people what is happening in the world. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of enterprise cannot be bought at the price of other people's rights. I believe the American people have a right to knew the truth. You may correctly charge me with being anti-Nazi. But no one can charge me with being anti-American. Thank you, gentlemen, for your courtesy in listening.