Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

14 MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 3 1943 O X THE MARCH by RED KANN HOLLYWOOD THE frequently confused and often vicious Westbrook Pegler is loose again. This time, he reaches the embarrassing distinction of kicking out completely from his own underside the peg on which he is supposed to stand. In his syndicated column, as it appeared in the Los Angeles Times, he registers objection over war relief fund assessments levied on members of the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union on the ground the union has no right to enforce such contributions. Acknowledging that the money is split among the USO, Army and Navy Relief and other American charities, Pegler protests because part goes to China and Russia and to "underground movements fighting to free their homelands." Exacting money from "ostensibly free Americans" for people of other nations is anti-something, he maintains. It also happens to be anti-United Nations. And if anti-United Nations, it ends up by being pro-Axis. Evidently, Pegler does not credit what he reads in the newspapers about the underground movements. He describes them as "mysterious" which ought to be apparent enough and "cannot be accountable." They may be both, but they certainly are fighting the enemy. That is more than enough reason to support them. This preliminary, completely unrelated to motion pictures, is required because it is from this base that fair-enough Pegler hops on the Hollywood Victory Committee. In his eyes, it is "distinctly left wing and a noisy supporter of the Four Freedoms" and a "threat of similar type (as the garment workers' union ) although not exactly the same." He tells of a mass meeting attended by "a number of the most powerful producers and other executives" as well as actors who were submitted to his idea of a threat in that attendance was announcedly checked at the door and the absentees noted. To him, this was a form of blacklist to be employed, maybe, against those who refused to take part. To him, the Hollywood Victory Committee is part of an industry loudly "in favor of the New Deal and a fourth term," but blessed with extinction power, by intimidation, for the one who "actively or passively opposes the political ideas or heroes of the bosses and their sycophants in 'the committee.' " For most of the way hereafter, this will be a factual recital of the Hollywood Victory Committee, what it is and how it got that way. Factual, that is with an occasional insertion of comment. Pearl Harbor, Before and After THIS committee is an outgrowth of the Hollywood Coordinating Committee for Stage, Screen and Radio which was a pre-Pearl Harbor organization formed to entertain service men. In October, 1941, the Army and Navy called a meeting in Washington to consider how to meet increasing requirements of the armed forces then growing rapidly under the Selective Service Act. Y. Frank Freeman, that violent Red!, attended and promised Hollywood's aid. So did Laurence Beilenson, attorney for the Screen Actors Guild and now serving his country as a major. Organization followed, under steam generated chiefly by these two and Fred Beetson, executive secretary of the violently red Association of Motion Picture Producers; John Lee, Kenneth Thomson and Charles K. Feldman. Later when USO-Camp Shows, Inc., was organized in New York, members of the Hollywood committee were invited to join. Thomson, Lee, Beilenson and Edward Arnold went east, helped set up the new offshoot and installed Abe Lastfogel as head. Came Pearl Harbor, war and the quick realization that the demands and the needs of both the Hollywood committee and USOCamp Shows, Inc., would multiply many times; that scope and membership at this end must be increased. Three days after Japan's perfidy in Hawaii, the then existing committee invited representatives of organizations which cross-sectional ized Hollywood to determine the how and the wherefore. Out of that meeting, the Hollywood Victory Committee was formed. Its purpose was clear at the time. It is clear now, but not to Pegler, who does not, or will not, understand. Mobilize Hollywood for war activity, was the objective. Very early came the realization a clearing house was essential. It was patent that calls on Hollywood talent would exceed supply and, if unchecked, cut sharper and sharper inroads into production schedules. A new — and super — market had been thrown wide open by actual war and the mounting entertainment needs of the expanded military forces. Therefore, the clearing house, which is merely another name for the Hollywood Victory Committee, was created to line up talent, to channel its activities, to budget its gratuitous services. Moreover, this "distinctly left wing" group, to revert to a Peglerism, was made up of 163 members. They represent every organization in the entertainment industries which has a wartime contribution to offer the committee. Glance down the roster for an evaluaton of size and sweep : The Guilds, of course, are in — Screen Actors, Screen Writers, Screen Directors, Screen Publicists. So, too, are the Theatre Authority, the American Federation of Radio Artists, Actors Equity, Artists' Managers Guild, Independent Publicists Association, Radio Writers Guild, American Guild of Variety Artists, Ascap, the Southern California Broadcasters Association, the Independent Motion Picture Producers Association. In there swinging is the Association of Motion Picture Producers with its member companies like M-G-M, which has its Louis B. Mayer, Warner its Harry and Jack, Twentieth Century-Fox its Joseph M. Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck, RKO its Charles W. Koerner, Universal its Nate Blumberg, Columbia its Harry Cohn. Violent Reds, every one ! In there swinging as well is the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers with its violently red Samuel Goldwyn, Walt Disney, Walter Wanger, James Cagney. Pitching, too, are those "distinctly left wing" broadcasting systems: NBC, CBS and Mutual. All banded together by Pegler's manifesto. The Statistics of Honor GLANCE at performance. Figures are supposed to talk. Let's get into them to discover how the HVC, that Pegler threat, works : To date, 1,985 Hollywood personalities have traveled over 2,000,000 miles to make 12,762 appearances in 5,006 events. They have appeared at 3,441 events for government agencies, 847 for the War Department, 352 for the Navy, 121 for charity and relief. They tally 99 service camp tours, covering about 300 military posts. They have averaged about 50 camps each month in the Southern California-Northern Arizona area alone. They have made six national tours for the Red Cross, the Treasury Department, for Army and Navy Relief. Thirty-six personalities have braved 15 overseas tours, their travels taking them to Alaska, the Aleutians, the South Pacific, England, Ireland, North Africa and the Caribbean. Over 1,000 personalities out of films, radio and stage have done radio broadcasts, made transcriptions for overseas entertainment and for government agencies. Hollywood personalities lend their regular talents to seven transcriptions beamed only over the waters: "Command Performance," "Mail Call," "Yarns for the Yanks," "Great Music," "Personal Album," "Melody Roundup" and "Jubilee," an all-colored variety show. Others have made additional air appearances for the Treasury, Navy, OWI and the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. No charge for these. It is a service to a cause. In many instances, players travel at their own expense. Many have gone off on camp tours when they could have remained comfortably in Hollywood making a picture — and making money. Overseas, some have faced danger. The boat on which Joan Blondell traveled to Newfoundland was torpedoed on its return trip. The plane carrying Martha Raye over Africa drew enemy fire, she was blown out of bed during an air raid, spent three days in a slit trench. The Screen Actors Guild and the Artists' Managers Guild now co-jointly have signed 741 Class A film players to pledges under which they will give a minimum of six weeks a year to that Hollywood Victory Committee which Pegler seeks to smear. It is Hollywood's and show business's war. It is a people's war. Can Pegler say it is his?