Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

U. S. HONORS JACK WARNER HIIHlllillllllllllllMIMIHilllHeillllllllllilKllliaiUillllKIHIIIIIllill I i 1 1 1 1 1 0 « 1 1 1 1 1 « 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 M C 1 1 1 1 1 1 ( 1 1 1 1 (I II 11 1 e 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 > 9 9 1 II I i 1 1 1 1 M 1 1 1 1 H 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 H 1 H I *THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA* TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESIS P3?33S33OTS, ©MEETING: THIS IS TO CERTIFY TifilAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ©F AMERICA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDER ISSUED BY GENERAL OEOROE WASHINGTON AT HEADQUARTERS, NEWBUBGE, NEW YORK, ON AUGUST 7, 1I8S, AND PURSUANT TO ACT OF CONGRESS, HAS AWARDED THE MEDAL FOR MERIT JACK L.WARNER FOR EXTRAORDINARY FIBELITY AND EXCEPTIONALLY GIVEN UNDER MY HANI) IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON THIS EIGHTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER 104ft JACK L. WARNER, vice-president and executive producer of Warner Brothers, was scheduled to receive the Medal for Merit from General of the Army H. H. Arnold at a special ceremony at March Field, Riverside, Cal., Friday, March 14. The official presentation ceremony, to begin at two o'clock in the afternoon, was to include the formation of troops who would witness the event with high ranking army and air force officers, Government officials and representatives of the motion picture industry, and an address by General Arnold commending Mr. Warner for his outstanding services during the war years. Following General Arnold's talk the citation was to be read and the presentation of the Medal for Merit made to Mr. Warner by General Arnold. Accompanying the medal was a citation, the text of which follows. THE CITATION: JACK L. WARNER, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the United States from September, 1939, to April, 1942, and from November, 1942, to September, 1945. Mr. Warner, through his thirty years of experience and background in the motion picture industry', impelled by the finest patriotic motives, and on his own initiative, pointed out to the armed services of the United States the use which could be made of motion pictures in the effective prosecution of the war. He provided producers, directors, technicians and executives from the industry, indoctrinated them in the needs of the armed services, and established the first Motion Picture Unit of the Air Forces, himself. In addition to providing the full use of motion pictures for combat purposes, he produced more than JACK L. WARNER one hundred films for the recruitment of personnel, the training of officers and men, and the education of the public in various phases of the war effort. He enabled the armed services to accelerate procurement of personnel and training of men already in the service at a time when mobilization was at a critical stage, and the tremendous conversion of a civilian population into an armed force was being attempted. This contribution was an immeasurable one, and was possible only because of his profound insight into the needs of the services and his vast knowledge of the potentialities of the motion picture as a medium. He put at the disposal of the United States forces in the overseas theatres thousands of prints of feature motion pictures for entertainment purposes, which contributed substantially to the morale of the men. Throughout his entire relationship with the armed services, his sole thought was the role the motion picture could play in making possible the defeat of the enemy. He contributed vast sums of money and enabled the armed services to conserve great amounts of money in this part of their program. But, distinct from any financial consideration, the energy and knowledge he provided, unselfishly and unsparingly, were on a level with that of only a few civilians in the business and industrial worlds during the course of the war. Mr. Warner's conduct and achievements, his devotion to the cause of his country, and his complete disregard of personal gain reflect the highest credit upon himself, the Government and the people of the United States. HARRY TRUMAN THE WHITE HOUSE December 18, 1946 illllllllllllllllllllllllMllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMllinilllllllllllllinillllllll IMIItllllllllllllllilllMHUHHnilMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMillllllillllllillllHIH MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 15. 1947 33