Variety (Jan 1942)

10 PIGTURES Thirty-sixth , UAnkl&tY Annivenary January 7, 1942 PATRIOTISM IN PICTURES Since None Has a Corner on America nigin, Why Can't the Screen Freely Express and Interpret Its Contributions to the American Way of Life ? WB PREZ DERIDES THOSE 'PROPAGANDA' PROBERS By H. M. Warner (President, of Warner Bros., Inc.; Hollywood ,Jan. 4. Now is the time for Hollywood to come forward again, ready to do its lull duty and fulflill all its many re- •ponsibilities to the nation it serves. Hollywood has always ac- cepted its ob- vious obliga- tions to the country which fostered it. I believe it al- ways will talce care of its share of the 'burdens of lib- erty,' and flght itself and all for H. M. \V»ni»r the freedom of other worthy enterprises. The magnificent history of our country, the people's pride In oOr institutions, our form of government and our belief in liberty, have been and will continue to be reflected In the product we make m our studips.. 'In praise of liberty,' as 'Variety'. to aptly puts it, Warner Bros, has long made pictures in which the proudest moments of our national story have been recounted and dramatized. , We have been proud of these pa- triotic films,' as tU:y have been called, and we continue to thank Providence that we have, and always have had, the freedom to make them and to display them to Americans and others who would like to follow the' Amefican system. We do not think that this nation ever should hide its light under a bushel no matter what censorship that bushel represents. Certainly we continually have turned a deaf ear to the carping criticisms of those who shouted 'propaganda' whenever we extolled the glories of our free coun- try and the road it followed to get ■where it is.- We went ahead with our plans, still believing that Wash- ington, Lintoln, Patrick Henry and others had said deathless things which it would be good for present- day Americans and others to hear again. We have not changed our views, even though others have altered their attitudes. No individual or profession has had OP- ever can have a iomer on patriotism. It is the inborn right of all Americans to be proud of theif nation and to say as much by and with evety means at their disposal.' Here in Hollywood, and at the War- ner Bros, studios, in particular, we have used our best means of coiii- munication — the motion-picture screen—to tell the world of the pride we feel in the United States of America. lieve that our pride and confidence in America and Americans were not misplaced. We were not only the voice, in- dividual or collective, raised against the Nazi menace before we were actually at war. But the motion picture had to bear the brunt of much of the senatorial displeasure during the recent, rather ridiculous, effort to show that, what we believe was good Americanism, was only 'propaganda' in disguise. Our right to express our beliefs was ques- tioned, although homes, schools and churches were already making known their opposition to the Nazi way of life. Nothlne Stopped Us Partlcnlarly Proad We are particularly proud of those pictures and of the response they have received from a patriotic pub lie. We have not- sought to glorify war—we have only tried to honor our country and the men and women - who. stand ready, now as always, to . defend It God helping us, I cannot -see how we could do lesi! Those who claimed pitriotic pic- tures were 'propaganda' are silent ruyir. In time of war, love of coun- try is not a thing to be attacked. 'We hope we have helped build the Idiea in America that even in times of peace, patriotism is something of which we should be proud—which we should shout to the world as loudly and as often as we can. Why, in heaven's name, shouldn't there be 'patriotism in pictures?' No one has ever attacked the idea of ' 'patriotism in our schools' or 'patriotism in our homes.' 'Who can truly believe that 'patrlotlsin In the theatre' Is. bad when all other patriotisms are admittedly good? Warner Bros, ^has produced the so-called 'patriotic featurettes,' vol- imtarlly and proudly. We made a series of short subjects portraying the lives of American heroes. It was.our own Idea, and It has seemed to agree with the general- public's Idea of good entertalninent and good history. We are proud of those pic tures--aU of them—and their recep tion by audiences leads us to be- Nothing stopped us when we made 'Confessions of a Nazi Spy.' Nothing stopped us from cooperating with the National Defense program, to which we look with such gratitude now, in making pictures during the eight years preceding the actual out- break of war concerning otir Armyj nor navy and our air force, We arc thankful we had some small part in building up a greater public ap- preciation of them through our 'patriotic pictures.' Certainly 'Sergeant York' truth- fully can be called a 'Patriotic pic- ture.' There can be no question of the patriotism of Alvin C. York. Neither can there be any doubt of the insight and good sense in his famous lines, spoken in the picture as it was in life: "You do not flght to wiji lib- erty qnd democracy once and then stop,' said Sergeant York. 'Liberty, freedom and democracy ore prizes auiarded only to those people ujho fight to win them and keep fighting eternally to hold them.' Truths we hold dear have seldom been so ably expressed. There can be no good reason, I think, why motion pictures should be denied use of the dramatic ma- terial to be found in the current Nazi, Fascist and Japanese govern- ments when for eight years and more newspapers, magazines, radio and other news-dispensing sources have been telling the story. Patriot- ism is not meat for one medium and poison for another. There is enough of it in America for us all to share! Motion-picture producers shoilld not be denied their right to talk of lib- erty or seek a Fifth Freedom of their own. We have consistently refused' to censor plays of stories which we make into pictures to conceal from the American people what Is hap- pening in the world, or all eventuali- ties. What we have filmed has been the truth, not propaganda, and those who would curtail the freedom of our industry know it In motion-picture production we follow no 'isms' except Americanism. We have fought, in our way, for the freedoms of thought, of peace, of speech and of worship. It is of vital importance to all Americans that we, as showmen, flght also for what 'Variety' has called a Fifth Freedom of our own. That is the right of free expression In all show business. Only with that right can we do our rightful part in safeguarding the other freedoms. 'Bogle Soonds' WiH Get LonisTille Preem Louisville, Jan. 4. World preem of "The Bugle Sounds,' M-O Army drama, atmosphere scenes of which were taken at Fort Knox last summer, will be held at Loew's State, January 14. Louisville was chosen for the premiere because of the Fort Knox angle, according to George Himt, manager. Crew of technicians worked with Army officials at the Fort over a period of weeks last summer, to give the pic an authentic background. The flbnization of the Armored Force had the benefit of the U. S. Army Itself as technical adviser. War De- partment gave its full cooperation, and assigned Capt. Arthur W. Field, technician with a United States pan- zer corp, to oversee the production and assure accuracy. Studio Pay to Workers h Not. Topped 736(i Weekly Sacramento, Jan. 4. Wage earners in Hollywood's film studios' collected $736,048 a week during November, a weekly increase of $32,237 over October, according to figures published by the Cali- fornia Labor Statistics Bulletin. Average individual weekly wages increased from $47.67 to $49.61. Working hours averaged 36.7 hours a week, an Increase of 13 hours over the previous month. A BUHGAMW, TOO Hollywood, Jan. 4. Robert Cummings not only nego- tiated a contract adjustment with Universal but was upped to star bill- ing in future roles. Actor, now working In 'Saboteur,' gets a bungalow on star row as well as a boost in salary. WILLIAM A. SEITER William A. 9flter has directed one of his greatest pictures for 1941, "Appointment foi* Love," starring Margaret.Sullavan and Charles Boyer. released by Universal. The nation's critics have given this picture the highest merlL AMERICA MUST GO ON By Jack Lait War Is as old as the world. And through all wars the world has lived. And through this war Americans must and will live. Every practical and psychological factor calls on us to exercise every wholesome ftmctlon that remains within our reach. Every Ideal demands that we preserve our way of life as far as we can. Good citizens must carry on. The arteries of our economic, social, religious and constructive lives must continue to flow, as our stout hearts must continue to throb through them the blood of' courage, confi- -lence and faitl). The war is new. It came suddenly. The incal- :ulable machineries of our civilized, modern habits ind methods were not built against war; they were geared in hope and contemplation of peace. Our homes and churches, our stores and offices, our public roads and buildings still stand unimpaired, unscarred, unchanged. And we are unchanged. Our crops, our food supplies, all the necessities and even most luxuries of normal and natural existence under our still tree and floating flag are ours. Our theatres are open for tun, romance and excitement. Broadway la still ablaze. Hollywood is still shooting. Wail Street is still buying and selling. Our larders are full, our warehouses and stores are overflowing. We are prosperous. There is more actual money In circulation than perhaps the United States has ever known before. And it is our money—ours to spend, ours to enjoy, and ours to take from and return to the enormous ^ traffic between producer, distributor and consumer which made America and must sustain America. No one must proflt by the war, but as few as possible should lose by it With due solemnity, let us sustain the past and confront the future— near or far—with whatever It may bring. Let us pray and let us prepare. Let us serve and let us give. But America must go on. We are America. We must go on. BrlUah Carry On 1 Britain, for more than two years, has been in war as this nation has not yet been called upon to know war. For 15 months it was under mur- derous and ruthless bombardment, the like of which history had never seen before. And yet we meet the pictures of smiling Eiiglish faces. Men play cricket. 'Women brew tea and cook and carry on as wives and mothers and sweethearts, whether in the security of rural retreats or in the shattered debris of bombed homes and gutted streets. What they had to do for their nation they have done with great good will, with patriotism and with resolution. But those who were not slaughtered by the invading savages go ahead, living with that splendid British combination of bl^ sense of duty and level-headed serenity. We have been blessed. War has not reached our mainland shores. It may well be that it never shall. But if It does, let not the British be the only people who can take it'—without panic, without themselves destroy- ing those priceless portions of existence which the enemy cannot shatter. America at war Is infinitely more comfortable and happy than many less fortunate nations when they are at peace. So let us see no chins down. IiCt us live. Let us live intensely while we may, for though we have faith that Almighty God will guide our government and that our armed forces will bring us through to triumph, let us, without naive optimism, but with Intelligent calm, make the most of the blessings that are still ours; that we earned and that we own. Let us support our extraordinary emergencies by faithful pursuit of our ordinary necessities. America wants no faint hearts. America needs no hoarders. But America expects its civilians to help keep the nation on an even keel, as it expects Its leaders. Its Army and Its Navy, to defend It, Ws Your Draft Rating?' Now A Factor in Juvenile Pic Tests Conscription and. other war activi- ties drawing off young players and directors is proving a break for many performers eyed by film talent scouts during the past couple years and given the brushoff heretofore. Booners are currently going through their flies and giving serious second thought to the guys they once slighted. Shortage of potential leading men, always Hollywood's. No.- 1 talent worry, is seen reaching the alarm- ing stage In six months to a year. It's juit the guys in first draft age— 21 to 28—that studios are after for buildups to star proportions. Ques- tion asked by all talent snoopers now, before they go a step farther, Is, 'What's your draft rating?' Some talent searchers see the sit- uation getting so bad that scripters, already writing aroimd all kinds of metallic and mechanical props which aren't available because of the war, will have to write around young men, too. Stories will have more femmes and fewer males. Loath to' lower standards, talent scout nevertheless have foimd that inevitable with the current shortage. So the second-raters are getting a break. And a 25-year-old with a wife and two kids to support is looked on as virtually manna. PAs Beef U. S. (dves 'Em The Brashoff on Defense N. Y. to L. A. Irving Berlin. Arthur Kelly. Laudy Lawrence. Edward C. Raftery. Bob Russell Alfred Wallensteln. Members of the Publicity Club of New York, rolls of which include' some 300 press agents, are squawk- ing that Government agencies gave them the brush last week when they volunteered their services gratis for any sort of publicity work. P.a.s are also beefing that the Federal agen- cies refuse to give them considera- tion, and hire newspapermen Instead when they need publicity people. Among members of the Publicity Club are some of the highest priced flacks In the country, including Steve Hanagan and Tom Fizdale. Wheh they sent a committee to call on Mayor LaGuardia and contacted defense, agencies, they were given short shrift, they claim, 'The Government has squadrons of press agents,' Club members com- plain, 'but when a professional pub- licity man seeks one of the jobs, even for free, he's treated like a leper.' L. A. to N.Y. Reginald Armour. Richard Condon. Decia Dunning. Homer Fickett Judy Garland. James Grainger. Alfred Green. David Hempstead. Hal Home. Alexander .Korda. Leslie Litomy. J. R. McDonough. Merle Oberon. Richard Patterson. DiTvid Rose. Lew Schrelber.