HOLLYWOOD AT WAR

At the hands of isolationist senators Nye, Worth, Clark and Wheeler, the screen faced its most serious threat of muzzling and censorship.

Senator Nye had charged: "... the movies have ceased to be an instrument of entertainment. They have become the most gigantic engines of propaganda in existence to rouse the war fever in America and plunge this nation to destruction." (Cited as movie "was mongering" were such films as THE GREAT DICTATOR, ESCAPE, SERGEANT YORK, and I MARRIED A NAZI.)

Led by Wendell Willkie, acting as special counsel, picture producers defended their right to freedom of expression. To the senate investigating committee, Willkie thundered "We make no pretense of friendliness to Nazi Germany, nor to the objectives and goals of their ruthless dictatorship. We abhor everything which Hitler represents."

Almost immediately the isolationists' unofficial investigation collapsed, bringing about complete vindication for the film makers.

the Movies Mobilize
A few weeks later war struck. Hollywood went into action. There were war bonds to be sold--stars stumped the nation to sell them. There were soldiers to be entertained--actors and actresses toured the camps. There were technical pictures to be made--film technicians went to work. There was fighting to be done--movie men joined up. The screen Actors Guild rejected angrily a suggestion that draft deferment be given important male stars. And today, 20 percent of Hollywood's manpower is in the Armed Forces--a record substantially above the national average.

The Greatest of All Films
Hollywood had planned well. since 1930, the Research Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had been training technical experts for our Armed Forces. Cameramen, soundmen, camouflage experts, laboratory technicians, writers, producers and directors were a part of this group. Africa is being filmed by camera crews directed by other Hollywood-trained experts.

Education for War
By Dec. 7, 1941, Hollywood studios--advised by the Research Council and working wit the Army--had completed 100 training films. In 1943, the studios are expected to turn out 1000 more of these films which form a vital part of all military training. As chairman of the Council, Darryl F. Zannuck, head man of 20th Century Fox, gave up $250,000 a year for an army colonel's salary, now devotes full time to army war films.

Jack Warner, executive producer of Warner Bros., accepted a temporary commission with the Army Air corps to help organize a training film corps for that service, then returned to supervise important war films.

Lieutenant colonel Frank Capra, perhaps Hollywood's greatest director, now heads a special war film branch for the government.

Three special agencies have been designated to handle war activities. They are: 1. Research Council of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.
2. The Victory Committee
3. The War Activities Committee.

The Research Council provides all branches of the Armed Forces with needed technical personnel for production.

The Victory Committee arranges personal appearances of film stars at Army Camps, bond rallies and on radio broadcasts.

The War Activities Committee acts as liaison between the studios, the theaters and the government. It also arranges bond rallies, good will tours and authorizes war activities contribution campaigns. In New York, the committee is headed by George J. Schaeffer, former President of RKO Pictures; in Hollywood, by Y. Frank Freeman, head of Paramount Studios and President of the Association of Motion Picture Producers.

No Profit
The motion picture industry neither receives nor expects any monetary profit from war activity. All services rendered to the government in the war effort are free, or at cost; even studio overhead is not assessed.

Films at the Fighting Front
Also, the film industry supplies the Armed Forces in all parts of the world with 16 millimeter prints of all important feature pictures. there are more than 600 such military theatres in operation and no film rental is collected. These movies from home do much to lift the morale of our fighting men overseas. Similarly, these films offer relaxation to war workers at home. the Army's Col W. M. Wright said; "In peace, motion pictures are a luxury. In war, they are necessity."

From the fighting front, Lt. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower cabled: "motion pictures are of utmost importance to provide entertainment and build up the moral [of our soldiers]....The stories and sets in feature productions bring their home country vividly to their memories. Let's have more motion pictures."

Hollywood is obeying the General's order.

[ back ]