Complex sentence: The Studio's failure to counter the criticism was due to a decision professionally to conceal the state of Flynn's health as he was an expensive asset--in the late 1940s his fee was $200,000 a film.
Split into simpler sentences: The Studio's failure to counter the criticism was due to a desire to hide the state of Flynn's health. He was also an expensive asset--in the late 1940s his fee was $200,000 a film.