The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-09
FLASHES
ND
CLOSE-UPS
By LENS

ago. Commented on the false
splendor of the theatre and the
artistic bankruptcy of the films it
was built to present. Comrade
Barbusse is keen student of the
cinema and has written great deal
on the subject. He has helped to
popularize Soviet films in France. =.
A famous movie critic once COM
mented on Barbusse's literary style,
which is at times as close as literature
can come to being like that of
movie scenario. Several passages
in Under Fire." for instance.
The report that over 1000, 900 words
of news copy come out of Hollywood
every week thrills me almost as much
as the recent report in the Vossiche
zeitung to the effect that the Nazis
assembled at their Nuremberg BAG,
chanalia consumed 100000 pounds
of boloney.
The censors in Pennsylvania don't
like wild Boys of The Road" and are
holding it up. Harpo Marx leaves
for Moscow in few days to appear
with Moscow Art Theatre (why with
Moscow Art TheatreO. "The
Emperor Jones" is a subtle dose of
white chauvinism, and there's plenty
of kicking by Negro newspapers.
Negro projectionists in the South are
refusing to run the thing. Sig
fried Arno, one of Germany's best
film comedians has committed suicide
in Spain as result Of his exile by
Hitler The next guy that asks
me how I liked Three Little Pigs"
will land in the nearest inf1rmary, no
kidding. The movie industry is
getting ($$??) statements from an
army of professors contradicting For
mans conclusions in 'Our Movie
Made Children" to the effect that
Hollywood films poison and pervert
your children's minds. THE
Spirit of 1884, forthcoming film, will
star Roosevelt and the members of
his Cabinet. Unless F. D. does
a song and jig with "Sillypus' Farley
in this one, Ill stay away. Ex-
ports of German films have declined
by 13,500,000 year in one year.
He'll Hitler! :.
I hereby invite phil M DAILY" con-
ductor of a column called "Along The
Rialto" in The Film Daily, to debate
the question of propaganda in the
movies. Resolved: That Holly
wood Is a Source of Capitalist Propa-
ganda." If Mr.. "Daly" will kindly
accept to debate on the negative side
of this resolution, I'll give him an
opportunity to publicly enlarge on his
sinking piece of demagogy and SLAM
der against the Workers Film and
Foto League and the Anti-Imperialist
League in recent issue of his sheet.
I'll be expecting an early accept
ance.
Among the many milestones on the
road to the height of poker-faced
hypocrisy. above all conflicts
between our groups, we consider first
the interests of the public which we
serve, Will Hays. . /. The current
nuIlD6T VI IIic NdolOllol DooAo "a
Review Magazine contains an appre-
citation of the work of Harry Alan
Potamkin by Wilton Barrett. =.
The Workers Film and Foto League
receives handsome write-up in the
current American Photography :.
Lilli Singer, New York: How you
come to the conclusion that Thunder
Over Mexico" still remains IAN out
standing piece of work" is something
you fail to make clear in your letter.
Outstanding" in what sense? AS
supremely incompetent work of art
with reactionary content it may, OF
course, be said to be outstanding! Or
perhaps you mean notorious" In
that case I agree. And why all the
clamor for a statement from Essen
stein? Remember that he has not yet
seen Thunder" which would make
it very difficult to issue satisfactory
and complete statement. Moreover,
do you think that statement from
Eisenstein would in any way affect
the campaign we are carrying on
against the finished product presented
by Sinclair? Or do you doubt the fact
that Thunder is not Eisenstein's
work? So far as I know, the Messrs.
Sinclair and Lesser are the only two
souls extant who still think Cor tell
us they do, at 1east) that the film is
the work of the same man who gave
lis "Potemkin.''