The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-07-29

Goldwyn Mayors production OF
SKY Man." a film based on tlas
crash of the dirigible Akron, BE-
cause they did not want any fur
Their publicity or notoriety on the
mysterious case which probably
involved many high official heads
Such are the methods Of the ruling
classI
SPLENDID ENTERTAINMENT -
FOR YOUR PEOPLE"
In an open letter TO Roosevelt,
which appeared shortly before bis
Inauguration, the producers Of
Gabriel over the White House.
wrote: ut is the delight OF M. q.
NJ to usher in your administers
ton with splendid entertainments
for your people. It will be a wen
entertained nation that views In
the coming weeks: "Rasputin and
the Empress" Hell Below" TO
day We Live" 1.-THE White Sister"
Gabriel Over the White House
And to these can be added Look
ing Forward" Men Must Fight"
Prosperity" Storm at Daybreak,"s
all M. @. M. productions.
Here we have several typical
Hollywood jingoistic and dema-
gogic films, aimed TO entertain
the masses. The first Is one Of this
subtlest anti-Soviet films ever
made-in which the Russian revo-
lutionary workers are slandered to
create sympathy for the Roman.
offs; the second was made in con-
junction with the U. 8. Navy and
glorifies submarine warfare; the
next two reveal war as the supreme
adventure Of life; Gabriel Over
the White House" Is Yankee jingo-
ism at its loudest. Looking For
ward" is another film bearing
Roosevelt's endorsement, a film
that suggests that since the crisis
has both workers and bosses in its
coils, the simplest thing would be
for them to unite to find way
out for their mutual crisis.
Men Must Fight" is propaganda
pure and simple for war, especially
when the defense" Of the Gamer
ican) nation Is at stake. Prosper
ity" Is strong ballyhoo against the
depression. storm at Daybreak"
Is wsr-war-war-glorious warl
These are the supplying poisons
that Hollywood and Washington
are passing on to the workers in
the form Of entertainment. There
is no mistaking the intent OF these
films; they are an integral part Of
the program Of the Roosevelt adj
miniStration and the ruling class
for beating down the growing re-
sistance Of the masses to unem-
ployment and hunger, by trickery,
demagogy and all the other
means at the disposal Of the gov
eminent. and preparing the work
ers for the complete acceptance Of
war as a matter Of fact not to be
disputed. And in the moving pic
ture the bosses have found their
most effective bludgeonl
THIS same M. G. M. company is
now working on the film
Soviet" which is supposed TO be
a sympathetic study Of present-day
Russia. The director Of this pic
ture is Frank Capra, who directed
Washington Merry Go Round
the recent movie slandering the
bonus marchers, insinuatlng that
they were panhandlers, ETC.; the
stars of Soviet" are Wallace
Berry, Clark Gable and Jean Har-
low. With this array of talent
there is no doubt that Soviet" viii
present a pretty distorted picture
Of the Soviet Union, with probably
mad chase across Siberia, with ,
the villain slightly in the lead at
the climax! So
MORE dangerous In intent, how
lu ever, is the film about the Soviet
Union being made by that liar and
hypocrite, the explorer, Carveth
Wells, and which is soon to be re-
leased. Wells is responsible for some
Of the filthiest and most idiotic
SANDERS ever made against the
Soviet Union, and no doubt his film
also will present as deranged a
picture Of Russian workers and
peasants as his twisted in1agins-
ton can arouse All these Anti
Soviet films are an important link
in the chain Of pro-war propa-
ganda. ~
But M. G. M. is only one Of the
companies in Hollywood following
the leadership Of the New Deal
Administration A high movie Of
ficial James r. Granger, expresses
pretty adequately the sentiments
Of the motion picture industry,
when he states the industry will
assist the Roosevelt administration
to the utmost Of its ability in
bringing about reconstruction OF
our present national economic sit
uation. This can best be accom-
plished by maintaining the morale
of the mass population by furnish-
ing it with wholesome entertain.
ment within the reduced budgets
of our American population" And I
by maintaining the morale Of the
mass population, they mean the
production and exhibition Of films
like "Mussolini Speaks" india
Speaks" $50 This Is Africa" Bit
ter Tea of General YEN" "Caval-
cade," pilgrimage" Song OF the
, Eagle" Eagle and the Hawk"
Red Meat" Qife of Theodore
Roosevelt), "Efroes for Sale" Cfor-
merly "BreadlineD, Buy Amer
ica," New Deal" Initiation" This
Is America" and countless other
pro-war, anti-working class films
that the masses have been forced