The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-08
FLASHES and
CLOSEUPS
TO viii H. Hays, Hollywood, Cal,
1 and Washington, D. c.:

u4OAtllS -tldL We troubled 70 al
dress you. I know you've been very
busy cleaning the Hollywood stables
for your employers in Wall Street
and making hypOcTiticaI speeches to
Rotarians and bankers clubs here
and there. Last heard Of you, you
were gloating over the fact that
Hollywood had succeeded in releas~
ing fllm now and then with a
little less filth, a few les legs and
with generally more acceptable sex.
Congratulations, Willie, you're do
ing a swell job to appease the
church boys and safeguard the
dwindling profits of Chase's invest~
ments in the celluloid business.
Here's what I'm writing you
about, however: I have here a COPY
OF a release sent out by leading
Hollywood studio to its employees
which concerns itself with some-
| thing besides sex. (You know who
the sender is, don't you?) I'm sure
you'll agree with me that this little
item turned over to me by the Ma
tional Committee for the Defense
of Political Prisoners) will prove Of
interest to a wider circle OF read
ers than those for whom it was
originally intended. I'm therefore
reprinting it below. Let me know
exactly what prompted the sending
out Of this amazing release. and
let's have a little more inside done
on the thing. It looks to me like
the Film and Photo Leagues charge
that Hollywood is being rugged out
as war industry is pure truth and
not poetry, after all!
To the average public, the
great motion picture studios are
known as modern factories on
Grated solely TO manufacture en-
tertainment. This may be true in
times Of peace, but in the event
Of war the film studios can and
will prove themselves as one of
the most valuable aids to national
defense.
"Such is the frank statement of
director X"
From one producing company
alone" he declares, enough tech
nicianS can be obtained whose
value to nation in time of war
would be equivalent to the useful
ness of regiment Of men, or even
battalion. We will use the pres
ent units employed on a recent pic
ture as an illustration.
The picture and its personp
were whipped into shape by STUD
executives. Such men can be of big
value to the nation in advisory ca
pacities, in organization and SINH
lar huge problems.
THE actors through their vast
knowledge of human characteristics.
would prove indispensable in the
espionage service and, as they did
IN the last war, in modifying and
performing in the entertainments
units of the army.
Among our present actors and
studio heads can be found MANY
men who hold reserve commissions
IN the air corps and other branches
Of the army
Artists designed the sets used in
our picture. In war time. there are
places for artists in many branches
of service.
Miniature men made miniature
sets from the artists drawings.
Their duty would be to build mimi
allure armed positions and battle
helds for study in the war college
and other war schools.
Other departments of the Aim
Industry would furnish engineers.
carpenters, men of all trades, trans
portation crews-which in itself is
one OF the biggest problems in time
of war.
'Propagandists would be obtained
from the publicity departments and
the millions Of feet of film to be
used in future military campaigns
would demand a corps of expert
editors and Aim cutters. Our sound
engineers would become one of The
most valuable adjuncts. With their
amazing equipment they would de-
teet the advance of enemy air
squadronS, while sound engineers
on the ground would be able to de-
termlne the exact hidden location
of enemy batteries.
Last and most important are the
camera crews, for motion pictures
IN future conflict not only will be
OF lnestlmable value on the front
put they will be used in training
the rockies in all rudiments of war
fare, even to acquainting them with
the realistic, hor-ifying sounds of
war"
Three Songs About Lenin" must
enjoy a records breaking stav in
New YORK. And that's to a great
extent up to you and you and you.