The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-22
FLASHES and
CLOSEUPS
By DAVID PLATT

"A L 1 ENOANCE at OOYleG ftuSSldn
n theatres totaled 1862 900 in
1888 as compared with 240,060, 400
in 1928, according to information
supplied to the Film Daily Year
Book. A further increase took
place this year. Theatres in the
Soviet Union now number 10000
with ten studios in operation sup
plying films.
Sixteen thousand movie fans at
tended the first weeks showing of
Three Songs About Lenin" at the
Cameo Theatre, breaking all pre-
vious records for attendance at So
Wet films. The picture re-opens at
the Acme Theatre today.
The Hays organization recently
cracked down hard on those capt.
talist movie reviewers who dared to
praise Three Songs About Lenin."
Says Terry Ramsaye, spokesman, in
recent issue of Motion Picture
Herald: Two OF Americas great
est and most constructively con-
sentative newspapers, (sic) the New
York Times and the New York
Herald = Tribune, have permitted
their young men to deliver their
columns to the preachment of the
Red cause and its gloriflcation-all
behind the mask of motion picture
criticism. :"
Three Songs About Lenin," he
continues, like all Russian pictures
which reach these shores, was made
solely for purposes of propaganda
=. now comes Russias Soviet,
born Of bombs and ruling by blade
and firing squads to make, insofar
as 1t may, a forum of the American
screen. And so far they have to
help them, Mr.. Sennwald and Mr..
Watts-in the holy name of Lenin
and art
pY REPEATING these bewhisk-
- cred lies about Soviet films, Mr..
RamSaye, who speaks officially for
the motion picture producers and
distributors of America, is really
paying a high tribute to Three
Songs About Lenin," which Of all
recent Russian films, has been able
through sheer power of its truth
and artistry to make lasting i'm
preSsions even upon the minds of
arch-conservatives like Will Rogers,
who gave the film his unqualified
endorsement.
The real reason, however, for
Ramsaye's attack is desperate fear
OF Soviet competition in the realm
of cinema. Three Songs" happens
to be a financial success. That is
not so good for Hollywood. British
competition is bad enough. That
we can't very well stop. But Soviet
competition is red propaganda.
That can be stopped. So run the
thoughts of Mr.. Ramsaye. All we
can say to this is go ahead and try
to stop Soviet films, Mr.. Ramsaye.
You will find yourself up against a
movement of enraged cinema fans
that will make you and your back
ers publicly eat the dyed red her
ring you have cooked up to dis
credit your competitors.
In the meantime Mr.. Sennwald,
who one day rejoices over Three
Songs About Lenin," and the next
day metes out equal praise to the
jingoistic First World War; and
Mr.. Watts, who applauded Musso-
lini's Man of Courage" as Lyric
celebration of the building of fascist
Italy," while damning Three
Songs" with faint praise, continue
merrily to befuddle with their
equivccating reviews of films.
WE ANxIOUSLY await Pabst's
w Don Quixote' which opens at
the Cameo this Saturday. Expect
the worst from Warner Bros. pro-
auctions since the notorious labor
hater VIM. r. Hearst merged his
movie interests (Maricn Davies
Cosmopolitan with this company.
First issue of Film Front, BIZ
weekly mimeographed bulletin of
ale National Film and Photo
League, is out. The contents in
clude an editorial on 1.-THE Decency
Crusade; AN Open Letter to viii
Hays; The Films look at the
Worker; Movie Reviews and Film
Front Flashes
Paul Robson, American Negro
actor and singer, has been invited
to spend several weeks with Sergei
Eisenstein, Soviet film director, in
Moscow.
Call to Arms" will be released
by Columbia Pictures Corp. on Jan.
IL. A pre-view of this picture will
appear shortly in the Daily Worker.
Willard Mack, author, director and
co-actor Of the picture died right
after completion of the film. Form
| your own conclusions