The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-23
Scrap Fascist
Movie, Demands
NY Film League

NEW YORK-The National Film
and Photo League, through its
Secretary, David Platt, has released
the following statement in answer
to letter just received from the
General Manager of Columbia Pic
lures Corp, Hollywood, Cal, criticiz-
ing the Leagues proposed cam
paign against call to Arms" fas-
cist Columbia film in process Of
production: (See Daily Worker
Flashes and Close-ups column. issue
October 10, for Columbia's letter
Ed
you ask us to point out precisely
what portions of Call to Arms are
susceptible to criticism upon the
grounds enumerated in your wires.
This is simple. All we have to do
is quote from studiogram dated
Oct. 4th sent out by Columbia Pic
lures Corp. which states: :. story
most timely telling as it does of a
civil war veteran whose two sons
become involved in cOmmunistic
activities stop Willard Mack in part
of old soldier recruits services Of
veterans at SawteIIe Home and
succeeds in quelling red uprising
and strike stop different and chuck
full Of pathos thrills romance stop.
IF this alone is not sufficient
ground for organizing a national
campaign of protest against Column
bia Studios, please tell us what is.
Here you are actually producing a
film which openly incites to riot
against organized labor, a film
which lyingly presupposes that every
militant strike for better living
conditions for American workers is
a red uprising, and yet you ask us
to define our grounds for action
against it.
Let us state emphatically that
the Film and Photo League is not
going to sit peacefully back and
permit your studios to fish out
fetid red-herring, which you con-
slider timely only because it falsifies
the real issues of hunger, war and
fascism, against which battles are
being vigorously fought here in
America and everywhere-on every
front
aside from the Studiogram
which badly contradicts your as
sertion that our information con-
corning the film is erroneous, we
have unimpeachable information
from Hollywood that the film you
are producing is viciously detrimen-
tai to the interests of the American
workers, and the Film and Photo
League, which functions solely in
the interests of the workingclass,
demands that you cease production
on Call to Arms or bear the con-
sequences of a campaign of enlight-
eminent which will definitely estab-
lish Columbia's position on Labor
with millions of American workers
who attend Columbia pictures.
LAS to deletions, any cuts that
you might make in the film in
Difference to the moviegoer, could
not possibly alter the fundamental
nature of Call to Arms, the very
title Of which is fraught with dan
ger. We therefore demand unequi-
vocally that you stop it altogether.
I'm conclusion, you state you are
disinclined to distribute any picture
designed to help bring on fascism
and destroy civil liberties. This
Is a curious statement in the light
Of recent events involving Colum-
bia Pictures Corporation. If any
recent film was calculated to pro-
duce just such propaganda for
fascism, vigilantism and against
civil liberties, it is Columbia's No
Greater Glory, film which dares
to inculcate in the minds of Ameri-
can children the thought that
there is no greater glory than dying
for your country.
Your prompt action in stopping
production of Call to Arms will
prove the correctness of the policy
you claim to have. If in the next
few days you fail to publicly express
your determination to stop produc-
ton of the film, the Film and
Photo League certainly will know
what policy to pursue with regard
to your organization"
cinema.
Each division is made up of
numerous charts, posters. models,
photographs, albums, and books.
Full statistical material accom-
panies each subject, as well as ex-
smples of the childrens artistic
and technical work.
Further information regarding
the exhibit may be procured
through the American Russian
Institute.