Evening star., 1941-09-06

any antl-NaZl films.
There's not much sense in working
Tor the election Of men whose mental
equipment is such that they have
to launch an investigation to find
the truth in matter like this.
Honestly, they might just as we'll
hold an expensive hearing to deter
mine if it's true that dogs bark,
upper berths are the very devil to
undress in, and cats have kittens.
All the Senate has to do to satisfy
itself on how Hollywood has been
treating Mrs. Hitler's son is to go
to the movies.
AS man who has been going to
the movies ever since Pearl White
was left dangling over a cliff every
Saturday afternoon, I can tell the
Senators that Hollywood has been
turning out pictures in which
Hitler is portrayed as something
other than a Lord Fauntleroy in
storm troopers suit But would
the Senators have it otherwise?
Would they prefer that Adolf he
portrayed as a Saint Bernard with
barrel Of charity and kindness
around his throat, galloping over
the world to administer TO the
needy, or as an angel whose halo
was the symbol of good will on
earth?
What's wrong with giving Hitler
the works? To do otherwise would
be tantamount to casting the -Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse in
sympathetic roles and letting them
win the heroine at the end Of 10
reels. A man who wouldn't en-
courage the kicking around Of Hitler
is the type who would have a
typhoid Mary dress up as Santa
Claus and give away the presents
at an orphans home on Christmas.
1 don't think, however that the
investigation of Hollywood will be
much of a success. To start with.
it will be handled by group of men
operating under the title of Senate
Committee on Interstate Commerce.
Now American culture may not
be far past the iron lawn dog and
burnt leather pillow stage. but We
have made sufficient advances to
know that no group Of Interstate
Commercers is qualified TO judge
one of the arts. The findings of
such a sterling group Of aesthetics
will hold no more weight than II
they were a bunch of apprentice
veterinarians who. after looking at
Rembrandt's work, said it just
wouldn't do, and to make theirs
Norman Rockwell.
To the average American the
sending Of an Interstate Commerce
Committee Of politicians to pass
/ judgment on an art is ridiculous.
Four bells on a picture from Sena-
tor Wheeler won't carry as much
weight as one bell from Fidler and
/ you won't find an American family
traipsing off to a movie because Nye,
Pepper, Bilbo and Byrd rate it as
smashing and tremendous. "a.
The Senate can even 60 so far as
to appoint one of its members as
movie critic of the Congressional
Record, but it won't sell any more
copies. The chances are that the
average Senator doesn't like any Of
the movies produced. When you
deal in billions as they do, you can't
be expected to think much Of pro-
duction that was turned out for a
lousy 100000.
The investigation will be a good
thing in one way, though 1t will
| bring to light, and clearly, those
Senators who dislike seeing Hitler
painted as anything but kindly
old gentleman, padding around the
house and in his garden with a kind
word for every person and q soft
caress for every bloom.
If my Senator is one Of these,
know exactly what l am going to do.
I am going to rap him smartly over
his wig with a Louisville slugger bat
(Ted Williams model and then go
to a newSreel and wait until they
show my Senator's burial without
honors in a plot of ground pur-
chased for just such purpose from
the Bergdoll estate. OH
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