The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-10-09


own pictures and calls them life. 1t
doesn't show us you and me.
1t pictures the negro as poor and
pious, or comic and servile, or dane
ing fool. Singers may get serious
treatment, and negro fighters negro
children are ragamuffins or pickanin-
MES, and SO permissibly cute.
Never Given Sympathetic Treatment
The movie has yet to show us
negro household in the sympathetic
way it pictures the white Hardy's. Or
a negro girl-meetsboy romance paral
Icing the pleasant comedies given
Ginger Rogers and Jimmie Stewart.
When will it give us the success story
of the elevator boy who becomes
lawyer or doctor, or show us negroes
shouldering the common task with
workers of lighter skins?
This may be too much to hope for
from Hollywood but there is some en-
couraging news. For an important
part in Liberty Ships, MGM is testing
the negro actor Canada Lee Lee is
also up for the part of Refugee Smith
in pictures MGM plans from the Col
lier's stories about negro prizefight-
er with religious ideas. MGM in fact
seems the only company pretending
to give the negro any attention A
current production there is Cabin in
the Sky, musical whose negro cast
includes Ethel Waters, Lena Horne,
n nrr1ro
Armstrong.
Other negro pictures have been
talked Of but not Forthcoming. Orson
Welles put several negro players I'M
der option for musical early this
year, but became absorbed in Brazil
and let them lapse. MGM has been
reported dickering for Porgy and
Bess Irving Mills has been trying to
interest studies in a negro revue for
months; he has just joined goth Cen
fury Fox to help on its colored talent
show, Thanks, Pal.
Somewhat furtively Hollywood has
been making gestures here and there.
Louis B. Mayer invited Lena Horne.
Jennie LaGong, and the Berry broth
ers to lunch in his private dining
room at MGM when they were work
ing in Panama Hattie. And it was Y.
Frank Freeman, Paramount's execu-
tive from coca-cola land, who nomi-
mated Hattie Mcdaniel for the Holly
wood Victory Committee.
Miss Mcdaniel organized a subcom-
mittee but has had an opportunity to
put on only one important show for
negro encampment A troupe of IL
ustrious negro players took part-and
% break up the JimcroW tendencies,
be it recorded that Bette Davis and
Oinah Shore insisted on going with
hem.
Mighty Glamour Merchant
Shows Common Sense
Back to MGM it may be that
he Mighty Glamour Merchant has
the white of fascist eyes.
t is the first Hollywood studio to call
he attention of its producers, writer's,
directors to what goes on in the
world. And it has issued an MGM
var film policy based on the Owls
TX points and FDR's Four Freedomsi
Pointing out that this is a peoples
var" MGM declares it "a priceless
pportunity to bring the Four Free
oms to life on the screen" Refer
ing to the underprivileged, the un-
ducated, the minorities, the nantes
0 warns: Don't try to bamboozle
heSe groups by telling them thew are
vell off or that they have mo- prob
ems, but try to help show them that
emocracy offers them the quickest
lethods with the least sacrifice to
Dive their problems"
Yes, you have been listening to the
oice OF MGM. Mr. Robson, won't
ou join me for just one more halle
jah?