The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-02-13
HOLLYWOOD
SHORTS
By TED TAYLOR

In this town, where wisecracking
is one Of the leading occupations, an
obstructionist underground is getting
in some dirty ticks in word-of-mouth
propaganda. Fortunately there are
also number of propaganda-con-
scious individuals here who are doing
their best to scotch the stuff
Much of the poison is in the form of
cute little gags that are framed for
quick circulation by the did you hear
about the glamour girl who" tech
nique.
To finish that one up and give an
example, "a certain glamour girl' who
finds her dates falling off is supposed
to call an army camp and offer to
do her duty and entertain one of the
boys. "And that's why the lonely gal
is lone date with a lonely soldier"
Sort of dumb, but put that way and
whispered about, it appeals to GER
tain type of idle Spectator who loves
to name names. The effect is to make.
the girls hesitate about jeopardizing
their popularity by being seen with a
man in uniform
Cosby bits or out-and-out gags, cir
culated by the unthinking, more or
less subtly ridicule air wardens, air.
raid precautions, actors who give their
time to help defense bond sales, and
so on. Another type of gag burles-
ques the FBI roundups of enemy aliens |
or implies inefficiency in airmail serv-
ice, and such.
These start as night club small talk,
are snapped up by some of the gag
hungry columnists, and then are re-
peated in all directions. When it is
that equally funny jokes
nay be created for constructive pur-
poses, there is reason to suspect NAL
ce.
One Hollywood trade paper column
st had been retailing the obstruction
st gag Line consistently, climaxing
With three digs at defense angles and 4
me at labor in single days column.
some of the publicity boys started a
ackfire of gossip to the effect that t
is stunt was drawing the attention
f the FBI and he suddenly reformed. j.
Coincident with the opening of the t
led Cross campaign for blood donors, {
new and nasty underground line of In
attic has started, obviously designed
D discourage applicants. One tale
as the familiar Introduction, "Why, @
girl l know has a friend who says t
he called Red Cross station, and
le nurse said. (. - This you will | b
scognize as the way blatant World O
FAR / lies were circulated e
Hollywood labor is intellectually II
wing its blood to build the bank of
fe-saving plasm. ALL and CLIO were
presented in the opening days do u
0rs, and many Of the unions are max 81
g mass appointments. Forty M.GM
Ups kept one date, for example. Cecil
deMille was the most prominent E
dividual donor among the first 60.
he Los Angeles center is now put !,
az 120 volunteers day through the ~
tort, impressive, and painless cere- !,
ony o.
Mark Freeland, crack New York ~
cture exploiter, is handling the blood =,
ocurement, aided by two volunteer i,
cal publicists. The Screen Publ ~
,ts Guild division of the Hollywood
riters Mobilization for Defense has 80
aced volunteers with half a dozen -
ojects, and while waiting more spe- ~,
lie calls has it's members turning
t slogans to fit every possible de- -
Use angle.
The writer's mobilization is a clear ~
: house of screen and radio writer's, s,a
zen readers, cartoonists and news 49,
permen to handle all sorts of prop -
anda material. 1t is working close -
with the actors producers-agents
tory committee through which act
!. talent is cleared for appearances O.,
connection with war activity. 49,
'ome of the labor groups in Holly -
cd have thought up special chores. 20
g defense committee of the Screen
ice Employees Guild has taken re- -,
for inspecting arrange ~.
nts at the individual studios for -.
ming and sheltering all workers in ST.,
e of raid. OF course this is -,
and police job, but the SOEG is 49,,
king double check with the real =
c approach of people who work on ~ :,
spot and are familiar with init 80,
e but important details.