The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-06

the iIO0O movie | Petee Edsem houses now show a 'propaganda" short on ever, program, boosting salvage, food ra' tioning, car.pooling, rubber conser'
 vatlon and all other multitudinou phases of the complex war effort aS 1t affects the civilian front.
 Tho difference between industry. made films and governments films is principally that industry films arc more elaborate, since they can make use of actors, sets props and flctional treatment o subjects to which the government cannot resort, Government fllmt are forced to stick as close to fac- tual information As Is possible. J Say it Is decided to give 0 boost to Q specific war program of q particular government agency. Like salvage. War Production Board Chairman Donald M. Nelson is made narrator to tell how salvage can win the war, against Q back ground of shots of junk piles, steel mills, shell factories and fighting fronts. Like manpower. Com missioner Paul V. McNutt is made narrator to encourage men and women to take jobs in war indus tries, against a series of closeup of what some of those jobs are.
 PICTURE REPORTS"
 The government also makes what 1t calls picture reports". An ex- ample Is It's recent Troop Train film. It explains why tratn sched- ules are sometimes changed and goes into the detail of organization required for troop movement. 1n- cidentally, 1t puts over the idea that this Is Q good-looklng Army, well handled. But for oil such pictures there are no actors, the cast Of characters being made up entirely of real people, being themselves.
 When Hollywood talent tackles one of these jobs, however, the problem Is presented with all the tricks in the studio bag. Situations are fiction- ized, Gramatized, treated. For in- stance: Letter From Bataan" was gictional story intended to drive home the need for Tatloning ct home. "Divide and Conquer" was dramatization of an Office of Facts and Figures propaganda paIa- pflet on horrors of Hitlerism. MT. Biabbermouth" was & fictional handling of the need.for- theme, showing what might hap. pen to troops from careless gossip" Ing about information of value to the enemy.
 Similarly, studios have handled pictures on the need of the ship building program, keeping fit in wartime, conservation, and SO on. Incidentally, the movie short titled, "The Price of Victory" built around Vice President Wallace'S speech and for which MT. Wallace recited some 1900 words, news-reel style, was made by one of the major studios. Representative Tabel called 1t com- munistic, but 1t wasn't Q government job. NEW MORALE PICTURES
 For these 26 morale shorts which the studios are making this year, the government Bureau of Motion Pic- lures will do research and 1t does suggest titles or subjects which might be covered, so that there will be no conflict between industry and government issue pictures. The inc dustry doesn't have to follow the government suggestions. The indus try's war committee works out In it's own way decision on which studio shall make what picture.
 Morale pictures which are cur rently showing or will have their premiere showings Up to May l in. clude "Paratroop," Spirit of 43," Troop Train," al explanatory pie ture on Point Rationing,' Farmer at War Q nutrition picture called Food for Fighters" transportation shortage picture titled, Right of Way" a Flying Fortress picture called Mission Accomplished" 1" which points up the need for the rubber, gas and tire rationing pro- grams.
 The "Paratroop" job was a con- densation of two Army training films. Similarly. the Army Techni- color job, At the Front" covering the opening stages of the African campaign, was turned over to the moving picture industry war com mittee which assumed the $l50.000 cost of making 677 color prints and handled distribution, making 1t a good bargain for the government.
 Three British government films have also been distributed by this set-up. Might Shift" showed how British women had been mohilized for work in munitions plants. "Dov- CT" was designed to show what the British war effort is today. The British Army Film Unit picture, Desert Victory" which Churchill had flown to Roosevelt. is to be dis tributed by one company. which won the right by draw. The government hopes to get Russian and Chinese films into circulation by the same nrOcedllre.