The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-08-20

HOLLYWOOD, August % Pro- ducer Edward Small's announce ment that he will spend $2,5OO,OOO to screen the life story of Christo- pher Columbus is worth second thought.
 Small, judged on his past record, is neither the best nor the worst picture maker in Filmville. But he does stand out from the average level in one particular; he demon- strated, in the past, really amaz- ing disregard for historical fact in making period pictures. Students of French history are still aghast when they recall the unnecessary liberties that he permitted himself in de- picting the reign of Louis XIV in his picture, The Man In The Iron Mask"
 I shudder when I think of the results, should he show an equal recklesSness in distorting the facts about Columbus and the discovery of the New World That subject matter is an essential part of every schools course in American history.
 Small's proposed film will be seen by millions of school kids, and it's bound to make a powerful impress sion on most of them. For that req son. if for no other, he should make sure, this time, that his writers stick to historical truth. If he will do that, his screenography of Columbus can be of tremendous educational value. If he doesn't do it, he will be throwing a very large monkey wrench into the machinery of grade education.
 The life of Columbus-a story of tremendous human Struggle-is dramatic enough to make potent screen fare without the usual fla voring of Hollywood hokum.
 In today's publicity barrage is the following story: Exploding a myth of long standing, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, the orchestra lead ing brothers revealed today that their supposed fued, which has drawn headlines over the years, was a publicity stunt arranged by the companies that published their mu- sic" If that's true (personally, l doubt it), it certainly reflects small credit on the men who are supposed to have dreamed up the phony feud Stories about two brothers refus- ing to speak to one another for IyearS, have character too distaSte- full to add up to good publicity.
 Rex Harrison, the British star has been criticized in certain news paper columns for stating that he does not intend to apply for United States Citizenship. One critic sug- geSted that if Harrison doesn't like this country, he should go back tt England. How absurd this actol came to Hollywood to make only g couple of pictures, which is certain ly no reason for him to relinquisf his British citizenship. His critics seem to forget that American stars often go to England on short-tern deals These same fault-finder. would be the first to shout traitor if the Americans were to become British subjects.
 Margaret O'Brien's mother had
 run-in with the MGM make up de
 partment when they attempted |, "glamorize" her meppet daughter She particularly objected to a SO
 phisticated hair-do, and threatened !. to take Margaret home unless it wa fchanged. Interfering movie mama
 have long been considered a pair in the neck by producers but Mrs o, Brien in my opinion, should bt rated as an exception to the rule. II refusing to let her nine-year-olt submit to anything so ridiculous a: glamour treatment, she showed lot more common sense than the
 studio executive who ordered 1t. When the Russian writer, Ilyt Ehrenberg, autflored an article 1T Isvestia the other day, charging that Hollywood suppresses fret thought and ending with the state, ment: Even Charles Chaplin has discovered what it means to run ur against the power of big money, Soviet propaganda hit a new low ir inconsistency. Chaplin, about two , years ago, was credited by Uncle Sam's Treasury Department report