HITLERISM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1940, Page 9

HITLERISM

FIRST REAL FILM. It seems that M.-G.-M. is to be the first Hollywood studio to make a real film about Hitlerism, writes W. H. Mooring in the ’ Picturegoer. “Neutrality” doesn't ring very true with Leo, perhaps because he’s such a near relative of the old British lion; maybe because the men running M.G.M. do not mind being taunted about their fears of Nazism.

Anyway there’s no silly secrecy about this M.G.M. picture, as there was about. Warners’ "Confessions of a

Nazi Spy,” finished, as you remember, when all Hollywood was running a high temperature raving against Britain's docile neutrality toward Adolf.

Many people believe that the sudden silence which overtook Hollywood producers the moment Britain started lighting Hitler would last until the end of the war. M.G.M. are showing us differently. Frank Borzage is directing “The Mortal Storm,” which deals with the rise of Nazi Number One and the gradual approach of this war. Hitler, however, will not be seen in the film; nor will Goebbels.

No free publicity for them this time. Only the damning truth. The tale opens with a peaceful Germany listening to the radio announcement that the National Socialist Party has come to power in the German elections and that Hitler will take over the Chancellery of the Reich. One of the last democratic public elections Germany remembers. Frank Morgan ,an old college professor. beloved by his students, though himself a Jew, is married to an Aryan. They have a small son; the wife has grown-up Aryan children, played by Robert Young and Margaret Sullavan. James Stewart is Margaret’s Aryan sweetheart, though they haven’t yet been taught by Adolf to recognise these racial distinctions.

Hitler comes bouncing on to greater and still greater power: the small son. being partly Jewish like his father, is branded "Jude.” The old professor, thrown into a concentration camp, suffers indignities which break his heart and finally kill him. The rest of the family, divided at first as to the merits of Nazi forms of socialism, come to see what has happened to their beloved fatherland. You may expect a wonderful performance from Frank Morgan, without any of his usual dithering. I watched him filming "reactions” to the first radio announcement of the rise of Hitler.

The announcer says: “Adolf Hitler at this moment is in an adjoining room, preparing to assume his duties as Chancellor of the Reich.”

“I wonder,” says F.rank Morgan, without a word —his face speaks his doubts—the rest of the family is thrilled; they are young and love bigscale experiment; then again they are non-Jewisb and have not yet read "Mein Kampf.” This is going to be a real film about Hitlerism; after all, there s nothing belligerent or neutral about truth. It doesn’t take sides; it is always right and those in lhe right go with it. M.G.M. say they intend to stick to the truth and let that be their answer to any —Americans, Germans, or Zulus —who may challenge the film’s violation of the United States neutrality law.