HANDLE with CARE!

Radio Record, 12 August 1938, Page 15

HANDLE with CARE!

The Film Industry Is Toying With ) Explosive Material

Written for the ‘Record’ by

ROGER

HOLDEN

ILM producers have more to worry about these days than merely making pictures to please their own immediate public. They have to be. very careful to make pictures which will not anuoy the heads of foreign States. With practically: the whole world a battle-ground for rival idealogies, with nationalism rampant in so many countries, it is perhaps small wonder that, in recent years, film production has been almost completely confined to innocuous, superficial themes. Anything even faintly controversial has been suspect. . But now there are signs of a change. Perhaps the most important picture of the moment is Walter Wanger’s "Blockade." This melodrama, with a Spanish Civil War setting, may prove epoch-making because it contains, in the midst of its familiar adventure story of spies and dirty work, a somewhat diffuse but none the less obvious impeachment of the bombing and starvation of non-combatants in modern warfare. "Blockade," says the authoritative American paper "Variety," is the key to the opening up of a vast source of sereen material that hitherto has been kept locked up because the film industry

has regarded it as explosive. But if Walter Wanger can get away with. "Blockade" other producers jm ~robably follow suit. ) "Upon the success of this picture financially revolve the plans of several of the major studios, heretofore hesitant about tackling stories which treat ' with subjects of international, economic and political controversy," remarks "Variety." That is why "Blockade" is important-not because of any very exceptional merit in itself (though it is a good picture), but because Hollywood regards it as a@ cue on provocative themes,

QUPPORTED by Labour’ and anti-Fascist orgatiisa- _ tions, the film has already broken records in London. . . SHOULD Walter Wanger succeed in running the blockade on "inflammatory" films, M.-G.-M. may be the next to try. This studio is all ready to launch production on "Idiot’s Delight," a film version of the Robert E. Sherwood play in which Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne have appeared in New York and London. Undisguised anti-war propaganda, "Tdiot’s Delight" is scheduled to star Norma Shearer and Clark Gable, with Clarence Brown directing. If "Blockade" can successfully clear the obstacles of international distribution and be a paying proposition, then, it is reasoned, "Idiot’s Delight" will also stand a good chance of making money. Make Him Think Twice APPARENTLY Walter Wanger is satisfied that his keypicture will not get jammed in the lock,. because already he is under way with a production that should be even AS... = om

more controverslai tia "Blockade." This is "Personal History," based on Vincent Sheean’s record of his experiences aS & foreign correspondent. The "British Film Weekly" says that the ‘original © book touches on enough international problems to make even such a free-willed producer as Wanger think twice. It will be necessary to recast Vincent Sheean’s biographical writing so as to introduce a fictional story against the vivid backgrounds of Buropean and Oriental aggressive diplomacy. of which Sheean wrote frankly and yehemently. . Madeleine Carroll, star of "Blockade," was to have continued her screen carecr (Continued, on page 49,),

Handle With Care!

"EXPLOSIVE" FILMS (Continued from page 15.) as an international adventuress in "Personal History," but her place as heroine has now been taken by Louise Platt, 21-year-old newcomer somewhat reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn, but without her mannerisms. Her debut performance in "I Met My Love Again" was practically the only thing of note in that picture; in "Personal History" she will be the American heroine whom Sheean found "working for the revolution" with Madame Sun-Yat-Sen in China. "Her mind and gpirit are inflexibly resolved never to lie down -under the monstrous system of the world," and her idealism will influence the whole life of the hero (Henry Fonda). OT only have producers in the pas? fought shy of subjects dealing with European dictatorships, but they have also been very chary of touching anything connected with economic or political problems in their own country which might, by implication, annoy foreign Powers. The mere mention by a foreign diplomat that the showing of a certain film in a friendly country might cause "embarrassment" to his home government has usually been sufficient to curb a producer’s ambitions. A case in point is Sinclair Lewis’s novel "It Can’t Happen Here," which deals trenchantly with the supposed menace of Nazi-Fascist doctrines in the U.S.A. Metro bought the rights to this novel a long time ago, but under protest dropped the plan to film it. Now it.is reported by "Variety" that. Warners may take it over as a starring vehicle for Paul Muni ‘Metro seem to have been specially unfortunate in their connection with provocative themes. Several years ago they bought, and still own, the rights te Franz Werfel’s novel, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh," an exciting and dramatic account of how a small body of Armenians defended a strategie post against attack by the Turks during the World War. The Turkish Government was particularly sensitive about this phase of the struggle, and their protest against its being put on the screen was backed up by the French-apparently because the latter at that time wanted to keep in well with the Turks, The late Irving Thalberg did his best to smooth out the diplomatic difficulties, but failed, and the project was shelved. (THEN there was the Paramount film. of Ernest Hemingway’s famous novel "Farewell to Arms," which deatt with the disastrous rout of the Itaiian army at Caporetto during the World War. This film, made in 1932, aroused the ire of Signor Mussolini, because he contended that it cast a reflection on Italian heroism-though how he could deny that the Italians were routed at Caporetto nobody knows. Anyway, the film was modified and released, if not with Mussolini’s blessing, at least with his acquiescence. It is perhaps an indication of the way the wind is blowing to-day that Paramount are now Treissuing "Farewell to Arms" in America, A®B0uT two years ago, Paramount were all ready to film a_ story, "Paths of Glory," which was a smashing indictment of militarism. A play

of the story ‘was, staged as a. first. step toward arousing interest in the film. Then came diplomatic suggestions that eertain foreign Powers might put obstables ‘in the way of the film’s distribution outside America, and the project was dropped: For Hollywoo4, of course, cannot afford to overlook its foreign markets entirely. ' Now, however, the interest aronsed by "Blockade" has revived interest ' "Paths of Glory," but not, it is at the Paramount studios. One of Sam Goldwyn’s big schemes of some time back was to film ‘‘Exiles," a story dealing with the prominent artists, scientists and authors who have found refiige in America from persecution in their otvn countries. Jt was an "inflammatory" theme; and internationl complications were certain. Rather than compromise and produce a half-hearted exposition of the refugee problem, Goldwyn decided not to make "Hxiles" at all. ’ But now, with interest in the subject at high pitch, who knows? S an indication of how touchy foreign countries can be .about the way in which Hollywood. portrays them, there is the famous case of Tvaramount’s "The General Died At Dawn." ‘The Chinese Government protested that the screening of this. film would create the wrong impression that China was over-run with warlords whom the Central Government was powerless to control. China went further than mere protest: it decided that if "The General Died At Dawn" were shown anywhere in the world at all, then all Paramount productions should be boycotted in China-a fairly considerable market. As everyone knows, the film was re-leased-and for a while there were no Paramount pictures in China. But apparently the ban did not last very long. Similarly, there was the deadlock which existed for nearly a year between, the American film industry and the Mexican Government, because the villains in "Westerns" were always portrayed as Mexicans.. RACIAL intolerance is so strong today that a film does not have. to be provocative on the surface to cause a flutter in the diplomatic dove-cotes. "The Lost Horizon" was banned by Italy and Germany as being "too idealistic’; Germany banned, ‘Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" because’soime of ihe actors in it were of non-Aryan blood; Italy shut out ‘The Tired of a Bengal Lancer" because of its "British nationalistic flavour" ; Germany ‘howled protest at "The Toad Back" beeause, said Dr. Goebbels, it was "a two-hour blasphemy against dead men which only an American Jew could hring to the screen without punishment’; and even Deanna, Durbin and Shirley Temple are under suspicion in Poland heeause. Poland helieves that "children should oceupy a subordinate position in the family." So-there you are. Lhe producer. of English-language films certainly has plenty to worry about. But if the successful production of a film like "Blockade’ means that Hollywood is likely to show more courage in‘ approaching provocative themes, the change is, I think, to be welcomed. Without making the screen into a platform for arguing tival idealogies, we ean do with some more hackhone in our entertainment: