Hollywood Producers Help American Defence

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 109, 1 February 1941, Page 16

Hollywood Producers Help American Defence

JJOLLYWOOD producers are taking an active part in stirring the patriotic feelings of the American nation, and making people see more clearly the need for spending enormous sums of money on the defence of the country, states Harold Teffernan, the Hollywood correspondent of the Melbourne "Herald.” Patriotic sentiments will be expressed in most of Hollywood’s talkies of the near future.

Almost every movie today contains at least one scene or passage in which patriotic sentiments are cleverly woven into the story. Officials of the Hays office conferred with Army and Navy Departments in Washington some time ago and promised that filmdom would do everything possible to aid defence measure. The inspirational bits sagaciously scattered through feature pictures are the first stej> in the campaign.

Discussions are already pointing toward the filming of 15 features dealing directly with defence, while a string of one and two-reelers will begin unwinding soon. Meanwhile nearly all the pictures are being given a patriotic flavouf wherever and whenever possible. After Norman Taurog had finished shooting "Little Nelly Kelly” he pondered oyer a brief naturalization scene involving Judy Garland and George Murphy, and decided that it could be lengthened, broadened and given a patriotic punch. The. cast was called back and the scene remade. Now, it is somethin’: which makes audiences think —and applaud.

"People who go to the theatre for entertainment do not iike propaganda when crudely introduced as part of the programme, but they like it hn-