HOLLYWOOD BOYCOTT

Evening Star, Issue 25678, 29 December 1945, Page 7

HOLLYWOOD BOYCOTT

czechoslovakia unable to get American films

(By Maurice Hindus in New York ' Herald-Tribune.') .Hollywood is at war with Czechoslovakia. It refuses to do business with the little Slav republic because it will not deal with a country which nationalised its film theaters and thereby established a State monopoly of film's. Hollywood contends that it' does not deal with a monopoly at home and will not deal with a monopoly abroad. To the Czechs, Hollywood's reasoning is more than strange since it is known that Hollywood has been selling pictures to Russia for years, and Russia has the most iron-clad monoply in the world, not only over films but over all industry and all entertainment The only conclusion the Czechs draw from the position Hollywood has assumed is that the American motionpicture executives are out to defeat the nationalisation decree. The Czechs contend further that Hollywood itself is a formidable monopoly which, in its war with them, has mustered all the powers such a monopoly permits. From a purely American standpoint the situation is more than unfortunate. The Czechs want American films, and want them badly. Laurenco A. Steinhardt, American Ambassador here, has been urging the desirability of gratifying this want. This writer is in a position to state that the question of financial terms is not an issue. The Czech Government is ready to offer American producers favourable terms. Nor is the Czech contract with Russia an obstacle. Although this contract stipulated that 60 per cent, of the playing time in more than 200 theatres be accorded to Russian films, Russia is not producing enough to fulfil its obligation. The contract is therefore ineffective. Besides, some Russian films shown in Prague have elicted only mild interest. They deal with specifically Russian problems and Russian aims and therefore have little entertainment or dramatic appeal. The Czech market is ready for American pictures. The American Ambassador wants them to come. And Hollywood has as much chance of smashing the nationalisation of the film industry here as it has of unseating l>r Benes from the Presidency. , " We have survived Hitler," commented a Czech film producer, " and wo shall survive Hollywood."-