RUTHLESS NAZIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1939, Page 7

RUTHLESS NAZIS

R.S.A. PICTURE NIGHT. “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,” the sensational Warner Bros, picture, coming on Thursday to the Tivoli Theatre, Carterton, represents a complete reversal of Hollywood precedent in more ways than one. In the first place,, the motion picture producers in the past have avoided controversial subjects like the plague. But Warners could hardly have chosen a subject packed with more potential dynamite than the spy picture. Then, contrary to all precedent, they literally filmed the picture behind locked doors. No one not directly concerned with the production was allowed on the set. This rule was rigidly adhered, to, with no exceptions made for executives of the company or members of the Press. Ordinarily, studios are anxious to announce the casts of their pictures. That’s showmanship and good advertising, for every name added to a cast means additional fans at the After the first ten principals had been chosen for “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,” however, Warners clamped down on all casting news and announced that the rest of the players would be known by number instead of name. Only ten instead of the usual 150 scripts for “Confessions of a Nazi Spy" were mimeographed. These were given to six of the principals, the director, supervisor and two trusted departmental heads. The rest of the players got only one day’s lines at a time. Thus, they didn’t know the complete story until the picture was completed.