Incident throws U.S. anti-democratic trends into ‘Limelight’

U.S. ridiculed for bar against Chaplin

NOTHING HAS done more to
reveal to the world, and Brit-
ain in particular, the ugly fas-
cist lines behind the false mask
of American democracy than
the threat to exclude Charlie
Chaplin from the United States.

In these past few years, as
the Truman administration has
sought to impose its pattern of
thought control on the country,
seores of distinguished writers,
artists, scientists and others
have been denied admission to
the U.S. Hundreds of U.S. resi-
dents have been deported or ex-
cluded for no other reason than
their political views.

Chaplin, the one authentic
genius produced by Hollywood.
himself has come under con-
stant attack in the U.S. Con-
gress. His personal life has
been made the subject of smear
campaigns, At the same time,
every restriction devised by the
banker - controlled Hollywood
film industry to protect its

monopoly has been placed upon :

the showing of Chaplin’s pic-
tures. Why? _

The answer is plain. The so-
cial satire of Chaplin’s films has
become increasingly dangerous
to the thought control sought
by the Truman administration.
And, ‘as the current Hollywood
output shows, the Truman ad-
ministration is fully aware of
the immense propaganda value
of the movies.

ey * x
LAST WEEK, while Chaplin,
noted American playwright,

his wife Oona (daughter of the
playwright Eugene O’Neill), and
their four children were on their
way to England, U.S. Attorney
General James P. McGranery or-
dered the U.S. Immigration De-
partment to bar Chaplin from re-
entering the country until he
had undergone an examination
of his character and affilia-
tions.

Although he has lived in the
U.S. for more than 40 years,
Chaplin has never taken out
American citizenship and is still
a British subject, which he ex-

. plains by saying: “I am not a
super-patriot. Super-patriotism
leads to Hitlerism, and we have
had our lesson there. I assume
that in a democracy one can
fhave a private opinion.’

To a press conference at
Cherbourg, France ,aboard the
ship bringing him” to England
for his first visit in 21 years,

Chaplin related the story of.

what Lloyd Wright. his lawyer
in Hollywood, had earlier term-
ed -“‘a cheap political trick.”
“Three months ago I applied
for a re-entry permit from the
proper sources in the proper
manner at the immigration de-
partment,” he said. ‘Three
months later I received the per-
> mit and was treated with per-
fect courtesy by the immigra-
tion department, and in fact,
they wished me ‘bon volage.’
“They said they hoped I
would soon return. They had
three months in which to in-

vestigate. I arrived in New
Pork. I embarked. And three
days later I learned of the
action which had been taken.
That is all I want to say on the
subject.”

* * *

IF CHAPLIN does not want
to say any more on the subject,
the press in Britain and other
countries is saying a lot, ranging
from indignation to ridicule of
the Truman administration,

These are only a few of. the
British press comments:

“Tf the United States really
does turn him out there will
be a queer stink around the
Statue of Liberty”
Daily Mirror).

“The threat to Chaplin be-
cause of his alleged opinions is
making America look ridiculous
.in the eyes of the world.” (Lon-
don Daily Herald).

“Tt is odd, to say the least,
that the decision was not made
until Mr. Chaplin ‘was on the
high seas. We welcome him as
a fellow citizen but more than
that we welcome him as a su-
preme artist.’”” (London Daily
Mail).

“The incident . .. is a fit
subject for g brilliant Chaplin
film — a court of germ gener-
als, gangster . politicians and
Wall Street financiers sitting in
judgment on the clown who
mocked them all with the world
looking on.” (London Daily

Worker).

* * *
’ IN THE meantime, Chaplin’s
new film, Limelight, his first

in five years, has already receiv-
ed an enthusiastic preview, iron-
ically enough, in New York, and
will be shown in London for the
first time on October 15.

The film is nearly all Chap-
lin. He wrote the story. He
was its producer. He directed
it. He composed the music. And
he is the star of it.

He took two.and a half years
to write the story, based on
English music-hall life from just
before the First World War un-

til TOL TS
In the film Chaplin saves 4
young ballet dancer, Terry,

from suicide. Then his influence
lifts her to stardom-as he him-
self sinks lower.

When he is down-and- out she
helps him, and the climax
comes at his gala benefit.

Chaplin really comes into his
own in his demonstration, in a
proken-down ringmaster’s garb,
of ‘a performing flea-trainer..

* * *

(CHAPLIN HAS announced
that he intends to return to the
United States.

“T have interests in the U.S.
which I have had for 40 years.
We all have obligations and
duties to ourselves and our
family,’’ he told reporters at

' Te tits

“TI am not political. I have
never been, political. I have no
political convictions. I am an
individualist and a believer in
liberty...  .’* :

Pacific TRIBUNE

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x

ICHARLIE
CHAPLIN

-

He’s subversive, of course — believes in taking liberties *

‘PEACE WILL WIN! TO BE SHOWN UNCUT

Protest to appeal board lifts

Manitoba ban on peace film

A SIGNIFICANT victory for
peace was chalked up in Mani-
toba when an Appeal Board re-
versed a decision of the Mani-
ruling
that the famous documentary
Peace Will Win can be shown
las is, without cutting the news-
reel shots of the war in Korea.

Earlier, the Manitoba. Board
of Censors ordered that the en-
tire newsreel sequel showing
the senseless slaughter of wo-
men and children by American

war planes deleted from the
film.
Plans are going’ ahead to

show the film throughout Mani-
toba.

Manitoba. Peace Council a

pealed the decision in a letter
which said in part:

it ds quite < obvious, ©
viewing this film, that its chief
aim and purpose is to prove
that war is not inevitable; that
peace“is both desirable and. ne-
cessary. This theme is respect-
ed throughout the entire pic-
ture which shows the Second
World Peace Congress in ses-
sion at Warsaw, Poland; con-
sisting of people from all walks
of life coming from every cor-
ner of the globe, talking about
peace; a peaceful solution to
the world’s problems. Nothing
in the above stated objectives of
the film can be interpreted as
being brutal or warlike in any
Bice =

“Now as to the section of the
film in question—the part show-
ing newsreel shots of the war
in Korea including pictures of
Korean - war, dead. ~

upon —

“May we draw to your atten-
tion the fact that these are ac-
tal, authentic newsreel shots of

the war in Korea today ’— the’

type of newsreels that one can
see anywhere in the world in
his neighborhood theatre, They
are not fictitious figments of the
dir eobor. s imagination.

“For this film pismarey to

' show the two alternatives that

humanity is faced with today—
an ever-widening Korean con-
flict which can suddenly or even-
tually engulf the entire world,

or, a peace pact of the five great

powers, peace conferences (such

as the Warsaw Congress shown.
‘in the film)

taking place in
every country with people of
every shade of opinion partici-

_pating in numerous discussions

thé two alternatives the
shows.

. “It will also be remembered
that after the defeat of Hitle™
ism in 1945, audiences throus
out the world were shown 407
ens of newsreels depicting t
horrible deeds of the Nazis
their foul concentration cam?
such as Dachau, Buchenwal®
etc. Far from prutalizing au ee
ences, these newreels helper
awaken in millions of peo am
the realization of the horrors ©
war and fascism,- 4

_ “This film is being shown ja
almost every

‘country in the
world. It had a long run i2 ie
Broadway theatre in New york
City; and both the director

the film, and the film itself, 977

the proud recipients of seve™

film

to find un-warlike solutions to | ‘international prizes and ®”
our many problems. These are ds.” al
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PACEIFIC TRIBUNE — SEPTEMBER 26, 1952 — PAGE &

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