The Pittsburgh Press (October 15, 1940)
NEW DEAL USES ‘HEAT’ TO HALT WILLKIE MOVIE
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Company Suppresses Film Short After Getting Phone Calls
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New York, Oct. 15 –
How New Deal pressure, including a call from the White House, caused RKO to suppress the second Information Please movie short by Wendell L. Willkie, Republican candidate for President, was revealed today. The film in question was made before the Republican candidate’s nomination last June.
Edward J. Flynn, President Roosevelt’s campaign manager, reportedly first telephoned RKO, presumably to its president, George J. Schaefer, to protest against the contemplated release of the second Willkie film before the election.
Mr. Flynn claimed that release at this time was unfair and would amount to G.O.P. propaganda since there is no comparable Democratic film to offset it.
Other Calls Made
The Flynn call, reportedly was followed by another telephone call to RKO from Frank Walker, Postmaster General in Washington.
This call was followed by still a third, this time from the White House, from a man who said he was a White House secretary and wanted a “Yes” or “No” answer as to whether the company intended to use the film now or hold it until after election.
The same argument was advanced by both the Postmaster General and the White House caller, namely that release of the move short at the present time would be unfair and constitute Republican propaganda.
This information was supported further by the disclosure that RKO itself on August 14 had announced officially the release date for October 4.
Expresses Surprise
At the same time, they expressed surprise when confronted with the August 14 announcement of which they obviously were unaware. For, last week, in denying previous charges of political pressure, Mr. Schaefer, RKO’s executive head, explained that:
Under normal releasing circumstances the second film would be scheduled for release in November or December.
They refused to answer the specific question as to what happened between August 14 and October 4 which led RKO to decide to hold off the second Information Please short. Nor would they reconcile Mr. Schaefer’s statement with the earlier announcement of an October release for the film.
Last Friday, Samuel F. Pryor Jr., Eastern Republican campaign manager, charged the Democratic National Committee and the White House had “forbidden” showing of the picture at this time.
Ban Protested
He asserted the alleged ban was an outright abridgment of constitutional rights for which a Senatorial investigation would be demanded.
In reply, Mr. Schaefer had declared:
We have no right, and we do not want to use the screens of America to show any picture at this time that would advocate or further the cause of either candidate, whether Willkie or Roosevelt. Any acceleration of release of the second subject might be construed as political propaganda.
He denied that either Mr. Flynn or anyone else had put pressure on his company, adding that the second short was “not even finished.”