Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Hollywood's struggle for Romania, 1938–1945

2009; Routledge; Volume: 29; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01439680903145538

1465-3451

Barbara A. Nelson,

Polish Historical and Cultural Studies

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes Notes 1. Three of the most recent films to garner attention are Corneliu Porumbiou's Police: Adjective; Nae Caranfil's And the Rest is Silence (Restul e tacere), a film about the first Romanian director Brezeanu; and Andrei Dascalescu's Constantin and Elena. Cristian Mungiu won the 2007 Palm d’Or Award at Cannes for 4 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days (4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile); he also directed Occident in 2002. Marian Crisan received the 2008 Cannes prize for the best short, Megatron. Cristie Puiu's The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Mortea lui Dl. Lazarescu) won much attention, including the Los Angeles Film Critics for best actress, Luminita Gheorghiu. A Carton of Kents and A Packet of Coffee (Un cartus de Kent si un pachet de cafea) won a Golden Bear award for the best short film in 2004. Other important films are California Dreamin’ (unfinished, 2007) by Cristian Nemescu and 12:08 East of Bucharest (A fost sau n-a fost? 2007) by Corneliu Porumboiu. The latter director also made Journey to the City (Calatorie la oras), which won second prize in the Cinefondation section at Cannes. The Way I Spent the End of the World (Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii, 2006) is by Catalin Mitulescu who also directed A Heart Shaped Balloon (Un balon in forma de inima) and Traffic (Trafic), the former piece was selected for the Cinefondation workshop in Cannes 2007 and the latter was a Palmes d-Or winner of the short film, 2007. Also of note is Nae Caranfil's The Rest Is Silence (Restul e tacere), Filantropica and E Pericolosa Sporgersi and Radu Muntean's The Fury (Furia) in 2002 and The Paper Will Be Blue (Hartia va fi albastra). Of course, Lucian Pintillie's Unforgettable Summer and The Oak were well known before this, but they were considered French productions of sorts. 2. Romania's film industry, like many small indigenous ones in Europe, developed under the Axis sphere of influence, primarily through Italian collaborations, although it had had successes as early as 1912 and showed renewed energy starting in 1939, even before the Germans gained a stronghold. This was due in part to the State Cinematrographic Studio and Automatique laboratory, which had garnered legal release of heretofore-blocked funds, granted access to private producers. See Michael Jon Stoil, Balkan Cinema: evolution after the revolution (Ann Arbor, MI, UMI Research Press, 1982), 16. Also see footnotes 109 and 110 in this paper. 3. H. Mark Glancy, When Hollywood Loved Britain: the Hollywood ‘British’ film 1939–1945 (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1999), 9. In 1941, Romania had 297 theaters according to the Arhivele Naionale Istorice Centrale in Bucharest, Romania (hereafter ANIC). Referat of Director of Cinema Cantacuzino to the Minister of Propaganda, February 8, 1941. File code: Ministerul Propagandei Nationale (herafter MPN) 2906/12/24/41. For a comparison, Hungary had around 526 in 1938. 4. Timpul, January 16, 1938, 4. Examining the films selected for a semi-regular feature, called ‘Film of the Day’ two-thirds were also American throughout early 1938. 5. Ioana Parvulescu, Intoarcere in Bucurestiul Interbelic (Bucharest, Humanitas, 2003), 135. During this period, 150,000 citizens of Bucharest attended a film daily. According to the calculations of Emanoil Bucuta in Romania literara, in four days each citizen could have seen one film. Quoted in Parvulescu. 6. Cinema (editor Teodorescu-Braniste), which started as a trade magazine but became a weekly, sophisticated fan magazine with articles of political information involving cinema, was launched in 1931 and was still in existence under Ceausescu. It had a relatively continuous run for the period under discussion but changed hands from left wing to right in 1940 after Antonescu's takeover. In contrast, Curierul Filmului (director Matei Martian) was a bi-monthly paper launched in 1933 and terminated in April 28, 1940. It was a trade magazine published from October to April each year. Cinema magazine billed itself as ‘the only film magazine in the country.’ It was priced at 7 lei and contained coupons for tickets for film entry and pictures of fans, whereas Curierul Filmului was called the ‘official organ of the cinematographic movements in Romania’ (‘organ official al miscarii cinematografice din Romania’) before October 1, 1937, and after, ‘the independent organ of cinematography’ (‘organ independent de cinematograf’). It cost twice as much. 7. In Romanian, the quote is ‘cind ne reimprieteniseram cu rusii toti popestii culturii noastre vor explica cu simpatie ce se petrece in Rusia … la noi politica hostaraste totul.’ The 1933 census records Romania's population is 12,981,324 of which 745,000 were Germans, Russians numbered 409,150. Suchianu also wrote a column in Adevarul literar for 10 years before coming to Cinema in April 12, 1935. Thereafter he wrote for both. 8. Ofensive Filmului German and Productii German Film Export [‘German Film Offensive’ and ‘German Products of Film Export’], Curierul Filmului, Craciun Issue (1938), 1 and 5. The article suggested that the Germans and French would join forces against the Americans. 9. Cinema, October 6, 1939, 19, also carried the announcement. 10. See R. G. Waldeck's Athene Palace (Iasi, The Center for Romanian Studies, 1998), 16. Waldeck offers a detailed history of Romania in the year 1940. 11. Curierul Filmului, 1 and 5. The low cost of United States film rentals to export markets was an influencing factor as well. This was possible because of the large US market which ‘majors’ enjoyed who could carry some of the burden of this cost. ‘Film Europe’ and ‘Film America.’ Cinema, Commerce and Cultural Exchange 1920–1939 (Exeter, Exeter University Press, 1999). Cited by Benjamin George Martin, 27. 12. The advertisement for the Shirley Temple Club appeared as early as 1936. See for example, Cinema, September 25, 1936, 5 and back cover. Dolls were advertised in the issue of February 12, 1937, 21 and others followed at irregular intervals. The Stan and Bran Club was launched in Romania and in Cinema at the beginning of 1937. See January 29, 1937, 2 and 12–13 and back cover. Emphasis was placed on the fact that the club was to make children ‘mereu veseli’ (always happy). According to the advertisement, this was particularly important in ‘these turbulent and uncertain times.’ Cinema also covered the first Stan and Bran festival in Bucharest. See issue for February 26, 1937, 21. 13. Curierul Filmului, 1. 14. ANIC. Referat regarding a suggested itinerary in response to the German Legations request to Mr. Paleologu asking for Leni Riefenstahl to come to Romania to show Olympia. February 7, 1939. File Code: MPN 2905/4/2381. 15. ANIC. Referat regarding a suggested itinerary in response to the German Legations request to Mr. Paleologu asking for Leni Riefenstahl to come to Romania to show Olympia. February 7, 1939. File Code: MPN 2905/4/2381. The film opened on February 15. Tim Kirk, Film and politics in south-east Europe: Germany as ‘leading cultural nation’, 1933–45, in: Roel Winkel and David Welch (eds), Cinema and the Swastika (New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007), 249, notes that commentary by Germans of 1940s often cited Horia Igirosanu's career to exemplify the Jewish control exercised in all aspects of cinema in Romania. According to these sources, Igirosanu is said to have had to found his own publication, Clipa Cinematographica, and school to get his ideas voiced. 16. ANIC. February 7, 1939. File Code: MPN 2905/4/2381. It speaks of a preference for a ‘private’ type of showing of her film and indicates rather ambiguously, she will be out of the capital while ‘our’ films are shown ‘which will not be a very good endorsement for her talent.’ This contrasts with the review Filmele Zilei: Olimpiada, Timpul, February 17, 1939, 2, which lauds the artistry of her talent. 17. See Keith Hitchens, Rumania 1866–1947 (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1994), 440–443 and Thomas J. Keil, Romania's Tortured Road Toward Modernity (New York, Columbia, 2006), 187–225. Keil cites May 10, 1940 as the end of Romania's neutrality. 18. Proprietarii cinematografelor cari au mutilate filmul “Olimpiada” au fost pedepsti, Timpul, February 17, 1939, 3. 19. Internata la Dachau? Cinema, November 19, 1938, 3. This suggests that Pola was imprisoned in Dachau for espionage. It identified her two enemies, not only Leni but also Princess Stefanie of Hohenlohe von Wildenburg Schillingfurst. 20. The false accusations were reported in: Hollywoodul la ananghie …, Cinema, September 21, 1942, 13. This will be referenced again later in the paper. 21. ANIC. A reply from D. I. Suchianu to the President of the Reichsfilmkammer, Dr. Karl Melzer's June 15, 1940 letter. (no date) Film Code: MPN 2906/12/3/137. 22. ANIC. Letter sent to D. I. Suchianu by the Reichsfilmkammer expressing his great disappointment that Suchianu had not fulfilled his agreement of April 22, 1939 to give preference to the German Kulturfilm. June 15, 1940. Film Code MPN 2906/12/3/135. 23. Nu numai talentul i-a facut celebri [‘Not Only Talent Makes a Star’], Cinema, October 6, 1939, 10–11. Nell Cobar was the artist and ‘Popeye’ the writer. Also see the New Year's issue for 1939. 24. Cinema January 1, 1939, 6; March 11, 1939, 16–17; and April 1, 1939, 20. 25. ANIC. Report of the Comisar de romanizare to the Ministry of Propaganda on S.A.R. Astoria Films. January 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/12/24/70. 26. Cinema April 18, 1941, 14–15. The specific films mentioned were Johnny Apollo, Romantic Troubadour, Hotel for Women, Here I am a Stranger and La Miserable. A few Ufa films were also distributed through Criterion-Romanesc. ANIC. Referat from the Director of Cinematography regarding the state of Criterion-Romanesc. File Code: MPN 2906/12/26/23. 27. B.D.C. distributed United Artist and Universal films. Arta-Films distributed RKO films. Regarding the state of Continental, see ANIC Report by the Director of Oficiul to Ministry of Propaganda. April 8, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/12/26/2. 28. Cinema February 2, 1940, 15 printed a ‘sensational’ announcement made in Hollywood by Jack Warner that 48 new films, all in category A, would be appearing for the year. Not all would be coming to Romania. 29. Cinema, December 22, 1939, 2–3. The same article with the same wording appeared in Curierul Filmului, December 25, 1939, 2–3. 30. See Mihail Sebastian, Journal 1935–1945 (London, Pimlico, 2003), 191, 145, 148, and 282. Sebastian's journal chronicles the acute fear of being cut off and isolated, the fear that many anti-Nazis might also have shared to a lesser degree. Although he was an admirer of the film critic Suchianu, mentioned earlier in this paper, he rarely alludes to cinema, but speaks frequently of indulging in pleasurable activities such as music and reading as a type of ‘drug’ crucial for survival in those times of crisis. 31. Steven Bach, Leni: the life and work of Leni Riefenstahl (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2007), 106. Of course, this was not the case for MGM, which operated in the black. 32. Glancy, 52. Michael E. Birdwell, Celluloid Soldiers: Warner Bros.'s campaign against Nazism (New York, New York University Press, 1999), 17 and 184, note 77. Using detailed documentation, Birdwell shows this to be untrue; in his words, it is one of the ‘outrageous apocryphal stories’ that appears in Jack's memoirs written 30 years after the fact. The story of Joe Kauffmann, an alleged representative of Warner Brothers who was killed in Berlin, continues to resurface as an extenuating reason for the withdrawal of Warner Bros. from the German market. Evidence of this occurs in Leni, a 2007 publication by Knopf. However, Birdwell argues ‘no one by the name of Joe Kauffmann worked for Warner Brothers in Germany or America.’ There was, however, ‘a Phil Kauffmann who left Germany, went to London where he managed Warner Brother's business in New Germany, Scandinavia and Central Europe and died of natural causes in December 1933’ (CS 18). See Birdwell's references to ‘Kaufman [sic], Warner European Manager, Dies in Stockholm,’ Motion Picture Herald, December 9, 1933, 30 and An elusive factoid: World War II motivation at Warner Bros., Film and History 27(4) (1997), 120–123. For Warner Bros.'s withdrawal from Austria, see Variety, March 30, 1938, 5. Quoted by Birdwell, 18, footnote 84. 33. Birdwell's Celluloid Soldiers is devoted entirely to this but many other works mention this, for example Glancy, 51 and Tino Balio's Grand Design (1930–39) (Berkeley, CA, University of California Press), 298. 34. Jack Warner, with Dean Jennings, My First Hundred Years in Hollywood (New York, Random House, 1965), 263. Quoted by Birdwell, 76. 35. Stoil, 324. 36. Variety, October 4, 1939, 19. New York Times, November 28, 1939, 10. Quoted in Birdwell, 77. A Warner theater in Milwaukee, a heavily German-American populated district, was also burned after the screening of this film. See James E. Combs and Sara T. Combs, Film Propaganda and American Politics: an analysis and filmography (New York, Garland, 1994), 43. 37. For Romania's role as free center of traffic see R. G. Waldeck, 25 and Olivia Manning's, The Balkan Trilogy (London, Penguin, 1974), 7–91. The latter has been reclassified as a historical novel due to its basis in fact, according to Ernest Latham, a noted historian and former diplomat at the US Embassy in Bucharest. He presented his analysis of the novel at the 5th Annual Romanian Studies Conference in Constanta, Summer 2007. The European market was closing for film opportunities as well. Variety announced the market for films ‘ceased to exist virtually overnight’ on September 4, 1940, 19. 38. Variety, April 24, 1940, 3. Quoted in Birdwell, 77. Also mentioned in Paul Buhle and Dave Wagner, Radical Hollywood (New York, The New Press, 2002), 212. 39. Armand Pauker (also written Paucker in reports). Before working for Warner Bros.'s, he worked for Centuria S.A.R. (1936–1939) and Twentieth-Century Fox in 1935. Persons by the same name were also known to have a controlling interest in Adevarul/Adevarul Literar which owned Cinema. But it is not clear there was any connection. 40. ANIC. Letter from Ufa to Under Secretary of State of Ministry of Propaganda. June 27, 1940. Film Code: MPN 2906/12/3/135. The films included Germany's Arsenal (Die Waffenkammer Deutschlands), The German Army (Das deutsche Heer), which dealt with the parade on the occasion of Hitler's 50th birthday, and The Folk in War (Volk im Kriege) about the industry of the Germans. 41. ANIC. A letter from Ufa to Minister of Interior. Regarding sending a documentary entitled ‘Uber die englische Humanitats.’ May 28, 1940. Film Code: MPN 2906/12/3/140. 42. Vremea. May 18, 1941. Review of Casa Rothschild. This family was responsible for the battle of Waterloo and the decline of Napoleon, due to Wellington's involvement with military support rendered by this banking family. The film review suggests the significant line from the film is ‘with money everything can be achieved.’ But the reviewer warns that it may be too late for London who cannot now wean itself from Jewish wealth and who refuses to see the Rothchilds for what they are, brazen Jews of the streets of Frankfurt. 43. J. Petley, Capital and Culture: German cinema 1933–45 (London, 1979) 219–229. Quoted by Susan Tegel, in Nazis and the Cinema (London, Hambledon Continuum, 2007), 130. She references M. Hauner, Did Hitler want a world dominion? Journal of Contemporary History, 13 (1978), 26. 44. Benjamin George Martin, “European Cinema for Europe!” The International Film Chamber, 1935–42, in: Roel Vande Winkel and David Welch (eds), Cinema and the Swastika: the international expansion of Third Reich Cinema (Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2007), 25–29. A proposal for a film cooperative was launched at the International Film Congress (April 26–May 1, 1935), an event used to showcase Berlin's film prowess. This Congress, to which 2000 international film representatives were invited, was ‘guided’ by the staff of Goebbel's Reichsfilmkammer (RFK), which was under the Reich's Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda (RMVP). The actual plan for the International Film Chamber [Internationale Film Kammer (IFK)] was not presented until September of that year at the Venice International Film Festival 1935 and was signed on November 7, 1935. The IFK had two phases, one before September 1939 and the ‘refounding’ beginning in 1941. 45. ANIC. A newspaper announcing the application of the legal decree of August 9, 1940 ‘Aplicarii decretului lege la starea juridical a evreilor din Romania’. File Code: MPN 2906/24/11. Also see the Final Report from the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (Bucharest: POLIROM, 2005), 182–183. 46. Degree 3850 (Decree Nr. 3361 set up of Commission). Monitorul Oficiului #244. ANIC: Referat from Director of Cinema Cantacuzino to Minister of National Propaganda. Stamped February 8, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/24/41. Also see Legislatia, no. 17, 79–81. Quoted in Tuvia Friling, Radu Ioanid, Mihail E. Ionescu (eds) Final Report from the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (Bucharest, POLIROM, 2005), 188. 47. Suspicions of camouflage are often alluded to in reports. It can be seen in the convoluted actions exposed in the report of Biruinta cinema in Bucharest ANIC. Report to Minister of Propaganda by Jean Pandelescu, owner of Biruinta, a cinema on Elizabeta street in Bucharest in which he complains of illegal agreements. March 29, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/24/65-66. 48. ANIC. Report made by Advocat Gheorghe S. Filip Comisar File de Romaniare on December 26, 1940. The lawyer's report from January 18, 1941 2906/24 #56] indicated he had undertaken the job of trying to find replacements but was also finding it impossible. Code: MPN 2906/24/39. 49. ANIC File Code: MPN 2906/26/23 (Also see #48 & $159). Carol Hellmann owned Criterion up until November 19, 1940 whereupon it was sold to Andrei Vasile Sculy Logothety. See Cinema, January 10, 1941 for announcement of name change. 50. The recording of the sale of 150 shares of stock to Melik J. Soukis. File Code: MPN 2906/26/2. ANIC. File Code: MPN 2906/26/27. Cirofilm lab (Continental's lab), which had been owned by an American Jew, Mr. Richmann, in association with Tudor Posmantir since 1936, was sold in 1940 to these brothers. There were slight variations in the spelling of the brothers’ name. 51. Reports by the Comisar de romanizare to the Minister of Propaganda regarding the state of Astoria Films. January 31, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/24/70. Commissioner of Romanianization's report on Atlanta films 2906/24/23. A profit for 1940 of 392,292 lei is recording 2906/24/24. 52. ANIC. Warner Bros.'s First National S.A.R. report in response to the August 9 decree, including Jews remaining. Date File Code: MPN 2906/24/50. Reported a loss of 5,564,280 lei (taxes were 2,835,893 Lei) ($52,778 = 10,265,798 Lei). List of cinemas and revenues. ANIC. File Code: MPN: 2906/24/48. 53. Cinema published its last issue under the name Adevarul during the week of Antonescu's takeover. From September 13 until October 11, 1940, it was published by ‘First Press’ and on October 18, ‘Cuvantul-SAR Bucuresti’ appeared as the printing house. 54. Cinema, August 23, 1940, 8–9; Also see November 15, 1940, 11. 55. Cinema, November 15, 1940, back cover. 56. Sex Appeal—European, American, in Cinema, April 18, 1941, 10–11. 57. Cinema, April 19, 1940, 3 and January 24, 1941, 6. 58. Cover of August 30, 1940 and Eleanor Powell a Germaniei [‘Eleanor Powell of Germany’], Cinema, January 24, 1941, 8. 59. Cinema, November 29, 1940, front and back covers, respectively. 60. Hollywoodul Gazdueste Omenii din toate colturile lumii [‘Hollywood Hosts People from All Corners of the World’], Cinema, January 24, 1941, 3. 61. The cover has a misprint saying March 4, but in actuality it should be April 4, 1941, 2. 62. The dual claim on Marlene Dietrich, even though she had become an American citizen in 1939, is embodied in the powerful attraction Lili Marleen had for both sides. Cinema still defined her as ‘a great German star’ in April 5, 1940, 10. Erich Pommer was the producer of The Blue Angel and he had worked for RKO for a time but in 1941 due to health reasons he had quit. In fact, Martin, 27, notes Pommer had been one who as early as 1924 had encouraged the making of ‘European films.’ Vremea featured a long article praising Laughton's work as late as February 1, 1942, 14. 63. ‘Popeye’ also wrote a weekly article called Stam de Vorba (‘Let's Talk’), which was replaced a few weeks earlier on, sometime between February 7 and February 14, 1941 with Ask me and I’ll Respond (‘Intreaba-ma, sa-ti respund’) by Professor Grampy. 64. ANIC. Referat from the Director of Cinema, Cantacuzino to the Minister of Propaganda Nichifor Crainic. February 8, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/24/41. 65. ANIC. Referat from the Director of Cinema, Cantacuzino, to the Minister of Propaganda. February 18, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/12/24/62. 66. ANIC. Letter sent by Comisarul de Romanizare (Dl. Filipescu) to the Minister of Propaganda. 22 February 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/12/24/10. See Hitchens, 484 for statistics for general commercial establishments. 67. ANIC. Warner Bros.'s report, which indicates the loss of 5,564,280 Lei. It also contains a list of employees and ethnic backgrounds. File Code: MPN 2906/12/24/50. Astoria (MGM) also reported a loss for 1940 as well. 68. ANIC Criterion's petition from Mr. Logothety to the Commission of Romanianization to keep Mr. Hellmann. August 16, 1941 (stamped) File Code: MPN 2906/12/26/22. 69. Legislatia decretul-Lege No 960. ANIC. Criterion report. File Code: MPN 2906/12/26/60 also 2906/12/26/61 which mentions a one year compliance. Also see memo from Mihai Puscariu. December 30, 1941. File Code MPN 2906/12/26/74. 70. Cinema, April 12, 1940, 12. 71. Each was created by a different studio and were completed sometime in 1940. Susan Tegel notes that these arose as a request shortly before or after Kristallnacht by the Ministry of Propaganda to German and Viennese studios to create an Anti-Semitic film Nazis and the Cinema (London, Hambledon Continuum, 2007), 129. Based on the summary of the judges at Veit Harlan's 1949 trial and on his own testimony, which appears in the Bundesarchiv, Berlin BARch, Z38/392. And in Filmpres (Hamburg), July 22, 1950. Jew Suss played at the Aro Cinema in Bucharest from April 6 to May 18. Then it had a second run at the Femina until June 23, 1941 and later was shown at the Marconi and other secondary theaters. The Rothschilds was translated in Romanian as the ‘The House of Rothschild’ (Casa Rothschild); which might cause confusion due to the 1934 American film of the same name. This 1940 film was re-released in July 1941. It was advertised as the film which reveals the Jewish evil (‘filmul care demasca turpitude evreesti’). 72. Glancey, 41. The circuit included Romania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, Netherlands, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway and Poland. 73. Timpul, May 18, 1941, 4. The film had an initial run of about six weeks but it would continue for about four months and resurfaced in reruns. 74. Cea mai discutata vedete din Hollywood, Cinema, November 11, 1942, 10. 75. Tegel, 132. Review of The Rothschilds (Casa Rothschild) Timpul, June 4, 1941, 2. The review suggests the significant line from the film is ‘with money everything can be achieved.’ But the reviewer warns that it may be too late for London who cannot now wean itself from Jewish wealth and who refuses to see the Rothchilds for what they are, brazen Jews of the streets of Frankfurt. 76. It reopened on July 20, 1941 but only for a short run. Tegel mentions it also did badly in Berlin and was withdrawn and re-released in 1941, 129. 77. Ultima ora cinemagrafica, Cinema, May 20, 1941, 2. For more on Fritz Hippler see R. Vande Winkel, Nazi Germany's Fritz Hippler (1909–2002), Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 23(2) (2003), 91–99. Quoted in Welch and Winkel, 22. 78. David Culbert, German films in America, 1933–45: public diplomacy and an uncoordinated information campaign, in: Cinema and the Swastika (Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2007), 306–317. Quoted in this article, 312, are statistics of German film exports to the States based on accounts by M. Spieker (1999), 180. The numbers were 70 in 1936; 67 in 1937; 89 in 1938; and 95 in 1939. 79. Cinema, March 7, 1942, 2 indicates it received the Romanian censors’ approval and it was reviewed. Un film documentar [‘A Documentary’], Cinema, May 17, 1942, 14. ‘Jidoval’ is a demeaning term for Jew. This film should not be confused with the London production with the same name that was shown at the Rio theater in Bucharest in January of 1934. 80. ANIC. Warner Bros.'s report to the Minister of Propaganda. File Code: MPN 2906/24/43. Juarez is the only film listed as ‘Necenz.’ 81. Cinema, April 18 and June 20, 1941, both front and back covers, respectively. Johnny Apolla was reviewed in Timpul, June 15, 1941, 2. 82. Cinema, January 24, 1941, 14. The films included: The Way of all Flesh, The Ghost Breakers, I want a Divorce, Rhythm of River, Down went McGinty, Christmas in July and Texas Rangers Ride Again. Yet others include Hunchback of Notre Dame, Wizard of Oz, People of Maine, The Vagabonds of Paradise, Wuthering Heights and Balolaica. 83. Cinema, May 2, 1941, 8–9. However, the ‘epidemic of divorce in Hollywood’ was foregrounded as early as December 22, 1939, 33 with stories of Ruby Keeler, Al Jolson, Merle Oberon and Alexandru Korda. This is the same issue that announced only Warner Bros. would remain in the Romanian market. To be fair, the divorce of Marika Rokk was also discussed in Timpul, May 30, 1941, 5. 84. Iubiri ucise de studio-uri (‘Deadly Loves of the Studios’), Cinema, July 11, l941, 8–9 and Fetele Batrane (‘The Old Girls’), Cinema, April 25, 1941, 8–9. Among those affected were Olivia de Havilland, Eleanor Powell, Pricella Lane and Rosalind Russell. 85. Filmele care indeamna la sinucideri (‘The Films Which Lead To Suicide’), Cinema, November 21, 1941, 3. 86. Scandaloasele Prise ale Hollywood-ului (‘The Scandalous Excesses of Hollywood’), Cinema, January 10, 1943, 8–9. 87. Excerpts from Pola's My Life (‘Vietii mele’) appeared in Cinema, April 25, 1941, 4–5; May 2, 1941, 12–13; May 9, 1941, 6. 88. Sufletul Negru pe ecran, Cinema, February 14, 1941, 8–9. 89. CS, 77. Schwarze Korps, an SS journal, complained that ‘if lynchings had occurred in Nazi Germany with the same frequency as they did in the American South, the entire world would condemn them.’ Yet as was pointed out to them Anti-Semitism was a state policy and lynchings were illegal. 90. The false accusations were reported in Hollywoodul la ananghie …, Cinema, September 21, 1942, 13. To be fair, Cinema had made the same accusations. 91. Vacatele: … Desvaluite de un mare scriitor brazilian, Cinema, January 21, 1943, 10. 92. Cea mai discutata vedeta din Hollywood: Ann Sheridan, Cinema, January 1, 1943, 4–5. 93. Eric Renschler, The Ministry of Illusions (Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 2002), 150 and Richard Taylor, The eternal Jew, in: Film Propaganda: Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany (2nd revised edn) (London, I.B. Tauris Publishers, 1998), 186. Also Joan Clinefelter, A cinematic construction of Nazi anti-Semitism: the documentary Der ewige Jude, in: Robert C. Reimer (ed.), Cultural History through a National Socialist Lens: essays on the cinema of the Third Reich (Rochester, NY, Camden House, 2002), 149. 94. Keil, 165. (He takes his numbers from Jan T. Gross's Jedwabne Massacre, Neighbors, 2001.) In September, 11,000 murders occurred in Bukovina. Rampages against Jews were carried out by the Iron Guard in Bucharest in January 1941. At that time, 100 Jews were killed and their bodies hung from meat hooks. The Guard was tried for these and punished; Keil, 164. 95. Russia's seizure of these from King Carol II in 1940, without a fight, was one of the reasons the King lost credibility with his people. Antonescu vied to get them back. 96. Hitchens, 474 and 489. 97. ANIC from M. V. Puscariu to Minister of Propaganda, stamped December 30, 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/12/26/71. 98. Orsaul filmului nu mai este,… un oras care moare, Cinema, February 20, 1942, 6–9. 99. ANIC from Ion Stefanescu to Minister of Economiei Nationale Directiunei C. Demetrescu, April 2, 1942. MPN: 2906/12/38/97. Also See 2906/12/38/96. 100. Camaraderi de arm, Cinema, April 3, 1942, 10. 101. ANIC. October 1941. File Code: MPN 2906/12/27/81. Also see Martin, 29. Suchianu had been invited to the Venice Film Festival in 1940 where the Jew Suss (Evreul Suss) made its debut as referenced in footnote 24. 102. Stoil, 16. 103. Tracipone, Jurnalele de Razboi Germane, Cinema, January 11, l943, 3. 104. Camaraderi de arm, Cinema, April 3, 1942, 10. 105. David Welch and Roel Vande Winkel, 15. 106. Martin, 29. 107. ANIC from Ion Puscariu to Minister of Economiei Nationale Directiunei C. Demetresc, April 30, 1942. MPN: 2906/12/38/97. Also See 2906/12/38/96. 108. Insfarsit, avem o industrie de Filme!, Cinema, December 21, 1942, 12–13. The title change is noted in Cinema, December 11, 1942, 2. 109. As mentioned earlier two important Romanian films were announced with pride on December 25, 1939, 2, O noapte de pomina (‘A Stormy Night’), a play by Tudor Musatescu and Se aprinde facliile, and Georgu Vracca, a star from the latter was interviewed in the same issue, 6. 110. Also see Cinema, May 11, 1941, 13 for a film initiative sponsored by Oficiu National Cinematografic (ONC), which included Vin Ploile, Viata lui Mihai Viteazul by N. Balcescu, Noapte Furtunoasa by I. L. Caragiale and Veierim si Veler Doamne by Victor Popa. In early 1942, the Commission of Censors was dissolved by the Ministry of National Economy and Nichifor Craninic, former Minister of Propaganda, was appointed to head a new committee on the Romanian Film. 111. ANIC. Referat by Director ONC Ion Cantacuzine to the Committee of Change of Directing Activities for 1941–42. January 21, 1942 (stamp). Film Code: MPN 2906/12/39/5-7. 112. Stoil, 16. 113. Hitchens, 474. 114. Ibid., 475–489. Hitchens details the resistance to the German attempts to take over many industries. 115. The coup was organized by former Prime Minister Maniu and Constantin Bratianu, who had joined forces with the National Peasant, Liberal and Social Democratic and Communist parties to form the National Democratic Bloc (Blocul National Democratic). Antonescu was arrested at King Michael's palace when he refused to accept an armistice with the Allies. Michael actually had legal the right to ‘appoint’ and dismiss the President due to a short clause inserted in the decree he original signed four years before, a degree that was absent from a similar one his father signed. Hitchens, 455 and 499. 116. Mihai Sebastian mentions this in his Journal, 612. 117. ‘Sosesc filmele Americane,' Cinema, September 13, 1944. Other films included Warner Bros.'s Each Dawn I Die and MGM's Maria Antoinette, Viva Villa and Thunder Afloat. Maria Antoinette was a picture long awaited by Romanian critics and fans but was subject to great censorship. See Cinema, February 28, 1941, 4. 118. Cinema, September 20, 1944, 23. 119. Cinema, October 15, 1944, 4. York's move from pacifist to interventionist reflected the ‘shifts in American public opinion’ (CS 4). The chaotic history of this film's release—it made its debut in July 2, 1941, only to be withdrawn a month later and re-released in July 2, 1942—is indicative of the tumultuous state of the American scene. 120. Cinema, February 1–15, 1947, 15. 121. ‘Incepe ofensiva filmului American’, Cinema, February 4, 1947, 4–6.