The Collaboration

Hollywood's Pact with Hitler

By: Ben Urwand

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

To continue doing business in Germany, Hollywood studios agreed not to make films attacking Nazis or condemning persecution of Jews. Ben Urwand reveals this collaboration and the cast of characters it drew in, ranging from Goebbels to Louis B. Mayer. At the center was Hitler himself - obsessed with movies and their power to shape public opinion.

©2013 Ben Urwand (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Annoying narration

If you could sum up The Collaboration in three words, what would they be?

Hitler did not speak English with a German accent... he spoke German... so translations of his speeches into English should not have an accent!

A good listen but

What did you like best about The Collaboration? What did you like least?

I think the first half is excellent the second half felt padded

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Collaboration?

no one moebt stands our

What does Oliver Wyman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does a good german accent

Do you think The Collaboration needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I think the author said what he had to say-it was interest

Pact may be a bit hyperbolic

It's interesting to watch the havoc that occur when one side has power and is willing to use it. The Germans updated their film laws so that they could threaten to ban all films from a Hollywood studio unless all copies worldwide of a particular movie were made so as to not offend German (Nazi) sensibilities. This explains some of the travesties committed to otherwise good books. This was an era where businesses stove to maintain a non-political stance, particular those selling to consumers so as not to alienate potential customers. It is sad to note that so much of Hollywood at the time was owner and/or run by Jews. The author also makes it clear that America knew more about the oppression of Jews in Europe. There is another theme which is not well explored, which was antisemitism in the West and in the US, in particular. There are a number of mentions of being unwilling to draw to much attention on themselves (Jews) because of a fear of a backlash. That's another sad chapter of that time period. It was an interesting contrast to reading about the war careers of some of the big names in Hollywood like Wyler, Houston, and Capra.

Very revealing account of buried history

The book is a very revealing portrait of buried history as is the case with so many aspects of US collaboration with the Nazis. There are quite a few revelations in here that will shock you but also infuriate and sadden you but you will be informed by the time you finish the book. Good books should emotionally affect their audiences.

Two Reasons to Read

The first reason is that it's a well done entertaining history on a topic not well known. The author asks hard questions. How was it that in the 1930's and even after, an industry largely owned and controlled by Jews engaged in such aggressive self censorship collaborating with the Nazi's to hide what the Germans were doing, in particular what they were doing to Jews? And it wasn't just films exported to Germany. It's fascinating how one decision after another led to self censorship globally including within the US.
The other reason is that what happened then is happening again though with a new form of Nazi, the Chinese dictatorship. Hollywood with very few exceptions accepts censorship of its movies removing pretty much anything the Chinese indicate may result in the film losing distribution within China, a market that often grosses more than US/Canada on major pictures. Those profits are enough to give the Chinese leverage over the production of American made movies just as they did in the '30's with the Nazi's. And the studios, as they were in the 1930's, are so afraid of offense that the influence extends beyond to all their productions. You will hear or see few references to organ harvesting or the oppression of minorities (it's not just the Uighur concentration camps), nor many 'bad guy' Chinese villains. A modern producer is more likely to cast a Nazi as a villain than some aspect of the Chinese government.