February 18, 1943.
Dear Mr. Thompson:
I have been thinking about your problem of how to get women interested in working in industry and here is a thought that might be the basis for a film which was suggested to me by a recent newspaper item.
During the Civil War women played a big part in industry - they worked in foundries and factories at a time when working conditions were really bad. I believe you will also find that we had a large percentage of women working in industry in the last war. This might be an interesting theme for the opening of a film and then lead up to our present working conditions, showing the wonderful rest-rooms, commissaries, medical facilities and so on.
Big industry, these days, very often looks after its people in a far better manner than they do, themselves. Contrast these facts with conditions of the past and I believe you can build up something very interesting.
Then from the amusing side, you could bring in the costumes of the Civil War period - women working in their bustles, with the long, full skirts and quaint hats. You could also show the styles current during World War 1. Perhaps some wood cuts of the Civil war could be used with an interesting commentary, against these amusing shots, building up to the modern industrial setup which I believe would make something that would be enticing to the theatre-man to run.
I shall try to locate the newspaper item that suggested this thought and mail it on to you.
Vern Caldwell has made arrangements with the RKO Exchange in Detroit to make available to you all Disney theatrical films, and I am trying to get the CORN and MALARIA films sent to you for a showing.
Just heard from Caldwell and he is carrying on with the Ford Liberator insignia sketches and he will be contacting you very soon.
I enjoyed my visit to the Ford plant very much, especially the informal Chat with Mr. Edsel Ford. I am quite enthused about the theatre film idea you discussed on the history of Ford. This idea affords very interesting material and I think something good could be made from it.
With kindest regards,
[Signature]Walt Disney{/Signature]
Mr. John w. Thompson, Director,
Ford News Bureau,
Administration Building,
3000 Schaefer Road,
Dearborn, Michigan.
WD:DV
P.S. - The OWI through its Film Bureau, headed by Arch Mercey, made a film for the Martin plant for the same purposes as the one you have in mind, that is to interest women. It might be worth your while to see this, or through the DWI you might get them to make one for the Detroit interests.
W.D.
