Hollywood may make movies about the evils of capitalism, but it rarely works without incentives, which are paid for by taxpayers. Nationwide, about $1.5 billion in tax breaks is awarded to the film industry each year, according to a state-by-state survey by The New York Times.
Even the great and powerful Oz could not save the film studio that was supposed to save this town.
The studio, a state-of-the-art facility fit for Hollywood blockbusters, had risen from the ruins of a General Motors complex here. It was the brainchild of a small group of investors with big plans: the studio would attract prestigious filmmakers, and the movie productions would create jobs and pump money into the local economy. A glamorous sheen would rub off on this down-on-its-luck town.
But in Pontiac, happy endings do not usually come Hollywood-style. The tale behind the studio, though, was cinematic in its own right, filled with colorful characters, calls from the White House and a starring role for Michigan’s taxpayers. Rounding out the cast was a big-budget Disney movie, “Oz: The Great and Powerful.”
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