Billboard advertising (Jan 1921)

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The Billboard JANUARY 14, 1921 W. STEPHEN THE SCREEN WORLD HONEST NEWS, VIEWS AND OPINION FOR THE EXHIBITOR BUSH Editor MARION RUSSELL-Associate Editor BLUE LAW OPPONENTS ACTIVE Big Men and Women Lend Aid Against Fa natics—M. P..T. Endorsed by Catholics— ‘Speech by Charles McMahon In an effort to force the Blue Law fight into tthe open, the Motion Picture Theatrical Assolation of the. World, the most formidable opponent that has yet appeared against the ‘Lord's Day Alliance, last week announced & program of belligerent activity. 18 the purpose for which the M. P, T, Asso elation of the World is functiontog is sol precure wholesome moving pletures for the pub Ue every day in the week, its fight for Sunday movies is being supported by prominent men and women, and elvie and social 6rganizations ‘thruout the country. It will systematically turn its Seld directors and field workers properly Present this Sunday Blue Law agitation and ‘secure the signed verdict of organizations and fndividoals throoutthe entire country te definitely ascertain if the people wish to be deprived of wholesome amusement on Sunday. ‘Yawger, Judge Wadbams, of the Court of ‘oral Sessions. GenTa a telegram from Albany, Governor Smith alga to suppress tho agital BMbiting of wholesome amusement oa “ am hearily opposed to any legislation th will deprive the public of wholesome enter tainment op Sunday. Tt fe very lopleal that the M. P. 'P. Association should champion the cause of the people in this respect, am they ‘organized to secore freedom from unjust or unlawfsl exactions and regulations, In this {fight I sincerely endorse them.” ‘Mra, Joha Francis Yawser, president of thé Woman's Republican Association of New Yorkt “Fer five years I have been opposing any egislative measures tending to interfere with ‘wholesome entertainment for the people on Son day, and I am entirely in sympathy with the stand the AL P. T, Association of the World fs takiog against the Bine Law Campaten Committee. My bellef is that the prisons wil have many extra inmates if these laws pars. Sanay afternoon is a dangerous time for the public to be absolutely without wholesome entertatnment that the moving pictures afford. Instead of going to tootioa picture houses to be entertained, educated, they will congregate tm 5 groups and family partice and Sights and killJugs and rlots will be thie tnevitable result. For ur own safety and preservation of harmony it On Thorsday afternoon, December 16, a mane meeting presided oer by J. A. Quinn, president of the M. P. T. Association, was bold at the ‘Apollo Theater on 42nd street. at which Der of prominent men and women voleed thelr + protests against depriving the public of whol~ ‘ome amusement on Sunday and publicly endorsed the fight the M. P. T. Assoclation of the World has inaugurated. ‘Text of speech by Charles A. MeMabon, chat man of the Motion Picture Bureau of the ©. W. ©. at Washington. Mr. MfeMahon spoke, at the recent Anti-Blue Law meeting at the Apollo Theater, New York City: “Speaking for the X. ©. W. 0. I welcome ‘the opportunity on bebalf of the N.C. W. C. which bas Decome the permanent organization, replacing the National Catholic War Council that eperated with the other welfare organtzations durins the war. and fo speak the mind and the voise of the organization which offctally freaks in torn on behalf of anproximately 20,0¢0.000 of the ropalation of this country ‘We must reengnize that the motion picture bas come to stay. that it 1s perhaps the most powerful influence that exists today in this oF ‘any ather country, reaching, as bas been authoritatively stated, twenty miliions of people daily. Cosidering this fact I wish to read {nto the record of this meeting the exact mind of the N. O. W. ©. as it affects this proposed ‘legislation “for Blue Sunday. ‘I am gled. to bave an opportunity of atating here publicly that we have'found inthe M. P. T. Association of the World, of which J. A. Quinn is president, an-organtzation which is ‘the -only practical’ solution of realizing in a practical way the-aims which we sesk, but the very fact there {s a pronounced -agitation today in favor of the Puritan Sabbath should sere as a warning to the motion picture Ine Deen even” braien enough to boast that it could .and.wooid suppress announcement of our Activities in the press. ‘We propose to break up this corrupt alliance. We have trie tor many months to.get these. ‘chronle offesders to see the Tight with unsuc‘ceeafal resulta, but the Limit hes been reached, fnd-it there people do not agree to get into £ “house cleaning” movement before our able mesting, which will he-two weeks Today, we will'take them one by ove and call them publicly by athe, and let the whole world know their pedigree how they have beet continvously:drageiog the motion pictore in the ire. The mation. pletares of thie country be"rhe. public wilt not be tm rapidly orga ‘with the allied assistance of my strong organfaatlon and our fleld directors @nd fleld “work‘ere thruout this country, we will have mil Mone of. people: actually organized under the Mf, P. , banner. ‘We appeal to every lover of motion pictures ‘and particularly to every father and mother of ‘The Lincoln (Net ) Daily Star expresses the censorship proposed in the State of Nebraska, It prints on its editorial ’ They Want No Censorship Nebraska @ very decided opinion on page an article. entitled “Plundering the State's Funds,” in the course of which the editor says: : > “The spectacle of a board of three ‘healthy members acting in the capacity of the guardians of public morals, viewing the moving pictures daily, or as often as is necessary to witness all the films shown weekly in the State, and receiving for this highly ethical calling the sum of ten dollars a day each, is not one which appeals to the sound public senti ment of the citizens of Nebraska, who are looking forward to a year of economy in the administration of government affairs. “The, motion picture industry long ago learned that the vulgar and men themselves organized a National Board of Censorship years ago to pictures of questionable character. The men themselves realized thdt it was harmful to their own business to permit such pictures But that {s ancient history. ‘The pictures today rank on an equal with the average book of fiction or short story appearing in the current magazines. In fact, many of the pictures are adaptations from stories which have already been published. obscene in pictures is profitl Pass upon to be shown, g_in the private affairs progressive State would be setting ‘wealths to follow to oppose this costly, fanatical attack on personal liberties and State funds rather than fail'victim to it.” re nation is experiencing unwise. In fact, the motion picture ‘a wave of so-called reform, a mania ott Nebraska as an intelligent, @ saner example for other common terests that unless they immediately take constructive measures to méet the constructive eriticism which we offer that legislation to abolish motion pictures on Sunday may suc ceed” MR. QUINN’S STATEMENT Industry Must Clean House ‘The present movement seeking the repression of the motion pleture is not altogether due to socalled reformers on the outside. Let us be frank. Before we can bope to win the public opinion in our favor. before we can atk. aelfRespecting men and women to rally id defense ‘of the motion picture, there must be thore ‘and pitiless bouse cleaning from withia. ‘A large percentage of the motion pictures of today, Tam sorry to say, deserves « good deat of the censure which you bear oa all. sides. ‘There ts a vela of degeneracy rusniog thra a large percentage of the modern pictures, -A Morbid preference for what fe vile and low. oF questionable and originates to the same type ‘of mind, all debasing the dignity of man and ‘he dignity of woman and Interspersing the trayal of silly matrimontel” tangles with called for scenes of nudity. 5 ‘The men respoosible for these: pictures ¢o not depend for succers’ upon thelr. creative genius, but they alf are panderers and live by" andering, not the pandering, perhaps, which is amenable to the criminal law, bat, surely the pandering wbteb ts ap abomination to every. nor children to assist us in this ‘procegs of house cleaning whi ‘who are now in the business Detter things and will als encourage others to enter toe motion pleture Meld mpo do not wish to contaminate themselves with 'the vicious in‘side ring “which has beea continuously prosti will take dhe most vital step necessary removing the fuel from the reform Same and do more than anything else to quash ‘the Blue Sanday agitation. JANUARY 26 HOOVER DAY Picture Theaters Will Collect for Starving. Children in. Central Europe Motion Picture Day will be: celebrated :thruout the United States.tm al] theaters given over to the stadow art on January 26,.it was announced lest week by William A. Brady, presldent of the Nattoual Agsoelation of the Motion Picture Indastry; and Sydney M. Coben, prestdent of the Motion Picture ‘Theater Owners of * Motion Picture Day was designated as the day pon which every.motion picture theater and all other members of the industry will get behind the national ‘collection -of the European Relief Council, ‘Herbert Hoover, chatrman,-‘to obtain ‘$22,000,000: for. thé Tl and starving children of Eastern and Central Eurppe: It is ‘oped, Mr. “Brady sald, to ‘enlist every. theater owner: and manager for a concerted effort to obtain in that one day the: $2,500,000 quota of the film tndustry. : Charles O. Pettijohn ts enlisting the mana gers ‘and Jerome A. Myers ia enlisting four mulnute men to apeak in ell theaters that day. FILM CONDITIONS ABROAD Aaron Jones Returns From instructive ‘Trip in England and France “There is not a Srstclass pleture bouse in London ‘or: Paris,"* declared Aaron J. Jones, when ioterviewed regarding motion picture conition on the continent. Mr, Jones bad just returned froin Europe, where be went on pleas. ture bent, but stopped long enough to observe motion picture sndustry end ite development ‘on the other side of the pond. im London » restriction has been placed ox the Dullding of theaters until the present bousing -condition bas been FectiSed and settled. They are in moch worse condition for houslog facilities in “England than we are over here. However, English theaters and music halls were ‘ever couspicvous for thelr exterlor beauty. tn fact you ‘could pass by them without knowing ‘they ‘existed Decause they use no electric light Aisplay on the frout of theaters or in the lob-Dles and positively no billboard or newspaper ‘advertising. In England the admiasion charged for metion pictures ranges from-two to etx sbillings, which equals forty cents to a dollar and twenty cents in American money. ‘Thetr picfures are siz months. to two years old, a cooition which Is caused by the booking age cles, which baye an established policy of boo ing pictores at least a year $0 advance. f talked to several ‘theater managers, and they ‘ahowed me thelr booking sheets ‘completely Atled until November, 1921, ‘They afe much more thoughtful of the comfort ‘of patrons, ‘and every pleture house in London bas tea rooms, where patrons may Jol! and sip tea when they tire of Yooking at a picture. “Of course the night life of London ts a thing ‘of the past. “AN restaurants close at 10 XK, and’ no Liquor. is served in thehotels after that bour. Bectose of the ballatag cox Aitions Sir Oswald Sto secured Hammer ateln’s Theater, apd is“playing @ picture pole fey, changing bis pictures twice a week, much Uke we do at our Orpbeom. A full week pollcy se unknowg, . Colonel Levy, of Birmingham, is ‘the first American to invade the London field of motion picture exhibition, and 18 sald to Have secured the Empire. The Famous Players hare ‘secured the site upon which the old Tivolt stood and will build when the restricflons are re streets between the curb and the street car tracks. Upon investigation I discovered thet these were patrons waiting for admlaaion to ‘motion picture theaters. The law will not per~ mit them to stand upon the sidewalk, Glasgow das Stteen picture houser, charging an admission fee of from two to four shillings, which equals from forty cents to eighty cents io our money. ‘Thraout England every theater, iocloding pleture houses, charges for programe, the charge being equal to aix cents. In some of the largér houses twelve cents ts charged. No ‘matter how amall the theater the usber always ‘expects a few pennies’ tip when taking you to your seat. -In fact the tip system ie quite Prevalent fn ell branches of the amusement ‘dusiness. “The condition in. France ts about the same. Pieture houses charge a smaller fee, foor france, equaling about 25 cents. Some of the Digger housce in Paris ask eight francs, or 60 cents. It is 8 universal eyteem in France also to ebarge for programs, and to expect tips. In France’ the pricés charged for low-priced ‘vaudeville ts double what we ask in America. ‘The Tegitimate houses get about the same prices that we do. LORD'S DAY ALCIANGE 18 BUSY Paulding. O., Dec. 21.—With every moving pletare theater operator of Paulding ounty ox ¢ Andletment by the grand jery for ronnins shows on Sunday, the Lord's-Day Alliance bes acquired quite @ grip tn this locality. Since the indictment of the movle men other places