Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, March 20, 1934 12 Patman Bills Believed Dead For Present (Continued from page 1) nery of Massachusetts when he opposed the measure. Arguments presented in the 90 minutes allotted proponents of the measure were demolished in a brief 10 minutes allotted Charles C. Pettijohn of the Hays office. Pettijohn's reference to Abram F. Myers brought the Allied counsel to the fore, and he was subjected to an attack by Congressman Chapman of Kentucky, who questioned him on his connection with Allied while still a member of the Federal Trade Commission. He was also asked about his activities in connection with the industry code. Although neither side had had much opportunity to present its entire argument, the hearing was concluded without any intimation as to when, if ever, it would be resumed. Patman Starts Argument Explaining the purposes of his measure, Congressman Patman told the committee that he did "not want to do anything to hurt or retard the industry" and variations on that theme were the motif of those who followed him. ''But," added the congressman, "the people generally have a right to make suggestions as to what should be done in order that the business should be improved." Dr. William Sheafe Chase, secretary of the Federal M. P. Council in America; Mrs. Robins Gilman of Minneapolis, president of the organization ; Rabbi Israel of Baltimore, and Mrs. Ida Wise Smith, president of the W. C T. U., claimed pictures were "immoral" and presented statistics that purported to show the percentage of "crime" pictures and "10 broken promises" of the Hays organization. All the so-called "evils" of the situation were blamed on block booking by Canon Chase. "We claim," he said, "that every exhibitor ought to have the right to pick out just what pictures he wants to show." Mrs. Gilman insisted that congressmen should be "socially sensitive" to the need for protecting children against films they should not see. Women Hiss Connery Declaring he was "absolutely opposed" to the Patman bill, Congressman Connery, in the face of hisses from the women in the audience, told the committee: "We are going back to the 18th Amendment situation again, telling people what they can see and what they cannot see. "If the people do not go to the theatre," he pointed out, "it is to the exhibitor's interest to see that he puts into his theatre what the people want. I think they have gone too far already with censorship ; I do not believe the Federal Government should step in with censorship either of pictures or the stage." Telling the committee that no one would deny there are pictures that should not be shown, Petti john pointed out that he and Jack Connolly, general manager of Pathe News, years ago secured an amendment to the criminal statutes to prohibit the showing of lewd pictures and asserted that if the law were enforced against a few people there would be no further trouble in that respect. Censorship is of no avail, he said. He pointed out that Chicago has the severest type of censorship, but that "the result speaks for itself." Less than 20 per cent of contracts call for the entire output of any producer, as claimed by the reform element, he explained, adding that what those groups call good pictures are deemed bad by the exhibitor because they do not draw. On the other hand, there was not a single cancellation of Mae West's pictures, but they made a record for repeats. Due largely to the demand of women, he said, "Little Women" and "Alice in Wonderland" were successful. "If they would devote as much endeavor to putting over good pictures as they do to preventing bad ones, we would get somewhere," he said. Pettijohn said Myers promoted the Tiffany franchise which, he said, was along the very lines attacked by him now and also by the proponents of the bill. Exhibitors were required, he said, to sign up for the entire output for five years, without knowing either the pictures to be produced or the price to be paid. This brought the Allied general counsel into the limelight. Going to the stand to answer Pettijohn, Myers was asked by Congressman Chapman whether he did not aid in the creation of Allied while a member of the Federal Trade Commission, with the understanding that he would be its head, if not reappointed to the commission. Myers answered that such was not the case, and said that he had resigned in the face of a prospective reappointment for a seven-year term. , Chapman then asked him whether ' he had "written a letter to a large , group of picture operators advising them against compliance with the | NRA code," to which Myers declared he had not. He asked for a hearing to answer the charge. "If you are a fair duck, you ask the chairman to give me a hearing," he shouted. • All witnesses who could not be heard because of lack of time were : given permission to file briefs, and those who had talked were permitted to "revise and extend" their remarks. , Most of the briefs will be filed at a later date, but the views of five newsreel producers were presented by Connolly. He declared that the bonding of newsreels, as proposed, "goes far beyond the provisions of the Constitution." [ he hero is killing the villain that's good! He will marry the girl— as certain he should. Gee, what a picture— it would be a treat If I could get set in this slithering seat! But say, such a theatre! — how often I'd come To see pictures here — but I really get numb. I miss all the thrills, for this house needs repairs They'd double business with comfortable chairs! Ask Us, "How can I reseat and pay for new chairs conveniently?" American Seating Company Makers of Dependable Seating for Theatres and Auditoriums General Offices: Grand Rapids, Michigan BRANCHES IN ALL PRINCIPAL CITIES WE DOOUH PART