Motography (Jul-Dec 1913)

340 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. X, No. 10 ment and instruction, even as the white paper upon which books, newspapers and society reports are printed. To confine its portrayals to children's subjects is not only to strangle deliberately the most potent interpreter of intelligence known to man, but to deprive mankind of the benefits of such interpretation. A thing of any character cannot be neutral — its effect must be either bad or good, that is the only guide to censorship. If a motion picture film depicts anything which should be known to man, whether for his entertainment, instruction or protection, that film should be shown. It is no legitimate argument that some who see it may falsely construe its appeal. In that matter society must protect itself. Neither the printing of news nor the printing of film must be stopped because society contains some deficient members. ' It is apparent that the National Board of Censorship works along these lines. Therein lies the difference between that body and some of the local police censors. It is the difference between minds trained to promote human welfare and those trained to watch craftily for possible delinquencies. ANOTHER VIEW OF CENSORSHIP. THE "Censors and the Movies" is the caption of an excellent article published in the Chicago Daily News not long ago, on the editorial page, contributed by "A Woman Citizen." It is seldom that our good citizens rally with pens for the promotion of motion pictures, regarding them as an advantageous amusement, rather than picking out the weak points of an entertainment universal in its influence. The News writer expresses herself directly to the point as follows : "As a worker among children I should strongly protest against the exhibition of demoralizing or crime producing 'movies' to old or young, but surely some of our good citizens are drawing dangerously near to the borderline of sentimental prudishness. "From the dawn of literature, tragedy, death, crime and wrongdoing have furnished plots for countless noble plays, poems and stories. Why not keep the young away from Shakespeare, the Bible, nearly all history — because murders and other crimes are therein portrayed ? Why allow any drama or novel containing a robbery or a murder to be performed or published? (Let us take Sherlock Holmes from the shelves of the library. Away with 'Hamlet,' 'Oliver Twist,' 'The Virginian.' Let us all read the 'Rollo' books. Are the motion pictures never to relate a historical, detective or tragedy story — never to dramatize the greatest literary masterpieces ? "It is not the plot of a film, but the treatment thereof that determines the influence of the picture. One of the most beautiful pictures recently shown contains a stabbing scene, but surely every fair minded person must recognize the noble quality of the 'Ghost of Granleigh.' How is the right to triumph over wrong without the wrong? Children's minds are not so weak as some people would have us believe, and nothing repels them so much as 'cant' and 'goody-goody' stories. "Also our friends forget that children are not the only patrons of the 'movies.' 'Milk for babies' is not the only thing to be desired. The marvelous appeal of 1 1 use pictures lies in their depiction of all sorts of people in all sorts of places and circumstances, and their field should not be needlessly narrowed or weakend. Such sweeping general rules as the elimination of fireanus tan only do great harm. The sight of a revolver in a film will do a boy no more harm than the use of military tactics as a boy scout. Let each film be judged on its own merits, and not by absurd rules. "All honor to the board of censors for their wisdom and broadmindedness so far. Let them eliminate indecency and brutality with all zeal ; let them prohibit all pictures making heroes of criminals or showing cruelty to animals or little children. But for the sake of thousands of enthusiastic lovers of the picture drama, let them not, through over nicety, reduce our films to a state of milk and water debility. Let us see a few villains and have a few thrills. We shall survive them." THE LESSON OF THE PICTURES. Many of the railroad systems have instituted what is termed "safety first" campaigns, directed towards the education of employes and public towards conserving their own safety, thereby diminishing the risks of the railroad companies themselves. Many of them are sending out elaborately illustrated publications disclosing the attitudes of danger that the public too often assumes, such as making thoroughfares of railroad tracks in the big railroad centers. The Rock Island railroad has accepted Edison's hint as to the educational value of the moving pictures, and has adopted it for the education of those who have been wont to thrust themselves into danger. It has turned its attention first to its employes. F. Shedd of Chicago, general safety supervisor for the company, is giving moving-picture shows for men, disclosing the safe and unsafe methods of performing the work expected of them. The men who posed for the pictures did dangerous stunts from the every-day experience of railroad men, so that, seated before the picture screen, other trainmen may observe and criticise the moving-picture actors and learn the danger accompanying their methods of operation. These pictures are intended to bring out vividly the fact that there is a safe way and an unsafe way of doing the various things that railway men must do, and that generally the unsafe way has been more or less common among them. It is claimed that an hour's lecture every day would not in a year accomplish so much for the protection of life and limb as the pictures do at a single sitting. "If that's the way it looks to others, hereafter we'll stick to the right way," is the comment often heard among those who see the pictures. These moving-picture shows for railroad men are open to the public, because the public's benefit is the first consideration. In order to protect the traveler, every train man must be educated in the value of safety for himself, and when he properly takes care of his own welfare he will, consciously or unconsciously, take better care of the passengers committed to his charge. — Lincoln (Neb.) Star. Motion picture comedies, travel pictures and dramas are to replace the regular Sunday e\ ening sermons at the Universalist church, Raymond avenue and Chestnut street, Pasadena. California. Also there will be an evening picture show every Tuesday and a children's matinee every Friday. This is the announcement of the Rev. Alan R. Tillinghast, pastor, whose sermons hereafter will be preached Sunday morning. Vside from this the regular church services will be undisturbed. The purpose of the motion pictures is to give healthy entertainment. A voluntary collection will he accepted at the door. The new order of things will begin some time this month.