Moving Picture World (Jan - Feb 1919)

February 22, 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1011 HOOSIERS ARGUE FOR SUNDAY SHOWS Legislative Committees Hold Joint Hearing On Proposed Law Permitting Picture Shows to Open Seven Days a Week with Sunday Hours Restricted BEFORE a crowd that packed the Senate chamber to capacity, supporters of the measure to legalize the operation of motion picture theatres in Indiana on Sunday after 1:30 p. m., practically smothered with arguments the opposition at a public hearing before a joint meeting of the rights and privileges committee of the Senate and House on Thursday night, February 6. The exhibitors are well satisfied with the success of the hearing and hope the committee will base their report on the result of the facts then brought out. As an answer to the petitions of the various church organizations and Sunday schools of the state, which have been pouring in the Indiana General Assembly, protesting against the bill, the motion picture exhibitors carried into the Senate chamber five big bushel baskets of cards signed by approximately 125.000 persons favoring the operation of Sunday shows, and placed them before the committee. State Exhibitors Wide Awake. In opening for those advocating the passage of the bill, S. Barrett McCormick, managing director of the Circle Theatre, read an open letter to the Legislature from the Indiana Motion Picture Exhibitors' League, reviewing the status of the motion picture theatre in the state, the nation and the world. In the letter he recited the fact that there arc 16.000 such shows in the United States to which "fathers, mothers and children turn for rest, recreation and amusement." Mr. McCormick pointed out that the motion picture theatre of today is the most formidable enemy of Bolshevism and the only effective agent of the United States in Russia, where many hundreds of thousands of people, who cannot read, are reached through the medium of the films. Work of the motion picture industry in aiding war work, the Red Cross drives, food conservation and all other patriotic activities were referred to briefly. Mention was also made of the fact that before the United States troops were able to reach France motion picture films, showing activities and preparations here, were used to keep up the morale of the British. French and allied troops. As evidence of the demand for Sunday motion picture shows in Indiana. Mr. McCormic'--'s letter stated that 80.000 people attend the motion picture theatres in Indianapolis every Sunday and that in other cities of the state where shows arc open on Sunday the attendance on that day is nearly 50 per cent, of the total attendance for the entire week. The Opposition Speaks Up. T. C. Day. president of the Church Federation of Indianapolis, onened the case for the onnonents of the hill, saving that he had listened to Mr. McCormick'^ "rhapsody" in regard to the shows and that he was willing to admit many of the things said about them. The vital point about the proposed legislation was not touched. he thought, and that was that whereas at present some thirty-eight cities and towns in the state have permitted Sunday shows, the pending bill would permit such exhibitions to be forced on all the other small towns of the state that do not wish them. He also objected strenuously to the fact that there is no provision for a censorship and no assurance that the pictures shown on "Sunday would be educational or moral. Charles C. Pettijohn. Objection was made to the measure also as a discrimination in that it selected a certain class of amusements and proposed to let that class only operate on Sunday with the sanction of the law. Mr. Day made the point that the argument was not against the picture show itself, which he believed can do a great deal of good. Any educational force, he said, could educate in the wrong way as well as the right one, and he added that the educated criminal was more dangerous than the ignorant one. Said Rev. Mr. Day: "Once in a while there are people so attacked with moral stabisms that they can't see the meaning of a thing of this kind. The Rev. Mr. Day was followed by the Rev. F. S. C. Wicks, pastor of the All Souls Unitarian Church, of Indianapolis, who spoke in favor of the Sunday shows. The Rev. Mr. Wicks took issue with Rev. Mr. Day on his statement that only those in favor of the bill are those who are financially interested in it. Pointing to the picture show petitions in the baskets, he said: Minister Defends Sunday Shows. "I point here to the signature of 125,000 citizens of the state of Indiana who are in favor of Sunday motion picture shows and say they are not financially interested in them." The Rev. Mr. Wicks said that he saw no more objection to a good show Sunday than to a good shoiv during the week. He said he takes this stand because it "looks toward an American Sabbath," addingAnd I hold that the Americanized Sabbath is one on which each is privileged to spend the day as he pleases as long as he does not infringe on the rights of others." Upholding An American Sabbath. Under the laws, he continued, there was plenty of legal amusements for each person on Sunday— golf, tennis, baseball and other games, trips in autos to the countrv and other recreations. He himself had friends who take him to the country when he wished, but these were advantages the majority of his fellow-citizens did not have he said, and for them the Sunday motion picture show is a source of real recreation. The very fact that 80,000 attended such shows in Indianapolis on Sunday was proof he said, that the Sunday picture show has the approval of the people . 1 depreciate the attitude taken by some ministers and some churches in opposition to such amusement," he continued ■'because I do not believe any minister is entiled to speak for all the churches in a matter of this kind. Makes Argument for Censorship. t *?■• B J°hnso». superintendent of the Indiana State Civic Union, the organization which is back of the censorship bill pending m both houses of the Legislature, who spoke next, said he thought it unmanly to shift the burden in regard to the Sunday matter to the small towns of the state, turning loose on them the "aggregation of wealth" of the motion picture interests. He said unclean pictures were shown because there is a demand for them and cited this fact as a plea for the censorship bill. Charles C. Pettijohn, former Indianapolis lawyer, who is now general counsel for the Affiliated Mutual Company, figuratively "took the hide off" of Johnson for an article printed in the Sovereign Citizen, a paper which Johnson edits, in regard to the bill before the last Legislature. Mr. Pettijohn quoted from the article, which he said reflected not only on him but on the members of the last House and Senate, some of whom are in the present general assembly. He urged that men like Johnson should not be permitted to make veiled charges of the kind about the use of money and then hide behind the phrases "it is said," "it is common talk," "it is reported" apd other similar phraseology. He read one excerpt where it was said the picture show men had hired an unscrupulous attorney, payinjs him $1,000 Pettijohn Warms Things Up. "That's me," said Mr. Pettijhon, and he then proceeded to say that if the things which Johnson said about the motion picture men are true, they should not be permitted to come before the Legislature and ask for anything. Nor,