Moving Picture World (Feb 1917)

1230 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 24, 1917 Missouri Censorship Fight Warms Exhibitors and Exchange Men and Others Who Believe in Good Government Join in a Lively Contest to Keep the State Legislature from Enacting a Bill to Provide Salaries— St. Louis Club Women With Film Men. A. H. Giebler, 4123 Westminster Place, St. Louis, Mo. ST. LOUIS. Mo. — Missouri exchange men and exhibitors are in the midst of the biggest censorship fight they have ever had. At various times during the last five years bills aiming at local, as well as state-wide censorship, have been up for passage, but in the past they have been defeated without much trouble. The condition that confronts the industry now, however, is more critical. Shortly before his inauguration, Governor Gardner announced the various ways in which money might be raised for the state treasury, now in a very depleted condition. Among the things he proposed taxing were moving picture shows, and although it is doubtful if the bill now pending before the state legislature would result in any surplus after the purposes of the law is carried out, there is no doubt but that it is looked upon with favor by the law-makers. The measure was scheduled to come up before that body for consideration on the evening of January 30, and almost caught the exhibitors, exchange men and others interested without warning. A meeting of the Theater Managers and Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association, to which the heads of all exchanges were invited, was called for 11 A. M. of the day in question. The officers of the association got in touch with the legislative committee in Jefferson City, and secured a postponement of the hearing until February 1st. The association then appointed a committee composed of: E. W. Dustin, of the Pathe exchange; s. J. Baker, of the Bluebird; George V* McKean, of Paramount; Hector Pasmezoglu, manager of the Congress theater; Fred Wehrenberg, of the Best; E. F. Fay, of the GrandArsenal, and Thomas Myers, of the Shaw, to go before the legislature and present arguments against the passage of the bill. Exchange managers Jack Weil, of the World Film; Fred Keller, of the Mutual; Sam Shurman, of Fox; Sam Werner, Unicorn; Charles Werner, Metro, and the following exhibitors: Edward Pohlman, AlWittmann, and D. T. Williams accompanied the committee. A. L. Stone, secretary of the operators' union, also went to Jefferson City, and Miss Sarah Edwards, of the St. Louis board of motion picture review, an organization composed of club women, who give voluntary and unlegalized criticism of films, arrange children's programs and work of that character.. This body is well thought of in picture circles, and the members have always declared themselves as strongly opposed to legalized censorship. The committees were given a very short time to present their claim, but arguments were made and a second hearing secured, at which time a committee composed of E. W. Dustin, representing the exchanges; E. F. Fay for the exhibitors; Miss Mary Grey Peck, of the legislative board of the national federation of women's clubs, and Miss Edwards, of the St. Louis board of review, will again appear and argue against the passage of the bill. A lively fight has developed among the women's clubs of St. Louis and of Missouri in consequence of the impending censorship measure. At the meeting in Jefferson City Mrs. Gilbert Fox, of the executive board of the federation of women's clubs of Missouri, appeared as sponsor for the measure, and now many club women claim they do not stand behind the bill. Mrs. B. F. Burch, who is a member of the legislative committee of the eighth district federated clubs, in an interview in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, denies that 60,000 club women had indorsed the measure. She said that, to her knowledge, the bill had never been read before any of the St. Louis clubs. An open forum meeting was held at the Planters hotel on February 3d, attended by members of various social organizations, exhibitors and exchange men. Speeches in opposition to the bill were made by Miss Mary Grey Peck, of New York; Mrs. C. V. L. Mechin, president of the woman's council; Rev. J. Boyd Coxe, pastor of Trinity Episcopal church; Rev. Frank Gonzales, of the Fountain Park Congregational church; Hector Pasmezoglu, manager of the Congress theater, and Miss Sarah Edwards, of the St. Louis board of review. Resolutions condemning the bill as unAmerican were adopted, and a committee appointed to send copies of the resolutions to all exhibitors in the state, and to all state officers of the federation of women's clubs. Good and Sufficient Reasons. The St. Louis newspapers have taken up the matter, and strong editorials have appeared in the Globe-Democrat and the Times. The Times says in part: "We are inclined to the opinion that the measure has an excellent chance for passage. We can readily understand the facility with which lawmakers will find reasons for law. We will undertake to give some of these reasons. * * * The censorship department of films will consist of three commissioners, one at $3,000 a year, one at $2,500 a year, and one at $2,000. Three good reasons for the enactment of the bill. "Other reasons — perfectly good reasons — manifold reasons, unanswerable arguments: One chief clerk at $1,800 a year, one assistant clerk at $1,500, one assistant clerk, two stenographers, two more stenographers, one chief inspector, three assistant inspectors, one operator, two less important operators, another assistant operator, two messengers, one patcher, one assistant patcher — and 'such additional employes as the board may require.' "All the jobs enumerated are lovely jobs, remunerative, not entirely exacting, and calculated to fit in as wholesome adjuncts to limited incomes, as Dickens would say. The private citizen, untutored in the ways of legislatures, need not waste any particular degree of valuable time in reading the rest of the censorship bill. The arguments for its passage, which are enumerated above, have a strange weight with legislators, even in this day of administrative retrenchment and reform." Kansas City Screen Club to Hold Ball Tentative Plans Have Been Arranged for the Club to Give a Dance Early in March at Convention Hall — Screen Stars Hoped for. Kansas City News Service, 205 Corn Belt Building, Kansas City, Mo. KANSAS CITY, MO.— The Kansas City Screen club will hold a big ball early in March in Convention hall. This event has long been in the minds of the officers of the club, and at a meeting of officers and directors, February 2, the tentative plans were decided upon. The decision was reached following the receipt from producing companies of their cooperation. While the attendance at moving picture exhibitions in Qansas City and the territory have been suffcient indication of public interest in the industry, the real sympathy of the public was not realized until the Kansas City Star had brought more than 75,000 people to see "Snow White" in Convention hall — more than that, since thousands did not get into the hall. The exchange men and exhibitors became convinced that the people of the community wanted more and more to get into personal touch with the industry. And the Screen club ball was the thing to do it. The big feature of the ball will be the presence of screen stars. Several of these are expected to be on tour at that time, and others are to be sent especially for the event. Another feature will be a plan for providing young women of this territory an opportunity to secure a try-out with producers, with the view of becoming screen stars themselves. This will be effected through a sort of contest, or awarding of prizes, the winners to have expenses paid to the studios. A member of the new company stated today that an attempt would be made to secure one of the Art Drama stars here for the Screen Club ball to be held in Convention Hall, March 6. Any of the many screen favorites who will appear in these productions would help to make the Screen Club affair a bigger success. Missouri Theater Notes. Albany, Mo. — The Rigney theater was destroyed by fire here January 30, with a loss of about $25,000. Trenton, Mo. — The Majestic theater has been closed down indefinitely. Byron Sherwood, the owner, is considering its Bale to -\ prominent theater man of Cedar Falls, la. Lancaster, Mo. — The building occupied by the Downing opera house was burned recently. Kansas City, Mo. — Charles H. Elliot will begin soon the construction of a new picture theater at Tenth St. and Lydia Ave., here. The cost is estimated at $5,000. Springfield, Mo. — Gruble Brothers, of Kansas City, are planning the erection of a $100,000 theater adjoining one already owned by them here. This one will be used as a moving picture house, while the other one will be reserved for vaudeville. Standard Film Opens Offices Here. Kansas City, Mo. — The Standard Film Corporation opened its main office in Kansas City last week. G. H. Howe is general manager and Phil L. Ryan, formerly of Universal, is manager of sales and advertising for the new company. Branch offices are to be located in St. Louis and Des Moines. The Standard has the distribution of Art Dramas for Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. The first release in this territory will be "The Lash of Destiny," featuring Gertrude McCoy, and comes on Feb. 19. Contracts with over twenty-five leading theaters have been closed, among which is the Holland theater of Wichita, Kan., under the management of Jos Fox, a leader among Kansas and Missouri exhibitors. Kansas Theater Notes. Osborne, Kan. — C. G. Neiswanger will build an airdome soon in connection with his Crystal theater. Seating capacity will be about 500. Winfield, Kan. — Messrs. Eakin and Lathrop, of Burns, Kan., have bought the Novelty theater of this city from Rufus Cone, of Wichita, Kan. Axtell, Kan. — R. L. Labbe is building a new picture house here. It will be of brick construction and 100x60 feet. Concordia, Kan. — Leo Epstein is the new lessee of the Brown Grand theater. Between big theatrical productions moving pictures will be presented. Iola, Kan. — The Grand theater, ranked as one of the finest houses in southeast Kansas, has been sold by its owner, C. L. Knowlton, of Geneva, to F. B. Logan, of Botes County, Mo. Ernest Williamson, of Pittsburg, is the present manager. Washington, Kan. — A second picture house has been established here by Dr. E. A. Grindle.