The New York Clipper (April 1916)

34 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER MOTION PICTURES April 1 UARBT SHOTS, MOTIOM FIOTUBB EDITOB. CENSORSHIP OGRE CAUSE OF DISTURBANCES IN £. the former's application for a permanent lnjuac- comes to trial. FOUR STATES-MARYLAND PASSES BRYANT dtatt 0 THEATRE OPENS CENSOR BEL-KANSAS ORGANIZES TO FIGHT. jffi " U CHRISTMAN-WHEELER BILL ENDOWING N. Y. STATE REGENTS WITH SUPREME RESTRICTIVE POWERS OPPOSED BY FILM MEN AT ALBANY HEARING. VILLA, MEXICAN BANDIT, RULED OFF SCREEN BY OHIO BOARD-PENN- SYLVANIA EXHIBITORS PLAN TO HAVE KEYSTONE CENSOR BOARD ABOLISHED. Censorship occupied the centre of the stage In no less than four States last week. The most dis- concerting news came from Maryland, where the Brjant measure, creatine a State Censor Board of three, passed its third reading in the Maryland House of Delegates. This bill provides that a fee of $2 be collected as an "examination" tax for each film submitted to the tender mercies of the censorship trinity. The salaries of the censors and total expenses, which. It Is agreed, most not exceed 912,000, will be met by the collection of the *2 impost. Uoyd Wilkinson, a Maryland delegate, fong'at lard to defeat the passage of the Bryant measure, but the final count resulted adversely for the 31m men in a vote of fifty to forty. A proposal to exempt Baltimore from the provisions of the new censor law went down to defeat also, by a vote of sixty*fi ve to twenty. CHRISTMAN-WHEELER BILL HEARING The Chiistman-Wbeeler censor bill, which would endow the State Board of Begente of New York, with unparalleled powers of restriction over the production and exhibition of motion picture films, came up tor a hearing in Albany, Thursday, March. 23. The hearing was held before the Joint Senate and Assembly Committees on Education, and brought forth the usual quota of busybody re- formers, who Insisted that the measure be passed forthwith. Opponents of the bill were on hand la force, also, and presented sound and logical arguments why the proposed law should be squashed. la addition to the reasoning advanced by Stephen Bush, Paul Cromelln, Wm. Seabory and other representatives of the N. Y. arm men quite a stir was caused by the anouncement of several labor organizations lining up solidly against the bin. Jaa. P. Holland, president of the N. T. State Federation of Labor, was the spokesman for the industrial element. The vTneeler-Chrlstman bill 19 supposed to be an Improvement an the Abern bill, which Is etfll d&ngeroaaV alive, not at all dead, but sleeping with one eye opes, so to speak. Th • reformers and politicians seem hound to foist some sort of censorship on N. Y. State, but if these factions succeed In their endeavors It will not be the fault of the mannfatnrers or exhibitors of N. Y. State, who now seem folly alive to the danger which threatens them. a band in the offensive against the censorship demon. Their activities will take the form ox editorials, etc. The following resolutions were passed by the Jomt convention, which. Incidentally, endorsed President Wilson and bis policies. Whereas, the Amusement Association and tie Motion Picture Exhibitoro* League of Kansas, in Joint convention assembled, desires to make acknowledgment of the splendid co-operation and harmony of all branches of the industry as typified by the Motion Picture Board of Trad* of Amer- ica's action in co-operation with this convention by sending Its executive secretary, J. W. Binder, from New York to address us, and assist In our legisla- tive, campaign to secure the repeal of the Kansas censor law, therefore be it Resolved, that this convention extend to the Mo- tion Picture Board of Trade of America a rising Vote of thanks, and pledges to it the hearty co- operation of the bodies constituting this conven- tion in its work to upbuild and standardize the Industry and to free It from oppressive and unjust legislation to the end that In the future all branches of the Industry—exhibitors, mannfachir- ers and exchange men—shall at all times work together in perfect harmony. Resolved farther, that these resolutions be epread upon the minutes of this convention, and a copy of the same be sent to the Motion Picture Board of Trade of America in New York. VILLA BANNED IN OHIO. Pancho Villa, the Mexican bandit, who Is at present writing striving desperately to evade the small sized army Uncle Sam has sent into the land of the changeable presidents and chile con earr.e for the express purpose of bringing blm back, dead or alive, as a result of his numerous crimes against American citizens and property, baa been banned by the Ohio Censor Board. Two to one Villa -will be sore when be bears that, aa they say he Just craves publicity. It seems one of the topical weeklies showed the greaser general In a Columbus theatre as a news Item, but the woudroualy wise solans on the Ohio Censor Board declared that Villa, mast be deleted, of be might excite the populace. Now, what d'ye think o* that? KANSAS TO FIGHT. Kansas film men Joined bands wttb their breth- m of the stage and newspaper fields last week and will pnt -op a vigorous fight against the ex- isting censor law of the State. The coalition to fight the common enemy was effected at Wichita, Kan., during the airrmnl session of the M- P. E- League of America held March IS and 19. A repre s en ta tive of the M. P. Board of Trade of New York was present at the convention, and arrangements were made whereby the amusement association of Kansas will work harmoniously In conjunction wttb tie exhibitors' organization. Both bodies declared themselves opposed to In- decent firms, and pledged their support for a clean as'welt as nncensored screen product. Representatives of various newspapers published in the State of Kansas likewise decided to take KNICKERBOCKER INJUNCTION DENIED. The Triangle Film Corporation can keep right on giving picture shows and concerts in the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York, despite the ob- jections of Robert Goelet, owner of the property, according to a decision handed down last week by Supreme Court Justice Cohalan. The trouble arose over the fact that Goelet felt that the Knickerbocker was going out of its class as a $2 boose In catering to a twenty-five and fifty cent clientele. The decision of Justice Cohalan will have the effect of temporarily staying any procedure by Goelet against the Triangle people, at least until Tie Eialto Theatre, rebuilt oo tile site Of the once famous Hwmmersteln'e Palace Of Varieties, Broadway and Forty-second Street, win open Its doors to the public April 15. The new boose Is picturesquely described by Its publicity sponsor as "The world's most ambitious temple of the motion picture," and promises numerous Innovations by that past master of picture showmanship, Sam'l Kofhapfei, who will immediately assume personal control of its destinies. There Trill be no stage In the new Eialto, the place of the customary abode of scenery, fly-gal- leries, footlights, etc, being filled by a small plat- form flanked by a colonade built of costly marble and ornamented with, choice tapestry and mural decorations executed by seme of the world's great- est artists. The light effects will be artistic and bizarre, having been personally designed by Mr. Rothapfc-1 himself, who has established a reputation second to none In this relation. A concert orchestra of thirty-Owo soloists will furnish the musical feature of the combined con- cert and film entertainment, which will bold forth dally from 1 until 11 P. X. Triangle pictures will be the piece de resistance of the Eialto show, supplemented by the best the market affords In the*way of visualized novelties. Whether the Knickerbocker, over which Both- apfel has presided with pre-emlent success as man- aging director for the past four montbtv Will close upon the Blalto'3 inauguration has not been de- termined as vet Ben AtweU will Mow the pub- licity trumpets for the Blalto. A better choice could not have been made, in view of Mr. At- well's most recent achievements in the same ca- pacity at the Knickerbocker, wttb the Russian Ballet, and his noteworthy exploitation of "The Masked Wrestling Marvel," Mort Henderson. PITTSBURGH'S MASS MEETING. Pittsburgh exhibitors will bold a mass meeting at the Pitt Theatre Sunday, April 2, for the lauda- ble purpose of starting a campaign to repeal the present Pennsylvania State censor law. Prominent among those who are interested In the movement are John McAleer, a former Brook- lyn exhibitor, and one of the most progressive showmen In the film business. Others who will speech a little for the good cause are Wm. A. Johnston, Walter B. Irwin, James E. Htcdman and J. W. Binder. FILM MERGER* PERHAPS. During the past ten days the gossips of flhndom have been all wrought up over published stories concerning a possible film merger of Paramount, Triangle, Bssanoy, Lubln and Mutual. The YItagrapb has also been mentioned in con- nection with a proposed combination which was to have been promoted by B. B. Hampton, a Wall Street man. While Mary Plckford has been credited with a willingness to Join the proposed giant flhn merger as Its bright particular star, Adoiph Znkor, Famous Players president, on the other hand has Issued a statement which declares Miss Plckford to be bound by contract to appear only for the Famous Players-Mary Plckford Co. for a period of one year to come at least. If the combination is effected a plan to reduce or tors and actresses' joinrtxi, it Is understood, will be put In effect immediately. Wm. A. Brady, who baa a large Interest in World Film, has also been mentioned aa one of those active in the merger proposition. CALEHUFF SUPPLY CO., Inc. 1301 RACE 8T. y PHILADELPHIA JOBBERS for KDISOS, POWERS, SDIPLEX Sad HT1HD18D 94CBUE8 »m 5tPPLlK8. A few good btrgalni In Second Hand Films and Macnlsios. All makes mthlaii repaired.