Exhibitors Herald (Jun-Dec 1917)

20 EXHIBITORS HERALD STORY OF BEATING ILLINOIS STATE CENSOR BILL Motion picture censorship by the state of Illinois was beaten in the closing fifteen minutes of the Fiftieth general assembly at Springfield Sunday morning, June 17, after a sensational fight lasting throughout the previous week, in which various diverse interests were involved, but in which a capable lobby, in which the Mutual Film Corporation was well represented, held the final trump cards. The censorship bill, introduced by Representative Guy Guernsey at the behest of the Chicago Political Equality League, represented in the fights before senate and house committees by Mrs. Guy Blanchard and a strong lobby, was passed in the house by a vote of 57 to 48. This was really the beginning of the hard struggle on the part of the film men and Arthur James Pegler, the Mutual representative, who were eventually successful. The contest for effective representation on the floors of both houses continued throughout Saturday night, June 16, and the final announcement of Speaker Dave Shanahan that the bill had died in the joint conference committee was not made until 7:45 Sunday morning, when a disheveled band of legislators stood up in the house waiting for the final gavel. Story of Political Intrigue The story of what happened and how it happened has not been told in the daily press. It is a fascinating story of political intrigue skillfully diverted by the motion picture interests to forestall one of the most vicious measures ever proposed. ■The Guernsey bill as originally passed provided for the establishment of a state censorship board with one head censor as court of last resort, and such sub-censors as he might see fit to appoint, whose business it would be to censor all motion pictures for publication in Illinois. This did not suit the book of the Funkhouser contingent, representing the Chicago Board of Censors, of which Major M. L. C. Funkhouser is the head. Senator Samuel A. Ettleson, Chicago's corporation counsel, was on the job to fight for the Funkhouser regime, and he and his friends rallied to the support of the Chicago administration in both houses. But the question was not to beat the bill which had already passed the house. Amendments Death Strokes ,On the principle that there are more ways of skinning a cat than beginning at the nose, Senators Ettleson and Barbour and others had it referred to a subcommittee, where they attacked it from the rear by tacking on a list of amendments. The amendments were adopted by the committee and later by the senate after a fight on the floor in which Senator Walter Manny of Mt. Sterling made a vigorous speech against all forms of censorship, and found support as well as opposition. What these amendments meant to the motion picture producer and exhibitor it is easy to realize. To be sure, the Chicago censorship men had gained their objective, which was to save the job of Major Funkhouser, but the result, had the amended bill been adopted, would have been to compel the payment of an additional censorship fee on every film exhibited to scores of censor boards throughout the state. The terms of the amended bill were prohibitive. ART DRAMAS RECEIVES 14,000 TRADE MARKS; ELIMINATE ALL BUT 10 GENERAL ISSUES NEW "SPARKLE" COMEDY FILMS Still adding to its product, General Film now is issuing the new "Sparkle Comedies." "The Sparkle Comedies" are onereelers. The comedies are from the studios of the Jaxon Film Company. These films are to be had in groups of six, and the first group includes, "Where Is My Nightie?" "Fresh Air," "The Spy," "The Trunk Route," "The Water Cure" and "Night of Enchantment." Remaining Designs in Contest May Be Submitted to Trade Paper Readers to Pick Best Although more than two weeks have elapsed since the closing of Art Dramas Trade Mark Contest, in which fourteen thousand answers were received, no final decision has yet been arrived at by the committee of judges. This committee has succeeded in eliminating all but ten of the designs submitted, and these now are in the hands of the board of directors, so it is improbable that the decision will be delayed longer. There were at least a hundred of the designs which were so good as to be almost equal in merit, and much discussion was held before eliminating any one of them. The others were as a rule quite worthless, and while it was only a slight task to select the best hundred, it has taken two weeks to eliminate ninety of these. The ten remaining designs are all original, simple and distinctive, and any one of them would make an acceptable trade mark. In case the judges are unable to arrive at the decision within the week, the ten may be submitted to the readers of the trade papers, who will be asked to vote on the matter. E. Lanning Masters, who has had charge of advertising and publicity for Greater Yitagraph Y-L-S-E, is out. Attend the Chicago Convention — make the voice of square-dealing heard upon the floor of that assembly.