Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Jun 1919)

EXHIBITORS HERALD AND MOTOGRAPHY SIKIIlijl i! i ip i r m m 1 1 : i u i i 1 1 1 1 1 r: 1 1 1 m 1 1 i j : i ' i ' I : i r 1 1 1 j i f 1 1 11 ■ l 1 1 1 m i r 1 1 n < 1 1 ! 1 1 1 l 1 1 M] I L1 1 j i r 1 1 1 ; 1 1 N 1 1 1 b 1 1 ; ) l I [ b 1 1 1 : ■ ^ LJ I ; J J M . 1 1 1 1 1 ; J i i L I N n : I M I ! J r L ! 1 1 1 1 ; 1 1 : ; i I ! 1 H J I r r i : 1 ' 1 1 1 1 7 iiiliiini UiU'lTQn tllU JltriJIIII I IliCIII I Jilt U4HIM II II Jlllll [i IUUIJ Jllir llHIIIirtlJIIIltllUlfllllll UIJlilllllillllJXUlllllELIIIIIlIlllJMlJrUllllJIIil tllllllilllltltllllitllllJIU^ Submit Question to People, Urges Walter W. Irwin "I am here as an American citizen. I am opposed to censorship because it is against the principles | | for which men died in the Revolutionary war and in the war just closed. "Censorship is fundamentally based on intolerance. Those who urge it are of the temperament of | 1 those who burned witches at the stake. They are leaders of the Bolsheviki, who are the worst advocates 1 j of intolerance. What is the meaning of these small movements today of men who want to become their I j brothers' keepers? If it's a people's question, why not submit it to the people? "My solution is thoroughly consistent with Americanism. Let this committee attend to its own city, | | see that its own laws are enforced. Then we won't be having our property taken away without due process | 1 of law; we won't be subjected to censorship before publication. Let us have our day in court." — Walter F j W. Irwin, vice-president of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation and chairman of the Executive Com | I mittee of the N. A. M. P. I. SiHiPiliuiininiinniuiMiuuuiM speaker. He punctuated his remarks with many salient facts concerning the legitimate stage as well as the picture screen. He stated he is the second oldest producer of plays for the legitimate theatre in the country, and in 1901, with Thos. A. Edison, made the first 'motion picture ever shown upon the screen. Tells of His Productions "1 produced "Little Women," "Way Down East," "The Shepherd King" and many Shakespearian plays and never have I ever intentionally made an unclean picture or play. In the past two or three years, there have been eliminations made from my pictures in Chicago hut never any serious ones." At the beginning of the war, Mr. Brady stated he was appointed by President Wilson torepresent the motion picture industry in the war work and stated that the industry as a whole, had rendered the government an invaluable service without charge, aiding the Red Cross drives, the Y. M. C. A. and other organizations, as well as the Liberty Loan campaigns. Gives Facts on War "The Y. M. C. A. has recognized the fact that the theatrical profession has rendered a great service and it has been admitted over the signature of John R. Mott, that the finest method of preserving the morale of the men over there, is to give them good, clean entertainment. Our men are still going over. These men of the legitimate stage work for nothing. It is quite true that the theatre and everything pertaining to it, has been spoken of as the devil's workshop. I am not paid to come here. I have paid my own expenses. I am considerably over 50 years of age. The motion pictures gave me my opportunity to do my bit. I am no longer young. I am an old man of the theatre who will defend the men and women of the profession. Who came first to render aid to tin stricken in the Iroquois fire, the Johnstown Hood, and other disasters? The men and women of the theatre. Comes of Church Family ''My father was a pastor of San Francisco. My wife is Grace Georee. As gbpd a woman as ever lived. She has been doing constructive work for war sufferers. My daughter, who is Alice liradv, is as good Christian girl as there is in New York. I represent the theatrical people. "1 say if the present ordinance prohibits the showing of improper pictures in this city and an exhibitor shows an improper picture his license should be revoked and he should be jailed. I will go on record and assist in the prosecution of an} man who shows any indecent, immoral or obscene picture upon the screen. I will say it to the people of the United States. I say it to the gentlemen of this commission, you secure one conviction in the city of Chicago, and there will be no need of censorship. There are blackguards in every walk of life. Put them behind the liars. There are some in your flock, I daresay. Father Dinneen. I will make this statement: the motion pictures are improving. There is an attempt to keep out the filth, to drive the immoral out of Why Brand Industry? "The day is coming, gentlemen, when every classroom in the country will have its screen. The children will be educated by motion pictures. If you have discovered that the motion picture is such a great educator, why brand that industry? !irjiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiii)i«i[imitiiii;iiiiiiiiiii,ii uiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiAiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiii^ Suggests an Experiment Would you like to try an experiment? Put the mot'on picture industry on it> word for twelve months in Chicago. We will show you how to clean up the industry. We want to get your angle. We don't want to be treated like mad dogs. W e don't want to be muzzled. "We will admit that in every home in America, the liner the home the surer the case, you will find the works of William • Shakespeare. Vet you know according to the laws of censorship you cannot place those stories upon the screen. Take Richard 111. King John, etc. Why don't you prevent your children from reading Shakespeare? Suppose you took the stories of. the Bible you couldn't show them upon the screen according to your tensorship." Father Dinneen objected, stating he thought Mr. Brady was unfair. Sees Discrimination BETTY HOWE Who uppearN in Niipport of I. call llnlril In tilt HiMlkliiNOii production "Vn ii Man Thtnkb." 23 "My general argument is that there are many things wrong in the world." continued Mr. Brady. "You should not legislate the pictures out of business and let the others go. The United States government is at present preparing a picture showing the acts of the Bolsheviki. They propose to circulate it through the United States. Don't brand the industry. The United States is furnishing pictures to Japan, Siberia, and oven Germany. We want the aid of the church, we don't want to antagonize the church. I have been thirty years in the business, and cannot today judge a plav before it is shown to the public. Nobody can judge a dramatic production before it is exploited. "Why was 'The Little American.' with Mary Pickford, suppressed here?" "Because it depicted atrocities committed by the Germans." said Martin J. Ouiuley, secretary of the commission. "But we were at war at the time. Perhaps somebody here had political aspirations," returned Mr. Brady. "Why should an industry — said to be the fifth industry of the United States be subject to censorship because live ormaybe ten pictures are off color?" Father Dinneen then asked if Mr, Brady thought the country should have pure food laws and the inspection of meats to protect the physical health of the people. Brady thought we should. Several exhibitors, prominent among whom was Sam Katz, spoke in oppos; tion to censorship, stating that exhibitors censor their own films'.