Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

EXHIBITORS HERALD i^iiiiii!:::'iiiiini!i<'ii:iiiiii;ii!iii!iiiiii!iiiiiiiiiii!i!^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii''. AUTHORS CONDEMN CENSORSHIP 1 Speakers at Gathering in Wurlitzer Hall Are Unanimous in JLiranding as Absurd the Existing Censor .Boards in Several States »lllllllll!!>llllllllUi;ll!!l!!ll!llllllllllli;ii!!llllli!lllll!llll!ll!lltlllllllllilllllllllllll One hundred and twenty-fi.e members of the Authors' League of America assembled in a private motion picture theatre at Wurlitzer Hall last Tuesday to discuss motion picture censorship and determine whether the freedom of the press and of the writer is involved in state legislation for state censorship. Bills have been introduced in twentyeight states and censorship is in evidence in cities like Chicago and Kansas City. 1 he most severe censorship of pictures is in the state of Pennsylvania. Rex Beach, as president of the Authors League, was chairman of the meeting. Air. Beach, whose pictures are produced and distributed by Goldyn Pictures corporation, has had considerable experience with the whims of censor boards. He appealed to the authors' sense of humor. The deeper he delved into the mysteries of state censorship the more absurd he had found it. He asked the audience to judge for themselves from typical reels which were exhibited and the section indicated that had been deleted by censors of Pennsylvania. Cites News Reel Instance In the case of a news reel shown in Pennsylvania, no mention of the coal strike then in progress was permitted. In the case of the photoplay shown, the National Board of Review passed the film without change, but the Pennsylvania Board of Censorship, consisting of three people clothed with arbitrary power, requested the elimination of thirty-four scenes or titles. This same board had previously prohibited tinshowing of "The Brand," by Rex Beach, anywhere in the state of Pennsylvania. On appeal three judges of the circuit court of the state revised the decision of the board and pronounced the picture the HIRAM A HR A MS Whose record in organizing; "Hijr 4" exchanges, is notable event of li>11*. llllllllllllll!'i>llllllil!llilll;l;liilll.:il!lilUlllllilr.^ opposite of immoral and obscene, but the Supreme Court ot the State reversed the decision, pronouncing the judgment of the Board ot Censors as final. Gabriel Hess, chairman of the censorship committee ot the motion picture industry, emphasized the fact that legislation had been introduced in twentyeight states to provide for state censorship of motion pictures. He called attention to a growing tendency of a well organized minority to influence the point of view of the majority of the American people. At the same time he said that the state of New York had recently decided that the motion picture in its new reels was a publicity medium. It must therefore be classed with newspapers and the freedom of the press and freedom of speech is involved with the freedom ot the motion pictures. Censorship of motion pictures such as now exists in Pennslyvania, is equivalent to requiring the editor of a newspaper to submit all his copy to a board of censors, without any redress from their decision. What the}" require to be left out must be left out, and no questions asked. Make Bad Pictures Worse The point of view of a woman who has acted as a member of a censorship committee was explained by Miss Mary GrayPeck, who is also a member of the Drama League. She believes that many of the people interested in censorship are intelligent and governed by the best motives, but that their enthusiasm for state censorship is mistaken. She cited the instances of several films to prove that a bad film could not be made good by cutting out the scenes depicting evil. Such censorship only made a bad picture worse, as well as leaving a great deal to the imagination. Evil is shown in the films as a contrast to good, just as it always has been in melodrama. Without that contrast the triumph of virtue has no significance. She congratulated the Authors' League on its active interest in censorship of motion pictures and believes that the positive good that authors can do by working for better photoplays is greater than any negative benefits to be derived from local censorship, once a picture has been made. Edward D. Martin Speaks An eloquent speech was made by Edward D. Martin of the National Board of Review, which has co-operated with rather than antagonized the efforts of motion picture producers to provide better films. Mr. Martin had just come from a meeting at Cooper Union where he addressed many of the people of foreign birth who live in New York's east side. He said that these people were beginning to feel that the freedom they came to America for could not be found, and that if the freedom of the motion picture is destroyed that would be conclusive proof that freedom of speech and freedom of thought is ended in America. He pointed out that the motion picture is still in its initial stages and raoidlv improving. Whenever a film fails to M>1 IS IS. MAYER Henl of the Louis It Mayer Productions, who is completing his new studios on tile West Const and is preparing n series of elaborate productions for I !>-<>. meet the standard of a community the police power of the state or city can be invoked to correct the abuse. He urged the Authors' League of America to continue the fight for freedom of speech that John Milton took part in several hundred years ago — the struggle which is still going on. He said that the limitations imposed on writers in America in the publication of books were already so great that their product did not begin to compare with the masters in European literature. He said that only with freedom of thought could American writers begin to equal the writers of Europe from Milton to Tolstoi. He believes that the sanity and decency of the great majority of American people can be trusted to take care of any abuse of power that might be in evidence in any occasional motion picture production, and that the principle involved is greater than any minor offense of any misguided producer. Kremer Sells Territory For Chaplin's "Carmen" From his home office it is announced Victor Kremer, controlling "A Burlesque on Carmen," "Work," "The Champion," "The Jitney Elopement" and "By the Sea," Chaplin comedies made by Essanay, has disposed of the four last named to the First National Film Company of Kansas City for Missouri and Kansas, and "A Burlesque on Carmen" to the F. A. F. Film Enterprises of Omaha for Nebraska and Iowa. In addition to these transactions the following buyers have also acquired these productions: Mickey Film Corporation, Chicago — Illinois and Indiana; Quality Film Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa. — West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania; Harry M. Crandall, Washington. D. C. — District of Columbia, North Carolina. Virginia, Maryland and Delaware: Twentieth Centurv Film Company, Philadelphia, Pa. — Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey and Bee Hive Film Exchange, Chicago — Northern Illinois, Indiana and Wiscon 114