Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

60 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 20, 1920 ^MUUMIIimailHmiHHniHiiKiiiuiiiitiii'iiitiiiiiKiiu iiiiiiiuiiiiii iiiitliuiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiniiniiui iuuuiui imuinuiHituiiiiiiuiiniitfimiutiiiijniiiiiiiiiununHiuitniiiiuiDRini i: :i i .11:.: m 1 1 luuaiii : .. 1 uin lunuiuiwa uan 1^ COCKS TAKES FLING AT CENSORS Better Films Secretary Compares trie Destruction Done by Official Censors With That of Wild Bull Running Amuck i|||U|l|MH»«MWMIIIIIilMIU^ Acrimonious denunciation of the official state censor is made by Orrin G. Cocks, secretary of the National Committee for Better Films, in a recent issue of the "Bulletin of the Affiliated Committees for Better Films." The publication comes from the office of the National Board of Review, 70 Fifth avenue, New York. The editorial, entitled "The Bull in the China Shop," follows: Bull Is No Moralist "A bull is a bull and never can be made into a moralist or an artist. He is a useful animal, but his place is in the fields. When he chances to get loose among men. he runs amuck. The chances are a thousand to one against his moving peaceably back to his native haunts. However carefully camoflaged, he is known as a blundering, smashing, crashing, bull-headed, if not actively malicious creature. By no means let him free in a parlor, an art gallery or a china shop! "Such a creature has been summoned by law from the freedom of the fields into the complexity of civilized life, there to do his will among dramatic motion pictures. He is ordered to destroy. His mind and his emotions urge him on. Indeed, he must destroy to make a satisfactory showing. If some crockery, plate glass or fine porcelain were not ruined each month, off would go his head. Even reports are not enough; he must lift up his head and bellow abroad his defiance against the other pictures he cannot reach beyond his long tethering rope. From time to time he goes roaring up and down the land telling people the world of motion pictures is very, very evil. The innocuous picture* for him are filled with vague somethings which his pathological mind demands should be gored. Seeks for Some Evil "The more he finds in his path, the harder he stamps and bats with his hard head and roars. He is certain that an evil to be destroyed lurks around every corner and stalks unashamed in the broad chest into the subtle web of deceit and viciousness. The world would rock were he not set like adamant to quench the flying sparks. "Naturally, with such a mental makeup he finds what he is looking for. In a fair field, flooded with light, he ignores the broad outlook of beauty and pounces upon — a spider, a mouse, or a growing weed — and waves it aloft as a proof of the naughtiness of the landscape. He plunges into the town and ignores the busy citizens, the fine buildings, the many manifestations of business confidence. Here he detects an overturned can of garbage, there a game of chance, or again a torn-up street. Straightway he raises his voice and condemns the whole city to everlasting perdition. His Cures Are Bad "His cure for the ills of the motion picture are worse, far worse, than the disease, if disease there be. Like the medieval chirurgcon, he smugly probes the internals of his patient only to find on the table a dead subject instead of a thriving convalescent. He is not a pretty creature and docs small credit to the legislator and the laws which created him. Who is he? He is the official state motion picture censor — the outgTOwth of the idea that public morals can be corrected by destruction. "We might stand him if he were not so condescending to the rest of us mortals endowed by the Almighty with a modicum of common sense. We resent his assurance of superior moral fibre and self-complaisance. We are suspicious of him when he finds wickedness in the most moral human relationships and lays his heavy hand on necessary contrasts which demonstrate character development in the drama. "There is such a thing as prevention in the world which is a hundred times more effective as a cure than wanton slashing. Even dramatists and motion picture directors have been known to listen to friendly suggestion and to intelligent public opinion. It is possible to work changes in the motion picture drama for the welfare of society; but not at the time nor in the manner of the official state censor." Monkey Assists Pollard In Making Screen Laughs In "Flat Broke," the Rolin comedy which Pathe will publish on March 14, the little comedian, "Snub" Pollard, has a strange partner in fun in "Jocko," the Rolin comedy monkey, who makes his first bow to the films. "Jocko" proves that he has a true sense of humor. Eddie Boland and Marie Mosquini display their talents in the comedy. "Snub" is seen as a "son of rest," who attaches his hammock to the West Coast Flyer in a way that enables him to see the country in de luxe style. He meets up with Eddie Boland, who also is happy but broke. Together they afford fun throughout the picture. Taylor to Start LOS ANGELES.— William D. Taylor, having completed the last of his series of Realart features starring Mary Miles Minter, will soon begin work on the first of the special William D. Taylor Productions. These the Paramount Company will put on the market. Now at Huntington Beach HUNTINGTON BEACH, CAL. — Jack McDonough, who formerly ran the theatre at La Jolla, is now owner of the Princess here. New Owners to Remodel CHILLICOTHE, MO.— W. P. Cuff of this city, and W. Haley Reed and Johnny Kling of Kansas City, have purchased the Majestic theatre from J. D. Brookshier and his son. The house will be remodeled. Beginning in the fall, both motion pictures and theatrical attractions will be shown. Film Wisconsin Scenes Jacques Byrne, director, and his staff are in northern Wisconsin photographing scenes for Atlas Educational Weekly, Princess Wynemah and thirty fullblooded Indians are with the director. They are being filmed in their native haunts. Manages Cook Theatre A. C. King has resigned as manager of the Yale theatre, Muskogee, Okla., and accepted the management of the New Cook quarter million dollar theatre owned by L. H. D. Cooke, at Okmulgee, Okla.