Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

56 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD June 7, !95( Advertising “Ingagi” as Authentic Arouses Business Bureau Quotes Milliken as Slating “ General Information Is That Leading The D atre Circuits Have Taken a Decided Position ENUNCIATION of advertising claims made for “Ingagi,” sponsored bv Congo Films, Ltd., has been made by scientific and educational authorities as misrepresenting wild animal life, says the National Better Business Bureau, following an investigation. 'T'HE Hays office, on inquiry by the Bureau, -*• stated that the picture was not made by any member of the M P P D A and Carl E. Milliken, secretary, in a telegram to inquirers stated that “general information in the trade is that leading theatre circuits have taken a decided position with reference to the pictures,” adding that “we have no information that any theatre owned or operated by a member of this organization is now exhibiting or plans to exhibit this film.” “Authentic Celluloid Document” Of the picture, announced as an “authentic incontestable celluloid document” of gorillas, wild women and “queer” children, according to the Bureau, Milliken said that “it is for the producer, who is not a member of the MPP,DA, to answer the statements and resolutions published by scientific, educational and other organizations regarding the picture.” Milliken went on : “With reference to the general position of this organization and its membership toward presentations of wild animal life on the screen, it is obvious that a wide distinction must be drawn between avowedly fictional treatment of a subject which cannot and does not mislead the motion picture public, and pictures advertised as authentic studies of wild animal life. “Certainly nothing in the spirit or letter of the self-imposed regulations by which our members are seeking to express their public responsibility in the development of the motion picture art would justify any representation of wild animal life advertised as authentic which in reality was at variance with scientific and educational opinion expressed by leading authorities on the subject.” The following statement is made by the National Better Business Bureau with reference to its own findings : “The promotional literature accompanying ‘Ingagi’ states : ‘Sir Hubert Winstead, F.A.S., (also F.R.G.S.) together with Captain Daniel Swayne, a young American big-game hunter, penetrated to the heart of the Congo — into the gorilla country, in fact, which is in the vicinity of Burunga, in the mountains — and there encountered not only gorillas in plenty but wild women, queer children that seemed to be the offspring of some unholy alliance, and finally came upon a tribe very low in the scale of intelligence which had a yearly custom of giving a woman to the apes ! Unbelievable as it seems, the record has been obtained and is the terrific and smashing climax of the biggame hunt picture, ‘Ingagi.’ Can’t Locate “Sir Hubert’ “Official British agencies were consulted in New York in regard to Sir Hubert Winstead. Directories were consulted, but the authorities reported to the Bureau that they were unable to find any mention whatever of a ‘Sir Hubert Winstead.’ “In response to many protests and letters, certain members of the American Society of Mammalogists (who have done field work in Africa) viewed ‘Ingagi’ and are unanimous in deploring its numerous fictitious features which are misleadingly mingled with genuine natural history records “Dr. William K. Gregory, professor of Ver terbrate Palaeontology, Columbia LTniversity, who viewed the film, reports to the Bureau that ‘Ingagi’ — includes a good deal of genuine natural history (real field pictures of elephants, giraffes, zebras, etc), to which has been added a series of unnatural history thrillers. Among the many features which gave me the impression of being false and fictitious were the following: The pretended discovery of a new and * strange kind of animal, which evidently consisted of a perfectly good tortoise covered by a contraption of scales, wings and crest; O The showing in an African film (as * among the strange animals of the expedition) of an armadillo, which is an animal found only in North and South America; ^ The showing in an African film of an orang-utan, evidently brought from the Dutch East Indies; The showing under the name ‘pygmies’ * of a group of ordinary Negro children. ^ The showing of pretended ‘Ingagi’ (go* rillas) in an environment in which no wild anthropoid apes have ever been reported by reliable explorers, and which had the appearance of being hundreds of miles away from the nearest gorilla country ; . The showing of one or more chimpan* zees under the name ‘ingagi.’ Claims It’s 80 Per Cent True Unhinge Door to Arrest Operators ( Special to the Herald-World ) DOVER, OHIO, June 4. — In order to stop a Sunday performance, the police had to take the hinges off the door of the projection room of the Bexley theatre so that they might arrest the operators. An unusual coincidence is the fact that a silent newsreel was in progress, and just about as the “raiders” were to succeed, the title flashed on the screen read, “It Won’t Be Long Now.” Manager William Burton, one of the several arrested, says he is convinced about the truthfulness of the adage, “ Coming events cast their shadows before.” Kentucky Blue Laws Cause A rrest of Nine; Fine for Each Is $25 West Palm Beach Against Blue Lav Proposal; Mississippi Votes One Down (Special to the Herald-World ) LOUISVILLE, June 4.— For severs weeks, Sunday shows have been held, r( suiting in the arrest of officials and errf ployees of the Strand Amusement Coir pany, and the imposition of fines. Th Empress and the Bleich theatres were th ones involved. ^ The showing of what appeared to me to ' * be men dressed up in masks under the name of ‘ingagi’ (gorillas). The artificial character of these ‘ingagi’ is indicated by many features: (a) their way of walking and running seems quite different from that of all known anthropoids, and quite similar to that of men imitating apes; (b) their arms seem too short and their legs much too long to be those of apes; (c) in the photographs exhibited in front of the theatre (Newark, N. J., April 21, 1930) the ‘ingagi’ is represented with features which appear to be made up and which anyone who knows gorillas or other anthropoids could hardly admit to be those of a genuine anthropoid ; (4) the ensemble also, with the ‘ingagi’ in the center of a well composed group, seems characteristic of the motion picture studio rather than of the genuine Africa.’” Trial by jury on May 27 resulted in nin employees being fined $25 each, or a tot: of $225 for working on Sunday, May 4. O May 29, two more indictments were di: posed of, both resulting in convictions. I the first the Strand Amusement Compan was fined $15 for each of nine person working on Sunday, or $135. In a secon the jury imposed a fine on each of thre people, at $5. Total fines so far assesse have been $874, for three Sundays; ther being one indictment yet to be acted upor, and thirty-two warrants awaiting dispos: in Police Court. Under the procedur warrants are issued, arrests made, and th defendants bound over by the Police Cour indicted, and tried. Against Sunday Blue Law (Special to the Herald-World) WEST PALM BEACH, FLA., June 4.The city commission voted against a prc posed Sunday blue law for West Pah Beach. The Bureau says that Nat Spitzer of Congo Films. Ltd., on questioning by its representatives, stated that “Ingagi” was 80 per cent authentic, according to the Bureau. The only faking in the picture, he claimed, were shots taken in the Los Angeles zoo for the purpose of obtaining suitable transition sequences to round out the picture. When asked specifically whether the scenes between the “ingagi” and the native woman were genuine, he stated that they were “absolutely genuine.” The Bureau quotes Frank H. Buck, well known wild animal dealer of New York, as stating that “there is not a single gorilla shown in the picture,” and that instead there are a trained chimpanzee known in Hollywood as “Mary,” and two orang-utans also used in Hollywood pictures. The Bureau also quotes Dr. H. E. Anthony, a director of the American Society Mammalogy, to the effect that the picture contains much of “pure fiction.” Veto Kennedy Bill (Special to the Herald-World) JACKSON, MISS., June 4.— The Hou; of Representatives by a vote of 61 to 4 sustained the veto of Governor Bilbo of tl Kennedy bill, seeking to give the citizer the right to go before a chancellor and ol tain an injunction, restraining operators ( the commercialized amusements from vi( lating the “Sunday blue-law.” Cancels Contract (Special to the Herald-World) DOVER, OHIO, June 4.— Manager Wdlia E. Burton of the Bexley theatre here, who h; been giving performances on Sundays in d fiance of the orders of Mayor W. R. Stuck has cancelled his contracts for films and d not attempt a performance June 2. This actic followed the arrest of six persons recently connection with operation on May 25. At th time Chief of Police W. E. Byers resignf when he refused to obey the mayor’s orde to throw tear bombs into the theatre in ord' to arrest the projectionists.