Motion Picture Commission : hearings before the Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Sixty-third Congress, second session, on bills to establish a Federal Motion Picture Commission (1978)

8 MOTION PICTURE COMMISSION. March 9. 1914. Hon. J. T. SCHOOtCRAFT, Mayor, Schenectady, N. Y. Dear Sir: On January 20, 1914, the Journal Club of Schenectady, a body con- sistiniEr of all men principals and teachers in the city public schools, appointed a committee to investigate the moving-picture situation. This committee desires to bring its findings to your attention and invites your careful consideration of the facts. 1. Moving pictures may be used to great advantage both for educational pur- poses and for amusement if proper pictures are shown. Educational pictures, we believe, would Include such as these: (] ) Pictures illustrating the geography of travel, commerce, the industrial arts, etc. (2) Pictures illustrating his- torical subjects, dramas, monuments, pageants, current events, etc. (3) Pic- tures illustrating the natural sciences, fisheries, birds, animals, their habits and habitats, etc. (4) Pictures illustrating literary subjects—Pied Piper of Hamlin, Lady of the Lake, Shakespearean dramas, etc. Pictures for amusement should include such as are funny without being dis- respectful, vulgar, or suggestive of the immoral. We recognize the difficulty here, but believe the following rules can be observed: (1) Harmless fun will not sliow old age to disadvantage; it will not ridicule the crippled or demented; it will not make light of conjugal infidelity; it will not lower respect for women. (2) Harmless fun will be based upon innocent situations, such as mistaken identity, surprises, antics of clowns, etc. 2. Every moving-picture thonter in the city has been visiter!, and the following facts have been discovered: (1) The theaters are badly lighte'l and poorly ventilated. (2) Great numbers of children are admitted contrary to the law, which states that chilclron under 16 years of age are not to be allowed to moving-picture per- formances unless accompanie'l by parents or guardians. (3) Thirty-one children, unaccompanied by parents or guardians, under 16 years of age, whose names, addresses, and ages are known, were seen in seven theaters by principals or teachers during a single visit. Many children, ap- parently unaccompanied, were present, but we confine ourselves to those whose names and ages we definitely know and specify here: Art, 4; Happy Hour, 2; Park, 1; Cozy Corner, 7; Orpheum, '< ; Bijou, 4; Majestic, 8. (4) Pas.ses are being given to children under 10 years of age for services rendered, and Ihese children are admitted unaccompanied by parents or guar- dians. This is contrary to law. (5) A large percentage of pictures seen during our investigation were value- less, vulgar, unmoral or immoral, representing such scenes as silly love affairs; highly sensational scenes—fights, drinking scenes, robberies, hairbreadth escapes from fires, etc., accidents, scenes of violence, western hold-up. etc.; incidents making light of crime—ridiculing the oflicors of the law. sympathizing with the culprit, etc.; conjugal infidelity; and social impurity. The committee therefore offered the following resolutions, which were unani- mously adopted by the Journal Club : Whereas we believe that moving pictures of the right sort are of great benefit to the public in general and to children especially; and Whereas uiion careful investigation it is found that theater managers are violating the law in regard to the admission of unaccompanied minors; and Whereas many of the pictures shown are valueless, vulgar, unmoral, or im- moral ; and Whereas, in the interests of IS.OOO children of school age in the city of Schenec- tady, we believe that those conditiiMis should not be allowed longer to exist; and Whereas many picture theaters :>s at present conducted are detrimental to the well-being and morals of our youth: Be it Resolved, (1) That the Journal Club itresent these findings to Mayor School- craft, through the hand of Dr. A. R. Brubacher. superintendent of schools; (2) That wo urge Mayor Schoolcraft to see that the law concerning minors is enforced, and that he forbid the exhibition of any pictures in Schenectady that have not the approval of the national board of censors; (3) That the Journal Club appoint a conunittee of five to attend a meeting on Wednesday. March 11, at 12.15 p. m. in the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion rooms, to meet other committees representing the Ministerial Association, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Humane Society, the welfare de- partment of the General Electric Co.. and endeavor jointly to secure legislation