Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

10 MOTION PICTURE HERALD June 2 7. 1931 Mutilating Films in Bias Must End, Says New Chicago Censor Dealing With Valuable Product of Responsible Connpanies, Warns Frances James Take it from Miss Frances James, new member of the Chicago censor board and a former leading woman for Al Jolson, tht two major rules for the guidance of censors should be : Give the public credit for having a little intelligence of its own, and, remember that you are dealing with a valuable commercial product turned out by responsible business organizations. Attention to the latter rule. Miss James said, would eliminate mutilation of films for purely personal, or prejudicial reasons. "Censorship," she said, "has come to be an odious word to the public, largely becaiise most of it has never given the public ctedit for having an intelligence of its own. Moreover, the activities of the censors are a mystery to most people. Ours is a public office and our work and records should be available to the press at all times. Opposes Life-Term Jobs "Personal convictions and inclinations must be forgotten occasionally. I have been given an opportunity to bring a fresh viewDoint to the Chicago censor board. Standards in every phase of public life are continually changing, yet I do not believe the changed standards of today are properly reflected in the censor board. Some of its present members have held their posts for so long that their work has come to be a routine and new viewpoints are difficult for them to attain." Miss James said, in this connection, that she was heartily opposed to the life-term appointments made possible under civil service. "I will not take the civil service examination. I do not believe in over-long periods of service," she said. Miss James is a temporary appointee, who may be reappointed at will by the mayor whenever the period of her temporary term expires. Hits "Aults Only" Idea Other opinions voiced by Miss James are that most "adults only" permits are foolish — "they add the lure of the forbidden, which attracts children" — ; gangster pictures, for the most part, are all right, "except when they portray gangsters as wielding great political power and living in romantic affluence. Then they should be restricted to adults" — ; and she believes that motion pictures may bore one with stupidness, disgust one with vulgarity and bad taste, but, as they are produced today, cannot corrupt or shock a normal human being. There were frequent interruptions to the interview. Film exchange managers were the most numerous callers — by phone. "They tell me how glad they are to have someone with the showman's viewpoint and understanding on the board," she explained. "I'll try to be fair to all of them. I haven't a woman's club background, but I think I can administer intelligent censorship, regardless." The city editor of a large morning news At Last! Universal purchased a most unusual story with a most unusual name. The story is by James Warner Bellah and the title is "Mr. Pickerelli Takes a Bath." The story appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. Judgment on Note Ends All Activities Of Drama League The story came out Thursday that the Drama League of America, Inc., had come to the end of its activities, ensuing upon a judgment for $2,450 secured by the Chase National Bank, May 24, in an action on notes owed to the bank by the league. The Drama League was formed in 1926 in an affiliation with the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America and later became independent. The Nciv York American takes occasion to remark upon the coincidence that "the league's bitterest opponent, Carl E. Milliken, secretary of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc., has resigned from the administrative committee of the Council of Churches." Mr. Milliken's expressions in point, issued in the spring of 1930, were addressed rather to and about George Reid Andrews who became in somewise the head of the league, when a statement was issued from the Hays office setting forth some correspondence, quoting from Mr. Andrews' letter as asking that "ten per cent of the gross receipts of the picture ("The King of Kings") be paid into the treasurv of our Church and Drama Association. . ! . If and when_ I should retire from the organization the right is reserved to me to say whether what funds remain in the treasury shall be payable to the Drama committee of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. If for any reason neither of these organizations can receive the funds, then they shall revert to me personally. . . ." This statement from the Hays office and its quotation of the letter from Mr. Andrews was issued after the League had made a statement that Mr. Milliken had been dropped. With reference to the present status of the Drama League, J. G. Mitchell, attorney, was quoted in a statement that the organization is not in bankruptcy and that a receiver had not been sought. paper called. He was delighted to learn that she represented a liberal censorship. "That's our policy, too," he told her. Other papers phoned for interviews. A press service photographer arrived to get pictures of her. Another exchange manager called to congratulate her. Smith Is Still in At Pathe News, Rooster Flying Variously reported and published rumors of a schism between Courtland Smith and Pathe News, Inc., and related enterprises of the Radio-Keith-Orpheum group, including Trans-Lux Movies Corporation, are flatly contradicted and denied by Hiram S. Brown of RKO. The statement has been circulated that Friday last Mr. Smith tendered his resignation, this coming on the heels of various staft' reductions, and suspension and closing of the Pathe Review studio in Long Island City. "The report is not only untrue but there would have to be some extraordinary change in the status of affairs before it could be possible," observed Mr. Brown. Despite reports of plans for expansion of the Trans-Lux tabloid theatre circuit, other sources' tend to indicate that additional capital for theatres will not be available before the winter, if then. This becomes significant, in the opinion of some observers, in that the entii'e policy of newsreel production at Pathe under the Courtlan(J Smith administration has been addressed at the service of Trans-Lux, which tends to put a considerable burden of support upon the three theatres in operation. Meanwhile there are continued stories of weighty councils over the problems of the newsreel, and it is said that Mr. Smith's staunchest supporter in the current situation is Percy Furber of the Trans-Lux organization. The management of Pathe News is said to have under consideration an extension of the "talking reporter" treatment which is only occasionally used in the reel now. This report, coupled with the fact that there has been no addition to the sound picture recording facilities of the reel by way of new camions, would appear to be in line with a policy calculated to meet conditions imposed by a receding or static gross. Pathe News and the Round the World Flight With the arrival in Germany of Wiley V. Post and Harold Gatty on their round the W'Orld flight, the announcement was made that it was a surprise performance in behalf of Pathe News. This made official the status of the flight also in the office of Pathe News. The contact man engaged in the promotion of a tie-up with the flight had originally discussed an arrangement for the payment of $25,000 to make it a Pathe News adventure. Subsequently it was reported that he had achieved an arrangement to have a Pathe News Rooster painted on the plane in consideration of mutual publicity value. Then, in a moment of whimsy, the contact man was instructed to get the rooster off the plane. He failed to execute that errand, however, and with the transAtlantic leg of the flight successful, the rooster was reinstated in e-race by formal publicity release. Miss Ruth Nichols, who was once announced as aviation editor of Pathe News, is now recovering at St. Johns, N. B., from a crack-up in her take-off on a flight in which Paramount News had a publicity interest.