Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

2032 Motion Picture News "You cannot legislate righteousness into people's hearts," was the comment of Rev. R. Keene Ryan, pastor of the Garfield Park Presbyterian Church. "I am opposed to any Puritanical blue laws. Let the people rule!" Chief of Detectives Hughes, of Chicago, points out that ''taking liberties from people makes them dissatisfied and, therefore, lawless." The great daily papers of Chicago have united in scathing editorial comment adverse to the proposed legislation and a wave of anti-restrictive law sentiment appears to be sweeping the state, but to combat the well organized efforts of the reform element, organization is necessary and leaders in motion picture circles and others are taking prompt measures to effect co-operative effort and unite against the measure. Drastic Illinois Measure Proposed Would Make Anything Illegal on Sunday But Sacred Concerts and Religion ONE of the most drastic Blue Sunday measures ever submitted to a legislative body, was introduced unexpectedlv in the Illinois State Senate, at Springfield, on April 12th. by Senator MacMurray, Chicago, and referred to Senate Committee on licenses and miscellany. The terms of the bill are sweping and stringent and except for "sacred concerts and services of a moral or religious nature conducted in good faith by a religious organization" the bill would prohibit any form of paid Sunday entertainment. All theatres, including moving picture houses, would be closed. Baseball, where admission is charged, would be forbidden. Pool and billiard halls and bowling alleys would be closed. Golf would be permitted, except on paid courses, but it would be an offense to hire a row boat in a public park, and picnics, where tickets are sold " or a free will offering accepted," would be prohibited. This measure is said to have the backing of the Lord's Day Alliance and according to the Rev. Harry L. Bowlby, executive head of this organization, Illinois is one of ten states in which the Lord's Day Alliance is planning to clamp the lid on Sunday amusements this year. The other states are Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York. New Jersey, California and Oregon. Reports from Springfield, the state capital, indicate that a bitter fight is in prospect over the measure, which is said to have been introduced only after careful preparation by the reform organizations, and on the other hand, already has aroused a storm of protest and indignation from people of all classes throughout Illinois. The Illinois Motion Picture Theatre Owners already are making plans to take an active part in the fight on this unreasonable legislation and will co-operate with other bodies and individuals throughout the state. F. Scott McBride, superintendent of the Illinois Anti-Saloon League, made the following statement in reference to the proposed situation : "Our organization wants it strictly understood that this proposed legislation is not part of our program and we have nothing to do with it." Miss Jessie Binford, superintendent of the Juvenile Protective Association, said she did not "believe in such a law — it's too drastic." Non Theatrical Chamber of Commerce Launched The Motion Picture Chamber of Commerce of America (non-theatrical) was formally launched on Monday evening, April 9, at the club-rooms, in New York City, when a dinnerconference adopted a constitution proposed by a committee of five, consisting of William R. Kelley, Arthur James, Edward P. Earl, George Zehrung, and F. S. Wythe. Sidney Morse, director of the bureau of social and educational service of the Masonic Grand Lodge, presided, and defined the new organization as "an organization of all nontheatrical interests in the motion picture industry, whether producers, distributors, or users of non-theatrical films, and whether for educational, scientific, industrial, commercial, or entertainment purposes: also makers of projectors, films or accessories." One of the first tasks of the newly organized chamber will be to institute a nation-wide campaign for the repeal of restrictive and burdensome legislation, such as that which the Steingut Bill aims to eliminate in New York. Forty-five organizations took part in the organization meeting. Ohio Launches Lord's Day Alliance Fight THE proposed open fight against the Lord's Day Alliance has already been inaugurated by the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Ohio. Four open warfare letters have already been sent each member of the House, Senate and Governor Vic Donahey. The letters in each instance stated specific facts pertaining to the measures mentioned and in each case the methods of this organized faction of religious fanatics were exposed and attention was called to the fact that exhibitors were cooperating with all church bodies but were fighting a clique who presumed, without authority, to speak and act for all church members and were thus acting as political dictators with very little visible following as to actual numbers. New Companies Incorporate for N. Y. Business During the past week, the following motion picture companies were incorporated in New York State, the amount of capitalization as well as the directors chosen for the first year being given: Standard Attractions, Inc., $1,000, Hyman Emerson, Abraham J. Eder, B. H. Berman, New York City; Cosmopolitan Playhouse, Inc., $10,000, L. I. Fink, M. L. Elkin, Etta London, New York; Border Amusement Company, Buffalo, $150,000. Charles Long, Tonawanda; R. J. Krotz, and J. T. Gilbert, Buffalo; Simrud Amusement Corporation, $5,000, Louis Kahn, D. S. Simons, Max Rudnick, New York; Louis F. Werba Corporation, $45,000, Louis F. Werba, Edward S. Golding, Harry Bryant, New York: Blyler Enterprises, Inc., $5,000, James and Jane Blvler, Belle Greene, New York: Arthur West Theatrical Enterprises, $60,000. William G. Lovatt, Sylvia Schwartzman. Arthur West, New York; John E. Coutts Tabloid Circuit, $10,000, J. E. Coutts, J. Girsdanskv. New York. Hot Fight Is Due on Six Per Cent Tax Bill WITH the understanding that leaders of both parties are rather in sympathy with a bill introduced by Charles R. Miller, providing for a six per cent tax on gross receipts of all forms of amusements, those following motion picture legislation in New York state pricked up their ears the past week and will fight tooth and nail the bill which would exact hundreds of thousands of dollars from the theatres of the state if it became a law. The bill is said to assure receipts of at least five million dollars to the state each year. That nothing in the line of amusement is to escape is evident in one section of the bill, which states: " and every other exhibition and contest and sports held in the state, shall be taxed." There is a provision, however, to the end that amusements and sports for the benefit of educational and religious organizations are exempt. Nothing occurred during the past week in connection with the censorship situation. The bill is still in the Assembly ways and means committee, and apparently no effort is being made to have it reported out. Cohen Office Replies to Steffesf Statement Statements attributed to W. A. Steffes, whose candidacy for the presidency of the M. P. T. O. A. at the Chicago convention is being boomed by Northwestern exhibitors, have brought forth a statement from the Sydney Cohen office in reply. Steffes, at the Minneapolis convention last week, made an attack on what was termed Cohen's unauthorized severing of relatictas with Will H. Hays and also criticized the manner in which the national organization was run. The statement from the Cohen office reads in part: " We are in thorough accord with Mr. Steffes in working for the interests of exhibitors. Mr. Steffes himself voted with the other members of the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America to reject the Hays contract and asked us to register him accordingly. If that is the break with Mr. Hays that Mr. Steffes has referred to then he was a party to the break. As to Mr. Steffes' criticism of the current issue of Exhibitors' Bulletin as an example of camouflaged mudslinging we have only this to say. The Bulletin is an honest discussion of exhibitor problems in the light of present-day events in New York City and other large centers based on information received from state and regional gatherings and from exhibitors in all parts of the United States. " No accusation whatever has ever been made against the Minnesota unit of our national organization which we regard as one of the live active elements of exhibitor organization. The attitude assumed by Mr. Steffes in regard to the Hays contract may or may not reflect the opinion of his fellow exhibitors in Minnesota and after all matters of that kind must stand or fall on the question of fact. There never was a time when Mr. Steffes or any other official of the national organization or a state organization or any exhibitor in the United States was not entirely welcome at national headquarters, particularly so when constructive thought helpful to the independent theatre owners of the countrv might result from same."