Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1925)

November 28, 1925 2535 Notables Celebrate With Pathe News at Anniversary Dinner Vice-President Dawes Honor Guest at Brilliant Affair THE most notable affair of its kind ever held in the motion picture industry took place Saturday evening, November 14, when the Fifteenth Anniversary of Pathe News was observed by a dinner given at the Hotel Plaza, New York City. Vice-President Charles G. Dawes was the guest of honor. Others at the speakers' table included an amazing array of first-page names, such as Governor Albert C. Kitchie, of Maryland ; Major-General Mason M. Patrick, Chief of the Army Air Service ; Rear Admiral W. A. Moffett ; Major-General Fox Connor, Assistant Chief of Staff; Major-General Charles P. Summerall, Corps Commander, U. S. Army; Admiral S. S. Kobinson; Elmer R. Pearson, vice-president and general manager of Pathe; Congressman Ogden L. Mills; Gov. Lee Trinkle, of Virginia; Edmund C. Lynch, the financier; Richard P. Ernst, United States Senator from Kentucky; Emanual Cohen, editor of Pathe News; Don Manuel C. Tellez, Ambassador from Mexico; Frederic R. Coudert, internationally famous lawyer, the toastmaster; A. Van de Vyvere, the Belgian Minister of State; Curtis D. Wilbur, Secretary of the Navy; United States Senator Royal S. Copeland, of New York; Charles E. Merrill, of Merrill, Lynch & Co.; Gov. Ralph 0. Brewster, of Maine; Gov. George S. Silzer, of New Jersey; Jansen Noyes; McKenzie Moss, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury; Major-General John A. LeJeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps; Rear Admiral Charles P. Plunkett and Rear Admiral R. E. Coontz. Other prominent persons in the assemblage were: Bernard M. Baruch; Kent Cooper, General Manager of the Associated Press; Paul D. Cravath, the lawyer; George B. Cortelyou; F. Trubee Davison; James Montgomery Flagg, the artist; Daniel Frohman; Charles Dana Gibson; Major-General James G. Harbord; Thomas W. Lamont, of J. P. Morgan & Company; Jesse L. Lasky; Samuel McRoberts ; S. Stanwood Menken; Dwight W. Morrow, of J. P. Morgan & Company; Frank Presbrey; Courtlancl Smith, secretary of the Hays organization; Melville E. Stone, counselor of the Associated Press ; Herbert Bayard Swope, of the New York World ; Frederick William Wile, and Owen D. Young. Vice-President Dawes delivered a slashing attack on the antiquated rules of the United States Senate, pausing first to pay tribute to the world-wide importance of the news weekly. Gov. Ritchie again reiterated his staunch friendship for the motion picture. And Emanuel Cohen, of Pathe, reviewed the history of Pathe News and delivered one of the most effective speeches ever made at a film dinner. And that completed the speechmaking. Will H. Hays was to have been the only other speaker, but he was prevented from being present by a death in the family. He sent a telegram of warm greeting and congratulations. In an evening which was notable in many respects, the motion picture itself was distinctly starred. The guests sat for fifty minutes, their attention riveted on the screen, while "Flashes of the Past," a review of outstanding events since 1910 was shown. This is one of the most remarkable pictures ever projected and represents news weekly skill at its highest peak. Pictures of the guests themselves were shown and these won great commendation. Everything in connection with the affair was run smoothly and impressively. Musical selections were rendered by an orchestra under the personal direction of Vincent Lopez, while the musical interpretation for the "Flashes" was directed by Emanuel Cohen, editor of Pathe News, meets Vicepresident Charles G. Dawes and Mrs. Dawes upon their arrival in New York City for the 15th anniversary dinner of Pathe News. Dr. Hugo Risenfeld, and the proceedings were broadcast by WJZ. Some of the salient points made by Gov. Ritchie of Maryland, with particular reference to the film business, follow: "In the honest examination to give the public the cleanest and best, Maryland exhibitors are not surpassed by exhibitors or producers anywhere. I believe that as a class they regard their business as impressive with a public press, and as a class they are entirely faithful to that trust. Maryland, it is true, is one of the states where censorship exists. When it comes to Pathe News service, no censorship is necessary and there ought not to be any. But in any event, it is Maryland's policy to insist on a sane censorship, enough to protect the public where that may be necessary, but never enough to impair the responsibility of the producers and exhibitors for the pictures which they show. "That is the balance which ought to be struck in all public regulation. That is the balance, that is the line which ought never to be lost sight of, whether regulation is in the field where it is concededly necessary, such as railroads and public utilities, or whether it is in the field where the necessity for it is by no means so clear, and in that field I would put the moving picture industry. "But if regulation is necessary to protect the public, then let it be confined to what is needed to protect the public and nothing else, and let it be administered in a way that recognizes that the men in charge of this great industry want to run it and are capable of running it cleanly and decently, and do not let us have interference anywhere which will take from the owners of the industry the responsibility for the operation of their own business and for the character of the pictures which they show. (Applause.) "The moving picture industry cannot succeed, cannot merit or hold public approval any more than any other industi'y can unless its product has character. That is the great thing in life, for an individual in public service or in business — character. The owners are the ones who ought to be most interested in giving it character. Certainly, the vast majority of them are. So state interference should never be permitted to go to an extent which might lessen the obligation and lessen the authority of this great right-thinking majority of your industry who will be satisfied with nothing less than the best, themselves to compel the small minority in their industry to live up to their high standards or else to get out of the business and to go into some other one where the standards are not so high. "I am, of course, speaking only of state regulation. A good deal of the state regulation, goodness knows, is bad enough. And if the Maryland legislature ever passed a bill such as the Connecticut legislature passed, I don't believe I could be too quick in getting them back again to repeal it. "And so I take it for granted that you will agree with me that to the extent that any