Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

September , "i p s i 1197 A. M. P. A. to Wage Free Screen Mar ^i\T tE have been dragged against our yV/ wishes into politics, and now by * " the eternal gods we will fight our way out." In this way, J. W. O'Mahoney, advertising director for Educational Films, announced to representatives of the press on Wednesday afternoon the launching of a campaign by the A. M. P. A. to secure the repeal of the censorship law in the state of New York.^ A " Freedom of the Screen Committee," of which Mr. O'Mahoney is the chairman, has been formed to lead in the fight. This committee is composed of the trade-paper editors and A. M. P. A. members associated vvith leading producer, distributor, and exhibitor organizations in the industry. An executive-committeeman will take charge of the local campaign in every Assembly district of the state. Speakers, slides, posters, press notices, stories — all directed towards the task of winning a repeal of the state censorship law— will be placed at the service of the industry and every department in it. " As citizens and taxpayers," declared Mr. O'Mahoney, " we will address questionnaires to every candidate for the New York Assembly this fall and will ask each one, >/ irrespective of his political affiliation, to state plainly his stand on censorship. To those who declare in favor of a repeal of the censorship statute we will lend every lawful support irrespective of the candidate's political ties. With regards to those who declare for state censorship, we will use every legitimate means in our power to bring about their defeat. " The A. M. P. A.," declared Mr. O'Mahoney, " is a strictly neutral organization, not associated financially with any other association in the industry and yet representative in its membership ot every element in the industry. The A. M. P. A. represents the greatest aggregation of advertising and publicity experts and public speakers in the country. We are at the service of the entire industry and only await the call of whoever wishes to make use of our services in combatting this un-American censorship.. This industry has studiously avoided politics up to the present. The politicians have foisted censorship on us, and I sincerely believe their real motive was to throttle the screen and make it a vehicle of political propaganda. We have been dragged against our wishes into politics and now by the eternal gods we will fight our way out." Charles O'Reilly, president of the M. P. T. O. of New York State, in a letter to Mr. O'Mahoney, expressed his hearty approval of the A. M. P. A.'s campaign and said the matter would be shortly submitted for the endorsement of the executive committee of his organization. A letter from the National Association's headquarters warmly commended the plan also. Mr. O'Mahoney said the Committee was a permanent one and that later the fight agciinst censorship and similar movements would be extended to other states besides New York. FREEDOM FOR THE SCREEN COMMITTEE. J. W. O'Mahoney, Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., Chairman ; Samuel Palmer, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, Secretary; Thomas Wiley, Photo Repro. Co., Financial Secretary. MEMBERS. Horace Judge, Associated First National Exhibitors; P. A. Parsons, Pathe; Arthur Brilant, Associated Producers; Arthur James, Moving Picture World; Thomas Hamlin, Motion Picture Journal; Joseph Dannenburg, Wid's Daily; C. L. Yearsley, Associated First National Exhibitors: G. McL. Baynes, Kinograms News Weekly; Paul Gulick, Universal; Victor Shapiro, Pathe; W. A. Johnston, Motion Picture News; Martin Quigley, Exhibitors' Herald; Charles Burell, Associated Motion Picture Advertisers; Paul Lazarus, United Artists; Nat. Grandlund, Marcus Loew, Inc. ; Vivian Moses', Fox Film Corporation ; Larry Boynton, Trade Review) elected, but acceptance not yet received, as he has been out of town. Referendum on Censorship , in Massachusetts V Petitions signed by twenty-five thousand r certified voters of Massachusetts were I filed with the Secretar)' of State in Boston, h Tuesday, August 23, requesting a referenI dum on the question of film censorship in ^ that state. This automatically nullifies the Massachusetts censorship law until the voters at the November election in 1922 [ decide whether or not they want screen t' censorship. Otherwise the film censorship law would have become operative in J Massachusetts January i, 1922. Under the Massachusetts law, fifteen thousand signatures to the referendum would have ) insured the question of screen censorship being passed upon by ballot. It is the first time in the history of the [picture industry that the voters of any state have been given the opportunity to pass upon the question of legalized screen i control. j The petitions were gathered under the 1^ direction of Judge J. Albert Brackett of Boston, representing the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry. The film exchange managers of Boston aided Judge Brackett in this work. The Allied Theatres of Massachusetts also cooperated with the National Association in securing the signatures of voters. Zuckor Hearings Continue (Continued from page 1194) W. A. True, committeeman from Hartford, Conn., next presented two cases for Mr. Zukor's immediate attention. The first concerns Maurice Pouzzner, operator of the Gem Theatre at Willimantic, Conn., who has been a steady customer of Paramount. Last year, according to Mr. True, Black took over the Loomer Opera House in Willimantic. To date, however, Mr. Black has not used this house, declared Mr. True. Black's lease on the Opera House expires November 15th, added Mr. True, and now Pouzzner fears that Black may renew his lease and eventually deprive him of the Paramount service. The second case presented by Mr. True involves Mr. Zukermann of Norwich, Conn. iMr. Zukermann runs the Breed Theatre and the Majestic Roof Garden in that town. He also has been using Paramount service for some time. At the present time, declared Mr. True, the Strand Theatre in Norwich, owned by Mr. Davison, is open for sale, and Mr. Black recently began negotiations for the taking over of this house. In the event of Black securing control of the Strand, continued Mr. True, IMr. Zuckermann expects that he will be deprived of the Paramount service. Mr. Zukor promised immediate action in both cases. Missouri Kansas Exhibitors to Meet Sept. 12 The date for the joint convention of the exhibitors of Kansas and Missouri has been set for September 12 and 13. It will be held at the Hotel Baltimore in Kansas City, Mo. Governor Henry J. Allen, of Kansas; Governor Arthur M. Hyde, of Missouri ; Attorney General Hopkins of Kansas; Senators Capper and Curtis of Kansas, and Senator Reed of Missottri will be guests at the convefntTon,-and earch is expected to talk on blpe laws , and the proposed taxation. The -committee consisting of R. G, Liggett, R. R. Biechele and M. Van Praag, of Kansas; and A. M. Eisner, C. H. Burkey and L. Goldman, of Missouri, have arranged an elaborate entertainment program. This is the first time the exhibitors of these two states have met jointly. Richard's Fight Pictures Prohibited in Chicago Chief of Police Fitzmorris, of Chicago, who also is ex-ofiicio head of the city's moving picture board, has announced that any attempt on the part of Tex Rickard or any other person to show the moving pictures of the Dempsy-Carpentier bout at a public exhibition in Chicago will be stopped by the police. Mr. Rickard brought the DempseyCarpentier fight film to Chicago last week and showed it to disabled soldiers at some of the local hospitals, for which he was held to the United States Grand Jury under ten thousand dollar bonds. " Our policy is not to permit the show. ing of pictures which depict unlawful acts," said the Chief. The Dempsey-Carpentier fight would have been unlawful in Illinois. Consequently no permit for these pictures will be issued by the censorship board. In Canada the fight pictures were shown at Fort William, Ontario, despite the fact that they had been condemned^ by the Ontario Board of Censors. It w^as explained by the Board to the reformers that the extreme sections of the province were allowed to be governed by the rulings ef the, Manitoba Board of Censors, because of their great distance from Toronto. The Manitoba Board had passed the ' feature. The picture was also approved by the Quebec Board and was :. shown in Hull, Quebec^ I