Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

Motion Picture News Will H . Hays THE happiest augury we can conceive of for this industry in 1922 is the fact, definite we understand, that Will H. Hays is to head the new Association of producers and distributors. We earnestly believe that none of the exceptionally prominent men considered by the Association, in fact no other individual in this broad land, is so thoroughly fitted for the unusual demands of this unusual position. Unusual? Yes. Potentially so; and Mr. Hays is just the man to see the bigness of the job and grapple it with two fearless, experienced, swift moving and able fists. The motion picture today, over and beyond its commercial and amusement elements — important as these are — is the greatest force, ever known, in the moulding of public opinion. That is its overshadowing greatness. It is not merely a theatrical business. That is the fact that every producer, distributor and exhibitor must realize. That’s the eternal truth! * * * Today the picture is in a strangle-hold with public opinion. Not with public opinion directly, but with those who believe it is their duty to safeguard public opinion. We mean the professional reformer — and we apologize to those whom we must also include, namely the church, its Ministerial Associations and other agencies; the school, women’s clubs, civic organizations, Mother and Parent, Teachers’ organizations, etc., etc. Not all of these institutions — not all by a long shot — are seeking, with unheard of restrictions, to throttle the pictures’ usefulness to Society. But it is safe to say that between the picture and its industry on the one hand, and on the other the religious and social forces of the land there exists the strangest and most unfortunate misunderstanding ever heard of. It is almost entirely our own fault. We are human and we have made the mistakes that result everywhere from human greed and vanity. But as an industrial group we are just as well meaning and as citizens we are just as decent as any other group of men in the world. That is not the point. The point is that we have always given forth a steady flood of bad publicity about ourselves and very little good publicity. We have lied about ourselves, misrepresented ourselves. That’s bad enough. But we have never made a move to defend ourselves against the lies thrown at us, inspired as they have been by malice, self-seeking or just the wild suspicions our own lies created. We have never made one, united, constructive move to set the industry right in the public mind. * * * Is the public with us today? I doubt it; assuredly it won’t be if we permit many of the finest social agencies in this country to misunderstand us any longer. Mr. Hays — and we speak from the unanimous opinion of those who know him — is dynamic and fearless. He is idealistic. He is an organizer. He is human and therefore liberal and diplomatic. He will, we believe, shake a lot of youthful silliness and selfishness out of this industry; and he will plead our just cause before the bar and jury of public opinion. He will work with the Exhibitor organization, and the Exhibitor organization will work with him. We congratulate the new Association for the finest and most intelligent move this industry has ever made. And we are inclined to con VOL. XXV JANUARY 14, 1922 NO. 4