The Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1914)

94 Till. MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE appearance of prehistoric man. I believe teachers and educators would welcome such a move as this. Another improvement would be an increase in the size of the screen now used. s<> that very large scenes a baseball game, or a three-ring circus, lor instance — could be more accurately represented than is now possible. Jean Sibley, of Birmingham, Ala., is evidently opposed to all forms of censorship, and argues as follows: Answers to this question are numberless in the eyes of many people, but to all educated and broad-minded people the question of censorship conies first and foremost The industry of making Motion Pictures is just past infancy, and. like all other really meat achievements, has had to stand ridicule and contempt from its rival, the legitimate stage, and from the genera] public. These obstacles have been overcome, for the photoplay has become one of the most popular amusements thruout the world, and. today, the stage and the Moving Pictures are engaged in a struggle for supremacy Immoral and risque* plays are produced, and every adverse criticism is only a boost to their popularity. With the Motion Pictures, such a thing is impossible, on account of the National Board of Censorship, whose duty it is to pass upon every film before it is released for exhibition. This brings up the question: "Is it fair for any kind of Stage play to be produced unmolested, while the photoplay must be restricted to a tiny sphere of themes?" The Moving Pictures are hampered because of censorship. The photoplaywriirht must keep his plot within certain narrow bounds, and the players of che silent drama are held so tightly by the chains of censorship that unless they are soon released the pictures will become too hackneyed and monotonous to sit thru. The only solution to this problem is: Let the public be judge of whether the Moving Pictures should he so severely censored. Curtis L. Anders, of Commerce, Tex., writes mostly of minor faults : Too much importance is attached to keeping the actor's face toward the camera. The naturalness of the situation is often sacrificed on this account. For instance. the heroine is seated in a parlor; the hero enters; she poses contentedly, without turning her head, until he gets around where she can see him without turning her face away from the camera. The natural way would be to arise and greet the newcomer in the way that the situation demanded. The audience dont object to seeing the back of the head occasionally. Another thing that looks ridiculous is where a couple is getting married, and the minister stands behind the contracting parties. Whoever saw a ceremony performed in this manner? In "Westerns" I often see the cowboys carrying a pistol on the left hip in front. Who ever heard of a right-handed man carrying a pistol anywhere but on the right hip? In getting on a horse they catch the saddle-horn with the right hand. The proper way is to catch the saddle-horn with the left hand and the back of the saddle with the right. I can make no suggestions in other departments, as I have had no chance to observe them. A large number of readers contend that there are too many drinkingscenes in the plays, and too much display of liquor and firearms. There seems also to lie a demand for the name of the scenario writer, on the screen, and also for casts of characters. Julia Brainard, of Onoonta. X. V.. says: "There is a psychological reason for the latter, because, when the public begin to know an actor as an individual and not as a part of a picture, they learn to look for thai actor, and then going to the movies becomes a habit." (Ji'over C. Johnson, of Syracuse, X. V.. suggests several improvements, among them "careless operation," which, he says, spoils many good plays, because the films are run too swiftly or too slowly. Hugo Tiefenbrum, of New York, objects most to "the wind blowing too much in indoor scenes." and .Miss Lillian Donovan. o\' South Xorwalk. Conn., suggests placing the easts on slides, which appears to be an excellent idea. Space forbids ((noting further Prom the many excellent letters received, hut next month this department will be continued at length.