Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

1080 MOTOGRAPHY Maryland Censors Forced Into Court Judge Duffy of Baltimore to Rule on Whether Rejection of " War Brides " Is Justified MARYLAND'S censorship board has been dragged into the courts for the first time. Incidentally, the court was turned into a motion picture theatre, for a private view of "War Brides" was given at Baltimore the other day for the edification of Judge Duffy, the state attorney general and a few lawyers who will argue the case. The, court has been asked to pass upon an appeal taken from a decision of the censors forbidding the exhibition of the film. The suit is arousing much interest among lawyers generally, as well as among the men in the motion picture industry, as it is the first appeal to be taken under the law creating the board. The appeal was made a few weeks ago by Sylvan Hayes Laucheimer, representing Stern & Wolf, of Philadelphia, counsel for Selznick & Company, owners of the picture. The point at issue is one of patriotism and was raised more than a year ago following a request by Governor Harrington that the board should prohibit the showing of pictures which, in its estimation, were calculated to foster disloyal sentiments or to impair the morale of the community. Goldwyn's "Joan" Honored "Joan of Plattsburg," Goldwyn's patriotic comedy-drama starring Mabel Normand, was selected by the Children's Year Campaign Association in Washington, D. C, for a private showing at the Knickerbocker Theatre on June 4, to a distinguished invited audience. Among the guests were Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and ladies of the cabinet. Miss Normand appeared in person at the performance as part of a patriotic program arranged to give the play an appropriate setting as the story of the unswerving faith of the nation's women in time of war. The program was arranged under the personal direction of Harry M. Crandall, owner of the theatre, and Arthur Robb, his manager. Decision Reserved in Film Suit The taking of testimony in the General Film Company's preferred stockholders' " $2,000,000 accounting suit, in which virtually every film producer and 'motion picture corporation' of importance is named as co-defendant, is ended. Justice George Hullan, before whom it was tried, has reserved decision and directed that briefs in the action be filed next month. "War Brides" was passed by the board of censors in March, 1917, with a few eliminations, and was shown at Ford's in Baltimore for a week during that month. Shortly after the declaration of war by this country, the board notified Selznick & Company that the further showing of the picture in Maryland would not be permitted unless the film was submitted again for examination. This was after an opinion had been obtained from Attorney General Albert C. Ritchie that pictures calculated to obstruct or discourage recruiting were detrimental to the public morals in the present crisis. The picture was withdrawn, and1 it was not until this January that it was shown to the censors again and rejected. A second showing failed to sway the board, and the appeal followed. A claim by the board that it was doing a great patriotic work by clipping films "injurious to the morale of the public" was one of the pleas for its life made at the recent session of the Maryland Legislature, when the motion picture men made a strong fight to have state censorship abolished. Fail to Stop "Birth of a Nation" The mayor and commissioners of Jackson, Tennessee, acting upon the statutory law and a city ordinance, attempted to prevent "The Birth of a Nation" from being shown recently. Notice was served on Dan Williamson, owner and manager of the Lyric theatre, that the picture would not be allowed. Mr. Williamson sought and obtained from Chancellor Ross an injunction to restrain the city authorities from carrying out the order. The Chancellor then heard argument on a motion of the city to dismiss the injuction, and held that proof was necessary first to show that the result of the picture would be harmful. In the absence of such proof the court refused to dismiss the restraining order and thus the play was allowed to proceed. Funkhouser Sues Trade Review kajor Funkhouser has filed a $100,000 libel suit against the Exhibitor's Trade Review and Leslie Mason of New York, its editor. The suit is based upon the publication of an imaginary interview between Funkhouser and the Kaiser in which the latter thanks the major for his "aid and comfort." Vol. XIX, No. 23 Suggests Film "Hall of Fame" Maurice Tourneur's suggestion that the motion picture world should honor its pioneer investigator, Eadweard Muybridge, has created so much interest that Mr. Tourneur believes a definite plan should be launched. Muybridge began his experiments in California in 1872 in photographing moving horses with a series of plate cameras placed adjoining each other. The Muybridge investigations, which secured a series of action pictures, led directly to the creation of the photoplay. These extended experiments were made possible by the grant of $40,000 by the University of Pennsylvania. "I believe that we should erect a building— a screen temple — to Muybridge," says Mr. Tourneur. "Perhaps we should make it even broader in scope, a sort of movie hall of fame. Here we could pay our tribute to Muybridge, Edison, Eastman and the other men whose investigations have been milestones in the progress of the motion picture." Metro Gets New Leading Man Harry Hilliard, one of the screen's most versatile leading men, has been engaged to play opposite May Allison in her third Metro starring vehicle, "The Way to a Man's Heart," a story with a Southern setting, written by June Mathis. Harry Franklin is directing. Hilliard has been a picture player for several years and has attained a wide popularity. His first picture was "The Strength of the Weak," with Mary Fuller. For two years he was leading man under the Fox banner for Vivian Martin, Theda Bara, June Caprice and Valeska Suratt. May Stop Censorship < There are indications in Kansas City that Mayor Cowgill and his administration intend repealing the ordinance regarding censorship. The mayor has dismissed Fred F. McClure, who has been the film censor, and appointed Sidney J. Baker, a friend, in his place. Newspaper accounts of the affair regard this as a step in the discontinuance of the present system of censorship at least. Mary Garden Safe in France Her friendly relations with Goldwyn by no means at an end witli her appearance in "The Splendid Sinner," Mary Garden has cabled news of her safe arrival in Paris after what she describes as "the most gorgeous winter in my life." Now she will go down to the Riviera ■pictures being shown children.