Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1918)

January 26, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 487 Sg g. || g. g. |g |j |g g-. g-. y. ^. ^. ^. ^. g . . . He .-s .S ,S .^ .^ .^ .^ .^ ^ .^ .^ .vg ^ t^t^ Ml 9 77i^ Motion Picture Exhibitor — ~— — ~ — . .. -Jig g g y sr t<. ^J« g. <=* sr gg sr ■?■ <^« gf ♦ • • 1 gj -^ -^ g| «s -s -s> -s -^ gj S§ •'b 2§ gj •'» • U — . ■ : — : ; : — ; jj WRITE US EARLY AND OFTEN THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD carries the most complete record of Exhibitors' News. This department aims at being the fullest and fairest chronicle of all the important doings in the ranks of organized exhibitors. To keep the department as "complete and as useful as it is now we request the secretaries of all organizations to favor us with reports of all the news. Coming events in the ranks of the organized exhibitors are best advertised in this department of the Moving Picture World. Maryland Censorship Fight Maryland League Starts Campaign to Secure Repeal of Present Censor Law. THE opening gun in the campaign to be fought by the Maryland Exhibitor's League, for the repeal of the Moving Picture Censor Law, which has been in effect in that state since July, 1916, has been fired and much publicity has been given the matter. The League has opened headquarters in the New Theater Building, 210 West Lexington street, and it is understood that the committee handling the publicity end of the work includes Frank A. Hornig and L. A. DeHoff. Jack S. Connolly, a former well known newspaper man, is in charge of the campaign. A bill has been prepared carrying a repeal of the censorship law in Maryland which, it is expected, will be introduced in both the House and Senate at Annapolis within the next few weeks. It is not the desire of the motion picture exhibitors of Maryland, in asking that this law be repealed, that their theatres may be used for the showing and exhibiting of pictures which would have a tendency to debase the morals of their patrons, and for the most part, many exhibitors take special pains to see that their pictures are thoroughly without taint before they are thrown on the screen for the public. By the repeal of this law, it would not mean that Maryland would be without any sort of law for the restricting of immoral or improper pictures, for the police have always had the power to stop the showing of any pictures of this sort. Some of the arguments which are being put up by the Maryland exhibitors are: The law has been given a fair trial and has been found wanting on many grounds, especially as a large revenue producer for the state. The law gives opportunity to gag one of the largest sources of public expression. The law gives opportunity for a small group of individuals to pass upon the views and tastes of the community and to arbitrarily say what the public shall not see without the public being given an opportunity to voice its own sentiments. It is predicted that the revenue from the law will be wiped out dur"ng the year, due to the amount of film used in pictures being curtailed and to be further curtailed at the request of the government, which condition will cut down by almost a third the receipts of the Censor Board, which are based on the amount of film by feet which is censored. This, taken together with the additional allowance which is being asked for additional expenses of the board, will, it is thought, cause the revenue to be entirely wiped out. The Censor Board, it is shown, produced a revenue of $8,000 during its first year, with $4,000 to its credit during the first six months of the second year. A pamphlet has been issued by the League entitled "State Censorship — What It Means." In this book the following facts are given : Emphasis is placed on Article 40 of the Maryland Constitution, which provides for the liberty of the press and the inviolable right of every citizen to speak, write and publish his sentiments, being responsible for the privilege. The history of the Censor Law in Maryland, its origin and result, is reviewed. An extract from Bagby's Annotated Code is given, showing plainly the police power already possessed in the state to deal with obscene or other improper pictures, without resort to the abitrary censor law. Extracts are carried showing George Creel's repudiation of arbitrary censorship, and editorials from many prominent newspapers throughout the country against censorship are given. The officers of the Maryland Exhibitor's League are Frank A. Hornig, president; Louis Schlichter, first vice president; Eugene B. McCurdy, second vice president; W. A. Stumpf, treasurer; L. A. DeHoff, secretary, and J. Louis Rome, counsel. The legislative committee includes Louis Schlichter, J. Louis Rome, Eugene B. McCurdy and E. C. Sandell. For several months, members of the League have been actively engaged in obtaining just what the sentiment of the general public is in regard to the censorship question both in Baltimore City and Maryland in general. Due to this investigation, they have come to the conclusion that the censorship law is an unpopular measure. The work of the Censor Board is now in the hands of two people, Mrs. Marguerite E. Harrison, of Baltimore, understood to be also in newspaper work, and Charles E. Harper, of Salisbury, of whom it is said that he spends as much time at home as censoring pictures. The vacancy which has been open for several months is still vacant. On this phase of the question, the Baltimore News, published this editorial on January 8, under the title, "Waiting for the Right Man": "In Pennsylvania and Maryland," says D. W. Griffith, film play producer, "the moving picture censorship was made the football of party politics." The moving picture men desire no censorship, and this statement is part of their campaign to eliminate the Board of Moving Picture Censors in Maryland. But are we entirely innocent of their charge? "William F. Stone, who was the minority member of the Board, died on September 16. His successor has not been named. Governor Harrington has never displayed especial haste in making appointments ; but four months does seem rather a long time to search for a guardian of our movie morals. Is the Governor saving salaries? Or is it that the Movie Censorship Board isn't worth while, anyway? Or is it just that the Republican who is the Governor's ideal must possess other qualifications than those of aesthetic sensitiveness and ability to criticise intelligently the celluloid art? Not the last, surely; for it would be wholly incompatible with the Governor's official declaration that he is almost converted to the idea of the merit system. This, of course, precludes any suspicion that the job is being kept for dangling before Republican Legislator's eyes." Coming League and Other Exhibitors' Conventions (Secretaries Are Requested to Send Dates and Particulars Promptly) North Carolina Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association at Raleigh, N. C January 17-18 Massachusetts and Rhode Island Branches, M. P. E. L., at Quincy House, Boston. January 22 New York State M. P. E. L. at Grand Central Palace, New York February 2 to 10