Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1910)

460 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD The censorship bug a boo is on wing again. This is about the tnm for its annua] development. Every March or April the moral sensibilities of certain people seem peculiarly sensitive. It really looks suspicious that people who will stand for the Fall and Winter season make such a bold attack when the time approaches for the discarding of the Winter garment-for the Spring -t\ les. * * ■■:■ I think if all the manufacturers of films would tack on to the tail end of their subjects a fac-simile of a certificate that the film has been examined and passed by the National Board Censors the film exchanges and exhibitors would be rein \ed of considerable uneasiness. To give this more convincing effect I would favor the enactment of a law that any manufacturer who attaches such a certificate to his film when same has not been passed upon and approved by the Censors shall be subject to a substantial penalty. I do not think any reputable manufacturer would resort to this. I make this festion merely as a step towards meeting the spasmodic movements of fanatics who imagine that the purification of the moral standard of the country is dependent solely upon their efforts. I have before me now a number of letters from film exchanges in various parts of the country complaining that the local administrations are becoming exceedingly active mi the censorship cjucstion and asking me if it is not a fact that films are censored. The letters also state that in many places people holding views avowedly inimical to amusements have been selected to visit picture houses and censor the productions. One writer says the authorities of his hamlet insist that no pictures shall be shown until a certificate is deposited with them showing that they have been passed upon by the National Board of Censorship. The last writer upholds my idea that every manufacturer should attach a fac-simile certificate to their productions. * * # There is something in the whole business that is very much off-color, and a part of this something is that there is a concerted movement against moving pictures without regard to fairness. The present season has clearly demonstrated that the picture places have been stronger in competition with the regular theaters than at any other time since the existence of nickelodeons. In a great number of places owners of theaters have transformed them into picture houses and by judicial management made them pay. No complaints are heard from these sources. Quite to the contrary, the managers are so well pleased with the results, they have decided to continue the policy. Whence comes the trouble? Why, from Mr. Crusty, who owns the only "opree house" in Sound Slumber. Never a season passed that he could not rent his house at least three nights a week and get fif1 .11 dollars for every gol darn night. "Now those pesky picture men have come in and hired Sol Perkins' empty store room and arc making money. I plucked up courage and went in to fight them, but the film exchanges tried to get a firs" mortgagi on my house by asking me to pay them $18 a week for three reels of film changed six times a week. I only wanted the films changed six times a week because I wouldn't think of keeping my house open on Sundays. So, sez I, I'll fix 'em; and at the next meeting of the Ladies' Aid Society connected with our church I got my wife to take up the morality question. Gol dern it. no picture men are goin' to come in this place and keep my house closed! 'I'm from Missouri,' as 1 heard a play actor say one night, 'and you've got to show me.' " * * * That is the material the picture people have to contend with and they are encouraged by the one-night companies who occasionally stop over to try and recuperate railroad fares to the next town. Old Crust} then uses these people cperts ami between the two they impress upon the Common Council of the settlement the avalanche of immorality the moving pictures are responsible for. Then the Councilmen pass their hands over their ROateeS in a thoughtful mood between draughts of home-made cider and decide to revolutionize the situation. Have these people ever taken the trouble to figure how many young people the moving picture shows have taken from the streets and street corners? Have they figured on the decrease in the number of dance halls, pool-playing and like places since the establishment of the picture houses? Thousands upon thousands of men and youths will tell you that the nickelodeons are a blessing. Before they came into existence it was a case of wandering aimlessly about the streets, or go to the saloons. If there was more fairness and less prejudice shown in these so-called reform or antivice movements they would not be looked upon, as they sofrequently are, as subterfuges. * * * I found the following letter upon my desk yesterday: "Man About Town. "Moving Picture World, N. Y. City: "I want to ask a question and will thank you very much for a fair and square answer. I exhibit moving pictures. I was formerly in the grocery business, but saw what I thought was a good thing and became an exhibitor. In doing this I did not count myself a theatrical man. I went into it as a business man with the idea of conducting it on the same principle as I did the grocery. I started taking licensed films, but at various times I heard of such good Independent films and changed my service on the same principle that I changed from one house to another when I did not like certain goods. It made no difference to me whether the goods were made by a trust or independents. I was notified by my exchange one day that on account of my disposition to flop from licensed exchanges to independents so often I .would have to put up a guarantee to stay as a licensed exhibitor or drop the sen-ice. Now what I want to know is, has any exchange the right to dictate the class of goods I shall get for my place, and where I shall get them?" * * * I will be frank in this matter and say that, generally speaking, the right of dictation does not exist in this respect. At the same time, what are you going to do about it? It would seem that an announcement of such a nature by an exchange must be prompted by some ruling of the Motion Picture Patents Company. If such is the case, then the exchange must abide by it or take chances of being subjected to a heavy fine; therefore, the exchange can hardly be blamed in the matter. There is one thing in which the exhibitor is mistaken. The picture business and the grocery business are not similar, particularly that part of the picture business operating under the licensed system. The grocer boys and sells his stock. The picture man is only a renter and under certain conditions. Not being a lawyer, and never having heard of a test case on the point. 1 am not prepared to give the answer the correspondent evidently expects. In other words, I am not prepared to fix a limit to an agreement or guarantee a film exchange may exact before renting films to an exhibitor. I am inclined to the opinion that the film exchange is very much in the position of the landlord — the sky is the limit. * * * Having legal matters in view reminds me that last week Jack Binns, the wireless telegraph operator who gained so much fame by sticking to his post on the steamer Republic until she was about K> take her dive into the depths of the sea after being rammed by the Florida, appeared in the Supreme Court of New York as complainant against the Vitagraph Company. The Yitagraph got on the job right after the collision and issued a film it called "Saved by Wireless." Although it was not a comedy subject, Binns declared that it held him up to ridicule before the public. On cross-examination he admitted he had never seen the film and was depending upon what friends had told him. He said the film gave him notoriety lie did not wish; that if he wanted notoriety he had ample theatrical offers immediately after the collision at big weekly salary. He demanded several thousand dollars damages. The court announced that decision would be rendered at a later date.