The Moving picture world (April 1920-May 1920)

50 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD April 3, 1920 Some Short and Snappy Stuff "See How the Star Is Shining." We're going to dedicate this song to Elaine Hammerstein, Selznick's star. Modified Censorship Bill to Be Reported in Massachusetts A BILL providing that the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety be given power to prohibit anything in a motion picture film or in connection with one which the department considers cruel, obscene, indecent, immoral or likely to debase or to corrupt morals or to incite to crime, is being drafted by the subcommittee of the Massachusetts legislative committee on mercantile afifairs. The sub-committee, it is learned, will present this modified censorship act to the full committee, which in turn will report it to the legislature. Rejecting the proposed plan of censorship advocates to have a board of censorship of motion pictures in the department of labor and industries, the full committee appointed the sub-committee to draw up a bill that would do away with the censorship idea and yet would protect th^ public against any improper films. The sub-committee has decided, it is learned, that the public safety bureau is the body where the authority should rest, inasmuch as the bureau at present has supervision of films shown at Sunday performances. Exhibitors to Ask Governor for Change in Kansas Censors A CHANGE in the personnel of the board of censors in Kansas City is said to be a certainty. The board now consists of three women. There was a man on the board once — in the days when every film was cut and criticized, when every day there was a row, and when a distributor knew that any punch his picture had would be softened to a bliint end before the board got through with it. The women censors have got away with their job pretty well, considering everything. The three women are of widely different types, and, as might be expected, they seldom agree. The wonder is that any picture gets through— the situation being saved, apparently, by the fact that one or another of the censors objects strenuously to' every picture and the two others agree in its favor. It is true, however remarkable it may seem, that seldom do two of the censors agree on a proposition of condemning an entire picture. The result has been that pictures move through the board fairly, steadily, with fewer cuts than occurred a few years ago. But the Kansas exhibitors take the position that it is weakness to submit to censorship at all, when they know it is wrong, when they feel that the public resents censorship. Therefore it is the acme of base submission to allow censorship to be conducted in a manner positively against what they consider the public interest. They have taken the matter up with the governor and will secure changes in the personnel if possible. H. D. Kline-Universal Suit Has Been Settled Amicably THE suit instituted in the Federal Court of New York City by Harry D. Kline, who was formerly employed as manager of the production department in the Universal Film Manufacturing Company's studio at Universal City, against the film company to recover approximately $33,000 was discontinued on March 12. While no statement was forthcoming in connection with the discontinuance of the litigation, it is understood that the controversy was settled amicably out of court. The order of discontinuance was signed by Judge Learned Hand upon the consent of counsel for both sides. The film company set up a counterclaim of $150,000, alleging that Kline had been wasteful and extravagant in the expenditure of the corporation's funds in the production end of the business; that he had refused to consider the suggestions of the executives of the company and that he had demoralized the studio staff. South Bend Mayor Charges Profiteering by Exhibitors FR. CARSON, mayor of South Bend, Ind., has started a war against alleged • profiteering by certain motion picture exhibitors of that city. He called the various managers to his office and informed them of complaints that the proprietors of some of the theatres had bought cheap films for Sunday performances and then had boosted the admission price. According to the mayor one South Bend theatre charged 28 cents admission on a Sunday for a show far inferior to that presented during the week for only 22 cents. "This looks to me as if that manager was trying to take advantage of the Sunday crowds," said the mayor. "This must stop or I shall take drastic action against the theatres. I am strongly in favor of Sunday shows, but I don't favor profiteering." He instructed the theatre men not to increase admission prices or cut programs on Sundays, and also ordered that the doors are not to be opened uptil 1 o'clock in the afternoon. He informed the proprietors that a continuance of the policy which had been brought to his attention would result in the city administration closing the theatres on Sundays. The theatre men all agreed to abide by his suggestions. W. H. Swanson Returns to Salt Lake. W. H. Swanson, president of the Swanson Theatre Circuit which operates the American, Gem and Strand theatres, has returned to Salt Lake City from a twomonths' business trip to New York, where he attended the annual meeting of the First National officers and transacted other business. After spending a few days in Salt Lake City he went to Los Angeles on a brief business trip. Max Spiegel to Build Theatre on Astor Site MAX SPIEGEL, vice-president of the Strand Theatre Company, has closed a sixty-three year lease with William Vincent Astor, on premises 246-256 (inclusive) West Forty-fourth street. New York, making a plot of 100 by 125 feet. This property is located directly opposite the Broadhurst Theatre and joins the Little Theatre on the west. Mr. Spiegel will be given possession of this property on May 1 next, when the buildings will be demolished to be replaced by a new theatre of the highest type of construction, with a seating capacity of 1,600, of which 1,000 will be located on the lower floor and 600 in the balcony. It is Mr. Spiegel's intention to devote his new theatre to the presentation of high class musical productions exclusively. Plan to Use 200 Prints of "Is America Worth Saving?" COLONEL ARTHUR WOODS, former police commissioner of New York, and now in charge of all welfare work for the .'\merican Legion, together with scores of other well-known men and women, visited the Universal Service Theatre during the last week and saw "Is America Worth Saving?" the straight Americanization picture produced by Harry Levey from the scenario written by Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University. The picture was of particular interest to Mrs. Arthur Woods, who was present with her husband after war-time service overseas, for the reason that her great, great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton, is visualized in Dr. Butler's patriotic picturization along with Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. As the grand-daughter of J. Pierpont Morgan, and a direct descendant of the first secretary of the treasury of the United States in Mrs. Woods' veins flows the blood of America's two greatest financiers. Dr. Butler has not yet seen the completed picture, but is expected home from Augusta, Ga., within the next few days, when he will aid Mr. Levey in putting the finishing touches to the film. Two hundred prints of "Is America Worth Saving?" will be circulated, and it is believed that within three months almost every person in the country will have had an opportunity of seeing it. Balkan States Offers Big Opportunities for Pictures A FINE field for motion pictures exists in the Balkan States, according to Captain Eaton Webster, of the Balkan Reconstruction Commission, who addressed the .Associated Motion Picture -Advertisers at their weekly luncheon at the Cafe Boulevard. Introduced by Charles Barrel!, Captain Eaton explained that he was sent to the Balkans to do special work in Serbia and Jugo-Slavia. "The opportunities for motion pictures in the Balkans are exceptionally fine," said Captain Eaton. "The people there are motion picture 'fans.' American motion picture enterprise would be just the thing that would bring a ready response from the people. "Another point is that the Serbs are born motion picture actors. Anyone taking a picture in that country -.vould not have to bother about taking 'extras' along with him."