The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

February 23, 1924 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 645 Lois Wilson Loaned To Appear in "Another Scandal" (or Hodkinson Corporation Under an exchange arrangement between the Hodkinson Corporation and Famous Players-Lasky, Betty Compson will return to Los Angeles to appear in a Paramount production under the direction of James Cruze, while Lois Wilson will be loaned to the Hodkinson Corporation to star in the Cosmo Hamilton story, "Another Scandal," to be produced at Miami, Florida, under the direction of E. H. Griffith. Betty Compson will leave for the coast immediately upon completion of the Alan Crosland production, "Miami," now being made in Florida for release through the Hodkinson Corporation. Miss Wilson is now appearing opposite Rudolph Valentino in "Monsieur Beaucaire" and as soon as this production is completed she will leave for Florida to begin work in "Another Scandal." Canon Chase Joyously Razzes "Movies" at Film Conference Authors League Meets Paramount Program at Recent Session in Manhattan At the regular fellowship meeting of the Author's League of America held recently at the Hotel Astor, New York, "The A. B. C. of the Movies" was the topic for discussion. E. Lloyd Sheldon, supervising editor of the Famous Players Long Island studio, was the chairman of the meeting. He introduced Arthur Stringer, who told the authors present about "Writing for the Movies." Peter B. Kyne discoursed on "How I Sell to the Movies" and Rudolph Valentino, Bebe Daniels, Lois Wilson and Richard Dix added their share to the program by telling "How I Act in Pictures." Others on the program were Ralph Block, manager of the editorial department of the Famous Players-Lasky corporation ; Fortest Halsey, scenarist, who has adapted "Monsieur Beaucaire" for the screen, and Julian Johnson, screen editor of the Famous Players-Lasky corporation. Re-engage Cabanne C. C. Burr is so highly pleased with the way William Christy Cabanne directed "The Average Woman," one of the Burr "Big Four" independent specials for 1923-24, that he has reengaged him to direct "Lend Me Your Husband," which will be placed in production shortly. AMERICAN producers, on February 13, were given their expected indictment at the opening, in Washington, of the National Motion Picture Conference. Among the charges were : That there is a trust among the producers which prevents all attempts to purify the industry; that pictures produced in America are of such a nature as to hamper seriously the work of missionaries in foreign fields ; that Sunday shows are given in defiance of the wishes of the people; and that the work of those who would reform the industry is being fought by charges that they are attempting to destroy the freedom of the press. The opening gun in the attack was fired by the Rev. William Sheafe Chase of Brooklyn, N. Y., in what he termed "a survey of the field." The proper regulation of the industry is a world problem, he declared, and for that reason the prompt adoption by Congress of the bill introduced by Representative Upshaw of Georgia last week for "regulation without censorship," which would tax the industry a million dollars a year, is necessary "not only for our own protection but for the moral welfare of the whole world." "Nine out of every ten pictures shown in foreign lands are made in the United States by five or six men who are in the courts accused by the Federal Trade Commission of conspiring to be a trust," declared Canon Chase. "These pictures are spreading a moral pestilence and infecting multitudes with the baser forms of impurity. "Three times has the motion picture promised to reform. Its first effort was by the establishment of the National Board of Censorship in 1909, the second by thirteen standards adopted by the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry on March 5, 1921, and in the third by the engagement of Will H. Hays as a movie czar on March 4, 1922. The failure to keep these promises is apparent to all men who are free to form an unbiased judgment. Five great authorities have declared that more effective regulation is needed. "The committee on education of the House of Representatives twice favorably reported the Smith-Hughes bill for federal regulation. The British Cinema Motion Picture Commission in 1920, and the New York State Legislature which, after a thorough investigation of the movies in 1921, enacted the New York State Motion Picture Law. Virginia in March, 1922, made the sixth state to enact state regulation of the movies. "Mr. Hays' principal success has been through his agents in the state Legislatures and in Congress in preventing the states and Congress from enacting laws to regulate the movies. He secured the support of 92 per cent, of the newspapers of Massachusetts in asking the voters to give him a chance to clean up the movies without any law. Twice the Massachusetts' Legislature had passed the law, but the voters by a large majority in the referendum in November, 1922, defeated the proposed state law and trusted Mr. Hays to purify the movies. Mr. Hays would like to do it, but the trust will not let him. "It is now evident to thoughtful men that the only method by which the picture men of the better sort can be expected to reform the industry is by resorting to commercial despotism, that is, by illegally forming a trust, a menace to fair business, free speech and free government. The industry is now in the strangle grip of a few producers, who seek to avoid every kind of control by law, and by cut-throat methods seek to destroy all competitors, and enter politics to prevent the duly elected representatives of the people from protecting the youth of the world from the contagion of their immoral films." The moving picture industry was conspicuous by its absence. Although the printed program listed speeches by a number of prominent producers, the engagements were apparently made without their consent and none appeared to take up cudgels for the industry. However, little or no defense by the industry itself was necessary. Adequate defense of moving pictures was made spontaneously, both by listed speakers and by delegates speaking from the floor. The great value of moving pictures in educational work was stressed by John J. Tigert, Commissioner of Education of the Department of Labor, who declared they were a valuable adjunct to school work and that he hoped some day to have a Congressional appropriation for visual education purposes. Scene from "On Time," Truart's Latest Production Starring Richard Talmadge. The Star is Supported by Billy Dove, Stuart Holmes, Charles Clary, Douglas Gerrard and Tom Wilson. '*" V i