Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1920)

Photoplay Magazine — Advertising Section The Mighty Messenger ( Continued) life. It was like the emotion of a mother who has married ofi the last one of a large family of daughters, or the captain of industry who has retired at sixty, or the soldier who has won the war, got his discharge and has no job awaiting him. "Look here, we've got to have something to reform, haven't we?" they said. They looked all around, and, not being cowards or shirkers by nature, they picked on the biggest, thing in sight and they are going after it, tooth and nail. In practically every state in the union groups of zealous but misguided reformers are attempting to push through their legislatures bills which provide for the censorship of the motion picture. And censorship means death to the motion picture. Death, at least, to its proper expaniion, development and achievement. For these advocates of censorship ask that bejore a film is given to the public it shall be judged by a select board of judges who will decide whether or not the people of this free country shall be allowed to see it! Could any industry or any art survive and grow under such conditions? Suppose every one who wrote a book, or painted a picture, or composed the score of an opera, or p)erfected a marvelous invention, knew that some legally appointed committee would decide whether his w-ork might ever be given to the public ! Who is competent to appoint such a committee? Who is competent to serve on it? Whom are you willing to have decide what you shall or shall not look upon ? There were those who raged against Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, and called his work the invention of the devil. They predicted dire results from the printed page being made available to everybody. A long time ago? Yes. But do vou happen to know that there are pious souls today who violently resent the aeroplane, protesting that if God had wanted men to fly he would have given them wings like the birds? And it is such sincere and zealous souls — Heaven help us! — who go in most violently for "reforms'' and hence are most likely to be appointed on censorship boards. This is proven by the irrational decisions in the four states where censorship now exists — Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kansas, and Maryland. In the state of Ohio it is forbidden to show a film which portrays any kind oi a snake. The snake is unpleasant to many of us, but after all he is admitted to the most select museums and zoological gardens, and he can hardly be called immoral. In the state of Pennsylvania a woman making baby clothes may not be shown on the screen. And the censors solemnly say that the reason for this is that children think babies are brought by the stork! Why not prohibit pictures of Christmas shopping, because children believe in Santa Claus? And speaking of what children should see, this is as good a time as any to suggest that we try to get rid of the absurd idea that every film should be suitable for children to see. We might as well try to grade all magazines by St. Nicholas, all stage plays by Peter Pan, all art by Kate Greenaway ! Recently the Methodist Episcopal church has shown its breadth of interests and its wisdom by establishing an immense bureau for the promotion and advancement of the motion picture among its people. One of the films which they recommended to their members, without qualification, was the re cent Barrymore production of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." And in three out of the four states having censorship this film failed to pass the boards ! Do our motion pictures need reforming? They do, in certain respects. So do our newspapers, our books, our music, our drama, our clothes, our schools, our diet, our churches, and our relormcrs. But are we willing to appoint a committee to pass on any of these things ana dole out to us what they think is proper? Did you ever meet an advocate of censorship who felt that he needed his pictures censored by anyone before he saw them? His invariable attitude is that he can look at any of them without being harmed, but his neighbor, or his neighbor s wife or "people of the other class" need some one to decide for them. But do they? William and I look at our experience in the motion picture business, among the people whom the reformer likes to call "the other class." We think how vigorously they applaud patriotism, courage, generosity, virtue, and how quickly they hiss the traitor, the coward, the braggart, the villain. We think of the packed house when the posters outside advertise a religious film ; of the blear-eyed, broken men who say as they go out after the story that shows forcefully the wages of sin, "that's good for the boys — give 'em more of it;" of the young girls and their "fellows" who go away shining-eyed after a strong, clean story of love triumphant ; ot the careworn, weary faces that lose their tired lines for awhile in the uproarious fun of the harmless comedy ; and we know that the great majority of every audience likes the good pictures. We know that by the operation of the good old law of supply and demand the film will grow better, not worse. The only way to abolish any evil is to educate the people until they will not tolerate it. In all history no wrong has ever stayed dead until it was killed by force of public opinion. Reverend Cyrus Townsend Brady said shortly before his death, "It is the duty of the church to make people righteous. Then they will want and patronize only good pictures." Every citizen should realize that we already have laws which are ample to protect the public against obscene or immoral books, pictures, or plays, and it is a civic duty to see that these laws are enforced. Unquestionably there are both producers and exhibitors who have no hesitation in trying to put before the public films that are vicious and degrading. It is a cheering fact that these films invariably have failed to pay their makers as well as the cleaner kind. They will pay still less when every one who dislikes them registers disapproval at the box office. There are just two short and easy steps to "reforming" the motion picture. I. Stay away from the theater that advertises a bad film. If you inadvertently patronize one, tell the manager you did not like it. II. Watch for announcements, in the newspapers and magazines, of the good new films, and tell the manager of your favorite theater that you want to see them. That's the kind of censorship that brings quick and lasting resi.its. In this country, the people will stand for just one kind of censorship — that which is of the people, for the people, and by the people! Speak up, you people who believe in free speech, free press, free government, and tell the legislators of your state that you'll censor your own pictures, thank you ! Now easilu 'Rquqivqcl PC ! REMATURE gray Kair tKat falsely proclaims the passing of youth is not more unpopular today than it vJas two thousand L J years ago. All througk tKe ages, in every land, women Have sought and cKemists have tried to perfect a satisfactory preparation for coloring and renewing gray, faded and streaked hair. In tKe short time that "Brownatone" Kas been on the market it's sales have increased so rapidly and to such a tremendous total as to prove that it is giving perfect satisfaction to more women than anything previously discovered for this purpose. BROWNATONE If you have not tried "Brownatone" and compared it's simple, clean, easy method of application, it's instant results, and it's truly remarkable reproduction of your gray hair's original color, there is a delightful surprise waiting for you. Any good druggist can supply "Brownatone" — 50cand $1.50. Two colors: "Light to medium Brown" and "Dark Brown to Black." Guaranteed absolutely harmless. For a free trial bottle of "Brownatone" with simple directions send lie to pay packing postage and war tax, to THE KENTON .PHARMACAL CO. 566 COPPIN BLDG 1 • Co})mgton, Konhicky, USA^^^'"^ ^ Canada Address Windsor. Oniano _ When you xrlie to ailvcrtisora please racnilon PHOTOPLAY .MAGAZINE.