Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1921 - Feb 1922)

Let's Silence Censorship by Ridicule. To improve the screen for me, give us some photo plays that will laugh, ridicule, jeer, and sneer the censors into silence, as Cervantes, hy his book, "Don Quixote," silenced knight-errantry in Spain when it went too far. You producers can do it ! Do it now ! Cater to your millions of fans — not to the censor. We will stand by you. Mrs. KiTTiE O'Brien. (Age fifty-one). 124 West Twentieth Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. DID YOUR LETTER to appear on this page when A Fan Club Would Find a Way to Remedy This. My main complaint about the movies is that in our town we never know what is going to be shown far enough in advance to make plans to see it. That is, we don't unless we happen to be almost daily attendants, and see the bills on the screen. Our daily paper, which carries the announcement of the program for the day, does not come out until nearly night, when it is too late to make plans. Of course I am writing of the folks who only go occasionally, and who have to select their pictures. I, personally, have to depend on the afternoon show. The film for the day arrives on the one-fifty train, and when the train is late, which it very often is, another film is put on for the afternoon. I can only afford one, or, at the most, two shows a week, and if I fail to see the one I select as my favorite for the week I am very much disappointed. Cora B. Earnest. 26 Magdalen Street, San Angelo, Texas. fai you expected it to? Perhaps it win later, but if it doesn't, re= member that we have to picic from the scores of letters we get, a limited number. And if we can't use your letter because others of a similar nature got in ahead of you, please try again, for we want all of our readers, at some time or other, to express themselves here. let us Americans get together and praise our own films and give their producers the praise they rightly deserve? Think of "The Birth of a Nation," "The Miracle Man," "Revelation," "Pollyanna," "Ghosts of Yesterdav," "Over the Hill," and many others, and then see how they compare with "Passion" and "Deception." Didn't vou enjoy any of the first ones far more than either of the last two? I'm sure 1 did. I would be delighted to read in your interesting columns the viewpoints others take in regard to the subject. PiTiLip E. Dagnon. ^^'aterl5urv, Connecticut. Banish the Critics? Never! A serial fan in your April issue says, "The critics don't know anv I have seen Why All the Fuss? Why all the fuss about the foreign films? Pola Negri in "Passion," and Henny Porten in "Deception," and I admit that they were both good. But Cecil B. De Mille's "Forbidden Fruit" decidedly outdid either of them in my estimation. The acting in the latter was far better than in either of the former. Of course it goes without saying that we can leave it to De Mille to outdo any one in the world in respect to lavish and magnificent settings. Nevertheless, while "Passion" and "Deception" received high and unstinted praise from American critics, "Forbidden Fruit" was passed over lightly as "just another film !" Now, as an actress of fiery emotion, Negri is good, but Priscilla Dean is far better. Henny Porten may be good, but isn't Elsie Ferguson one hundred per cent better ? I'll say she is, and at that we are not saying anything about Norma Talmadge, Dorothy Dalton, Pauline Frederick, and many others. Taking these facts into consideration, why not thing about what is good and what isn't. The public is the best critic. Some of the pictures the public enjoyed most were marked 'no good' by the critics. We know what is good and bad, what we like to see, and what we don't without them." This letter quite incensed me. What right has any one to say that the public is the best critic? Is it true that the public knows what is really good and what is l)ad? A thousand times — no! There is nothing to be wondered at that competent critics adversely criticize pictures indorsed by the public. The puerility of public taste in artistic matters, and especially in the matter of photo-dramatic art, is lamentable, and it is the duty of every critic to lift the standards of the public by reviling all that is bad. Of course I could not, or ought not to, expect a very elevated expression of taste from one who likes Zane Grey's books and who enjoys such serials as "Dare-devil Jack." But I simply could not resist answering" such an unwarranted attack on the critics. Maurice Castleton. St. Louis, Missouri. This Would Be a Change. I think Kathlyn Williams is one of the very best players on the screen, and it makes me angry to see her in supporting roles when she should be the star. I do like Roy Stewart very much, but not in Western pictures, as I do not like them. It is strange, but do you know, I cannot like Thomas Meighan ! I do not like his looks or his acting, or Owen Moore, either. Please do not think me a crank, for I am not, and there are lots of other men that I like tremendously. In fact I think it would be nice to have the whole magazine devoted just to some of the men now and then for a change. Gareth Hughes is some actor ! Kathlyn Williams Fan. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Continued on page 107