Reel and Slide (Jan-Sep 1919)

10 REEL and SLIDE ^Literal Film Versions of Books, Subject of Questionnaire SOME critics have argued that motion pictures change little. They see nothing but the same old plots, as they put it. Those, however, who observe closely the changing moods in production will have observed that increasing numbers of books and magazine stories are being picturized. The question naturally arises in the cases of some of the books and stories, whether their literal presentation on the screen is desirable or not. The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, which endeavors to examine pictures from the point of view of public opinion, has been constantly faced with this question. In order that it might have a clear conception of the public's ideas on this increasingly important subject, it recently addressed a questionnaire to the members of its National Advisory Committee scattered throughout the country. This committee is made up of wellknown men and women representing the best phases of thought and social activities in the communities where they live. The results have been interesting. For instance, Dr. Talcott Williams, director of the Pulitzer School of Journalism, connected with Columbia University, said : "It is not possible to lay down general rules in regard to censoring any work of art. "A picture based on a novel like 'Tom Jones' might be a canvas which could not be exhibited in any public gallery, while 'Tom Jones' circulates freely. It would be easy to make an illustration for Mrs. Gerould's 'A Vain Oblation,' which could not be tolerated for sale anywhere, yet the story was printed in one of our foremost magazines without question or challenge. If one took 'Old Hundred' and quickened its time so that it made, as it would under these circumstances, effective dancing music, would it not be perfectly easy to fit a dance to its measures which would not be allowed on the stage of any theater longer than it took to suppress it? Limitations in Art "It is not possible, therefore, to assume that anything that has appeared in print and circulated can be turned into a photoplay without any necessity for censorship for altering the plot or situation. This is to forget that each field of art has its own canons and its own restrictions. "The music in 'Tristan and Isolde' in a certain familiar passage, if it were turned into words as visional as in the medium of music, would be barred from the theater. There are pictures in every gallery which are subjects on canvas which could not possibly be made the subject of a similar display on the stage. A leading New York hotel has in its lobby a bronze of a familiar statue in Naples, which would not be tolerated anywhere in the hotel, not even in the barroom, if the same were to be painted. "The range of the monthly is wider than that of the weekly, and the weekly prints matter that the daily could not receive, and the morning paper will print in one part of the issue what it will not tolerate in another part of the issue." William Trufant Foster, president of Reed College, Portland, Ore., representing the far western angle, said : "In answer to your questions I have only to say that, in my judgment, your standards should not be determined by those of published novels, magazine stories or stage plays. In the first place, you cannot get the same effect with motion pictures, even if you wanted to. The story in the novel and the story on the screen are, and must be, different things and subject to different standards of judgment. In the second place, we cannot hope for even a gradual improvement in public taste and morals if various agencies are merely looking to each other for standards or to 'materials already accepted by the public' What Others Say on Subject 'The general consensus of opinion was that a motion picture should be judged upon its merits as a motion picture and not *pon the accuracy of its interpretation of the tale upon which it is based. It was brought out that what may be good for the adult reader may not necessarily be good when presented in realistic form and action upon the screen." Jacob H. Schiff said: "Upon moral grounds, it being a fact that books and novels are much more limited in their effect than the publicly exhibited photoplays." Dan Beard said: "Same ground as Mr. Wilson uses in his measures. The public's own desire to be big-hearted, big-minded, patriotic Americans. Anything which tends to lower morals or to brutalize minds of public defeats our ambition to be a great people." Rev. H. Pereira Mendes said: "On the ground of incompatibility with desired standard of public morals," and President Burton of the University of Minnesota argued that it was desirable "on the ground of changing standards." James Bronson Reynolds, former assistant district attorney, New York City, responded: "On the ground of changes in producing the film, the general differences between plays and films, and the differences between respective audiences." Hamilton Holt put it tersely, "Common sense," while Miss Mary Gray Peck, formerly assistant professor of literature at the University of Minnesota, said, in respect to the picturization of plays, "on the ground that they unduly emphasize a subordinate incident;" to novels and stories already published, "on the ground that they are scenarios only and must be worked out according to the same standards as other, scenarios. It would be inadmissible to either dramatize or picturize certain scenes in Tolstoi or the Bible." In other words, the dramatic motion picture should stand on its own feet, be judged on its own merits, and be tested by the laws of its own being as a medium of expression. Canada Books Propaganda Pictures Through Its Consuls By Charles F. Stark {Manager, Commercial Department, Essanay Film Mfg. Chicago) Co., THE great Dominion of Canada, proud of its natural resources, its grand scenery and its industry, has made every British consulate a "film exchange" as a means of getting Canada's story before the eyes of the world. Every big city in the world (except the capitals of the central powers and their allies) will get prints of the 42 reels which tell 1IS,ury ^f Ca,nada>" griPpingly, alluringly and impressively. When Canada decided to let the world know what it was doing in the way of developing its natural resources, Sir George Foster, minister of the Department of Trade and Commerce, was picked as the man who should impart the knowledge And investigation disclosed the fact that it would cost no more to let the world see than to let it read about Canada. Naturally, therefore, he selected this medium for the globe-around advertising campaign of Canada — motion pictures. After investigation of the motion picture industry in the United States, the Essanay Company of Chicago was selected. The writer was summoned to Ottawa and the job outlined to him. It comprised, in substance, the picturization of Canada. Sir George forbade a picture dry with statistical proofs of Canada's allurements. His order was for "a romance of industry" which would please its spectators equally with any current screen success. He wanted those patrons, as they filed out, to say: "Gee, Canada must be a great country to live in. I think I'll go there," or words to that effect. With that order in the vest pocket of his mind, he started out. I had Sir George's carte blanche permission to go any and everywhere and to do any and everything desired in Canada. This tremendous task was started in May. Not until seven months later, in November, 1916, was it completed. But when we finally reported to Sir George, there was hardly an inch of Canada that had not been filmed. Forty-two thousand feet of film was used in making this gigantic picture. It comprises a qtfartet of series of films which include any and everything which the great Dominion has to offer foreign population and foreign capital. The waterfall development is pictured in detail. Manufacturers are shown just how they can be assured of unlimited electrical power for their plants, at a reasonable cost. There are thirteen reels of this. Farmers in other countries, dissatisfied with their lot may see what advantages Canada has to offer them in the grain series This includes the enormous irrigation projects in Alberta the ' harvesting of grain by electricity at a low cost to the producer the excellent facilities for shipping. Miss Anne Morgan spoke to an audience of 3,000 people in Tremont Temple, Boston, in December on devastated France illustrating her discussion with several reels of moving pictures! Mayor Galvin and other city officials of Cincinnati recently co-operated with the Division of Films of the Committee on Public Information to make the presentation of "Under Four Flags," the third U. S. Official War Picture, a success Port Director Hulbert of New York appealed to the press to lend their assistance to furthering ideas of the Atlantic Deep Waterway Association as a national improvement and suggested the utilization of moving pictures for this purpose at the meeting in Baltimore.