Variety (March 1921)

Friday, March 18, 1921 PICTURES w SELECTION VS. CENSORSHIP," REVIEW BOARD'S CHALLENGE film Industry's Censors, in Catalog, Urge Public to Demand Exhibitors Book Subjects Free fo Objec- tionable Material—Titles Must Pass Muster. ii n ■■ ■ The National Board of Review this week began mailing its cata- logue of "Selected Pictures," which contains a direct challenge to the Blue Law fanatics of the country. Under the caption, "Selection Ver- sus Censorship," the board ad- dresses itself, to the exhibitors and the public as follows: "Fine pictures — inspiring in theme, realistic in acting, satisfac- tory as to entertainment "nlue and moral qm lity—pay. • • * Our laws forbid the publication of any libel- ous, obscene, indecent, immoral or impure picture or reading matter. Strict law enforcement and careful election are the best censorship. They demonstrate the absolute use- lessness of arbitrary state and fed- eral censorship. • * * Censorship, necessarily destructive rather than constructive, hinders the motion picture art in ridding itself of ques- tionable elements. Selection assists in this process. • * • This list should be taken to the exhibitor in your city. He should be urged w> obtain the pictures from the com- pany with whom he does business." Working on this theory, the board expresses the belief that co- operation between exhibitor and public will checkmate the busy- bodies who see In censorship agita- tion an opportunity to interfere with the liberties of their fellows. Under the authority of "Excep- tional Pictures," the Board of Re- view says it now is in a position to include titles in its vision—a matter | It claims has heretofore been beyond its control. Variety has already ex- pressed itself on the matter of titles and their responsibility for the censorship wave, and the board de- clares that now it is in a position to pass on titles as constituent parts of the picture as a whole, with license to recommend changes, just as it has had with scenes and jub- titles in the past. Variety recently called attention to the practice of producers and dis- tributors putting "sales" titles on pictures for the purpose of mislead- ing and cheating the public. By promising, titularly, something raw, the perpetrators of this style of title not only have swindled the public but have reaped the whirl- Wind of fanatical agitation. On this subject, the Board of Re- view in its latest bulletin quotes Gertrude Atherton as saying "It is sot fair to make the public think they are paying their money to see one sort of thing—sex stuff, in other words—when they will be presented With a subject and treatment of a wholly different character." Con- tinuing, the bulletin declares: "It is ethically discreditable to sell the public a picture on the title alone, when that title does not con- Tey the sense or manner of the picture. As it stands now the pub- lic which supports the pictures has tto guarantee that it will see what It is told it will see. And it has little beside the title to guide it in it* selection of photoplay entertain- •Lment. Again, it is artistically dis- ^honest to label a picture in such a \ way as to corrupt its artistic intent %nd injure its future as a work of *rt. A fine picture is not guaran- teed against its being cheapened by * bad, misleading title. A plcturized classic is likely to be rechristened M if It were a. dime novel. Photo- Play-maklng as an art cannot win confidence on the basis of this sort of deliberate misinformation." The board pledges itself to con- demn titles obviously exploiting the Mnsational or misleading the public. Aside from its discussion of cen- sorship, the board's catalogue con- tains a list of 882 subjects, long and *hort, chosen from the mass of film reviewed during 1920 as fit for family consumption. From this jfct, which Is already known to the trade, the board elected forty pie- ces as "exceptional," and to the fttty has since added "The Kid" (Chaplin—First National), "The J-ove Lii K ht" (Pickford—United Art- tot «). "The First Born" CHayawaka , "-Robertson- Cole), "The Great I ^venture" (Lionel Barrymore— * F, rst National), "Over the HUP tf*ox). HIMME DENIES GUILT; WILL SUE AMERICANS "NO MAN'S WOMAN" SUIT. Injunction Denied Associated Photo- play*—Lion of $7,500. Justice Erlanger this week denied the Associated Photoplays, Inc.. mo- tion for an injunction to restrain Mrs. Florence Hoyt Stokes from soiling a production, "No Man's Woman," which the defendant held in Hen on a $7,600 Indebtedness by Helen Gibson, head of the Gibson Productions, which produced the picture. By a previous booking ar- rangement the Associated Photo- plays had contracted for the re- leasing rights to the Gibson film. Miss Gibson had vested all right and title in the picture with Mrs. Stokes in lieu of the loan, the agreement being that the Associated reimburse the latter with the $7,500 plus in- terest, or permit her to dispose of the negative by sale or auction in order to realize her investment. Mrs. Stokes, according to the de- rision, has full right and title to sell the picture In order to recover her'$7,500, which act the Associated sought to prevent. In turn Mrs. Stokes is plaintiff in an action against Helen Gibson and rived from the United" States, pro- the Associated Photoplays, Inc., to fesses himself innocent of the acts foreclose the mortgage on the pic- of which he is accused. He is still ture and to prevent anyone from in- held in jail, pending furthe. exam- terfering with its sale, on the ground inatlon by a magistrate. the $7,500 has not been satisfied. Himmel declares he intends to Associated Photoplays has also AMONG THE WOMEN Continued from Page 11 The costumes of the "Chu Chin Chow" period wen by the chorus girls were shop-worn to the limit. New York has never seen a show Just like "Afgar." That a Broadway house can draw what Is virtually a stag audience at a Saturday matinee must indicate the character of the performance. French Film Promoter Held in Paris as Swindler. Paris, March 16. Andre Himmel, president and pro- moter of the Franco-American Cine- matographic Corporation, who was- arrested at Havre on a charge Jt swindling last week, when he ar- commence suit against the directors of his American enterprise, several of whom have severed their connec- tion with it. M. Rivony, a rich manufacturer, who caused tl\e arrest of Himmel. is said to be determined upon prose- cution of the film man. He alleges he loaned Himmel 1,200,000 francs at the outset of his career as a film financier and that he did so on rep- resentations the promoter made of other support which the manufac- turer now declares were false. Jesse D. Hampton in New, York. Jesse D. Hampton arrived in New York from the coast Wednesday for a conference with Pathe, which has I measures which had been Intro been releasing his features. | duced during the session. riled suit in the Supreme Court against Miss Gibson for $5,000 dam- ages alleging it spent that amount in advertising and exploiting the forthcoming release of the picture, but that no negative waa delivered to them. They pray for a warrant of attachment Miss Gibson, who la in California, has not filed answers to the suits as yet. INDIANA DID NOTHING. Indianapolis, March 16. The Indiana, State Legislature ad- journed last week without having passed any of the numerous censor- ship, Sunday closing, or other "blue" PA. CENSOR TO COST $76,640; WAS $2,700 A YEAR IN 1911 McConnell Bill Provides Big Group of Fat Jobs on Board—All Salaries Increased and New Sine- cures Created—Sixteen Other Bills Pending. Harrisburg, MarcJ^ 16. Senator William C. McConnell, Northumberland county, has Just introduced In the Pennsylvania Legislature a bill providing for new Jobs and a total annual salary roll of $76,640. The first censorship bill was passed in 1911, Just a de- cade ago, and the payroll then was $2,700 a year, this sum paying the chief censor $1,500 and his assist- ant, $1,200. The bill was amended in a few years and at present the annual payroll carries $32,460. The Mc- Connell measure, if passed, would mean an additional outlay of $44,- 180 a year. The position of director, created by Governor William G. Sproul when he deposed Dr. Ellis P. Ober- holtzer as a censor, is legalized in the bill. The Governor agreed upon a salary of $3,000 a year for the former censor, a sum equal to that now paid to the chairman of the State Board of Motion picture Cen- sors. The McConnell bill also fixes this salary for the director, and this position is the only one under the :>ill that does not call for more money than is now being paid. The chairman of the board, now getting $3,000 is advanced to $4,000 a year, the vice chairman from $2,500 to $3,600 and the secretary from $2,400 to $3,600. These throe form the board of censors. The office of executive clerk is created at $3,000 and two clerks at $1,800 and two at $1,200 take the place of a chi't Clerk at $1,800, an assistant at $l,r,00 and another assistant at $1,200. Two sten- ographers at $1,200 each and two others at $1,000 each, are provided for now, 'jut the bill provides for eight tvpists at $1,080 and four stenographer at $1,200. The chief inspectors salary is raised from $1,500 to $1,920 and in place of others at $1,200, the bill creates 14 inspectors at $1,800 each. The chief operator's salary is raised from $1,400 to $1,680 and five inspectors at $1,400 a year are pro- vided for by the bill, instead of two at $1,200 and one at $1,000. Senator McConnell, fearful that the new jobs might prove a burden upon the taxpayers wipes out sev- eral Jobs. The place of patch er, who now under law received $600 a year and the place .of assistant patcher, who is paid $400 a year, are abolished. The present law pro- vides for two messengers, but Mc- Connell and the board, which is back of the bill, of course, believe that one messenger would be suffi- cient. The two messengers now re- ceive $720 each a year, but $1,200 is provided for the sole messenger to be retained. This is only one of 17 measures dealing with pictures pending in the Pennsylvania Legislature. SCHULBEKG SUING FOR STOCK. The Attractions Distributing Cor- poration, a picture company headed by B. P. Schulberg, is plaintiff in two* Supreme Court actions against Sidney Bernheim and L. Walter Llssberger, for the recovery of cer- tain shares of stock in the plaintiff corporation. In the suit against Bernheim, the plaintiff avers Bernheim is the owner of six shares of capital stock in the corporation, issued to him for no consideration or services ren- dered, and the plaintiff Is suing to recover them, as well as $170 paid him in dividends. Mr. Lissberger is the holder of seven shares, and is alleged to have received f 1,365 in dividends, the A. 1). Corp, also seeking to recover both stock and money. An injunc- tion to prevent the transfer of the stock is also being prayed for in Sam Harris presents "T'ha Hero"' Special matinees at the beivgact*. The hero proves to be Robert Ames, not Grant Mitchell. The play could better have been called "The Sorehead." Oswald Lane, a boy away from home for 12 years, returns from overseas with many medals. He was at once proclaimed a hero by the women folk. But he turns out to be the real bully, and remains so until the finale, when he is burned to death rescuing his nephew. Mr. Ames did splendidly in the role, but Mr. Mitchell did even better in his quiet way. Kathlene McDonell, she of the Ruth Chatterton voice, will have to watch herself. Time spares but few. It wasn't a play of clothes, the family being poor and harping on their poverty. So Miss McDonell must have skimped and saved to obtain the one-piece black velvet dress made with pockets and a broad blue satin sash. Jetta Gondal was especially good as a Belgian girl. Blanche Frederic! in a character part was well cast as a small-town mother. In the second act Monday afternoon a lamp refused to light. Everyone on the stage tried to make it work, as it later became a cue, but the lamp Just wouldn't, so they forced the cue, anyway. Many acts came into their own before a really enthusiastic audience at the Colonial Tuesday matinee. A large party of wounded soldiers seemed to be having a fine time. ■ Tom Wise, in a nice sketch, was ably assisted by Nlla Mac, in a blue dress made in long straight lines, with a wide sash of gold ribbon and a lace panel of gold down the front. Loretta McDormott (with Frisco) is playing shy with clothes, wearing her Jet and silver dress only. Her two changes were a Bowery make-up and white satin blouse worn with black pants. The applause hit of the act was decidedly in Eddie Cox's favor. Van Horn Inez, a skating act, found the girl in a lacy frock hung with gold panels lined In rose colored silk. A shorter dress was of green silk, the skirt forming four aprons. Ona Munson, with six boys, isn't -quite strong enough to hold the lead. She is only fair as to face and figure, but a nice dancer. In dressing Miss Munson was Inexpensively go vned. A black gauze skirt had a lining of green with a black taffeta shirt box coat threaded in yellow. A blue taffeta simple dress showed a white lining. A rube dance was done in a checked silk dress. For the finish a blue gauze was hung over gold, while coral feathers banded the waist line. "Two hours and a half of Rooney and Bent, impossible!" That is what everyone remarked before "Love Birds" opened at the Apollo. But they were mistaken. Pat Rooney proves he can hold up a Broad- way production. In "Love Birds" Pat will have a nice little New York run. There is nothing out of the ordinary in this musical comedy. There have been hundreds like it. Pat danced his way into favor,.doing all the old ones and some new Jazz ones. Many of Pat's Jazs steps were Frisco's, and Frisco, up at the Colonial, is doing Pat Rooney as an imitation. The only difference is Frisco announces he is doing Pat. Marion Bent has grown matronly as to figure. But the years have passed right over Pat's head. The real smashing hit was Emilie Lea and Tom Dingle in their familiar dance of kicking over each others heads. The laugh hit goes to Pat and Eva Davenport, In a boudoir Scene. Miss Davenport's long absence from the stage hasn't deterred her art any. Her magnificent mezzo voice and unctious laughter are still with her. The first scene, in a department store, found the lady clerks in blue pussy taffeta dresses made full in the skirts, with rows of cordings. Miss Bent's first dress was of the same model, In grey. Elizabeth Murray is always so well groomed. As a head woman of the department store her black satin dress fitted her figure perfectly. The collar was high, and the sleeves long. A similar dress of white satin was worn in tne last act. An evening gown was of cherry velvet. The chorus first wore summer models in organdie. Party frocks were simple In style and texture. The only extravagance in this act were sev- eral handsome fur wraps. Grace Ellsworth wore one stunning gown of jet with melinc hangings. Evelyn Cavanaugh was in grey and green, with feather trimmings. A dancing dress was of pink chiffon with tiny pink and blue tips. Elizabeth Hines went shopping in a flimsy blue dress oddly made, with panels of looped ribbons. Her party dress was a simpje lace affair made with baby waist and full skirt. The harem costume of silver brocade and many pearls was her most becoming costume. Four girls In this old-fashioned number wore the full ruffled dress with long panties. The harem ladies were some in gold trousers, with several others In yellow accordion skirts and orange feather head dresses. Miss Lea danced first in a filmy* silver lace frock, later in green and silver trousers, and still later in her Palais Royal silver trouser costume. The Allan Dwan picture, "The Scoffer," doesn't tell the prettiest story but as no one is featured, it will just go Its way with no impressions left behind. A young woman named Rhea Mitchell is the only one in it who makes any attempt at dressing. One neglige of a dark colored brocade chiffon was made in the long straight lines with flowing chiffon sleeves. An- other one was lighter material made along the same lines. A street dress was of serge with a narrow belt. Squirrel was the stole and black velvet the hat. A dinner gown was of solid sequins. The train was a long narrow strip of melinc. Miss Mitchell's dresses were all of anklo length, making one wonder if this picture Was taken long ago. Mary Thurman who could really be called the lead, was pretty with her bobbed hair. Her single dress was of the regular one-piece style, made with a belt and lace collar. Sr~ both vits. Once Ins^'Tors at"~$ 1,400 and tun NO answers have been filed i HOTEL. HOLLYWOOD THE RENDEZVOUS Ol THEATRICALS BEST C\ ■ HOI.I VWOon ION 4NOEIBS CALIFORNIA • v i/