Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14
CENSORS THE F|LMS|
League to Improve the Tone
of Moving Picture Shows.
CRIME SCENES UNDER BAN
Miss Kate Davis, Head Of Organiza-
ton, Discusses the Country
Wide Crusade.

the National Legal Regulation League
an organization with the publication of
moving picture films as it's object, is in
Washington. She spoke very enthusiastic
cally last evening Of the high-grade films
which were shown here, saying: Wash
fngton compares favorably in the class Of
films exhibited with any city in the United
States.
There is really no need of legislation
on that subject here Miss Davis said
THE only fault l have to find is that
some Of the proprietors of shows permit
the use Of drunkenness as comedy. We
would like to eliminate that, of course.
but II Is not nearly az great an evil as
showing films where every crime that
could be. conceived by the mind of man
Is shown to the youthful and impression
able element that make up, to a large
extent, the audiences, of moving picture
shows.
There has been a great increase in
crime in the cities of this country where
there is practically no censorship exer-
cised. A great many crimes can be
traced directly to the influence of the un-
censored film. Films showing the details
of murders. holdups, and those which,
while not openly immoral, are suggestive.
are deplorable. The elimination of such
scenes as these will benefit every one
concerned including the proprietors OF
moving picture theaters. film manufac-
turers, film distributors and, most of all.
the people who see the shows.
chicago's System Commended.
Probably the best system of censorship
in the whole country is in Chicago. The
ic ofI he nj nf a
Aim is destroyed by removing that portion
of the Aim which shows the commission
of crime the whole film is condemned.
and not shown. If the film shows COM
plete story after removing the objection
able part of course no harm is done"
Miss Davis commended highly the sys-
tenn of censorship in Detroit. and said the
success of the system there and in Wash
ington was helped very much by the atti-
tude of the proprietors of theaters.
Miss Davis was recently in indianapolis.
Ind. There she organized committee OF
citizens of the city in behalf of the work
of purifying the films. Mayor Samuel
Shank supported the idea.
Going back to the crimes which can be
traced directly to improper moving pic
lures. Miss Davis mentioned the case of
young Bishie. Bishie asked and received
permission to ride with the express mes
senger in the express car with him on
one of the railroads which runs through
Scranton. Pa. When the train was near
ing Scranton, Berger. the messenger.
started to remove the revolver which he
carried when he was on duty. Young
Bishie seized it and shot Berger in the
back of the head, infiicting fatal wound
Rifles the Safe.
Bishie rifed the safe of 800 and escaped
from the, train. He was captured soon
afterward and accused of the crime. He
admitted it and described the whole thing
with great deal of bravado, and said
he had seen 1t done hundreds of times on
the moving picture films.
1T is to do away with things of that
sort that we are working. and / think
we will succeed" said Miss Davis. I'VE
have succeeded in getting a reprieve
for Bishie. We want to give him a
chance to develop"
Miss Davis is principally interested
in getting uniform state laws passed
in all of the states providing for prop
er supervision of films. A convention
will be held in Baltimore in November
in order to get operators, proprietors
and every one interested in the sub
tect, including sociological workers. to
form a definite plan of action and fol-
low it.
Miss Davis has ORGANIZED an advisory
DOarO, which IS ndtlOndl AFFAIR
There is a great deal of interest in
the work, and 1t is an interesting
su bject, said Miss Davis. I'VE have
great many men and women on the
board Of state wide and country wide
prominence.
Prominent Members.
Gov. Thomas r. Marshall of Indiana
is greatly interested, and is a member
Of the board. Newton NJ. Taylor, judge
of the juvenile court of Indianapolis;
Police Court Judge James A. Collins
and Superior Judge Vinson Carter, also
of Indianapolis are members Of the
advisory board, as are Mayor Shank
and Rabbi Fuerlicht. Arthur Burrage
Farwell. president of the Law and
Order Society Of Chicago, is another
member. Kate Waller Barrett of
Washington. head Of the work in con-
nection with the Florence Crittenton
Home. is a prominent member of the
national board"
Miss Davis will leave Washington to-
morrow for her headquarters at
WilkeSbarre, Pa.