Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-12-14
Untruthful Portrayal Of the West in
Moving Pictures.

The head of the Pinkerton De-
tective Agency, on a recent visit to
the Pacific Coast, speaking of the
moving picture show and dime novel
in the development of criminals, said:
/ do not mean to denounce the
moving picture show as a whole. /
like go where good films are shown:
and / know that the pictures are, in
many instances both entertaining
and instructive. But the scenes por-
traying hold-ups, kidnapping, burglar
les and cowboy-Indian combats, with
the narrow escapes, the thrilling eX-
perienceS and the fuSsilade of shots
accompanying, ought to be prohibit
ed. They do not have a single
meritorious feature and develop the
worst instincts in the impressionable
youth. The cheap dime-novel de
circulation, or sale, of such litera-
ture ought to be forbidden"
Mr.. Pinkerton is in a position to
know the results of these evils. His
calling brings him into contact with
young men and women forgerS, en-
bezzlers, kidnappers and even murder
ers, who were melted to wrongdoing
by some insidious influence. He at
tributes their downfall in measure
TO the causes named.
This is but an additional word of
condemnation against the untruthful
representation of the west in moving
pictures. Police records are full of
cases of crime caused by the young of
the country whose minds have been
poisoned through the medium of the
moving picture show; and scarcely a
day passes but what the newspapers
contain accounts of some boy or girl
leaving his or her home and pleasant
surroundings to seek the wild and
woody frontier that they have been
led to believe still exists in our west
ern states.
The good people of the west who
take pride in their peaceful COM
munities are justified in bringing to
the attention of the public fathers
and mothers in particular-the fact
that moving picture houses, depend
ing principally on the young for sup
port, should be prohibited from stag
ing these ''blood and thunder" plays
as being typical of western life.
Boards of censure should condemn
them on sight. Time was, perha ps,
that these scenes occurred on the
frontier but those times are long
since past, going, as they did, with
the Indian and the cowboy of free
range times. The completion of the
overland rail route, and with it the
coming of civilization, speedily put
an end to the old west-every thing
now is calm and peaceful: the thous'
tand-acre ranches have given way tc
the tiller of the soil. The chaps ano
and six shooter so much in evidence
in moving picture sketches, if display
ed today on the streets of western
; city, would create as great a stir as
they would if shown on Broadway
New York, or State Street, Chicago
Many people, no doubt. are hesitant
. about seeking home in the west
for the reason that they believe
these sensational conditions still eX
ist. Moving pictures of the prope
sort, have worthy mission to fill IL
providing wholesome amusement anC
l entertainment for both young anC
: old, at small cost, and the educa
L tional purposes to which they are nov
being put is highly commendable
Let sober-minded fathers ant
mothers demand that the shows visit
ed by their children shall be of
nature that tends to uplift, and for
, bid their attendance at those place
, that depict scenes of western lif'
, that are next to impossible, mucl
less probable Popular sentimen
should demand the better elias
pictures, such as innocent minds ma
view without injurious effects. Th
owners of the picture house viii
benefit, eventually, by showing clear
plays as better class of patronag
will result, and the few who deman'
, Dare Devil Dick pictures will eithe
Withdraw their attendance or materi
: ally change their tastes in regard t
t amusement.