The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-28
DEMORALIZING
MOTION PICTURES
(NeW York Sun. )

In all it's appointm ents except the character of the films in use, the mo- ton picture theatre has been notably improved within the last t&fee or four years. There is now no reason why the space occupied by spectators should be darkened,. as was necessary in the early days of this amusement. The recording and projecting appar- atus, in spite of the alleged repres- sive attitude of trust ownership, have been greatly improved. But coarse ness, vulgarity and brutality are still tolerated in many of the dramas that are produced.
 The task of efficient censorship is made exceedingly difficult because of the unusual nature of some of the patrons of motion pictures. These are boys and girls of an, impression to morbid suggestion. They are ca pablo of feeling thrills, and generous with their applause when pictures that afford a shiver are shown. The proprietors of the theatres are not to be blamed if they give what their public most enjoys. There are prob ably no definitely and braZenly in- decent films now on public exhibi- tion in New York, but many of a de- moraIizing effect are constantly shown.
 It may be objected that the youths and women whose standards are en- dangered by reproductions of the life and death conditions of criminals, and drunkards and other drug fiends would attend the cheaper class of playhouses given over to shrieking melodrama if there were no movies" !" But the action of the lives of gam blers, thieves, courtesans, their gulls and their pursuers, as revealed in the melodrara, are interpreted, modified and explained by the dialogue, the re- suit being foil which adjusts and corrects the image presented to the eye. The dialogue is high pitched, ridiculous, unhuman, but its morali- ties are beyond question. This foil is entirely lacking in the motion pie ture houses.
 This being the case, 1t is apparent that play innocuous when presented with living actors each with a speak ing part, when reproduced in pictor- ial form may easily be degraded into a distinctly bad influence. Such a possibility should be constantly borne in mind.
 Another matter essential to intelli- gent censorship is the effect actually produced on juvenile and unsophisti- cated minds, rather than that which should be produced. An educated, motion pictures would interpret each scene according to his acquaintance with the play. On an immature mind, having no knowledge of the play the effect might be entirely diff ferent. Yet the prohibition of the masterpiece in motion picture houses would unquestionably arouse a storm of ridicule and disapprobation. But scenes from low life are constantly produced, and in many cases it re- quires an acute effort of the pest dis posed intellect to read in them any lesson except the g1orification of sensuality, violence and wrongdoing, As we have said. the suppression of 1 frankly indecent films may safely be left to the public authorities, who may be relied on to do their duty. But they cannot be expected, without special authorization and incentive, to draw line between the merely friv- ] olous and the actually offensive and l potentially degrading. Such a line 1 must be drawn, nevertheless, and it is 1 the duty of the decent men and wo- men in the community to consider seriously the obligation they are un- 1 der in the premises