The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-20
ALL MOVIES TO
BE CENSORED IN
POLICE STATION
Gillespie Tells Film Agents Or
der Must be Obeyed, Despite
Their Objection
CUTS SOME THRILLS
FROM THAW PICTURES
Will Permit Exhibition Only of
Portion Showing Flight From
Matteawan

After a conference with Police Cen
sor Lester Potter and Capt. Burtin
GirArdin. Friday morning. Police Com
missioner Gillespie declared that
every moving picture Aim to be shown
In Detroit. must be exhibited to the
police censors In police headquarters.
drDt.
Commissioner Gillespie held q con
ference with prominent Aim agents.
Thursday. In the mayors ONCE. and
found some opposition to his proposed
plan.
A. j. Dillingham;. manager Of the
General Film Co.. and Frank Drew
and James Fitzgerald, OF the Univer-
sal Film exchange, declared that their
hrms and the Mutual Film Co., which
they said they also represented. In the
absence Of Manager John Ward, con-
trolled about 100 out Of the 1875 films
released each week In Detroit, and
they protested against the plan TO
have exhibitions made In police head
quarters.
The question of q 76-cent tax on
each reel OF dlm, which contains, US
ually. 1000 feet, was also taken up.
and they objected to that. though not
40 seriously as to the plan to have
the Aims censored In police headquar-
terS.
They declared that they didn't want
the newspapers to gee the films, for
one thing; and for another. tho
not want the films "carted all over
Detroit" and for one more thing. they
feared that the Aims might be ruined
by ineCpert operators.
Commissioner Gillespie said he
- kAx
could suggest; he said he could not
see why "carting" the films to police
Headquarters, at Bates and Farmer
"carting' them to z room prOvidedeby
the Aim agencies. in the Newberry
building, and he declared that he was
willing and anxious to save the Aim
agencies the rent Of that film room.
AZ to the other objection, the COM
missioner declared that II the Aim
agents we're afraid of newspaper pub
licity on their films, he was just az
much afraid Of prejudice II the aim
agencies we're allowed to boss the
Job" Of censorship, In their own rent.
ed room.
Now. am going to tell them that
police headquarters Is the place
said Commissioner Gillespie. II will
not get into any further argument
with the Aim companies. IL they do
not care to aid In our censorship,
shall ignore them, and will deal d.
rectly with the theaters which run
! their pictures. We control those the
aters. through control Of their
licenses. We can suppress any pic
ture that we see nt. That will not be
a. pleasant or as handy as having
general censorship room In police
headquarters. but II the Aim dealers
don't care for that plan OF censorship.
It IL not our fault"
The commissioner viewed three
reel Aim, entitled Harry Thaw's
Dash for Liberty" in local movie"
Friday morning. and ordered two
reels. picturing thrilling incidents In
the lives Of Evelyn Nesbitt, Thaw
and his victim, Stanford White, cut
out OF the Aim. The last dim. only
part Of which was viewed by the COM
missioner, picture Thaw's escape
from Matteawan asylum. and his flight
across the Canadian border.
Il have no objection to pictures
dealing with the escape and flight or
Harry Thaw from Matteawan,". said
the commissioner. ITO my mind tnere
Is nothing Objectionable or demorsliz-
. ing In q picture like that. Further.
more, l am convinced that Is per cent
Of the people believe that Thaw
should be given his liberty. But |
will not allow any pictures suggestive
Ut the relations that existed between
Evelyn Nesoitt and Thaw and White
to be shown. because there IL nothing
to be gained by reviewing the revolt
ing details OF the story brought out in
the trial Of Thaw."
The police commissioner was &C.
companied by Lester Potter, police
censor. Police Capt Bert Girardin and
Fred w. Smith, secretary OF the civil
service commission, who IL acting as
attorney for the theater concern.