The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-21
Mrs. Randolph Lodges
Complaint Against
Vicious Picture.
FIRST SAW 1T AT
LITTLE THEATRE
Same Disgraceful Reel That Had
Passed National Board of Cen
sors Ran Three Days in All
: at Victor-Violent Protest
Promptly Needed by
! Chief of Police.

Mrs. Norman Y. Randolph. president of
Hichmond Chapter. United Daughters
or tho Confederacy. Chief of Police
Werner last night ordered the Little
Theatre 70 discontinue the display Of a
three-reel kalem nim. entitled THE
Vampire" which is said TO have bccn
the most notorious picture ever shown
3n Richmond
Just after he had personally dciiv-
cred his orders TO VI J.. Ilofheimer. or
tho Little Theatre. Chief Werner went
10 the Victor at Eighth and Broad. and
notified the manager that the reel
should not be shown there again. 1t
developed that II had been at the Vic
Tor for three weeks. appearing once n
week.
Young Girls Complnined.
Early last night Mrs. Randolph was
Informed BY several young girls who
went TO the IIofheiiner theatre in the
afternoon that a disgraccful picture
was on the program. and tina, iianinp
posters At the entrance gave but slight
intimation OF its truc character, The
protest was SO violent that Mrs RAN
dolph appealed to Chief Werner. and
then went 10 see for herself. After
The performance She bitterly assailcd
alr. Hofhcimer. telling him that il was
IN outrage 10 present such = photo
play.
There was some delay in reaching
liofheimer stated that The Vampire
had been passed by the National Board
Of censors. Under the direction Of the
Police Board, tho police are instructed
not to lnolest censored pictures. unless
they :,bnormaliy bad. the claim
beinR rut forth that the ccnsors never
allow anything low vicious TO pass.
Iiofhcimcr Fcnrcd Fire.
But in this case they did The chief
went into the theatre. watched the
reel for few moments and then
ordered Hofheimcr to stop H.
sir. Iiofhsirner was visiblv excited
~ we Stop that recl now i, will
catch fire. and this theatre VIII be
thrown into panic"
III ] had known then what know
now" said chief Werner AT mid
night. y would not have been misled
bS tho nrc and panic talk for il could
have been stopped. However, told
Mr. Iiothcimcr that -hc could not show
II again. lie told me it had been
brought back 70 Richmond by special
request, and lie asked me 10 let him
finish his evening program, hut told
him no. He ala not
After hc had given orders al the
Victor Chief Werner Went - his Of
nco At the City Hall ana looked through
the iilui records, which received
md put on file every SATURDAY iic
found The Vampire In the list.
Passed by National Hoard.
IT was passed by the National Board
or Censors on September IL. 1913.
While the Police Board has ruled that
censored pictures are 10 be permitted
here IL did not hold that everything
I'm that class shall be shown. leay-
Ing much To the Judgment OF the chief
The police cannot sir In judgment At
every motion picture house. and while
the disgraceful film was ordered off
Rs soon as an investigation was made,
il has been seen here once Il week
for three weeks. with hundreds OF
young people looking on without pro
testing.
Theatre people said last night that
II was n fact that The Vampire" had
been brought back by special request.
1t is not photoplay of the production
OF tho same name. an which Robert
Hilliard appeared at the Academy OF
Music. 1t is altogether dincrent-it is
an underworld story that could never
appear the stage
number Of well-known people. who
happened to be at the Little Theatre
last nightly warmly commended Chief
Werner for his prompt action soon
as his attention was called TO the ma
al the Victor in the afternoon had eN-
pccted to take the matter up when
they heard that Mrs. Randolph had al
ready made complaint.
Calls Ii Outrageous.
Il do not 20 to moving pictures"
r Mrs. Randolph said last night but
did go early this evening after heard
what monstrous thing was being
shown 1T Mr.. Hofheimer's establish
Incnt. would not describe what ii un-
folded. We have big problems OH our
hands in this modern day, and there
are many agencies for good ut work
but all of that will be ruined by a dis
play Of pictures so low and vile as
The Vampire was surprised that
Mr.. Hofheimcr did not heartily iidorse
my view. have no desire to have my
identity concealed in this matter for
IN questions OF this Kind il is Il public
duty TO protest. to bring the thing to
the attention of the police. and if thnv
permit il To continue. then they must
Lear the blame"
y citizen who saw the picture last
night on its last run said he did not
hot'cc the screen statement that ii had
Deen passed by the National BOARD OF
censors Chief Werner's record. how
ever. shows that it had Just after the
Carroll County court murder. rival
hands OF moving picture opera tors
went to Hillsvlle and were fighting
among themselves i'm an effort 20 cna.l
the tragedy in many reels.
Ihers was such violent protest
that the National Board of Censors
announced that 1t would not pass
them.
shown Iere Nevertheless
Whether II did or not, the Hills
vile pictures were later shown at the
I.ubin Theatre. which prlded Itself or.
the fact that 1t did not permit pictures
TO bc shown unless they had been an
proved by the national board. In many
CONTINUED on Ninth Facet