Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-02-28
ALBANIAN SAVED
THE MOVIE FOR
AMERICA
John Collier, Son of Ex-Mayor,
Given This Credit by Will
Irwin, Author.

Ninety million people, more or less,
might well rise up and call blessed the
name of John Collier. For to this young
man, native Albanian, is given the
credit for giving to the country that
greatest of all popular amusements, the
moving picture show, which was threat
ened with prohibition by outraged moral
lists of the United States. At least, so
much credit is given Mr. Collier in an
article, How the Movies Were Saved,
by VIII Irwin, in the current issue of
The Metropolitan Magazine
The young Albanian, according to the
article, was the prime mover in the puri
fcation of the picture drama, acting with
wise decision at a time when, as the
writer declared, the movie business. rep
resenting already many millions of in
vestment, faced panic and failure. He
suggested the National Board of Cen
sorship." that rather mysterious bureau
whose approval is flashed on practically
all photoplays that audiences in Atlanta
and every other American city enjoy.
Had Fallen Into Decline.
Before the organization of the board of
censors at Mr. Golfers suggestion, the
photo drama had fallen into the way of
moral decline, says the magazine ar
tltiN' III dplllC CIlHlt plCluItS, dlSldSlc-
full sex conflicts, bad taste of a violently
bad order, all were displayed in the UNI
censored pictures that were revealed for
the deIectation of old and young. Thea
tiers were death traps, darkness, yelling
probable evils, masked the interior of
the play houses, salacious suggestions
flashed on the screens. universal howl
went up at conditions Mayor Mcclellan,
of New York, issued an edict forbidding
picture shows entirely, and many other
cities prepared to follow New Yorks ex
ample. A source of popular and instruc-
tive entertainment was threatened with
extinction.
Enter Mr.. Collier. He was the brains
of the Peoples Institute of New York,
WHICH Is a Laboratory of social eXper-
iment" Thirty years old, he was born
and reared in Atlanta. being the son of
the late Charles A. Collier, former may
or. and president of the Southern Inter
national exposition in 1895. Common
sense and a wide humanity has made him
an invaluable factor in the work of the
Peoples Institute
.ts'- Put Through Censorship.
Fde suggested the national board of cen
sorship, and the Peoples Institute put
it through with the acquescence of the
mn ~ cuuNtlSs 1t has WI NCN SuNCtSS-
fully, and shortly it can be said that the
moving picture drama is purified and
saved because OF it's work
" Tribute to Mr. Golfers wisdom is paid
by the writer of the magazine article,
who says that il the board of censorship
had been a public institution, instead of
the informal tribunal that it is existing
by tacit agreement. it would be ineffec-
tive. Graft, carelessness, ircompetency
would mark ii as a part of the govern
ment only artiatic taste and good sense
is apparent in its work as it exists 3.
What is the National Board of Censor
ship and what was Mr. Golfers work?
Here is, the word of the magazine writer
for the arrangement:
The driving force of the Peoples In
stitute in New York was John Collier,
young man so forceful, individual, and
useful withal. that one is tempted to lin
ger on his personality. The Peoples IN
stitute has always tried to mediate be-
tween what. the people want and what
high -bfows, social workers and statesmen
believe that they ought to have Collier
that practical idealst of whom Ford
dreamed in The Honorable Peter Stirl-
ing, is half philosopher and half invest-
gator. He holds the conviction that the
people of the tenements, and all the peo-
pie of squeezed lives. need a great deal
more innocent and healthful recreation
than they get.
Saw Possibilities for Poor.
He saw the possibilities of picture
shows for education and culture When
the fight was on, the picture men began
TO visit him unoffcialy, to ask aid in
restoring confidence.
There's only one way to do it: Clean
up said Collier in effect
1T was an extremely difficult opera
tion,. with three groups of producers-the
trust and two Independent companies
bucking each other. He recommended a
board of censors. He collected a hum
bred men and women pledged to give a
certain day a week to the work over
them he set a general committee, picked
for ability and variety of opinion This
formed court of app, ais, to which either
managers or members of the committee
might carry up any decision with which
they were dissatisfied"
Suggestions of salaciousness and of
crime methods thus were eliminated The
picture play has been regenerated and
made potent. Collier has saved the peo-
pie of the United States great source
of entertainment All this the article tells
about
John Collier is the brother of Rawson
Collier, of Atlanta, contract agent of the
Georgia Railway and Electric Company;
Charles a. Collier, of the Georgia Rail
way and Electric Company, and Mrs
Robert Davis