The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-30

been established in four states and many cities. And a.@bill is pending in Congress to create a, federal Motion Picture Commission for licensing films.
 Especial interest therefore attaches to statement recently issued by the National Board of Censorship of Mo- ton Pictures giving it's present policy and standards of Judgment. The Board is a. voluntary self-governing organization working with the mapu- lecturers and importers of motion pie lures and in the interests of the pub lie. It was formed by the Peoples Institute of New York. No mem Der is engaged in any branch of the motion picture business. The thirty three members of the general commit tee speak as skilled social workers. representing such agencies as the r. M. c. A.. Charity Organization So- ciety, Children's Aid Association, Fed eration of Churches, Wonen's Clubs. Y. w. c. A.. and Peoples Institute.
 The Censor1ng Committee.
 The l05 members of the carefully selected censoring committee drawn from the most intelligent groups in New York volunteer their services. The Board at present views from 150 to 1855 film subjects a. week, covering 95 per cent of the industry. These pictures aEe1 daily seen by about B. 00O, 900 people in 900 motion pie ture houses in the United States. Last year 53 film subjects were entirely condemned and parts were eltminated from 4O1.
 The total. cost of negatives and cop ies, kept off the American market was more than $582s000. The Board sends out weekly a bulletin of all the pie lures passed for the week with or without parts eliminated and those STVT, bulletins go to some 400 city authort- ties, social workers, censoripg commit tees and Interested individuals.
 The Boards statement of its policy and standards of judgment Is an ln- terestiqg attempt to crysta.llize in words the moral and psychological ef- feet of this new form of recreation on the minds of people to estimate public opinion and to criticize or exclude from the screen those scenes which have dangerous effects
 Difficulties of Censorship.
 Few people realize the scope and comp1exity of such criticism. Laws have always Jagged behind public opinion. and there has been startling disagreement on basic ethical prinL cipies. The members of the National Board recognize these obstacles and freely acknowledge that they are open to error. Their methods. however. are sound. They know the motion picture business. They thave actual Anowledge of the effects or the pic lures on people. of different classes and in different parts of the country They seek advice from people skilled in a pare or the whole of the field of life.
 The problem is found complicated by the necessity of reviewing and crit icising pictures for all the people. The same films are released on the same day in Florida Maine and Oregon. The motion picture houses are open to peo- pie ranging from to 80 years of age and representing social traditions and educational influences, some modern and some antiquated some native and some foreigM A partial solution of this difficulty appears to be special theatres and programs for children and young people, community theatres and unusually fine films in schools, | churches and libraries
 The Board recognizes that the imag- iuation of young people acts quickly on the senses It appreciates that they are open to all kinds of sugges- ton. On the other hand, it knows that the safeguards of youth-reti- | cence respect, fears and ideals, act as barriers against impure and unworthy thoughts and acts.
 SensuaIfty and Crime
 It realizes that pictures stimulating senses from the point of view of the adoles- | cent. It.. therefore. has adopted standards "curtailing prolonged love scenes which are ardent beyond the strict requirements of the dramatic situation. It believed that it is one Of the purposes of censorship to keep out of the Ynire the great experiences | Of humanity so that they may not be cheapened to the extent of losing their l signihcance.' The Board restricts also very carefully the display of clothing and the person in ways to immortality and indecency. It also enforces strictly the exclusion of those l forms of close dancing which have the | same sensuous appeal.
 A bewildering variety of crimes | against person and property requires careful treatment. The portrayal of crime should not degenerate Into pam dering to a morbid appetite but should | seek ends which are. legitimate for | the drama The Board insists that | punishment naturally and fatally fol- lows crime and that an adequate dra- ma.tic motive for committing a crime | is always necessary to warrant pie | turing it. Gruesorne and suggestive details are excluded. Regarding vio- Ience the Board states. "The actual | deeds of violence need to be treated | with the greatest discretion in motion pictures and the producer should re- member that he is not writing a de- | tailed exposition of the crime but is | telling dramatic story which most | often does not need such detail but | merely enough to make it clear what | has happened"
 Vice Films. |
 The Board critically examines films presenting various forms of sex lapses. | for those effects on audiences which |
 
 which tend to perpetuate the double standard of morality, which reveal easy ways of gratifying desire and of making money in the trade or which | simply indicate the weakness of hu- manity or recite the dreary detail of D..