The Washington times., 1914-12-24
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
BY GARDNER MACK
Official CenSorSh Up
Made Ridiculous
By Ignorance
Of CenSorS.
By GARDNER MACK.

Shsses OF the censorship discussion
which has been raging throughout
She country with regard to motion
which the poorly equipped censorship
Eosrds interpret the orders given
1hem. The most noteworthy ex-
simple of this is found IN Chicago.
The regulations that have been adop-
ted for censorship there, il inter
preted broadly and humanely, would
permit the showing of almost any
sort of proper film. But the situa-
ton resulting from the appointment
of a board of censors who interpret
these regulations too literally is
simply ridiculous. The climax OF
absurdity seems to have been reach
ed in the prohibition of the showing
OF portions of a screen version OF
Shakespeare Merchant of Venice"
because the character of Shylock
cast aspersions on the Hebrews. II
film play was shown with q replica
of Venus de Milo the portion Of the
film containing the statue would be
stricken out by these censCrs. Re-
Gently a Bosworth film of unusual
merit. The Hypocrites,' was pro-
hibited in Chicago because the nude
figure of A woman, symbolizing
Truth, was shown in every scene. In
fact inc whole story of 'Hypocrites,
" hich is q poetic morality play Of
the highest character, is centered
around this nude figure. The figure
is supposed to be a spirit that &C
companies the chief character I'm the
drama on his search for purity and
honesty. The story IS entirely mod
-.
a!c modern charactcrs-wdh the cX-
ception of this one figure.
The spectacle that has been pre-
scented the country by the actions. OF
the Chicago censors. and by some
of the Pennsylvania and Ohio State
censors, has inspired Norman Hap
good, editor of Harper's Weekly. to
one of his pithy editorials on the
whole censorship question in motion
picture fields. He declares that a
threat to the cooperation of the
manufacturers and the National
Board OF Censorship is found in the
butting in of politicians" as he
expresses il. Mr.. Hapgood continues:
How little the national board,
after five years OF cooperation. now
needs TO interfere with the manufac-
tuners is shown by the figures for
october. Examinations are nearly
always comparatively slight and
changes inexpensive: Number OF
subjects viewed, 81; number of reels
Viewed, 915; number OF pictures in
hich eliminations were made, Il;
number of eliminations made, 10:
number of subjects condemned, :;
number of reels condemned, 10.
In other words. the big national
manufacturers try to act on the
principles already worked out and
clearly written down. They realize
tain supervision. All they dread is
the substitution of arbitrary politi-
cal ignorance for well-informed,
tolerant. careful, and disinterested
criticism.
Perhaps per cent OF the films
exhibited through the country are
furnished not by the large companies
but by small hy-by-night dealers who
do not subject themselves to the
National Board OF Censorship. There
fore some local supervision is need
"a, and this Is procured by city COM
rnittees. The National Board wei
comes such committees and has
about 100 correspondents to whom IL
sends its bulletin every Saturday.
Such committees also enable any
locality to enforce its own peculiar
moral or social point OF view. where
4 may differ from general national
morals; but the main work OF these
affiliated city committees is 10 con-
centrate on the per cent of fugitive
films that may be Objectionable be-
cause they have not been censored
by the national board.
Political influence exists 10 a
greater or less extent in California,
Pennsylvania. Illinois. and else
where. but Ohio is the first hard
fought test case, and the question
should be threshed out thoroughly
b. 20 yaT
Up in other States.
illustrating the tolerance Of the
national board as compared with this
strictness Of police caprice by few
individuals may be instanced the
suppression Of the Annette Keller
man pictures by the police in Chi
cago; the chopping to pieces Of the
Merchant OF Venice in order not to
allow Shylock's behavior 10 cast any
possible aspersions on the Jews; the
forbidding of all scenes. however gay
and farcical. that could be construed
as ridiculing police or other con-
stituted authorities; stopping Pa
=iiaccl altogether; and the practical
certainty that The Hypocrites.
highly thought Of by tine national
board. will be suppressed in Chicago.
because the figure Of Truth, bless her
heart. Is nude.
''Harper's Weekly will have more
10 say about this subject before the
Ohio repeal question is decided. II is
content at present to put before its
readers the general principle that
when enlightened public morals are
inharmonious cooperation with en-
.ightened business on national
Gale. il is a pity TO have the har-
rnory broken bv local police repre-
sentatives. inadequate in number,
deficient in training. and too often
within the reach OF devious infu-
ence"