Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-21

- INV peiore congress creating Fed
eraI board of censorship for motion
| pictures. 10 he included as n ucw az
VISION OF the Bureau OF Education. Thi.
board, composed of members whose sal :
aries are paid by the government is
! 10 license all aims that meet with i,s
approval and requirements. and it's
'hici purpose is to prevent the prodtic-
ton Of pictures that might have - de-
grading effect on audiences In view
Oh the difference of opinion az to the
wisdom of such board and the on.
position o! the motion picture indus
try As represented in the testimony OF
various nenb erS before the comm 4 g g
reporting the bill, the question OF Fed
era! censorship is distinctly interest
inS.
For some time the need for some ado
puatc method OF censor!uI the movie
has been evident. Womens clubs nave
attempted 20 have local boards Of CEN
sorship established in their coInmuni-
ties, philanthropists and social work
erS have l"ctUred and written on the
suoJec; enormously in the last two
years
AZ tho present time tho censorship
OF moving picture productions is con-
hnei 10 the National Board OF Censor
ship OF New York CRY, the stan Of
which is paid h. the motion picture in
terestS, and might, therefore. be con-
sidercd prejudiced. special commissions
n
ohio and Kansas; and in a few mu-
inequalities.
state Bonrds often Humorous.
The State boards arc evidently sur.
hcicnt unto themselves, but have in
Cured good deal o. humorous criti-
cism. For example, IL IS reported that
certain state board objected to the
youthful unconvcntionality OF Shake
Spcarc's Juliet and indeed rejected all
Of hal ra'S
was not adverse To passing modern pie
lures showing Opponents. detective
dramas and slapstick atrocities. Soy
cral OF the states seem 10 have had
IL IN for the recent production OF Car
men" with Geraldine Farrar. some OH
Jcctinc TO Garments character Scth-
CT. others TO tho fact that she smoked.
and sull others taking exception TO tho
duel between Morales and Don Jose
Yet ;hc opera had probably been given
in these states for years, and no one
thought Of ccnsorinC II.
From this IL may be seen that CEN
sorship OF the movie. as ii exists, to-
day. is not only inefficient. but incon-
sistent and sometimes lud:crous. on
the other hand. IL is certainly true that
the need for some restriction upon Tho
tyne Of sex play that has been food
ing the country is acute a great nanv
people, including several Of tho large
producers themselves, believe that the
present bill providing for y Federal
commission TO pass upon the decency
and fitness OF motion pictures. Will
prove tho answer TO the problem 9th
crs are quite AS firmly convinced that
II will not. that it is uuconstitu; iCnal
hccaus" II is akin 10 restricting tho
freedom of tho press. and that il would
work many practical hardships an
industry which. after all, has sufficient
evidence in its profits that il is giving
tho people what they want.
At least five big movie concerns.
however, are Interested In seeing such
a commission established. and have CO.
operated with the Committee Edu-
cation In changing a few OF tho pro-
visions Of the hill which were opposed
TO the practical requirements OF the
Industry. For instance. the measure
provided that no film should he given
transportation throughout tho country
until II was stamped with the seal OF
the commission, certifying that it was
Of nature not injurious to the pub
lie. Now motion picture company
taking pictures in Honolulu or Wyom-
ing is compelled to send the film hack
to the home Office for revision. clipping
and getting into form before the firm
considers Offering it to the public. AS
an unfinished product. it would have to
he transported without the seal. and
a provision has now been inserted to
take care of this factor.
Branch Onlcea Rccommcn dcd.
II was also recon- amended by these
concerns that the commission cstab-
lish offices both in New York and Los
Angeles. the two headquarters OF the
industry, In order that the producers
could take up In person any suGScs-
lions complaints with the Official
representatives OF the board.
In order that tho board may Give
the highest grade OF expert and i'm
partial service i'm judginL films in
volvnG the expenditure OF the mn
largest industrial capital in America.
the members will he carefully chosen
and we'll paid that they Will look
upon the work as career rather than
stepping stone TO something cIse./ In
view of the fact that there are no uni
vcrsal standards of what is permissible
in a film and what is not, tho board is
OF course, a purely arbitrary affair.
its decisions depending entirely upon
tho personal opinions of it's members
For this reason il is provided that any
producer dissatisfied with the decree
of the commission may have tho priv
ilegc OF taking the case before "a court
OF appeals
One OF the greatest objections to tho
films now being shown in the notion
picture theaters is that the ma iority
OF them are UNIT for children who
constitute over Ii per cent Of the audi
enccs all over the country. II is urged
by people interested i'm the Federal
hoard bill that some specific provision
concerning children should be forced