Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-02
SUGGESTS MOVIES
SUITED TO YOUTHS
Committee Warns Parents
Against Allowing Children to %
Witness Immoral Plays.
SERIES OF VIEWS PLANNED

Laying upon the parents the blame for
the presence of children at immoral mos
tion-picture plays, the citizens commit
tee organized under the auspices Of the.
motion-picture committee OF the District
of Columbia Federation of Women's
Clubs for the purpose of securing bet
ter film plays for Washington Endorsed
a plan warning them against allowing
their children to attend doubtful shows,
at a meeting yesterday afternoon in the
Circle Theater The committee is to CO.
operate with an endless chain" plan
adopted by the Mothers Congress of the
District at it's meeting yesterday.
Under the proposed plan the chaperons
at the special matinees which are to
begin January in eleven local theaters
are to be responsible for notifying
parents that the matinees are being held.
and in turn these parents are to notify -
others, who in their turn, will notify =
still others, and on.
Question Up to Parents.
At the meeting yesterday special stress
was laid upon the fact that the parents
must be educated to a point of appre- d.
ciating the fact that it was up to them
almost entirely to decide what sort Of
film plays their children may see. The
campaign of educating the parents Is
to be run in conjunction with the stag
ing of the special matinees in the ef-
fort to secure better screen productions.
Mrs NJ S. Gerry of the board of educa-
ton pointed out the need of showing
pictures that do not contain the OFTEN
repeated and embarrassing triangle SIT
uation, following the exhibition of The
Shine Girl" which was presented by the
selection committee as a sample OF the
kind Of play desired at the special natl
neeS. :
THE introduction of that situation in
film PLAYS seems to have become the
regular FORM, said Mrs. Gerry. 1t is
senseless. and In the play We have just .
seen II really seemed to have no place
and spoiled an otherwise beautif1i =
story.
Several speakers commented upon
the calmness with which many MIN
plays deal with what seems to be the
perfectly ordinary procedure OF having
one man appropriate anotherS wire. .
Some of the committee opposed alto
gether the showing of domestic trou---
bleS on the screen.
Viewpoint of Theater Men.
William p. Herbst, representing the
theater men, stated that the patronage
of children at motion picture houses is
not desired. IN 10 OiteH
annoying to the rest of audience. he
pointed out that they are destructive
to theater property and that they in
many cases enter a theater when it
first opens its doors in the evening and
stay until il closes. seeing the show re-
peated several times, and keeping ,
adults out of desirable seats.
Mr. Herbst recommended that parents
allow their children to attend ONLY the
first show in the evening. forbidding
them stay out after certain hour.
He laid the blame for the fact that
children become familiar with the de-
tails of immoral plays. through seeing"
them repeated. at the door OF the .
pal ents. and recommended that they be
kept at home more closely. He favored e
the idea OF having a special show for
children early in the evening.
Although yesterdays picture met with
the disapproval of many on the commit
tee because Of the Introduction of the
triangle situa ton. several members spoke
in favor of it.
First Sample Play January 5. 49,
The first of the series of Friday after
noon demonstrated matinees for the
purpose of showing tilm men that the
younger people desire clean plays is to
be held January 5. That performance
and the one of the following week are
to be free of charge, but the two fol-
lowing matinee shows VIII be at tho
usual charges.
The committee of selection is pre-
pairing a program for the eleven thea.
tiers that are to stage the matinees. %.