Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-27
PASTORS CRY OUT
AGAINST BELASCO
PRESENTING PLAY
rlorpvmen Fight Produc-
tion Here Of Daring
"Marie-Odile"
HARMFUL" TO M OR AIS
y. Helpful Message to HUI
y manity in Heroine's Expert
once. Is Great Objection

.,,-,,, of protest arose from clergy
~ several denominations today
n..t neI the production OF "Marie-Odile," "
ss.rd Itnoblauch's daring play which
hi5 t2etasco has announced TO ope' Il
4. Adelphi next Monday.
ls l.tS protestant and Catholic ministers
py VA in condemning the character of
HnsIi. and declared that its production
hs h.is "a no harmful to the morals of Phil
+ s,.,ah,a None Of the clcrgymcn could see
soapI pSaInful message to humanity In the
.rlences Of the heroine of the play.
/ ~. nostors pinted out that it was the
~ IVY. N MAYOR Smith to follow the pre-
W. .ssnt establis led by Mayor Curley, of
s.s,on, and prohibit the production of
rgarie-odile. 80. ,,-. ... "A
.i,sson,ane NJ, Il. Church, Broad and
wss,moreland streets said
~, The plot of t.is play as outlined
-,st heartily commend the courage of
M,vor Curley, of Boston, in responding to
s..snt public sentiment and topping its
reduction.
sNowadays we are having an epidemic
/ a thls sort of play; there seems to be a
s,roarous tendency today to put on the
snd of play that appeals to the baser
,ltments of mankind.
Isyom see evidences of this in the glaring
..,tsrs on billboards and in theatrical
,svertising matter of all kinds. The titles
u these plays suggest what one may eX-
sst upon going to the theatre.
% do not think that the number of such
,lays should be cut down, but l believe
XII they should be eliminated all to-
ssther from the American stage.
'nAny play that deals with the downfall
!, an innocent girl should be prohibited,
md understand that such a downfall Is
NJ theme Of Marie-Odile.'
n think it is the duty of Mayor Smith
IA investigate this play, and close 1t up
he finds that it is immoral in any way.
~The story of 'Marie-Odile' is probably
bld with extreme delicacy, but that only
makes IL the more dangerous to public
-orals. The subtle poison is there, and
4 4 more deadly when applied in an
artistic manner
Monsignor Philip Il. McDevitt, supern-
t,ndant of the parochial schools of Phila-
islphia, said
Il have neither read nor seen the
blay, But If 1t Is as has been described
"a me- believe that the plot is with
out foundation in fact, and that the play
hsef-as with all such plays-works i'll to
be moral and intellectual life of the vast
majority who witness it,"
The Rev. DR.. David NJ. Steele. rector
Of the Protestant Episcopal Church, St.
Luke's Epiphany, said
III there Is anything immoral or OBJ
jectlonable in any way in this play,
its a problem for the Department of Pub
lc Safety and not the clergy"
PLOT "WITHOUT FOUNDATION"
The plot of "Marie-Odile" is without
foundation in fact, according to the Rev.
J. Nash, rector of Epiphany Catholic
Church, 1lth and Jackson streets.
ANY play which deals with such a
thine" he asserted, "is immoral, and
should not be produced on the public
stage
The play is not true to fact. No
novice such as Maric-Odile' is brought
up by nuns in such ignorance of the pit
falls Of the world in manner portrayed
In this play
1T is the duty of Mayor Smith to read
this play carefully and let his own con-
science decide whether or not it will be
bad for the public morals of Philadel-
pha."
The Rev, DR.. w. Quay Roselle, pastor
Of the Fifth Baptist Church, 18th and
Spring Garden streets, said he thought
such plays were likely to arouse religious
anagonlsms.
For that reason" he said, 81 object
70 the production of the 'Marie-Odile
type of play, This play is likely to be
oaenslve to the Catholics of the city, and
! consider it bad to stir up feeling in
any religious sect.
Then again the play will open up old
Wounds in regard to the war of 1870, The
pay seems to present n criticism of Ger
man soldiery at the time of 1870, and dur
hg these excitable times we should avoid
anything of that sort"
The Rev. Wayne Channel, pastor of
~ Stephens NJ. Il. Church, Germantown
ayenue above Mannheim street, said
! will get the play and read it before
Gpressing my opinion"