The Washington times., 1916-02-04
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Nv GARDNER MACK
Pollock GrillS tn e
CenSorS of Carmen
In a Humorous
Criticism
BY QARDNER MACK.

Claiming Pollock. who once made
the Washington people sit up and
take notice through the columns OF
The Times as a real honest-to-
goodness critic of the drama. has
blossomed forth as = humorist!
Pollock was a real dramatic critic
when he was in Washington and to
this is probably due his overdevelop-
ment of the sense of humor which
most washingtonians have. When
he left here he began to write plays
higher criticism of the drama
meaning that 1t was published in
ma sgazines instead of newspapers.
Dramatic criticism was to him
very vital thing, and his ideas Of
what was and what was not honest
and four-square of dramatic value
IN a play were expressed in q style
that made them worth while. both
because of their literacy and their
critical value.
A few months ago Pollock was in
weighed to engage in the motion pic
ture business. And Immediately
editor of the Photoplay Magazine
as a humorist! Just what connec-
tion there Is between the two the
editor of the Photoplay Magazine
doesn't explain-and the editor of
the Photoplay Magazine also has a
ngton-nurtured sense OF hu-
NOR, 1t might be mentioned in pass
ing.
However, Pollock's saiutatory in
the realm OF humor creates a brand
new prece6ent. His work is really
humorous! At least the first that
has come into prfSSt in the ma ga zine
referred to is really humorous. 1t is
a bit OF satiric essay on censorship
Of motion pictures. He finds that
the young girls definition of CEN
sors as things that are empty and
make a great deal of smoke and
smell from almost nothing; and that
they should swing" is a real defini-
tlon of the kind of censor he means.
He states further that & censor Is
a politicians way of correcting ma
ture, which gave us five senses and
only. ono conscience"
Still further along in his essay, he
states that Discretion Is the better
part of virtue. To the poor all things
are pure" And so. systematically,
on. But he reached a climax in the
literary tears he sheds over the fig
uIO VI ~ CGllSOl OaA
Thus:
Considering that it is forty years
since first she mouthed her mad love
to the music of Bizet, Carmen might
have expected the Difference due old
age. Beautifully filmed, and beauti-
fully acted by Geraldine Farrar, she
came as a bolt from the blue to
shocked and surprised boards in
Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
Her ancient kiss, that inspired the
first big press agent story was
ordered cut to five feet.
Just a little love. q little kiss,
warbled the Buckeyes. and nothing
more than a yard and two-thirds
Of affection came within that allow
ance. All love scenes showing en-
braces between males and females
were ordered measured and trimmed,
leaving the cigarette maker to give
her life for a purely paternal peck
from the bashful bull fighter. Esca-
milo.
life, either in Ohio or in California. A
local board in the latter State OBJ
jected to the killing of a woman by
& man, though there IL no opposition
TO the killing of men bY women.
After all. girls will be girls! 1t is
only the male who must not be en-
COuIaEeQ! EGnnSNlNdnld bAhuOV NiiC
little set-to between Carmen and
Frasquita. and the duel between
Morales and Don Jose.
"All this had taken place dozens
of times in the opera in Phila delphia,
without appreciable effect upon the
police records. but. apparently. the
censors were comforted by the re-
flection that no one knows what an
opera is about. anyway. Camille is
forbidden in England. but there has
been no ruling against Traviata.'
"Ohio prevented Door Carmen s
smoking one of her own cigarettes,
and. i'm one State or another. the
majesty of the law raised the level
uf her decolletaEe. restrained her
II ON barring the shoulder of her
rival. and interfered generally with
the artless displays of temper and
temperament. Carmen as amended
End expurgated. must have borne a
striking family resemblance to ELSIE
Dinsmore.'
"If have failed to keep my prom
Use. and be overwhelmingly funny.
YOU will admit that the censors are
making II up to YOU" G. NJ.