The Washington times., 1916-01-20
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
AS Shakespeare May
Fare At the Hands
of the CenSorS OF
PhotopldyS.
BY GARDNER MACK.

Some humorous things crop out at
the n"st solemn times. as many
Lhotoplays prove. and ono of the
most humorous things tnat has crop-
ped out regarding motion picture
censorship concerns the fun which
W. Stephen Bush has been having
r'centiy with the Pennsylvania and
Ohio censcra regarding Mr. Busn's
censorship CT the plays Of Shakes
rearc in accordance with tn" rules
of the Ohio and Pennsylvania
hoard Mr.. BusE ubIisEed the re-
suit Of his work il a recent issrc of
the Moving Picture W 1rld. RE IL
sists that his crnsoring, was done,
not only in accol dance with rules,
but in accordance with the cen 'or-
Ing of other plays. the elimination
OF scenes from Shakespeare having
been done as scenes OF similar i'm
port have actTallv been eliminated
from productions subr,Itted TO the
censors.
Only six OF the sainted Williams
plays escape the cutting. The Com
cdy Of Errors" is passed without
elimination, bat with the statement
of the Pennsylvania censors del'ior-
ing the lack OF serious purpose of
the comedy. 1t is upon the tragedies
that the censorial hand falls heav-
lily. Richard III is not approved
at all, because it abounds in grimes
and 'illajnies.' Juliet is omitted il
'Romeo and juliet" ard Julius
Caesar must not be assassinated on
the stage, but can he made to die of
nr n q in,
able way. Some of Mr.. BLsh's CEN
sorship notes follow.
Romeo and Juliet--Cut out Juliet.
Here Is girl just in her teens con
quoting herself in most unmaiden-
~ fashion and opening her window
in the night time or possibly in the
early hours of the morning to
young man to whom she has never
been properly introduced. This play
abounds in the very kisses and EN-
braces and passionate love scenes
which the board has repeatedly con-
denned. There are too many street
brawls of extreme violence. Reduce
these to a flash Of about ten feet.
The board has frequently announced
its disapproval Of the administra-
tion of secret sleeping potions and
all such scenes in the play must
come out. The ball which Romeo and
his companions appear in may e
main as it is-educational I'm char
acter.
Othello--A colored man marrying
a. white woman may give offense.
The play may, however, be shown
with the following eliminations: Cat
out 1ago. His conduct ani language
cannot be tolerated in a Respectable
community. Omit entirely Act V.
This act shows the smotherinG OF
Dcsdcmona and the suicide OF Othel-
10. Two such terrible crimes in Dne
~ n1 hIr
this board.
Julius Caesar--The assassination
OF Julius Caesar must be eliminate
As the plot however requires that
the fact of the death be conveyed
to the spectators, two courses may
he pursued. Mark Antony may he
shown receiving a letter announcing
Caesars death or Caesar may be
shown dying a natural death caused
by rheumatis or old age. Reduce
all riots to a flash.
King Lear--Sot approved. This
play is a grave menace to the family
life and the homes Of Pennsylvania
Cor Ohio. There are at least four
shameful and sCandalous family dis
cords and descriptions. Bloody and
barbar!ous, scenes abound death Of
Cordela. binding Of Gloster, almost
habitual tearing out Of eyes. inhu-
msnities of Duke Of CornwalD.
"Hamlet-NOt approved. The
drinking of hot blood" for instance,
and the doing of such business as
the bitter day would quake to look
on" is highly unbecoming and might
amount to disorderly conduct or
even gravcr crime. Such things will
not be allowed in the State of Penn
Sylvania Tor ohio).
'Macbeth-Not approved. This
play viSualiZes several murders in
the first degree and shocking sui
eide committed by a woman. The
conduct of Lady Macbeth if we per-
mitted 1t to become generally known
in Pennsylvania COR OhiO) would
undoubtedly have a corruptng in
fluence on our people and especially
on the young Of both sexes. lf the
producer will cut down the play /"
the scenes showing pretty scenes in
the Scottish highlands. we Will he
inclined to give it our approval
Twelfth Night-Not approved. a
woman masQuerading az man and
vice versa violate the State law and
many city ordinances. Shakespeare
does not claim that license for this
masquerading was properly obtained.
Midsummer Nights Dream-Elim-
mate scene / in act III. 1t ridiCules
respectable mechanics and serves no
good purpose whatever. Reduce al
pa passiOnate love scenes to about StN
feet
The Merchant of Nrnire-The
scenic views in this play may stand
hut ShylOck must be reduced TO a
flash. otherwise the tendency to Tidi'
cult the Hebrews will cause the en-
tire suppression of the play.
"As You Like lL-Reduce all scenes
of reckless love making to flash
and eliminate the Duke from the last
act.
Much Ado About Nothing-NOt
approved. Aside from the levity witt
which matrimonial questions are
treated in this play. we cannot toll
crate the ridiCule thrown upon Dog
berry and Nergcs, the representa- tiveS
Of lawfully constituted authority.
Tanning of the ShTew-Eliminatt
all scenes showing Petruchio in the
act of offering physical violence &c
OF