Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-05
WHY NOT PINK PERMIT
in CENSORING MOvIESz
Separation of Juvenile Sheep
From Adult Goats Might
Solve Boards Worries
BY the PhotopIay Editor

In all the pro and con dissertations on
censorship, its admitted evils and Doubtful
virtues Pennsylvania has always failed to
make one vital distinction, which II prop
erly recognized, might solve the entire prob
lem. with the appointment OF Frank n.
Shattuck to the State Board, exhibitors,
manufacturers and photopay-goers may
we'll see some lifting OF clouds on the cinema
horizon But even he is frank to confess
that all the vexatons that confront him are
hardly to be dispelled at one stroke. ~
Has Mr.. ShattuclS ever heard OF the so
called pink permit? This scheme has
worked well and consistently In those cities
where IL has been tried II proceeds on
the assumption that certain motion pic
lures, eminently suited for screening before
adults, aren't ut mental food for children.
II separates the merely nasty the easily
condemned from serious discussions Of in
tense and trenchant problems OF ethics II
does not refuse to pass "On Trial" just be-
cause It and THE Wrongs Of a Cabaret
Singer" happen 20 deal with the breaking
Of a moral law.
The rooted trouble with the conduct of
the office OF censor in this state has invari-
ably been that the official has judged films
on the basis Of juvenile intelligence. Adul-
terry is taboo and may very properly be so,
for boys and girls But Messrs Breitinger
and Oberholtzer rather made things worse
than better by writing in their own leaders,
in such cases, In an attempt to invest every
movie villains escapade with the sanctined
| halo OF marriage. And the result has al
| ways borne the two-fold vicious fruit Of
muddling the stories in the minds of iuve-
nile spectators and disgusting the adults.
| who plainly see through this flimsy attempt
| TO traduce their reasoning faculty.
II the pink permit" system were inau-
| gurated here, we would know exactly where
we stood before we entered the door of the
| theatre. We would know what was being
| offered us as mature art, and what was in
| tended for the younglings. We could docket
| Jack and the Bean Stalk" and "The Easi-
| est Way" in separate drawers. And we
| could keep our sons and daughters eyes
averted from such exhibitions of physical
| cruelty as those Of THE Cost of Hatred"
| In this excellent picture we find typical
example of censorial blindness. Because
| the theme of the story is not primarily one
| connected with the evils of sex, it is passed
| and shown before persons of all ages. But
| the Negotiations inflicted on the hero, in
this movie must have been far more hurtful
to youthful eyes and minds than other ac-
| tions condemned by the board Vs.
Why not the pink permit?
Not content with having signed Constanco
| Talmadge and offered Nicholas of Russia .
Job, Lewis j. Selznick will market Eva
Tanguays films. Eva had been promising
these so long that the wary were beginning
to put her in the same class with Margaret
Anglin, who Incorporated. but never re-
leased.
A request from the United States res
cruiting office for celists for the Balkans
sounds like the lobster dream of press
agent Yet a call was received recently
by three players of that instrument who
belong to the ochestral forces at Universe
city, Cal They will leave in two weeks
for duty with the Allied forces.
Sarah Bernhardt during her recent tour
played in a southern city near which Pearl
White, star of Pathe's new serial The
Fatal Ring" was at work. The French
actress sent for the stunt girl" and they
had a long talk. "I have wanted to meet
you" the great Sarah said, "slnce 1 first
saw Les Mysteries de New York 9TH
French title for THE Exploits of Elaine1
in Paris All, if you but knew how oui
poilus in the trenches worship you yol
would feel that you had accomplished
much 80
Will the fair maid who rompsy througl
countless movies sometimes as a child o
nature, sometimes as a smal-town girl, bu
always as an ingenue, bear in mind tina
the cost Of grease paint has gone up, ant
that farmers daughters don't usually hav
such free access to the rabbit foot, anyway