Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-07
TIRED
OF AMERICAN
FLAG MOVIES
Dependent on U. S. for Films,
Britain Wants a Few Nom
patriotic Ones.
SUSPECT PROPAGANDA

LONDON, Feb. For five years John
Bull has been fed up on a 90 per cent
diet of American movies. There are now
some growing evidences that he is bit
off his feed. The sponsors in Europe for
American film producers think they have
hit upon the Part of the film menu which
is irritating Americas best film customer
1t Is super American patriotic scenes. As
recently told in dispatches to the World
there is too much stars and stripes IN
too many American films for European
audiences
Now the European representatives, are
sending home word to "can" the patriotic
Scenes originally staged only for home
consumption. but which come to Britain
in the sweeping tide of 100000 feet OF
film yearly As one American film rep
resentative here put it, 1t is no time
now to exhibit an American film, that is,
one full of flags. in d'AnnunziO's home
town of Fiume. To a smoewhat less de-
gree it is considered just as advisable to
cut out the flag waving scenes for all
foreign markets.
There has been no diplomatic remon-
STRANGE from Great Britain. but Ameri-
can officials here have also given the hint
that the fade OUT might we'll be used
on patriotic scenes in which the stars
and stripes are heralded as the hope of
mankind or where an American doughboy
is seen in single handed, and successful
combat with the whole German army
From the American film makers stand
point, that is from the standpoint OF the
foreign representatives of American
films, it is bad business, even when
Americans still have film monopoly, to
let all these home productions come
abroad with all their local appeals IN
4 censored.
. WERE IRRITATED
LONG AGO.
During the war there was some irrita
ton before America came in, when films
were shown depicting the profuse ex-
penditure of dollars on what were then
unattainable things for Europeans. While
London was being bombed its cinema
audiences often watched the sea nymphs
4 disporting themselves at Palm Beach and
#on the California coast But they we're
lat least diversions. Then when America
#entered the war and some of the home
8grown propa ganda recruiting brands OF
@flms got over here they stimulated the
war weary British public, though in
some instances, where films indicated an
carly arrival of the doughboys in Berlin
.~war over, this tide of war brewed Amer
lean films still continued to come-and
some are now making a belated ap
pearance full of flag waving and telling
their British audiences that there is
only one place in the world-tbe old
L. S. A. Consequently, some of the re-
cent grumbling.
4 FEW SUSPECT
DRY PROPAGANDA.
There are still some she'll shocked
Britons who are willing to believe that
American films which depict American
heroes and English villains are sent here
a san insidious form of enemy prOpa
ganda. Lately, with so much attention
being devoted to the question of liquor
consumption here and the new drought
in America, there have been suspicious
that films with "dry" heroes are a part
of an equally insldious dry" propa
ganda. The average Briton is becoming
worried about his booze supply since
the advent of "Pussyfoot" Johnson, and
when films constantly show reformed
booze hounds" winning beautiful hero
ines the more nervous here have an ad-
ditional suspicion that the dry" forces
in America are slipping over some quiet
but effective propaganda.
But 1t is not this part of the film diet
which is the immediate cause of distress
ITO John Bulls film digestion. It is the
&constant exhibition in the $500 cinema
4palaces throughout the country of films
containing scenes justly proper for
#American audiences, but hardly suited to
Na British audience.
s. No American who visits a British Gin
ema can fail to mark the tmpatience when
Il ome of these superpatriotic scenes are
shown
"Sure, the Yanks Won the war" says
he ex-British Tommy to his neighbor,
Tho smiles ironically
DISTRIBUTOR WRITES
Nj. ETTER TO COMPANY.
81 An educated Englishman's point of
81 Jew is: How would you like to see
u e Union Jack continually waved be-
re your American audiences?"
q I've just written a letter to the home
J. tfice," said one Of the American film
Representatives, in London, telling them
- cut out the flag waving Incidents when
~ hippingf these films abroad. From a
Il usiness standpoint it is bad; from an
mer1can standpoint It is bad. We ought
9 Rpt to give Europeans any excuse for
ying we are working an insidious
NJ opaganda game. We would certainly
kN lex If 80 per cent Of our films were
62 it1sh or italian or French and had to
e lot of flag waving by foreigners.
Y. She European has a legitimate kick.
#nere is no question about it we've got
world market now, but it will go
II kainst us some day If we continue to
splay our patriotism to European au-
ences.
j AiSfnT'S Death Fails