The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-06-03
Frederic Haslkin's Letter
The Foreign Filn, IaOasion.

New York City. June Civil
war has broken ost IN the moving
picture Industry. Those who. only
. few months ago. stood soltdly
united In the hight against censor
ship, now are split into two bitter
and beliigerent factions BY new
issue-the importation Of foreign
films
Since the successful Introduction
of the German film, Passion" not
long ago, dozens Of German fim
productions have been received In
this country. &c recently arriving
in one week. And they are still
coming in, with NO end Of them in
sight. Encouraged by the German
success, moreover, the French are
now making films with the Ameri-
can market In view, and the ltal-
ians, who are famous for the arts
tic quality of their pictures, are
said to be speeding ~ sample
products.
This food Of importations il re-
garded with the most serious mis-
givings by actors, directors and
others employed in our own NOV
ing picture industry. who realize
that Y means curtailDeat q Dro-
duction in this country. They
know that for every foreign film
bought by m American producer,
he will make one less over here
and employ correapondingly fewer
people. The picture people have
already lived through an exceed
ingly lean year while the big pro-
ducing companies were getting rid
OF their surplus stock. Now they
face an even greater crisis if the in
fiux Of foreign films keeps up.
Thus, the war cry is being sound
ed throughout the industry. and the
various organizations Of actors,
directors, assistant directors, seen
ario writer's and camera men are
sharpening their weapons for a stir
fight against the foreign films.
Leading the rebellion is the Actors
Equity association, which has en-
listed the aid OF the American Le-
gion and is preparing to take the
matter up with congress. with q
view to securing a protective tariff
The opposition has become so in
tense that when 1.-THE Cabinet Of
DR.. Caligari," (the new German
futuristic film which has created
such a furore) was exhibited in
Los Angeles a few weeks ago, il
was boycotted. Protests were first
lodged BY the American Legion, the
Motion Picture Directors associa.
ton, the International Alliance oil
Theatrical Stage Employees and
Moving Picture Operators. When
the theatre management paid no at.
tention to the protests, pickets
from these organizations, including
wounded veterans Of the war, were
stationed outside the theatre with
banners admonishing the public moi
to patronize it.
Boycotting a Film.
The demonstration, which lasted
from the opening time on Sunday
until $3.50 at night, was unquestion-
ably successful. Up until 6 O'Clock
about rs persons entered the the.
atre, while less than that number
attended the evening show. Thou
sands were attracted to the neigh
borhood, but they merely stood on
the sidewalk and viewed the pro.
ceedings. When patron emerged
from the theatre he was jeered at
but there was no violence Of any
kind. At 8 O'Clock, the theatre man.
agement announced that another
picture had been substituted fol
the German film.
The great menace of the foreign
films from the American picture
peoples standpoint is their remark.
ably low cost. Owing to the diff.
ference in American and European
exchange rates, they can bt
bought for a mere song and dis
tributed at a tremendous profit
Passion" for instance, which il
said to have been bought for a pit
lance, has already brought it.
American distributors over q mil
lion dollars. Some Of the films
deliberately staged and containin,
massive scenes showing 10000 PEG
pie in action, are sold for $1,000
apiece.
Furthermore, the new foreign
films are tremendously popular. Elk
cept in the Los Angeles instanc,
where the theatre was picketed
they have drawn unprecedented
crowds, and hence are much in de
mand by moving picture exhibitors
Not only has the public forgotten
its supposed distaste for costum,
plays, and given the German pic
lures its enthusiastic endorsement
but American critics have givel
them a royal welcome. Passion
was the first picture since Griffith
THE Birth of a Nation" which
made the movie critics drop thei
stereotyped phrases and Iauncl
forth into original and impassione,
eloquence. Columns of prais