The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-24
Frederic Haslfin'. Lette,


inst asfthe same

ll=4sil sc y ID
New York City. Feb. 2e.TJust -
the churches some time A6o decid-
ed that they could not get along
without movies, so the movies have
now decided that they cannot get
along without the churches. Thus,
q new and unexpected friendliness
has very recently developed be-
tween the cloth and the film. Movie
i producers are seen arm in arm, In
deep confab, with eminent preach
ers; fllm stars are being photo
graphed by their press agents while
attending church services, and NOV
ing picture studios are opening
wide their doors to visiting PARTIES
of missionaries and deaconsg
The cause Of this large and sud-
den ffaternal spirit is-censorship.
The connection may not be at once
apparent, but it is easily explained.
All their lives, the movies have
hated and feared censorship. All
their lives they have fought it, bit
terly, 0bstinately and unremitting-
ly. Yet censorship Of moving pict-
ures has never been totally van
pushed. Various states have con-
tinued to keep it clearly in mind.
while congress has an annoying
way of bringing the matter up in
idle moments, with remarks about
the ACCESSIBILITY Of national CEN
sors' bureau. But, worst Of all, the
reformers have recently opened
their 1921 campaign with an elo-
quent attack upon present-day film
standards and an emphatic demand
for nationwide censorship.
Now, the movies are just as de-
termined as ever that their BUSH
ness is not going to be Supervised
by some government agency at
Washington. But experience has
taught them that fighting accom-
plishes little good; that, verify, it
is the meek who inherit the earth,
and that there is much to be said
in favor Of complete disarmament.
So they are addressing the reform
ers in this subtle wise:
I'VE know that there is great
room for improvement in our film
products. We know as well as you
do. that they ale rather saturated
with sex, but we can also prove to
you, by the size of moving picture
box receipts, that sex saturation
pays, and it is therefore what the
public wants. However, we will
make this proposition: We will
guarantee to make clean, whole
:, some film dramas, fully clothed
and perfumed, if you will guaran-
tee in return to get the public to
come and see them" =
Petucoat CONTROL
| For the benefit of the women of
the nation. who are recognized
leaders in the campaign for better
moving pictures, the movies have
adopted the simple, homely phrase,
cleaning house" They are going
to clean house throughout the in
dustry. and the women's club, and
the churches. and the Girl Scouts,
and the Campfire Girls, and the
Jewish Big Sisters and The Y. W.
! c. A. are going to help them do it.
All of these agencies have
recently been enrolled in a League
for Better Pictures. with a head
quarters here in New York and
with some of the city's best known
society women on its honorary list.
Mrs. Oliver Hartman, Mrs. Lewis
Gouveneur Morris, Mrs. James
Lees Laidlaw, Mrs. Winifred Sack
vile Stoner, Mrs. Charles L. Tiff
fanny. Mrs. Arthur Choate and Mrs.
James Speye- are all interested in
the movement.
The idea is to make the League
for Better Pictures an unofficial
bureau of censor ship, although the
word censorship is carefully avoid
ed, Its Offices will become a gen.
eral clearing house for complaints,
suggestions and approvals. 1t will
have its own projection room for
showing pictures, to which, all NOV
ing picture producers interested in
the plan will send their products.
Members of the league will be no.
titled when picture is to be shown,
and when an audience of censors
is gathered together, cards will be
passed around, upon which each
person watching the film will write
his or her opinion.
Later. these cards will be col
iected, like ballots from a jury, and
the general verdict rendered on the
picture. II it is merely passable,
it win receive the O. K. of the
league. II it is Objectionable, no
comment at all will be made. And
if it is particularly good, it will be
decorated by the medal Of the
league-a really very nice medal
designed by Gutzon Borglum.
AT this point the projection room
OF the league in New York fades
out. and the scene shifts to the
headquarters of any woman's club
anywhere in the United States. All
the housewives and prominent
WOMEN Of the community are lis
tening with gratifying interest to
an eminent clergyman On the plat
form, who is explaining why peo-
pie should 60, to see only moving
pictures that have received the en-
dorsement Of the Better Pictures
league.
Get Preachers Support,
THE o. X. Of the league is abso-
lutely to be trusted" he asserts
positively, land hence this picture,
feel sure, may be seen with per-
feet safety by any member of my
congregation. or anybody else's
congregation. can more than rec
ommend the picture beginning at