The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1921-10-01
CLEANING HOUSE IN MovIELAND

Inc Rappe Tragedy mas brought 10
climax affairs in the motion picture col
onies which have long been calling for re-
strictive attention. Men and women
watching the trend of affairs have been
predicting that some one of the orgies
staged by certain stars would end Just
as Roscoe Arbuckle's party resulted for
Virginia Rape.
The Women's Vigilance League has Ia
ken stand on the proposition of clean
ing up the motion picture industry and
making impossible the wild night scenes
that have marked some of these parties.
The best element in the screen business
itself also sees golden opportunity to
institute some reforms urgently needed.
while public attention is focused on the
sorry fate of Miss Rape. The manufac-
turers realize that the public will not pa
tronize pictures in which principals, who
have figured in debaucheries are shown.
That is, the stars must be reasonably
clean and decent in their personal life. or
their usefulness as motion picture at
fractions end at once.
Heretofore these orgies have been fair
ly well covered up. 1t is admitted they
were frequent. AS rule, they were held
in the homes of the stars or in the home
of some friends. 1t was only the cheaper
actors and actresses of the "piker" var
iety who staged their revels in the ho-
tells and public places. These later, gen.
orally, were tame affairs as compared
with the "house parties" put on at some
Of the magnificent homes where all de-
tails could be readily suppressed Liquor
was always plentiful California has not
taken kindly the eighteenth amendment.
and there has never been any trouble in
obtaining an unlimited supply of wet
goods. California prides itself upon its
openhanded hospitality, and if the guest
desires hard liquor it must be forthcom-
ing, regardless of any laws. The Golden
state makes its own laws.
In announcing its determination to
clean up the motion picture colonies. the
Women's Vigilance League must be SER
iously taken. 1t has among its member
ship defendants of the men who served
on the vigilance committees in the old
wild days, and they were capable men for
the work at hand. The women recently in
terested themselves in the war on motor
ious gangsters, with the result that some
of the offenders have been lynched and
others sent to prison for life or long
terms. The disorderly element in the mo-
ton picture business will find in these
women opponents not to be underestima-
ted at any stage of the encounter.
The tragedy at the St. Francis hotel
also gives the prohibition officials an op-
pOrtumity to get into the general fight,
and they are welcoming the chance to
gain foothoid while public indignation
IS at fever heat.
Special agents have been turned loose
TO investigate conditions in movieand.
Special Attorney General Robert H. Nc
Cormack has issued orders that no mat
ter where the investigation leads, no one
is TO be spared, The guilty. he saws, must
be punished. The conditions must be so
changed that another FATTY" Arbuckle
orgy will be rendered impossible. The
Provo Post.
n
The pen, Of course, is mightier than
the sword, but there never was a pen
wielder who didn't long occasionally to
u. ~, a. q