New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-06
Pledge toPurify
Screen If Censor
Bill Is Dropped
Producers Ask Years Grace
of Miller and Legislature
in Which to Drive
Evil From Film Industry
AlI-Star Cast at Hearing
Brady Heads Opponents of
Act; Women Foremost III
Urging 1t Be Made Law
rrcn, q staf Correspondent

ALbANl, April D. - NJ otion picture
producers of the country. speaking
through William A. Brady, of New
York. to-day pledged themselves to
eliminate the promoter OF lascivious
and sensational films within a year {
Governor Miller and legislative lead
ers would leave the industry alone and
not pass the Lusk-Clayton bill, Great
ing state motion picture censorship
commission.
The proposal was made at the close
of the hearing on the censorship bill
before the legislative finance commit
tees at which advocates OF the bill de-
nounced the motion picture industry
as responsible for increase in crime,
juvenile delinouincoy and Bolshevism.
In return, tao opponents Of the meas
ure. who were represented by leaders
Of the motion picture industry, charged
that the censorship as proposed is in
violation Of the constitutional guaran-
ties of free speech and that it is the
product of bgotry and misunderstand-
ing. The hearing was one of the most
interesting staged in the Legislature
scented by an all-star cast, notably so
the opponents of the measure. who in
Guided Rex Beach. author, and David
"ark Griffith, producer,
Mrs. O'Grady Speaks for Bill
The principa! speakers in favor OF
the bill were Mrs. Ellen O'G rady, for
mer New York City deputy police com
missioner; Alexander Rorke Assistant
District Attorney OF New York County
and Mrs. Clarence Waterman. chair
man OF The Better Motion Picture
Alliance.
MIR. Brady. VINO led the opposition
said he repre- scented so per cent of the
motion picture producers in the state
lie denied the reflections cast upon the
him industry by those who had spoken
in favor OF the measure
He dwelt on the patriotic, educa-
tlonal and religious value, as he saw
it, % motion pictures. He related how
the motion picture men, at the request
Of President Wilson. had sent, without
charge. 100000 feet of film to France
10 counterfeit German film propaganda
during the war. He recited the part
tne motion picture is payin- in church
work and quoted Il booklet issued by
the Methodist Episcopal Church in
which it was urged that every church
have apparatus for the exhibition OF
motion pictures. lie quoted one para
graph as reading:
The motion picture is invaluable in
church work. The church needs the
film Use motion pictures and the
church prospers, ignore motion pic
lures and it will perish
Mr. Brady denied the charge that ths
motion picture is q source of evil. HI
admitted that some films are not whole
some, but he said they are in The
minority, and that the producers know
of way with which to deal with tbs
element producing such films.
Brady Asks Wait of Year
Il know there is no desire on the
r,art Of the Legislature to destroy {
great industry" said Mr.. Brady. "Fol
This reason we ask you to hold til.
measure over until next year, in order
TO give the industry an opportunity
20 demonstrate that it can handle thi:
situation itself.
II stand ready to go before Gov
crnor Miller and the Legislative lead
a with ten men, who, with me, viii
represent the leading producers ans
enter into a hidebound agreement tina
we will have this entire situation dis
posed Of within a year. We will do !
by pledging ourselves not to allow oul
pictures to be shown in theaters where
Objectionable pictures are being ex
hibted. We can close these theater
il necessary. and if this plan does no
work, which | know it will, I will b'
here next year and talk against thu
producers in stronger language thar
any one did here to-day. The ad
vantage of this proposition is that i
does not apply to New York Stat
alone. but to the entire country
will be & clean sweep from coast t.
coast.
Motion picture censorship may b
that angle. 1 maintain it is futile an
impracticable. Why. censorship woul
prohibit the filming of plays whic
are upheld as classics to-day. W
could not film Joan of Arc because sh
was burned at the stake. nor the lif
of Jesus. because of the crime whic
closed His life on earth ! could stan
: here for hours and tell you abou