The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-03-24
CLARA AND THE MOVIES

Clara Smith Hamon. acquitted OF murder. has confessed her
sins, joined the church and announces that she is going into the
movies. She declares that through the medium OF the pictures
in which she will appear she hopes TO be instrumental in impress
ing upon the world some Of the vital truths OF life, which she has
learned in the bitter school OF experience.
Without questioning the gcnuincness OF Caras conversion
OF the motives which prompt her to enter the domain OF MOVE
dom, it occurs to us that it would be more in keeping with her con.
fessed humility and modcsty-morc calculated to impress a cruel
world with the contrition and humiliation she feels as the result
OF the exposure OF hes life of shamc-ior her TO retire TO private
obscurity for a spell instead OF seeking the l%imelight. In our
opinion she is too recent an arrival from the realm OF sin TO set
Ierseli up as a moral teacher however Iauua''e her purpose lms
be. it is difficult TO resist drawing the inference that she IS attempt,
ing to make commercial capital out Of revealed shame and until
she has walked in the paths OF virtue long enough to convince the
world that she is changed woman, her influence IS a teacher OF
righteousness would go at a discount.
From the point OF view OF the makers and distributors OF pic
lures the advent of Clara in the movies appears likewise undesira-
bic. A news item in San Francisco reports that the allied amuse-
ment industries OF California composed OF representatives
of motion picture theatres. have declared themselves opposed to
the appearance Of Clara in the films. One reason for this attitude
we assume. is the movement now in progress among producers
and exhibitors OF pictures for 4 house-cieaning in moviedom. look
ing to the elimination Of Objectionable features OF film produc-
tons. In this connection, it is interesting to note that Jesse L.
Lasky, one of the big producers, recently announced IA points
which he declared his company viii observe in future pictures.
These points were as follows:
No pictures showing sex attraction in a suggestive or inn
No picture dealing with white slavery"
Stories built up on illicit love permissible only II they convey
a moral lesson.
Nakedness banned.
Inviting dances eliminated.
Unnecessarily prolonged passionate love scenes.
No stories principally concerned with the underworld.
No pictures which might instruct the morally weak in crime
methods.
No stories which may offend any rehgo Gus sect.
No incidents showing dsrespect for aty religion.
Suggestive comedy barred.
Unnecessary depletion of bloodshed must be avoided.
No salacous titles nor advertising.
Samuel Goldwyn, another big producer, is reported to have is
sued the following instructions to his Culver City studio staff:
mo pictures showing sex attraction in any suggestive or inn
proper manner shall be produced, and there must be no saacious-
ness in photoplay titles. and advertising matter.
"No picture shall be produced which makes drunkenness or
gambling attractive, and stories dealing with the underworld shall
not be presented unless such scenes are merely a part Of a con
hct between right and wrong. Nothing is to be pictured which
might instruct in the methods of committing crime.
"No incident in a story shall needessly offend the holders of
a religious belief"
Now it is difficult to conceive OF Clara starring in any picture
which would not be open to objections such as these producers and
many others have decreed must be eliminated. If the motion pic
ture industry takes on Clara because she will appeal to the morbid
sntiment which revels in sensationalism and things unclean, it
will do so to the detriment Of its own interests.