The New York herald., 1921-02-06
Movie Men to Fight
"Blue" Censorship
w. A. Brady, Now in West,
Says RefOrmers Would Kill
Great Industry.

Special Despatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
CHICAGO, Feb 5.-"The motion picture
Industry reaches 0.000.0 900 patrons daily.
Heretofore 1t has been used purely for
the benefit Of the public. but II we are
forced to use 1t as a defensive weapon
we will"
This warning to blue Sunday" advo-
Gates was sounded here by William A
Brady, president OF the National Asso-
citation of the Motion Picture Industry,
who came on from New York to fight
the proposed censorship by the Chicago
City Council.
"As a medium of propaganda there
isn't anything that can touch the
movies" Mr.. Brady continued. II don't
wish to make anything like a declaration
of war, but If we have to fight we Will
'There is one thing. however. that
should be realized. The blue Sunday
advocates are choosing the Sunday
movies as the chief object of their at
tack merely as a starting point. They
hope to extend the ban In the end to
Sunday newspapers and all other forms
OF activity.
"Some deny this, but you'll remember
that before prohibition went into effect
1t was promised that every mans home
should be regarded as his castle and left
alone. Now look what's happening. Now
that the saloons have been put out Of
business these professional, reformers
look upon the moving picture industry
as their natural prey. Prohibition did
not come as the result of the reformers
but because the liquor people were di-
vided the whiskey men against the beer
men.
81 do not compare moving pictures to
liquor except to point out that the same
fate may befall us unless we concentrate
against them.
There is no excuse for a movie CEN
sorship anywhere in this country. We
do not censor the newspapers or books
or music or grand opera. II certain
films have been harmful to the morals
Of Juveniles II Is not the Aims that need
censoring-the parents are to blame.
They should keep their children away
from movie houses In such cases. You
bet l knew where my children were
every minute.
"A censorship merely gives three or
four persons n chance to vent personal
tastes to the peril of the fourth largest
industry IN the United States. The
movies are Amerlcanizlng the world.
Create a censorship and you kill an in
dustry that Is sweeping the world with
our ideals Of freedom, Of justice. of
equality. / recently had a talk with
Bonar Law. the English statesman. He
said: Mr.. Brady. we Britons are fight-
Ing the American film industry as a
measure OF self-protection. The masses
see American cinemaa styles OF dress
and American speeches, and American
thought catches the imagination OF all
Europe Everybody wants TO go to
America. That's what your films have
done
IA certain spectacle now playing here
TO which the wealthy theatrcgoers are
now flocking displays bare legs and all
that They all say it's beautiful. and
agree. but there is no censorship. Why,
then, movie censorship I know one
film was barred in the East because
twenty-year-old girl, the censor. OBJ
jccted TO the dress of the heroine. IL
she had stepped into any New York ho-
tel she would have seen 500 such gowns.
"A concentrated blue law drive is being
made against the industry that raised
s2.500.000 for Herbert Hoovers Euro
pean relief In forty-eight hours and has
done a world of good, and we must
fight them % a finish"