Arizona republican., 1921-02-05

league, but l sincerely hope that none
of you will go to see that questionable
film which is appearing further down
the block. for it has been released in
ignominious silence"
After this, the meeting breaks UP,
except for few officials who remain
in the small front office for a brief
business caucus. One of these Is the
president of the club, who picks up
letter from the registrars desk, with a
hint of coming discipline.
NY dear ladies'" she begins severe
~, glancing about the feminine circle,
I'VE will simply have to put little
more pep into our campaign for bet
the New York league, which says that
we are not holding up our end of the
movement. The scandalous feature
which appeared here last week with
out the leagues endorsement drew a.
much larger house than their selected
film, and we all know that the same
thing is likely to happen this week.
Now, we've go to pull together. and
make the town support our pictures.
Promise me that you win call on ev-
erybody you know today, and make
them go to see that league picture to-
Meeting adjourned"
The next scene in the scenario for
better pictures takes place one year
later, and Is in the office of the most
prosperous moving picture exhibitor
in the same town. The NJ. p. K. Is
talking to the salesman OF large
New York motion picture distributing
agency.
Now you can't put that stuff over
on me- he says confidently. for l
know better. You used to be able to
pass those pictures on TO me, because
signed for ten at a time, and didn't
know what 1 was getting. but now
buy only pictures branded by the
league, and 1 won't take any others
They're clean. decent and suitable for
children, and that's what this town
wants. It's a clean town and we want
clean pictures"
This at least, is the way the movie
producers envision the outcome of
their present plans to appease the re-
formers For years they have studied
the wants of the public with unflag-
ging patience. AS fast as the public
has changed its mind, SO have the pro-
ducers- The public wanted special
stars, and the producers gave 1t special
stars; then 1t wanted special directors
and the producers gave it special di-
Well directed. well-known stories, and
the producers are trying to give 1T
that But upon one think the pubhc
has never changed it's mind, according
to the producers, and that is the So
called sex lure. 1t has always fol-
/ lowed that.
ITO hear the reformers talk" said a
| New York moving picture magnate the
other day, you would think that all OF
/ us producers were vicious barbarians
I insistent upon thrustinG sex stuff
1 down the public's lily white throat. As
| matter of fact, l. for one, am hap
pily married and live in a suburb and
/ have two little daughters who hen
peck me dreadfully- But l am also
/ business man. and I know what viii
/ hat
the recent du Barry picture whlch
! made such a hit would undoubtedly
have failed if they hadn't changed its
name and called it Passion L know
that THE Charm School," which had
only a short run as a play, made
terrific hit on the screen Why? Be-
cause it contained lot of pretty girls
in the slimmest of bathing suits and
gym costumes We don't imagine
/ these things you know They are
| facts"
But the moving picture industry no
! longer intends to be responsible for
the kind of pictures it produces 1t Is
going to clean house, as everybody
has been suggesting that it should,
and see what happens Maybe the
/ League for Better Pictures will succeed
in its propaganda and maybe it will
fail. But if the public does not like
better pictures it can blame. not
the movies, but the reformers.
Some VINO beneVe the moving PIC
ture has a real future as a form of
art view this whole movement with
disfavor. The Better Pictures League,
they say, will do for the motion pic
ture what the Society for the Sup
preston of Vice has done for Ameri-
can literature by suppressing books
that is, make ii tinid and conservative
4 and hinder it's development as an art.
Should art and literature be made
subordinate to the prevailing moral
code? Should they be destroyed in
sofal as they do not fully support this
code? Or should our morality be
4 forced to live in harmony with free
development of art and literature,
which are also instruments OF civil
lization?
These are the questions raised. The
reformers say morality before all. The
artists say art before all. The pro-
ducers and publishers say they will
, follow whatever policy brings in the
i. most money. And the public says
nothing. 1t humbly takes whatever its
masters give it.