The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-09-16
THE FILMS AND ARBUCKLE

Action of large numbers of moving picture theaters and man
agements ON the mainland in refusing to show Arbuckle films since
the transporting of the San Francisco episode that involves the fat
comedian in an ugly and nasty scandal puts the film industry in a
rather anomalous position. 1t is charged with finding an accused per-
son guilty before trial, and in other ways the attitude is dficu1t to
explain. \
Truly we see "a sudden "uplht, - remarkable revulsion on the
part of those who are Withdrawing his films. A woman accused of
murder or the inspiring of murder as in the case of Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw and a dozen others, becomes a film STAR as a result of nasty
notOriety, and pictures of her are heralded to the public in haring
billboards and big headline advertisements. Disgusting intrigues are
nightly presented to the eyes of young girls and boys and so-called
'seX problem plays, most especially so called vampire pictures
are made especial" features while highway and train robberies, at
tempted murder, abduction and arson go largely to make up serials.
Bandits and crooks re heralded as heroes. Under those circum-
stances 1t Is hard to see just where such arrangements draw the line.
After all, a picture is a picture, whether thrown upon a screen
or printed in a magazine or a newspaper. 1t is hard to see just where
the difference between displaying one of Arbuckle's comedies and the
printing of his likeness on the front page of a newspaper comes in.
Were the crime of which he is accused reproduced, it would be a diff
ferent matter, and many motion picture theatres do produce films
showing o + suggesting attempted outrages upon girls and women.
But IN the Arbuckle case 1t is different. The comedies in which he
appears are reasonably clean and were staged and filmed before the
San Francisco episode, not since. As a matter of fact there is less
reason for Withdrawing such pictures than for the withdrawal of
scores of other films. 1t has the appearance of straining at a gnat
and swallowing the camel and massive as is Arbuckle, he is the gnat
in the simne.
If there is a genuine desire to make flmdom cleaner the start
could better be made by elimination of disgusting, immoral and i'm
moral scenes and plays rather than by selecting an individual like
Arbuckle whose alleged offense is in no wise connected with the pic.
ture or pictures withdrawn.
On Maui, in fact in the Islands, the managers of the motion pic
ture houses have little or no responsibility, practically nothing to say
as to what pictures shall and shall not be shown. The selections are
made for them and they have to show what is sent or close the doors
OF their houses. They are given what the masses Of the mainland
amusement seekers want or what the motion picture producers think
the public wants. Any criticism of the type of pictures offered is
directed against the producers O the mainland not against the pic
ture houses themselves.
This paper does not excuse or condone offenses such as Arbuckle
is accused of, but it does condemn the showing of plays based upon
anything of the kind and the sudden solcitude displayed by the
houses that are throwing out Arbuckle comedies is provocative to the
disabilities.