The Washington herald., 1921-04-26

NEW YORK. April 25.-The New
York movie censor bill is a ridicu-
, lous bit OF Legislation. but no more
ridiculous than the braying of au-
thors and producers over the blow
to their art. Art in the movies :?
Most of the stars are former FoIlies
girls. who were made famous by
Ziegfeld costumes and urban seen
cry. Art to them means: Art Who?
And is his father rich?
Lounging indolently in pink bou-
doirs at Hollywood. smoking gold
tipped cigarettes and stroking their
pet Poms. they decide upon the
worth Of an authors scenario. And
the authors know IL. II the story
| has what is known as the sex
| punch" IL is likely to be screened.
! The artistic side of the scenario is
not considered for a moment
j do not write for the movies or
| never have. so such statements are
not sour grapes." but facts. The
movies are entertaining and have
their important niche in the world
of amusement. but to blubber about
the artistic side is silly.
The only thing that is ever con-
sidered about a scenaro is: Will
IL sell? The enormous costs of pro-
duction are mostly press-sgent pipe
dreams. A recent picture was her
aided as a half -million-d dollar pro-
! duction. and the producer in hon
eyed words spoke of this amount in
addressing a hrst-night audience on
Broadway. The director told me
and he ought to know-the picture
cost s4s,sOo.
The only artistic picture have
ever seen was a travel picture where
nature was mirrored on the screen.
There are many pictures with mar
velous scenes and artistic touches,
but Sadie the Vamp is generally
| running through IL feeding poison
to her simpering lovers
Even the news weeklies pail. You
| get a flash of Governor whippet
sigHing the anti-cigsrette bill. q
view of zebra currying time at the
zoo. a few hundred feet Of skaters
at st. Moritz and then-whip max
ing in Dover. Del.
Good stories are rare these days
but here is one that is getting a 10,
| OF laughs in a Broadway musical
show. A cross-eyed Judge ha.
three cross-eyed prisoners before
him. He asks of the first: What
is your name?" The second one re-
piled; John Smith" The judge
looks at the second and says: 81
| wasn't talking to you" and the
third says: Il didn't say anything"
oliver Morosco came to New YORK
from the Pacific Coast ten year,
ago and duplicated his success a,
a Pacific Coast producer in New
York, Now he is selling his home
and all of his theatrical propertfe,
and will. return to Southern Cali.
foruia to invest his fortune in ar
entirely new idea He is going e
build a city that will represent ev.
| cry corner of the globe and Il will
be inhabited by 1000 people o,
mixed nationslities. The Moroscs
| City will be place where q direc.
tor may secure any scene he desire,
for the moving pictures at a Ger.
tain rental. 1t win save the NOV
ing picture people the expense oi
building certain scenes.
The other evening at dusk q
shabby old man was polishing q
brass plate which read Save You
Money in front Of a Forty-seconS
street bank. A snappy yegng mai
stepped up TO him and asked how
long he had been polishing the sign
and the old man replied for ffteer
years. 49,
Have you any money in IN,
bank" asked the young man.
Have your the old man in
| quired.
-No-o-o."
well. have" replied the old
! man-and kept right on polishing
SomeMhere there a q moral.