Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-31
Movies and Morals
ny v~dsrss 8 Haslnn

cnllrche some Tina ssp decided that they
| could not got along without movies, so
the movies nave now decided that thoy
canDot get along without Q.s. churches
Thxs, new and unexpected iricodlinessa
hAs very rsosntly dsvploped between the
cloth and tbs film Movie producers are
sccn arm in arm, in desp confab, with
eminent preachers. film etaxs are beink
| photographed by Their prsO Aerents while
| attending church se1vioos, and moving
| picture studios are opening vida their
doors To visiting parties Of missionaries
and deaoons.
The cause Of this lasge and sudden
frsternal spirit -csnstnship. Tho con-
ncction may not be at once apparent, bu
| il is easily explained.
/ All their lives, tho movios have hated
| and feared censorship. All their lives they
have fought it, bitterly, oostinatslv and
| iinremittingly. Yet censorship N moving
| pictures has never been totally yanquished
| Various states have continued N keep Il
| clearly in mind while ConGess has an
annoying way Of bringing the noattAr up
| III IDLE moinentA with remarks about the
Advisnbility of = AationAl censors bureau
! But worst Of sll the yeformors have re-
Gently opened their 1921 campaign with
| an eloquent attack upon nescnt-dhy film
standards and an esnphatic dernan1 for
nationwide censorship.
| Now, the movies are Just ~ determined
as ever that their business il not going 70
be supervised by some government agency
At Washington. But experience has taught
them thnt fighting accompanies little
good that, verify, it is the meek who in
| herit the earth, and that thcrs - much 20
| be sald in favor Of cornplete disarmament.
/ g.. a. L. ~xf,S IN.
this subtle wise
I'VE know ths. there is grea. room for
/. improvement in our firm products. We
know as we'll a. you do thst they are
rather saturated with ser, bft we can also
prove 20 you, by the sire f moving pie
ture box Office receipts, that ser satsrstion
paws. and IL ia therefore vhst the public
wants However, vie viii make this pr op-
osi,ion; We will guarantees 70 mako 'slesfl
wholesome film drnmss, fully elct
end psrfurned, If you win g,arantes in
return n grt the public 70 come ard see
them"
prrrcoAT co.rso 4.
For the bereft of the women Of The
nation, who are recognized leaders IN the
campaign for better moving pictures
the movies have adopted the simple,
| hoTnely phrase cleaning horse They
are going to eIeau house throughout he
industry, and The yvnrnon's clubs ard
| tho churches, and the Girl Scouts, and "a.
| Campfire Girls ard the Jewish Big Sisters
| and the Y. w. G. A. ar. going 10 help
them do it
All Of these agenciss have recently bean
enrolled in a League for Better Pict,irc.
with headquarters here in New York
and with some Of the city's best known
! society women on its honorary hst Mrs.
| Oliver Hartman, Mrs Lewis Gouv.rneur
/ Morris, Mrs. James Lees Leidlaw, Mrs
| winifred saekviile Stoacr, Mrs Charles
/ l.. Tiffany, Nrs. arthur Choate and Mrs
James Speyer, are all interested in the
/ movement.
| The idea is 70 rnske the L.axus for
| Peter Pictures an unofs-1al bureau of
| censorship, although rhs word cdnsor-
ship is carefully avoided. It's Offices wil
| become general clearing house for CON-
| plants, suggestions and approvsls. II
| will have its own projection room for
showing pictures, 10 which all moving
/ picture producers interested in the plan
viii send their products Members of the
| league viii be notified when a picture ls
| 20 be shown, and when an audience Of
/ censors is gathered together, cards Will DC
| passed around, upon which each person
! watching the film will write his or her
( opinion.
Later. these cards will be collected,
like ballots from jury, and the general
verdict rendered on the picture. II Il Is
merely passable, It will simply receive the
o. X. OF the league. II it is objectionable
no comment at all viii be made. And Il
il is particularly good, Il will be decorat-
ed By IL medal Of the league really
very nice medal designed by GutHon
Borglum.
At this point. the projection room of
the league IN New York fades out, and
the scene shifts To the headquarters OF
any woman 8 club anywhere in the United
States. All the housewives and prominent
women OF the community are listening with
gratifying interest 10 an eminent clergy
man on the platform, who ia explaining
why people should 20 TO see only moving
pictures that have received the endorse
ment Of the Better Pictures Leagle.
GET PREACHERS 8 SUPPORT.
The 0. K. of the league is absolutely
TO be trusted, he asserts positively, and
hence this picture, I feel sure, may be
seen with perfect safety by any member
Of nay congregation, or snybody else $
congregation. | can mere than recommend
the picture beginning nt the same theatef
next week, as IL has received the medal III
the league. but sincerely hope thst none
OF YOU win 20 TO see that quest ionable
film which IS appearing further down The
block, for it has been released IN IgnOmIn-
ious silence.
Af.a this, the meeting breaks lp, ex-
cept for few officials who rensin in the
small. front Office fer brief business eau
Gus One of these is the president OF tho.
club, who picks upa letter from the regs-
trar' desk. with ahint OF coming discipline
MY dear ladies, she begins severely,
/ glsrcing about the feminine circle, we
win simply have TO put little more pep
| into our campaign for better pictures
here. This is letter from the New York
| League. which says that we are not hold
ing up our end Of the movement The
scandalous feature which appeared here
last week without the leagues endorse
ment drew much larger house than their
| selected film, and we all know that the
So me thing is likely 20 happen this week
| Now, we've got 20 pull together. and
make the town support our pictures.
Promise me that you Will csll on cverybod
YOU know today, and make them 90 20