The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-08-07
by JAMES e. YOUNG.
In tho Nov YORK; Timta.

Ccption Of what is proper, as defined
BY Governor Mlllrrs now board ~
three conarrs Tho whole motion
picture industry is anticipating thlt
definition win uu iutoro0t krcu'r
thnn II has over tnkou In any siurlo
piece OF legislation. Tho further dO
Vclopmcut of tho moving picture
may DO largely Influenced by thiH
board. even its existence threatened.
Despite an that hil been wid
about the wealth and power ana im-
por'Hucc Of the Industry 10 lH await.
ing tho ccusnfs rulings lu hclpl,'9
Kind ~ way They timV|N dp NOT
know what 10 expect and IuN' uu
way of finding uuf until thn board
goes 10 work In other ufutoH and
cities they have learned that rN'ry
censorship board ig dIf,rpuL each
with contradictory Mt of ethics
and ideas Of what constitutes ih"
proper mental fare tor Tn" puhlc.
Pictures which have been received
In Houusylvarn have been called
back TN Kansas.
Motion picture production rapidly
is approaching the point whore l' ia
not a question ~ pleasing the public.
but OF getting hy The rouaorH Tho
producers are cudravoriuE tu out
gucs. tho cousurt n is difficult
ana dangerous game. In which any
thing up 10 "a million may Doc at
stake. Tho ttto of picture In NJ
least three Of the largest states OF
the union now rests upon the pleas
urc Of three or four persons In each
state. The political. religious or
other prejudice OF the board may
dcatroy In moment the work of
months and the invest mCnt Of largo
capital one man may be Rblo to
accomplish this, IN the case Of a tie
vote. Even the state of that mans
digestion can be tho determining
factor.
David wark Griffith stopped long
enough from the filming OF "rhc Two
orphans' 10 say n few things about
the censorship.
81 don't expect It to bother my
productions one bit" he said. but
am against It IN principle. Censor
ship might be "A very good thing for
pictures shown cN, ,lusivcly to chill
dreu. But the Con8urinE OF all pic
lures 10 fit them FOR tho childish
mind IL like looking at life through
tho wrong end of a telescope. If We
must have ccnsors, thcy should be
confined to the elimination OF what
over might be obscene, indecent or
immoral but there Is no object
standard. The ccnsors can only rule
arbitrarily and In accordance with
their best bcllrts. what one group
condemn"
II was blazing hot day, and both
OF the orphans ahowcd the effects az
they waited for MIR. Griffith to leave
the ccnsors ana get back to rcVolu-
tionary Paris. There were about 100
people In the set, "A crooked street,
bringing To life all the misery Of old
France. Two women In the fore
ground started quarrolinR over n
hard loaf Of bread and the camera
picked up its tune, Then they did II
all over again, which is "a way they
have In the movies.
mo doubt MOST censors arc hon.
est ana well meaning" said Mr..
Griffith, returning to the present.
but the idea which they represent
is ropuguant To every liberty loving
American. when the censor changes
the caption Of n moving picture
scene he arrogatcs to himself the
right of interfering with the printed
word. That is an important point.
Note IL carefully. For a great many
years such q thing has been un-
known in America. nut the ccnsors
OF moving pictures are now rcwrit-
ing captions. II is only another step
TO the censorship of the published
word In all forms"
As To Scan,ily Glad Women.
The orphans were ready to GO on
hEhlus Two llfntn eiAhlttS came
into the street, and there was "A stir
as emaciated croncs gathered about
and stared hostilely into their faces
one of the ErandoCs tried to treat
the thing lightly, howinE In mock
graciouSnNSs. Iiut two fioTcc fcl
lows walking along the street scnt
him In flight. Then the camera
stopped.
Many OF the women In the so
were scantily clothed, "A faithful re-
production OF things as they wcr,
in that far-off time. Most OF then
were old and bent. but there wcr
some both young and pretty
couple OF these wore short dressr
with bare limbs below.
"Do you think the censor will lc
that pass2" was the question asked
81 can't believe that any person
would find objection said Mr. Grif
fifth. what we are doing here d
historically true. A rag of clothinl
was boon aN that time, loaf q
bread something which people died
TO get. The poor were found dvat
with grass In their mouths starved
So It would be absurd to see any,
thing improper IN the attitude OF
these girls
"Bu, there Is no saAolg whore tn,
censorship viii end. lt may MAX
impossible the production OF q srca
many ClasiiCa Il ~ extremely like
ly to limit the dramatic posslhilitIo
OF the screen until a producer can
only undertake simple llUr playa
This would moan, uf course, tho
sacrifice of SKIN and organization
art and talent upouut during IA,
last dozen years hy The most iutcuS
i've effort which any new field o
art ever knew. Tho censorship Ia
step backward"