The Ocala banner., 1921-09-30
a MORAL FOR THE MOVIES

E NonAL FOX The MOVIES
The first two days after the Arbuck-
e case broke out on the front pagas
of the newspapers were marked by
g nationwide withdrawal Of Arbuelle
films BY movie theaters from their
bills. a few Of these Withdrawals
were announced the first day, followed
pellmell the second day all along the
line.
The most encouraging thing about
this was that it showed some COM
prehensions by the tleater managers
Of the fact that large part Of the
public does not care to associate, even
via the Genera, with the heroes of
such adventures as that in which
Arbuckle was reported as figuring.
But it is an appropriate time to call
the attention of the managers and
producers to a truth which they do
not as yet seem to appreciate. That
is, that there are far worse offenses
against the public than the presen-
tion of pictures in which such actors
as Arbuclxle take part.
Rotten pictures are incomparably
worse than rotten men and women
who enact them. The Arbuckle plays
are Sunday school tracts in compari-
son with the run of sex filth, lasci-
vious cabaret revels. vulgar bedroom
scenes, filthy Triangle tragedies, de-
PRAYED passion orgies and the eternal
round of the roue and the vamp with
which the screen of today reeks The
Arbuckle pictures are mainly slap
stick evtravaganzas. The pictures
with which they are here contrasted
are carrion often temptingly served
with lavish appeal OF the senses and
even a skilled appeal to the artistic
eye. Horseplay, even when played by
such jackal as Arbuckle Is now
represented to be. is far less objec-
tionable than the putridity of the roue
and the vamp which the producers
and managers insist on dumping on
their patrons.
1t is a good time, while closing
down temporarily on Arbuckle per-
sonally, to consider the expediency OF
closing down permanently on the class
Of pictures here indicated. For It is.
inevitable that, il the movie men them
selves do not close down on them,
the law will be driven to undertake
to close down on them. That will be
unfortunate, for the law will make q
mess of it; but as between the mess
which the law will make OF It and
the mess which the movie men are
making of it the people will choose TO
endure the former
AS it is now, parents cannot feel
safe in taking their young daughters
or sons to movie, with some notable
and refreshing exceptions, without
first going as scouts themselves. This
cannot forever continue, and It Will
not be permitted to continue a word
Of this tenor to the movie men ought
To be a word to the wise.
The moving picture industry IS
great industry. 1t ought to develop
into d much greater industry. But L
cannot do that unless there be ma
terial change in the way It Is now
conducted
The people of this country-the peo-
ple who make up the audiences lot
the picture showsare not particular
" concerned in the suppression OF the
hestialities Of the screen colonies at
los Angeles or San Francisco. Those
are matters for the local law autnofi-
ties to look after. If Los Angeles ana
Gan Francisco can stand that SOFT
81 thing certainly the rest Of the coun-
try can. What the rest Of the coun-
trv Is concerned in is that the pic
lures with which it is delugeu py
the screen shall be decent, at least
not indecent pictures. Louisville
Courier-Journal.