The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-03

to finance it is through levy on .the
whole taxable wealth OF the county
and city.-Tampa Tribune.
The Influence Of the Movies
There can be no question as TO the
influence welded by the moving PIC
lures, but there is diversity OF opin-
ion as to whether the major ln1lu-
ence Is for good or evil. There are
many weak minded adults and minors
whose abnormal intellects view pic
lures in the wrong light and are con-
seauently injured by them. But to say
because of this that the moving pie
ture is a bad institution would be alto
gether wrong.
The censors and would-be censors
too often look to this side OF the ques-
ton primarily when considering the
value OF a picture. There Is no doubt
but what pictures that pander to
stories Of q sexual character, depict
murders fresh in the popular mind and
exploit notorious persons should be
banned, and, as a rule, the producers
exercise considerable discretion in
such a phase Of the subject, as in
stanced by the Florida producing man.
ayers in closing thea theatres OF this
state to the Clara Smith Hamon pic
ture; but this does not remove the
necessity for some kind of censorship
aside from one imposed by those di-
rectly concerned in the moving picture
business.
AS a source of entertainment few
amusements now equal that of the
movies, and their exceeding popularity
only emphasizes the necessity OF
avoiding the showing of pictures where
criminals, and particularly youthful
criminals, are depicted in the perform
ance of their acts. We all know that
the mind of boy or girl is most i'm
pressionable during the period of
adolescence. and pictures that are
salacious in their nature or tend to
make heroes of bandits, thieves and
murderers are exceedingly harmful to
them, but this is not a valid objec-
ton to the movies as an institution
it is only condition that needs rem
edying.
The educational value of pictures
has long been conceded. 1t is fact
that what is seen through the eye
makes a quicker and more lasting i'm
preston on the mind than does that
which is received through any of the
other senses, consequently the judi
cious showing of pictures to weak
minded adults and impressionable
youngsters is capable of doing nothing
but good. A story can be told in a
picture even better than it can in
words, for the reason that actions
speak louder than words. Pictures
represent action when they depict but
one feature, that of Washington cross
ing the Delaware conveying more to
the mind of child than would whole
chapter Of words; while the one show
ing the dying gladiator at Rome, the
Dacian warrior, butchered in order to
furnish amusement for his captors,
conjures before the mind OF the be-
holder far more than the figure Of the
dying man. This being the case with
q still picture, we can readily perceive
the possibilities of q moving one, de-
picting not one situation or phase of
story but it's every detail.
Because some evil has followed in
the wake Of custom or an institu-
ton is not a good reason for ending
the custom or destroying the institu-
ton; il it were, there would be moth
ing left in this wide world of ours
The wise thing for us to do is to take
all the good that the movies offer us
and reduce to minimum the evil
Miami Herald.