The New York herald., 1921-07-31
FIGHT FILMS SHOWN
TO NEW YORK PUBLIC
, Screen Exhibition at Forty
fourth Street Theatre
Well PatrOniZed.
BY CHARLES F.. MATHIsON.

After Tex Rickard had pleaded guilty
to transporting the pictures of the
Dempsey-Carpentier fight from New
Jersey to this State, in violation of the
interstate commerce law on the subject
and had paid fine of $1,000, the pro-
ducers Of the films decided to put them
on exhibition at the Forty-fourth Street
Theatre. Accordingly the doors of that
show house were opened at al O'Clock
yesterday morning and the exciting
scenes of the great fight at Boyles
Thirty Acres were thrown on the screen.
The first man to enter and purchase q
ticket was In the garb OF clergyman,
and when he emerged he declared the
perturbation of the bout was very fine.
There were two points in the showing
of the pictures that held the close at
tention of the onlookers. One was in the
second round. when the smiling French
man banged his right against the jaw of
the champion and Dempsey's head few
back. This evoked exclamations OF sur.
prise, and one excited spectator ejacu-
lated:
He did hit him, and ne hit him
hard'
The other incident was in ths fourth
round, when Dempsey floored the
Frenchman twice. the second time for
the full count.
isn't that too bad?" murmured q
young woman who had watched the pic
lures. with breathless interest.
As a matter Of fact Carpenter was
the favorite OF those who saw the fight
for the first time on the screen the same
as he was OF the majority of the 10000
persons who gathered in the huge arena
in Jersey City on July 2.
Carpenter looked 80 comparatively
small and Dempsey so big and threat
ening that the spectators instinct'vely
regarded the Frenchman as the under
dog and sympathized with him.
The scenes In the ring during the
contest fascinated the onlookers. many
of whom had never seen a boxing match
in rins. but felt cure a glimpse at
the films would not be communicating.
Some of those who had seats In the
theatre were apprehensivc that knock
down and drag out scenes would be de-
plcted and that the affair might end
In a free for all scr!mmage.
No Riotous Scenes.
But the entire contest was conducted
In so orderly and systematic manner
that those who came to be Mortified
went away In an approving state OF
mind. The pictures were shown to
jammed houses from the time they
were first put on until well toward
midnight, and many of tho spectators
saw them twice. The producers OF the
pictures exhibited them after getting an
opinion from Acting District Attorney
Banton, who said the pictures may
be shown hero without violation OF
Tr-- ID Ill. fAr n
bout. and Fred C. Qulmby, producer
of the pictures, paid $1,000 fne each for
bringing them into the State.
Mr.. Banton declared there Is nothing
now 70 prevent the showing of pictures
in this State. as the film producers can
not be punished n second time for the
Same offence. There Is no law In this
State barring fight pictures.
According to an announcement at the
theatre. It was originally planned to
givo two performances daily, but, OWING
to the crowd It was decided to run
the pictures continuously.
Police Outwitted.
Elmer r. Pearson. director OF cx-
changes of Pathe Exchange. said:
1T IL true that the Pathe News photo
graphed the actual fight between Demp-
sey and Carpenter. Ten camera men
were stationed in a building adjoining
the arena from which they could easily
turn their cameras on the ring. Ar
rangements had been made to photo
graph the fight but the police interefered
at the eleventh hour and prevented
this. BY what right or authority the
police interefered at all has never been
made clear. The police believed that
there were no camera men In the build
ing after they had ushered the Pathe
News photographers to the street. In
this they erred, for on the top floor OF
the building we had stationed a camera
man whose machine was equipped with
a l7-inch telephoto tense. which com
manded a perfect focus on the ring.
From this position he photographed the
fight In detail. The Pathe News had