New-York tribune., 1921-08-07

In Canada they baked at playful: What
swell night for murderi"
In Pennsylvania they objected to "My God!
She'll be killed." Presumably it was changed
to "Gracious" etc
And in Pennsylvania also they tainted at
"Lizette, Jules sister, who keeps house for
Hanley," and Lizette might have sued them
for defamation of character
In "The Eternal Magdalen" the Bible came
in for its share. They eliminated "He that is
without sin among you let him cast the first
stone" and "Neither do l condemn thee: 20
and sin no more" Possibly the first was too
hard on the men and the second too easy on
the women, OF perhaps the whole thing was
too charitable. Anyway, out it went.
Pennsylvania Highly Moral
On the Screen
OF all the states In the Union PENNSYLVANIA
holds the record for stern propriety. No mar
ried person on the film can firt or cast even
at any one but his or her lawful partner. One
wonders how it works out in actual life there.
by the way. They wanted to marry Camille
to Armand in Pennsylvania, and wondered why
the producer would not make laughing stock
of himself by such version of Dumas's mas
terpiece- AS for Carmen, she may get by in
that sink of iniquity, the Philadelphia Opera
House, but not in the movie houses Of Penn
syivania, nor indeed in many of the Western
states, for in addition to scorning marriage
she does what is almost, in the censors' eyes,
infinitely worse for she constantly smokes Gig
arettes
Now, can any one imagine Carmen with
out her cigarette? 1t is to be presumed that
even her working in tobacco factory would
have to be camoufaged in some districts.
In different parts of the country different
objections rule.
In Canada they don't want the unwarranted
display of foreign Aiags, cruelty to animals,
struggles and violence or guns on posters. A
man is paid salary to paste out guns on all
posters throughout certain provinces Also
Canada bars crime and arson, insanity. sui
eide and murder, scanty costumes, burlesoues
OF marriage and of infdelty. And any at
tempts to ridicule the serious scenes of Iife."
whatever they may be, are banned. Poisons.
drugs and sensational serials are under more
than suspicion. In fact, anything except peace
ful, vlrtuous existence on the screen is frowned
upon.
The same Is true Of Pennsylvania, plus the
death knell of all vamping In the South
race riots have to be guarded against. and all
scenes of violence.
Pity the poor scenario writer! How ia he
to get his climaxes when they aren't aliowede
what are the censors going to do further
to the movies? And shall we have To on to
the theater if we want to keep from being
oored to death and if we want to see real life
oeplcted-something more than fairy tales for
children?
Or If the movies are made fit for little
children won't they be left exclusively for
them by the more sophisticated grown-upsf
Anyway, If the censors condemn your
movie, remember you are in good society.
They once condemned a w c. T. U. movie.
Maybe 1t was a case of the tables turned be-
cause Of oversuspcion, because it was the w.
{. I. U. who censored Griffith's "Intoleranceo
on the ground that it advocated tolerance
about the use Of liquor. But anyway, the
w. c. T. u released an educational film show
ing girls the harm done by the wearing of
hlgh-heeled shoes. Naturally feet and er-
legs-had to be used as illustration In Mas
sachusetts a self-appointed board of censors
condemned the film bitterly as being insult
ed to mixed audiences. It might do well
enough for assemblage of women only re-
ported the leader, but as for letting men see
it-well, it put ideas in their heads
Which, it may seem to the irreverent mind
is largely begging the question.