The Washington times., 1921-03-25
INJURED
I. BY Blue LAWS
Director George D. Baker
Favprs Censorship, But
Raps "Prude Boards"

NEW YORK, March 25.-George
D. Baker. the noted moving picture
producer, today vigorously protested
against the injection Of blue laws
into the moving picture industry.
The man who directed "Heliotrope''
and Buried Treasure" decried the
efforts of censors prone to stultify
the public's desire Of what is wanted
today by the mass Of movie fans.
BELIEVE IN CENSORSHIP.
Although deplorins the prudish CEN
sorship that exists today In many
States. Mr.. Baker declared that he be-
lieves In 4 rigid censorship by boards
competent to Judge the merits Of pic
lures. He said.
II believe In censorship. All Of us
In the game know that II In needed
Without 1t. some producers would 60
the limit. beyond the iimit--and then
some.
.Most every time 60 to the the
ater / see things on tho speaking
stage that would make q movie CEN
sorship board gasp.
Aho SVHSoTo dTc with anu Jub-
tifably so, but they are going beyond
themselves in their endeavors and
making It extremely difficult for the
motion picture. industry.
I'VE are allowed no sex stun, for
which praise be. As l take II, II is
one OF the most disgusting forms of
screen entertainment. When 1t comes
to the crook stuff our hands are abso-
lutely tied. and we are helpless In
the development of q good picture,
the nature of which would be Of a
high moral plane and an excellent les
son.
SOME CRITICS CARPING.
"And this kills. many OF our best
stories for the screen. In Pittsburgh
and other Pennsylvania towns 1t is
pitiful to see the changes that have
to be made In pictures after the GEN.
sors get through with them.
Even the most imaginative readers,
who have read the stories in books or
magazines. cannot recognize them on
the screen. Naturally. this leaves our
selections, very restricted and makes
II hard for us who want to do clean
pictures with a message, such as Is
contained in 'Heliotrope' and Buried
Treasure ga
''Some OF the critics seem to dis.
Germ our objective, and with fine
generosity give US the credit they
consider due. Others are not given
to constructive criticism, the only
kind which Is useful to the motion
picture industry.
"They sometimes seem entirely to
overlook our aims and thoughts, and
are not always kindly or helpful.
nN.I.
forts or damn them with faint praise.
They don't seem to realize the diffi-
Guilty OF selection with which the
censors hedge us about, and they can
not understand why we give them the
stun we do instead OF the stories the
censors will not permit
MAGDALEN SCENE BARRED.
This keeps from the screen many
delightful stories which the publil
has read and enjoyed and would love
to see on the screen But we are alb
solutely taboo by some overxealous
board Of censorship.
II have case in mind of a pic
ture shown In big city. There was
a short fade-out back to a scriptural
scene of the defense Of Mary Mag
dalen.
"The board OF censorship looked
up the lady's pedigree and found out
that she was a wanton in ancient
Jerusalem. They put the ban on. the
picture. and II took mighty strong
pressure to convince them Of their
folly and have the picture produced.
"All decent producers believe in
censorship, but we believe the CEN
sors should show a little more dis
cernment and reasonableness. They
should forget the extremity Of the
blue laws and come to us half way.
The doing Of my picture. with
out Limit playing this week at the
Capitol Theater. was a Joy. Here was
a big, vital story that seemed to us
1t contained q mes
sage and uplifting motive. something
on a slightly higher plane at which
all serious-minded people irf our pro.
fession are aiming. The response has
been gratifying, and we shall keep
going right on, each thine trying to
do a little better, and yet never los
terh - l.