Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1922-02-17
MORALS OF PICTURE FOLK

Frank Mayo, leading motion picture
actor, is quoted as saying that ''Holly-
wood should be burned to the ground"
His statement followed the sensational
disclosures of the Taylor murder, in
the heart of the moving picture work
ground, or playground. There are
many outside the profession who no
doubt share Mr.. Mayo's view, but it
is rarely that one will find such COM
plete condemnation of brother profess
SIGNALS as is contained in Mr.. Mayo's
utterance
Entirely at variance with the actors
ultimatum is the statement of the
mayor of Los Angeles, who deplores
the severe, and what he terms as I'M
warranted, criticisms of the morals of
the picture colony. He says:
81 am persuaded that there are hun
dreds of clean, law-abiding men and
women engaged in the making of mo-
ton pictures, and in their behalf ask
the open-minded judgment and the
even-handed justice characteristic OF
our American people"
While there is a grain of truth to
the defense as offered by the Mayor,
at the same time one must remember
that even his sincerity is open to ques-
ton because the picture industry is
really the bread and butter of Los
Angeles and the surrounding comm al
ties. Housing hundreds of high salaried
artists who are the freest of spenderS,
Los Angeles has prospered as no other
town in America has during the past
few years. The moving picture folk
must be catered to in Los Angeles.
Notwithstanding that the honorable
Mayors remarks must be taken with
a good grain of salt, there are of course
many high-minded, moral and sincere
workers in the motion picture field. 1t
is quite possible, too, that the number
might reach into the hundreds when
one considers the gigantic growth Of
the industry and its present day pro-
portions. However, no matter what the
number of clean, law-abiding screen
people may be, they are in the minority
if you consider the aggregate engaged
in the business.
Generally speaking, the morals OF the
actors are without any question cor
rupt. This fact is evident to ang1le
who has in any way been thrown in
contact with stage people. Where YOU
find one that is clean and abovc-hoa1d
you find six that are far from measut-
ing up to a decent standard of living
as Americans accept it. 1t seems to is
that a majority of the pictures that AZ
foisted on the American audience today
makes it perfectly clear to the theatre
patron just what sort OF persons he is
paying his money to see. They correct
ly reflect the character of the make
believe people.
The trouble is that the picture peo-
pie are getting their money in doses
that are altogether too large. One has
to be of strong moral fibre to stand up
under such sudden and staggering
prosperity. 1t is no wonder that so
many of them lose their heads and
their morals in orgies of spending that
are beyond the conception OF the ordln-
ary mortal If the complete history
of the Hollywood colony should be di-
vulged it would make a story fully as
depraved as the tales of the under
world. The moving picture is too fine
form of entertainment, too instruc-
tive an amusement to suffer as 1t is
now suffering That little world OF
grease paint, calcium light and gay stu
dos is due for a good housekeeping
An effective way to start it would be
euhetantial decreases in salaries