Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-18
HENRY STARR RICHARDSON
On Ccnsoring the Movies

FTNHE idea Of the censorship of the moving
i pictures Is to safeguard the youth of the
country, says Henry Starr Richardson, sec.
| rotary of the Pennsylvania State Board OF
Ccnsors, and that idea, together with the
protection of the property values Of the pic
lures by changing them so as to render 1t
possible to show them without impniring
the ideals Of youth, is followed by the mem
bcrs of the board.
There is more necessity and justification
for the censorship of moving pictures said
Mr. Richardson. "than there is for n GEN.
sorshp of either books or plays, because the
pictures nre so objective and so universal.
In the case of books and literature IN gen.
able, but In the case of the pictures it IS
brought to them and this is an important
difference.
Taste and Judgment Demanded
"In addition to safeguarding youth, It is
the duty of the censors, as we see it, to
take out whatever good taste and judgment
and good public policy indicate as undesir-
able.
"All over the country, where censorship
exists, it has been the custom to attack
the Pennsylvania censors and declare that
Many Of these attacks have been made out
of the whole cloth. as was the case in q
widely advertised subtitle, which, 1t was al
legged, we took out of the picture, The
Four Horsemcn Of the Apocalypse This
statement was entirely untrue, 1t is tuae
that we do insist upon the elimination OF
whatever we believe will have deleterious
effect upon the public, but that change al
legged to have been ordered made In this
picture positively was not made by US:
"This protection Of the public is the real
object of the Pennylvania Board Of Censors,
and beyond this we do not go. What we
do insist shall he taken out In every case
where It appears Is anything in the ac-
tion or in the titles which shall Glorlfy
crime or make heroes OF criminals. This
we firmly believe to be dangerous to public
welfare, and must be eliminated before the
picture can be shown in our jurisdiction.
What Is Usually Taken Out
''This general definition includes the use
in the pictures Of weapons of al kinds, such
as reyolvers knives, hold dup scenes, acts
of violence, gagging and binding, tying up,
subiccting to torture and those scenes gem
ernily where force is used. 1t includes also
attacks on women and girls, and prolonged
struggles which are used with no other aim
than TO create and prolong n sensation until
tho hero arrives on the scene, as he always
does.
to,ls of such struggles and the close ups
which always are given for the same purpose
Of producing a sensation which more often
thnn not has not the slightest bearing upon
the general action of the picture.
ut goes without saying, Of course, that
envthinp indecent or immoral must come
ont in toto. But there Is not much of this
sort of thing. The producers have learned
that it will not go either in Pennsylvania or
IN eny other State where civic pride and
sense of decency exist among the people
ma n whole. There is such n very small per-
centnge of this in the pictures that It IS
negligible.
Violence tho Chief Thing
"It is acts of violence which principally
come under the ban today. The variations
of This are practically illimtablc, and we
are always on the watch for any gloritirntion
of crime and the successful use Of force for
any illegal purpose
1.-THE attitude of the movie people. both
nroducers and exhibitors, has been friendly.
tn uS for n long time. Recently. the movie
nroduccrs' association in Western Prnnsyl-
ronio passed II resolution of comInCDdation
M their convention, saying that We had
taken out only such things as they them
solvcs would not want exhibited anywhere
rho owners, we have found, ask only INTEL
j;gcnt fair and unbiased censorship and we
have had no trouble with the producers, ,cx-
nhanee people or the exhibitors all of whom
are heartily cooperating with our hoard.
.Seals of approval from the board are
necessary before n picture can be shown
IN Pennsylvsnia, and these act as n license
70 exhibit the picture. A blank is filled ONT
and sent us, telling oil about the picture
the number of reels and full doscriDtion
OF il. This Is done by the exchange J"onIr
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