New-York tribune., 1922-02-12
Rapid Development
OF Niinls J: :,l'cateGls
The london Stage
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movies. n more than ono direction
.hc ,notion picture industry here Is
undergoing developments which will
make Il harder than ever for she regu-
lsr stage 10 hold its position against
the invading film.
In one respect the film has been
placed on the same footing as the play,
but the advantage of this equality is
all for the former. Dating from Janu-
AIRY l a new system of film censorship
has been set up by the London County
Council Under it five conditions are
added to the licenses of all picture
theaters under the councils jurisdc-
ton. These conditions were only
agreed upon after long discussion be-
tween the representatives of the
council and Of the cinematograph
trade.
In effect they convert the existing
British Board OF Film Censors into a
species Of official body. with power to
enforce its decisions. Hitherto the
broad, Of which T. P. O'Connor, the vet
eran Nationalist Member of Parlia-
ment for one Of the Liverpool seats, is
chairman, has been an unofficial body
TO whose rulings exhibitors submitted
voluntarily. Most Of them submitted
because of the protection which the
certificate of the board passing film
for exhibition gave them against inter
y
"local busybodies, bigots and self-ap-
pointed moraiists.' But this protec-
tion was only partial. Now. with the
Board of Film Censors recognized by
the Home Office. films will be protect
ed by censorship much more intell-
gent and less arbitrary than that exer-
cised by the Censor of Plays.
Discussion has arisen mainly over
one new condition-not. however. TO be
applied to licenses until July for
bidding any but persons over sixteen
years old to witness films that have
been passed for "adult' exhibition
only. Many exhibitors say that this
condition, if enforced. will ruin them.
No such prohibition exists in the case
OF theaters, where it is left to the op-
zion Of the manager to exclude chill
dren under a certain age as a matter
merely OF general convenience if ne
chooses.
The case for putting the film in all
respects on exactly the same footing
rs the play is strengthened by the in
creasingly rapid approximation Of con-
ditions Of production oe the former to
those of the latter The super" film
mad already reached London: it is now
being followed by the super picture
sheater. A pioneer in this direction is
Walter F. Wanger, an American pro-
ducer who has leased the Royal Opera
House in Covent Garden as an avowes
beginning Of process Of providing
London with super motion picture
theaters on the model of New York's
The new feature of his productions is
the presentation OF a single long play,
at prices higher than those Of the or
dinary picture theaters, though still be-
has made his tart at Covent Garden
with The Three Musketeers,' with
Douglas Fairbanks as d'Artagnan.
Another development in motion pic
ture art in this country will soon be
seen if proposal to convert into Aim
the ballet, The Sleeping Princess"
the stage version of which is at pres
ent running at the Alhambra Theater.
IS carried into effect. NJ. Diaghilef,
the director of the ballet. has ap-
preached Wanger on the subject, and
the idea may shortly be put into prac-
tice at Covent Garden. The significance
Of the proposal is that, if the new film
is undertaken, it Will be carefully built
Up on Tschaikovsky music The
score will be followed exactly, and the
film will be constructed so as to syn
chronize with the music. This will be
q distinct reversal of the usual pro-
cedure
The idea was first brought to Dia-
ghilef's notice by Eugene Goossens, who
has been conducting the orchestra both
at tho Alhambra for "The Sleeping
Princess" and at Covent Garden for
The Three MusNeteers." Diaghilef.
visiting the latter, was so impressed by
the manner in which Goossens's SYM
phony orchestra assisted the showing
OF the film that he came to the conclu-
son that the same method might be used
20 orlng about the more general appre-
cation of classical ballet. He thinks
that the best way to bring music to the
masses is with the help of films, and
therefore contends that the musical part
Of film performance should be made as
satisfactory as possible. 1t has been
suggested that the film might be done
IN natural colors, whereby the gories of
Sakst's costumes would not be lost and
the whole action of the ballet be mate
rally assisted. Eugene Goossens has
for some time had the idea of writing
music on which films could be built uo.
The present proposal is kind of half
way house between the existing condi-
tons, under which the music often has
little relation to the film, and the ideas
of Goossens.
Tony Sarg Announces the
nohyvf nc Porc D~oox .