The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-03-03
THE MOVING PICTURES


The motion picture industry has
been severely criticised lately on ac-
count Of some sensational matters
which have happened at Hollywood,
near. Los Angeles, in the motion pic
ture colony. 1t should be remember
ed that one or two cases of this kind
should not work to the detriment OF
a business which has such high ed
ucational value. Most of the pictures
are clean, and they afford amusement
to thousands of people who would not
be able to take advantage of high
priced shows.
There is hardly child in the entire
country who does not enjoy the NOV
ing picture shows, and it is very sell
dom that they ever see anything on
the screen that would detrimentally
affect their minds. Every morning
and every afternoon, in these times
of depression, the grown people VINO
are not able to afford other forms of
legitimate amusement go to the pic
ture shows and enjoy them, and it is
very seldom that they oversee any
thing on the screen that goes to
shock the sensibilities of even the
most morally scrupulous. 1t is true
that occasionally the best managed
motion picture theatre is imposed up
on, but this is very rare.
In some of the larger cities, we
have heard that there hav been
shows presented which would not be
allowed in South Carolina, but the
instances in which even the most scru-
pulous might be shocked have been
very rare in this state.
The motion picture business is per-
forming mission in South Carolina
which it would be very hard to over
estimate. Properly conducted-and
our observation has been that it has.
been properly conducted in this state,
so far as the managers of the theaters
are concerned-it is legitimate bus
mess whose educational value is sec
only only to that of the churches and
the schools.
Certainly in Newberry the pictures
have been kept clean at all times, SO
far as the manager of the local thea
tire could keep them clean-ard he is
always ''on the job"
The fact that Arbuckle has been
twice tried for manslaughter, and
that Taylor was killed, should have I'D
effect on the minds of the public, Sd
far as legitimate shows are concern
ed-and we have only legitimate
shows in Newberry and elsewhere in
South Carolina, so far as Our 0. ser
vation has extended. We are net
passing judgment either upon Ar
buckle, nor are we expressing any
opinion as to who killed Taylor. That
is a matter for the courts. But We
do say that the educational val1e T
such legit mate shows as Manager
Wells presents in Newbe:.ry, aud Of
such shows as other managers present
in this state. should not be over
looked. and that in these times Of de-
preston this is one of the cheapest
forms of legitimate amusement offeH-
ed TO the rrhl.c.
We q~nte with approval two par
aorephs from an editorial in 'The
Moving Picture World of recent
date:
':Our troubles have grown 70 pro-
portions that none save great VITAL
ty could withstand. The Arbucklc
case was laid, not at the doors Of in
dividuals, but at the door Of the in
dustry. The Taylor tragedy
was not the murder Of an individual
but, if the newspapers are to be Gre
dited, an outcropping of the wild,
hectic, dssolute, drug crazed seeth-
ing and SO on. "With fortitude
we endure, and our gain will be the
ph'lcsophy with which we will con-
found our traducers.'
Let US not underestimate the edu-
cational value of the motion picture
and the amusement it affords to hun
dreds of thousands who are not able
to afford any other kind of amusc-
ment.
A traveller to Columbia on Tuesday