Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05

~ Big House" by the Ohio
Board of Censorship. It has beer
decided that the picture is harm
full to the boys and girls of Ohio.
In some quarters the action of the
censors has been called IAN in
suit to the peoples intelligence"
in other quarters the banning has
been upheld. Politics plays nc
small part in movie censorship
and in this particular there is lit
tie doubt regarding its unfair
ness.
Not a great while ago the Ohio
State Penitentiary at Columbus
Ohio, was the scene of riot and
fire, 500 prisoners losing their
lives. Efforts were made to place
the blame for the terrible disas-
ter; the names of prominent poll
ticians were mentioned, but the
investigation resulted as most in
vestigations do. Looking back
upon the disaster, the political
expediency Of the Ohio Censor
ship Boards action seems obvious
1.-The Big House" told a story
quite similar to the true story Of
the Ohio State Penitentiary, and
the Fall elections were coming
along.
This matter of censorship
grows more complicated and un-
cxplainable as the days come and
go. The States, counties and COM
munities have their censors. No
two boards work alike. A picture
may be suitable for one State, but
its neighbor may place it upon
the banned list. The cenSors, as
a rule, are political appointeeS. It
is estimated that recent action of
the Ohio Board of Censorship will
cost the States exhibitors in the
neighborhood of a million and a
half dollars during the coming
year. But, aside from the cash
angle, there are several things
radically wrong with the system
of censorship, the most prominent
being the fact that censorship is
usually lined up with politics.
Public entertainment should GER
tainly be divorced from political
affairs.
CLIM SUMMERvILLE, who has a
prominent role in "All Quiet
on the Western Front" is the hero
of this little yarn, which comes di-
rectly from Hollywood. Slim, who
was one of the pioneers of movie
comedy, had about reached the
end of his Hollywood rope, pre-
pairing to leave that delightful
West Coast resort on account OF
a lack of work. He considered
other modes of gaining the well
known bread and butter. Then
along came Lewis Milestone with
his plan to Aim the German war
picture. Slim had already folded
his motion picture tent and was
preparing to leave when Mile
stone approached him and offered
a part in the new picture. The
slender comedian was to play the
part of Tjaden, but the director
never dreamed that Summerville
would become a classical comic.
Now the comedian has one Of
the best contracts in Hollywood.
"A week or two ago he was "bor-
rowed1 by another company, and
his salary for a single days work
was 81 900. One year ago the
same company had offered Sum-
merviIle contract at SIS day.
It is natural that movie records
contain number Of "hitS" OF
this sort, for there is no game In
the world with such opportu-
mites. A bit" in any picture may
mean stardoTn tomorrow. Any
way, slim is now riding around
Hollywood In d foreign car, and
every now and then he asks the
chauffeur to stop IN order that he
may laugh up his sleeve.
EGINAI4D DENNY is to play OPP
posite Mary Pickford in the
screen version rof "Kiki." The
speaking stage remembers Lenore
Uric, who oLwned the National
Theater season in THE Pagan
Lady" as the star Of "Kiki.' Denny
has just completed a role oppo-
site Grace Moore in Jenny Lind"
Henry Walthall, who first came
into photoplay prominence in
Grifith's Birth of Nation" has
been added to the cast of the dia-
logue version of "Tolable David
Helen Ware also will have a part.
The silent version of this picture,
once hailed as "the years best
film" was a vehicle for Richard
Barthelmess, Others in the cast
are Joan Peers, Richard Crom-
well, Noah Berry. Edmund Breese
and George Duryea.
Carmel Myers and Miriam See
gar have been cast for the con-
trasting roles in 1.-The Lion and
the Lamb" which is taken from
one Of the e. Phillips Oppenheim
stories.
And Bebe Daniels will have the
leading feminine role in the new
Douglas Fairbanks pictur
Reaching for the Moon" Irving
Berlin, few days ago, completed
the songs for this film. Work on
the picture starts this week.
THE trend in biograph publish
= ing is toward truth-telling
The old style of "puSsyfooting his
tory" has been thrown into the
discard, and the movie producers
are attempting to follow in the
footsteps of the publishers. Va
rious complaints have been reg
istered against the Abraham
Lincoln" on account of its reveal
ing nature, but we may look upon
the matter as simply one OF the
trends of the times. In speaking
of truth in biography, DR.. Harry
Elmer Barnes, professor OF his
torical sociology at Smith Col
lege since 1923, and one of the
country's leading authorities or