Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
An Answer at Last, to
The Question, "What's
Wrong With the Movies?"
Theater Owners Are Practically Unanimous as 70
the Seat of Trouble-Note From Research
Secretary-Other Film News and Comment.
By C. E. Nelson.

~ producers producer motion picture r
ture exhibitors have been puzzled
over: What is wrong with the
/ movies?" In order to reach So
luton, Film Daily sent out a queS-
tionnaire to 100 leading theater
! owners of the country. No specific
questions were asked as to picture
| types; the theater owners were
simply to give their own opinions
regarding the state Of movie af-
| fairs.
The answers to the question
1 have been received, and they are
J pretty much alike. Almost all
! theater owners say: Too much
gangSter, crime and SEX" And an
other important reaction brought
out by the QUESTIONABLE is the
attitude on dialogue, for here
again the exhibitors are almost
unanimous in declaring that pic
lures contain too much and too
sophisticated talk.
! It is possible that this query to
| the theater owners may have an
effect upon the studio production.
The caSh-paying public long has
been aware of something wrong
with the movies and it would
have been able to reply just as
readily as the exhibitors. 1t is in
accord with the theater owners.
The attempt to revive musical
productions may play an impor-
tant part in change Of photoplay
themes, and studio schedules may
be shifted about to make room for
a certain number of this sort of
picture. However, the public will
not return to a cycle Of them.
Their number must be limited and
above the average in entertain
ment value.
| AS regards crusadeS, campaigns,
ETC., the following letter comes
to my desk:
Dear Sir-Comment in the
theatrical column of The Star on
Sunday says in effect that the
Methodist immoral movie cru
SADIE has been postponed on &C
count of the heat until Fall, and
in the meantime the movies can
be as immoral as they wish
Making due allowance for the
humor, please let me comment as
follows:
There is no Methodist immoral
movie crusade. Comment has
been made by the undersigned
concerning the indecent comedy
connected with certain vaudeville
exhibitions in certain movie
houses. Commendatory comment
from hundreds of people indicate
a widespread feeling of resent
ment on the part of Washington
people who do not believe their
children should be entertained by
name of burleSque theater) jokes
at houses which cater to respect
able patronage, nor that their
wives should be offended by
constant fire of vaudeville dia-
logue which hinges its humor
upon illicit sexual relations. The
matter is under consideration, 1
understand, by the Washington
Federation of Churches, which is
securing information from other
cities, as we'll as considering the
needs of our local stage, and
which, l presume, in accordance
with its record, will confer with
city authorities and with the
managers of the theaterS, who,
no doubt, will be found willing
and anxious to cooperate to the
extent of their authority in pre-
venting the exhibition of produc-
tions which have evidently grossly
offended a very large part of the
theater-going population of the
4 nj - dnnnN1f-
minded men and women will be
found practically unanimous in
opposing the invasion of other
local stages by the double enten-
DIRE characteristic of the burleSque
houses. Very truly yours.
DEETS PICKETT,
Research Secretary"
Well, that's that. The vaude-
vile production complained of
specifically by Mr. Pickett was
viewed by members of the wom-
ems police organization of the
city, and it was passed. Person.
ally, in my numerous visits to
WaShington'S motion picture the
aterS, I have found isolated cases
of raw" stage material. But, as
a whole, vaudeville of today is
less offensive than in days of
straight" vaudeville theaterS.
And, in the instances where often
: Sive material is used, I believe it
is within the province of the
theater manager to make such
deletionS as he considers neceS-
Sary, regardless of the fact that
his stage productions are sent out
| ~ IN
in New York. Audiences are diff
ferent in different cities, as all
stage managers and theaterS are
aware; productions that "go over
big" in one city may have to be
given a dry cleaning before they
can be staged in another. The
City of Washington has rigid rules
in this respect and, according to
my keen eye, they are pretty
closely followed.
WITH a wide diversity of opin-
w ion as to what the talkies
should be allowed to talk about,
the various State and community
cenSorS have their hands full
But their troubles are nothing
when compared to those of the
producers and exhibitors. For
instance, it is perfectly proper to
have certain dialogue in one State,
and it may be barred in another
In order to obtain some sort of
order from censorship chaos, GER
tain well known writer's have
banded themselves together to
challenge the various boards of
censorship. Fannie Hurst, writer
OF fiction, is one of the vice presi-
dents Of the opposing organiza-