The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-21
Open Censorship
of Movies ShOaVn
In NeVS Release

LII EJIS NEbSIISk
The following Associated Dis
patch news release makes news Of
film censorship which in fact has
been in practice for years:
CHICAG0.-Au neWsreeI pic
lures of riOting or mob scenes to-
day were banned from Chicago
motion picture theatres by order
Of Mayor Edward J. Kelly. The
Mayor said he issued the order
because such pictures might in
cite Chicago Communists 10 riot
There have been no major
riots in Chicago for years and
only few instances of mob dis
orders.
Some of the scenes cut out
were those Of the rioting in vi
emma one newsreel official said"
The public release Of Mayor KEEL
ly's statement follows the recent
meeting in Washington, D. c.. of
representatives Of all the ma ior
neWsreel companies in response to
an emergency call Of the Dollfuss
agents in the U. S.-the Austrian
Embassy. Ostensibly with the per-
mission Of the U. S. State Depart
ment the fascist representative i'm
plored the newsreel companies to
eliminate scenes of the heroic
struggle of the Austrian workers
against the brutal offensive directed
by Dollfuss. The newsree1 compa-
mics agreed, it being no break in
the tradition of film censorship by
the U. S. Federal Government via
the medium Of the Hays organiza-
ton association of Motion Pic
ture Producers and Distributors,
1nc.)
The special significance of this Of
fetal public action in Chicago can
only be understood in the light of
the fact that the Roosevelt Gov
eminent is extending its policy of
smashing any attempt of working
class struggle against the MIRA.
program to the field of motion pic
lures. By using the local police
power Of censorship on the grounds
of 'inciting to riot" an attempt is
thus being made to suppress COM
pletely or, what is worse, to distort
newsreels showing scenes of picket
lines, demonstrations, mass meet
lngs, evictions, whether they ap-
pear as hot news through the COM
mercial companies, or through in
creasing mass movie showings of
the Film and Photo Leagues in va
rious cities.
The above release mentions the
absence Of mob disorders" in Chi
cago recently but neglects to men,
ton the increasing number Of DEM
onstrations against evictions.
against faScism, for unemployment
relief, which have been attacked by
the very police under Mayor Kelly's
control. Stating that some of the
scenes cut out were those of riot
ing in Vienna, one of the newsreeI
officials overlooked the important
fact that since the Sacco-V anzetti
newSeels were burned in 1927 at
the order Of Will Hays, there has
been an uninterrupted iron heel of
internal censorship, increasing in
vigilance with the growth Of strikes
unemployment and snti-fascist
| struggle in the U. S.
Considering the existence Of in
ternal censorship censorship BY
the Federal Government through
the capitalist film companies them
selves the conclusion is inescapable
that official political censorship in
Chicago is signal for the local
governments throughout the coun-
try to openly castrate all newsreels
and to particularly suppress all &C
tivities Of the Film and Photo
League.
For getting into immediate ac-
ton to fight film censorship the
National Committee of the Film
and Photo League calls uuon all or
CARNATIONS of a cultural character
particularly to send wires of pro-
test to Mayor Kelly of Chicago. Ill,
and to get in touch with the vari-
Gus Film and Photo Leagues for
Joint actions against film censor
ship.
Tom Brandon,
David Plat.
Samuel Greenblatt.
National Film and Photo