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Show EXHIBITORS NOT RESPONSIBLE . FOR MAKING OF SEX PICTURES By Benjamin B. Hampton M y AKTI'TE "Too Murh Stuff I in the Movirn," published tn th y I l-bruary number of Pictorial ' Kvi-w, m-ill benefit all tleparl- iii tits of the picture business. Tjirre ia a tron movement In nil drifts of the country for cenpomhip i ni Siind j V cksinK. LKtlaiive Inline Inli-ne ran "iy noihinK to stop or deflect h- mora! force of public opinion hroujrh direct appeal to th putilitr. IVc mut ihow the public that the nornhip la wroni? and that Industry . II correct the atxiftea to nf'rni to ub!ic tiiMte and approval. Sooner or ater public 4pincn rules thin conn-ry; conn-ry; it does not always move utfe-v. utfe-v. nearly always moves emotional !', Ltnl often silently. Tha ifreat silent Tote, as th noll-W'ians noll-W'ians call It. or the fajnily trad an t e term It, in drift in steadily into in attitude hontile to sex an I oro tc ictures. Viaoroiia, narrow Te(.rmera re taking1 advantapre uf the nitiiatinn nd giA demandintr cenor9hip and due Sunday legislation. AH ov r i me r lea churches and women riubn or months have een organizing; form-1 form-1 1 y and demanding reforms i n p ic urea. Newspapers In several large it ie) are conducting crusades against rook and sex pictures. The picture industry must pret pubi c pin : oj on Its nide. The picture In-uMrj In-uMrj cannot win public opinion until f cleanses its record of sex pwtures. :o imlividual exhibitor ran make the xht; the exhibitors must have the tn-f'iisent tn-f'iisent cooperation of the public The xhibitors cannot sret this cooperation BUi Ute puolic becomes educated to The trut h. and the truth Is that the overwh lirinkf mujpriiy of producers and exhibitors are clean, decent mn who want tu operate clean, decent bUllrTr. This article of mine ia of great value in educating the public along intelii- J t-nt lines. J hope to riie other articles, arti-cles, and. In fart, it is my desire to continue the work until public opinion learn that the. men in pictures are Just aa anxious to give clean pictures as the clamorous reform - There 1m no possibility of quietly cle.inn-v up within the industry; first. becaure n-iurni do not come that way, and second, because t refru-ndoui public pub-lic force is already directed against us from w it iiout. My article in Pictorial Review. shows that the public in itlf in responsible, frr the character of Pictures sliown and th.it necessary reform cannot be otaaintd by legiHlntion but r;ui br- fb-tMiiM-1 onlv by tbi--ud-imnd.d ubli.-oT'imon ubli.-oT'imon working harmoniously with tbe picture industry. As a journalist and editor I have stuoted tl:e hictory of reform move-I move-I meniM in America, from the-beginning I ,f Neal Low s campaign for t mper- ance and all the movements exhibit the name general characteristic When a reform movement is directed against an Industry, history proves that the industry can save itself only by cleansing cleans-ing i If of t He element hat give offense and then getting public opinion opin-ion on its side. 'I'niess these steps are taken, reformers with more sea (Continued on I'a&re 2 EXHIBITORS NOT (Contlnood from paf 1 than JttdoTiBCBt ffot ooatrol af too sit- nation. The! wino and hoor htterowts of this eountry were warned for years that, vnleso they divorced themselves from the hard liquor Interests, they would be ruined. To my knowldge, at laat one sreat brewer started a movement 1o brtns about a separation of wins and beer from whisky, but this) man waa discharged from Ms task by talk of injuring tho industry. The failure vf him associates to listen to his ad-vlro ad-vlro put the brewer out of basin ess. Thoughtful men advised tobaoeo manufacturers against teaching boys to smoke cigarettes. The manufacturers manufac-turers refused to listen and a score of tates have paused antlclgaretto laws. The picture industry will bo advised on wisely if it fails to heed the warnings warn-ings that are coming Into It from every side. We men with fortunes Invested In the bnemess esanot make pro Kress under censorship and Hlue .Sunday law a Our one and only hope la to fa o conditions frankly aad cour-ajraously cour-ajraously nd to cleaa he use and to win public support. Pnhlio opinion eaa be won, but not nleoo we come Into the open and plaoe oqroeivrs definitely and positive-y positive-y on the side of decency and clean-linoaa. clean-linoaa. We most pledge ourselves to eoaduct oar business that every snornbor of the family is safe In every let ore theatre la the lanj That Is my platform, and I am confident that the Amur-Iron public wlTl Indorse It. |