Salt Lake Telegram | 1920-12-05 | Page 3 | Why Censorship is an Evil of Industry

I Why Censorship I Is IsAn An Evil of Industry j f By Cecil B. B DeMille Censorship nullifies nullities the work worl of ot tho the creative cre artist because it limits that work worl to tho the mentality of ot the censor Therein lies the of ot the many evils of ot censorship So says Cecil B. B DeMille foremost screen screen r producer r and director general t pi i of the tho Famous Players Players-Lasky er corporation corporation corpor corpor- atlon in a recent Interview given out at the tho Lasky studio following the wide publicity given to the suggestion that pictures be nationally censored while still In scenario form It It is this limiting of ot the creative work worl of ot the artist that is the tho most deadly danger of ot censorship says Mr De Mille 1 It It is the very fact tact that tho the creative artist is capable of ot n risIng rising ris ris- wing w- w ing above the tho level of ot the tho rest of ot the tho world that makes his work truly creative cre cre- art Without this pioneering spirit spir- spir it lit the world of ot art would bo be at a standstill Yet such a deadlock would Inevitably inevitably inevitably ably result If censorship were permitted permitted per per- to become general and ana all all- embracing The censors without conscious conscious conscious con con- fault would inevitably bl censor that which they could not understand All to frequently this censored c matter is the very heart of ot tho the creative artists artist's ar artists artist's ar- ar work work the tho particular thing that makes his work worl distinctive and valuable valuable valuable val val- to the world Censorship whatever its form tonn or however applied by official bodies must be undemocratic and un Amer ican lean It T res resolves itself Into a rule of ot i minority or o ol r l' majority It means that t Con Continued on paso pago 5 b. r r- r WHY CENSORSHIP from fro page 1 a single individual or a su small aU group group of individuals shall shaH be permitted to dictate wh what t the masses shall see If this censorship were extended to the press press' and the p pulpit as well as the screen there might be a small measure of or justice in the proposed measures If It editors were asked to submit their material to a censor before be- be before fore It is s set t In print or if It ministers were forced to submit their sermons to a board of ot censors before transmitting transmitting trans trans- ri these er the e sermons motion rn s to their industry congregations congregations con con- could not complain of ot unjust But nut censorship of these avenues avenues ave aye of ot thought is never seriously suggested It It has been that censorship censorship censorship censor censor- ship be applied to motion pictures while they are still in the scenario stage The answer to this argument Is that it Is impossible to foree from the scenario just what the finished production will be In jn the course of ot producing nearly two score photoplays of ot my own I have never been able definitely to say hoy much or how little o of Oil the scenario would remain in inthe inthe the finished h play In the nature of r l photoplay production on it t is necessary e y to build as one goes Not Infrequently It Iten is necessary sary fo to o deviate from the scenario en I There are many striking examples of ot the absurdities which censorship produces but none more ridiculous than the case of the screen of ot Carmen which I made several years ago with Geraldine Farrar larrar Inte in inte inte te title role At that time tim there were approximately thirty-five thirty censorship organizations in the United States These included various state and municipal boards Every Everyone one of these thirty-odd thirty organizations organizations organizations or or- censored Carmen Catmen And no two board censored the same thing In other words what was morally acceptable to New York was WitS highly Immoral in Pennsylvania What Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Penn Penn- sylvania might see with Impunity was considered dered dangerous to the citizens of an adjoining state S So It went through the entire list Hat of ot some thirty thirty thirty thir thir- ty censorship boards board Agitators who plead plea for tor censorship fall fail to realize one fact tact that every ever v motion notion picture producer l knows ru full l lwell well well- The people arp are the best Judges of ot what they should see They will invariably condemn bad vulgar or obscene obscene obscene ob ob- ob- ob scene It If the producer is to succeed he must give the public playS which the public wants and likes The producer knows that a vulgar or Immoral picture picture pic plc- ture Is doomed to failure Knowing that he does not squander money In Inan Inan inan an attempt t to oppose the publics public's wishes