CRIME FILMS STOPPED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3125, 2 July 1917, Page 4

CRIME FILMS STOPPED

BRITISH CENSOR'S FIRM STAND. Films in which crime is tho chief theme or in which the methods of crime; are set forth, ovon when the produoer of the pic'ture punishes the criminal to satisfy tradition, which does not always accord with fact, are honceforth barred by the British film trade censor (states the "Weekly Dispatch"). This new edict, promulgated by Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., is aimed chiefly at what are known as serial film 6, which have in many oases becomo so many "episodes" of crime. The decision is a courageous ono, but it is a pity it did not come in force at least twd years ago, when crime films were rampant. It will strike a heavy blow at the scientific criminal story, which has long been a danger and a cause of reproach; to the kinemas. Thoro is no harm in producing aopiuturo in which orime is portrayed as an incident of the drama; indeed, you would get very. poor drama without wrong-doing by one of the characters.

■ During the past sis months films have been shown in London in which Japanese characters have beou exhibited as the worst type of murderers and thieves. One such character was so objectionable to a London audience recently that the picturo was hissed. Such a picture is a crime against our Allies. In another we have a pictufo of thieves' den,', in which a modern Fagin is teaohing boys the art of "sandbagging." Another showed how a criminxil garrotted a pedestrian, a nice sort of- example to the youth of South London to whom it was shown. These' are, however, merely instances of the type of stuff which has been greedily obtained by a certain type of exhibitor whose moral ideas are summed up in one word—money;