SWEAR NOT BY FILMS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 10, 7 October 1919, Page 7

SWEAR NOT BY FILMS

The British Board o.f Film Censors, tlio body - appointed by the film industry to undertake tho duties of censorship, has decided to take up a firm attitude on the question of the use of swear words on tho, screen.

Mr. T. P. O'Connor, .the president or. the board, in a letter announcing his decision, states that the time has arrived •when it is necesSaiy in thy interests of the trade'.tq make it a rule*to object to any use on' the screen of words and phrases ivhich are in the nature of swearing. Films have been passed although with reluctance, with the occasional introduction of words such aa "D you," "The damned," "Go to h —" and so forth, but iit is noticed that the use of these words is greatly increasing, and in eome film* the repetition gives a bad tone to the whole story, while failing to add to its impressiveness.- As it is impossible to make an arbitrary limit of the extent to which tho use is permissible, it is thought that tho only course is to rule out entirely all such language and expressions. Mr. O'Connor believ& tlmt this ruling will havo the approval of the trade and the public generally.

The street collections, in. London and tho surrounding districts on "Alexandra Day" raised & total of ,£29,728 as compared with £25,076 last year. The collections in tho city showed an increase of ,£387; in Westminster, of ,£1021; Chelsea, i! 312: Hoi born, .6226; St. Pancras, ■•8369; and Wandsworth, <£312.