PRODUCER DEFENDS CAVELL FILM

Evening Star, Issue 19789, 13 February 1928, Page 4

PRODUCER DEFENDS CAVELL FILM

PRESS CONDEMNATION LONDON, February 11. Mr Wilcox, replying to Sir Austen Chamberlain, said: <r l feel strongly that Edith Cavill’s selfless devotion is eminently suitable for a British film, enabling the bringing home of the nobility and beauty of her actions and the lessons of duty wonderfully done to those to whom her name is only a memory. I cannot too strongly repudiate the suggestion that I have endeavored to capitalise her suffering. . My sincerity of purpose will be undoubted when this picture is shown to the public, who are unerring judges as to whether the subject is in good taste.” He adds.- “The film is definitely anti-war. The danger of criticising from newspaper reports has never been more apparent than in your condemnation, and I keenly regret your' unqualified refusal.” The | Daily Telegraph ' says that official circles emphatically deny the report that the Government, at the request of Germany, has taken action with a view to preventing the showing of ‘Dawn.’ The German Ambassa- 1 dor was unofficially informed that the British Government was not empowered to prohibit or amend films on diplomatic or political grounds, Nevertheless, British diplomatic and political quarters feel that the film would prejudice the present excellent AngloGerman relations and European pacification and reconciliation.

Sir Austen Chamberlain, acting perin addition to the letter to Mr Wilcox, has written to Mr T. P. O’Connor, president of the Board of Film Censors, pointing out the film’s deplorable effect. The ‘Daily Chronicle,’ in an editorial, describes the filming of the Caved story as an outrage against her memory, for moneymaking. No decent person ought to approve it in a world seeking to bury hatred and build for peace.—A. and N.Z. and ‘ Sun ’ Cable,