PICTURE SHOWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 202, 24 February 1914, Page 5

PICTURE SHOWS.

" t'ROM MAUGBII TO CRO3&." REPUGNANT TO THE LAST DEQRIR AUCKLAND DIVINE'S STRICTURBS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Breaching in the Mount Eden Bapti3t Churuh yesterday, the Rct. Howard liott referred to the ever-increasing popularity of picture entertainments and to Auckland's annual expenditure on pictures, estimated to be £78,000 per annum, lie. said a rigid censorship was necessary. The preacher then proceeded to deal with the film recently shown in Auckland entitled "From Manger to Oro/s," and purporting to depict the life of Christ. Religious pictures of tfct right type, such as those by Anna Lee Merrill, Harold Coping and other modern artists, were reverent and beautiful, but the production of moving pictures such as the one in question were repugnant t» the hist degree, and approached near to blasphemy. It could not be denied that portions of the film were beautiful ' ~ and reverent, notably those dealing with the birth and childhood of Christ. Other ' scenes, however, were open to serious objection, and he enumerated those. Tho scenes in Pilate's hall were coarse, and those dealing with the Crucifixion were revolting. Many people had spoken to him on the * suhject of this* film, and he had received numerous letters. He (the preacher) had been particular to ascertain the impression made on the minds of shildren who had seen this -film, and the opinion! was irlmost unanimous that it was cruel and horrible. That the life of Jesus, w/ith all its high ideals, its tender beatitr and sacred significance, should tie travested ui this fashion and hawked round the ' world in a vulgar set of pictures for the, ' sake of dividends, wa*i a caustic commentary on the money-making spirit of the age. It deserved the severest condemnation of all Christian people, who would shortly have to consider the quea- ' turn of their attitude towards pictureshows unices strong reforms were immcdiatvly undertaken.