La Grande evening observer., July 20, 1934, Image 5

I
if
Friday, July 20, 1934 ' ' r '
YMovie Fan Morals First Guarded
With State Censor Board in 1911
EX GRANDE EVENING ORSERVEK, LA GRANDE. ORE.
Page Five
By Bobbin Coons
HOLLYWOOD UP) Out of the gen
eral "viewing with alarm" that began
with the early career of the movies
sprang the first of the seven state
censorship laws now in effect in this
country.
This was the Pennsylvania law
passed in 1011 creating a board of
three residents and citizens of Penn
sylvania, two males and one female."
to pass on pictures.
There followed Ohio. Kansas, New
York, Maryland, Virginia and, in a
sense Florida, which, accepts only
such films as are passed by the Na
tional Board of Review and the New
York Commission of Films.
All these boarob have the power to
delete scenes or Darts of scenes, or
der changes and to ban films in toto.
They usually are authorized to accept
assistance from additional reviewers,
in some cases voluntary, in others
paid.
- They look at pictures, and their
rulings are final. Annual reports
show their scissors have been active.
In addition, there are some 267 cit
ies and towns, some in the state cen
sorship boundaries, that maintain
local censorship authorities.
C'em-ors Don't Apre
From censorship centers the "Hays
office" - the Motion Picture Pro
ducers and Distributors of America,
Inc. receives regularly lists of dele
tions and changes made in Hollywood
films, and copies of these go to all
producing companies.
DM"
cAtwuUx at
MOCKING HOUSE
BY WALTER C. BROWN
SYNOPSIS: A policeman and a
stranger, the latter apparently a
man who has tried to kilt I'lerre
Dutresne, ave been found mur
dered in Dufresne's house. Ser
geant Harper at last has found a
thread to go on and it leads to
Pierre Dulresne. Dufresne's butler
ha admitted 'hat his master owned
a revolver of the size v-ied to kill
.the stranger. Koto, in the presence
of Harper's superior offtrrrs, tit
bntler denies the statement.
r Chaptei 27
THE SEARCH
'"TpHBN what kind of a game ex-
' plain yourself. Andrews?"
"It waB you. Mr. Harper, wuo told
me that Mr. Dufresne had given you
that Information about the re-
volver." Andrews answered patient
ly. "I did not feel that It was my
business to contradict bis stole
ments. I see now that It was lust a
little trick on your part and I with
draw what I salt previously."
Harper was boiling, noi only over
the exposure of bis ruse, ao neatly
and effectively checkmated, but over
the collapse of bis promising secret.
Pierre Dufresne clapped his old
retaluer on the shoulder. "A good
aud ralthtul servant" he Intoned,
laughing merrily at the detective's
discomfiture.
. Harper glared angrily at the im
passive Andrews. "This Is a serious
trailer. I warn you. For the lime oe
ing the police are In charge of this
;house. Your duty as a citizen to up
bold the law Is greater than your
duty to an employer."
"But you lied to me, sir," protest
ed the gaunt old man, with a davas
tatlng simplicity that sent bis mas
ter Into a fresh peal of laughter.
i . Harper turned to Dufresne. "All
rjght, sir, but that Is not the whole
Wpryt ,peto,ollve.. Laffe.rty saw this
gun ' 111 m salt. WeWpw It was there."
' VI repeat then, that I do not own
such a weapon and I have never seen
it nor handled It."
Harper bowed. "We will accept
that statement, Mr. Dufresne. But
we know the gun exists, that It Is In
this house, and with your permission
we will search until we And It."
;"You may search as thoroughly as
you please. Sergeant."
' "Latterly bring all the others
here. I want everybody to stay In
one room while the search Is going
on."
Dufresne carelessly selected a cig
arette. "And what do you expect to
prove?" he drawled.
' "These cold-blooded murders
were committed by some one in this
house." Sergeant Harper snapped.
"and 1 Intend to get at the truth, no
matter whom It Involves!"
- The household assembled In the
small drawing-room, a pleasant and
many-windowed room on the main
floor, adjoining the breakfast-room
'TPH IS enforced gathering was quiet
' enough on the surface but under
neath It was seething and boiling
with curiosity and excitement. The
Sergeant's brief and uncompromis
ing assertion that the case had
changed from an unexplained double
homicide to an equally unexplained
double murder had set the house
hold by the ears.
' . One by one they denied any
knowledge even of the existence of
the .revolver Harper sought. In the
first Hush of surprise they did not
gather the Implication thai the mur
derer was not only alive but one of
their number. That realization
dawned on them a little later and
placed an awkward restraint on the
conversation.
Harper. I.afferiy. and the two po
llcemen conducted the search, nav
Ing commanded the company of Mrs.
Whltmore, not only because she had
.the keys to all the locked places In
the bouse, b'lt also to witness that
all household and Individual proper
ty rights were respected. Silent and
sullen, her dark brows frowning.
Mrs. Whltmore accompanied the of
Jlcers. Four men, trained and experi
enced in such matters, can make
short work of any room when the
sole object In question Is as hejvy
and bulky as a revolver, but there
were many rooms and closets In the
bouse and Harper's methods were
painstaking and thorough. He had
et out with full confidence In tbe
success of the search.
As their absence lengthened, the
waiting group began to split up
along lines of natural gravitation
Captain Macklln and Pierre Du
fresne sat on a window-seat.
Director Connors bad been ob
llged lo leave, owing to the press of
other affairs, and he bad left with
out giving any definite answer lo
Dufresne's request.
. The faithful Andrews and the
stolid, good natured John Whltmore
stood in a corner and talked together
Id low tones. There was a sardonl.
glitter in the old butler's eyes and
a determined Jul of the Jaws, for hf
.was still lecllng elated over the
neat way be had tripped up tbe de
tective's attempt to trap bis mas
ter. The placid Whltmore. however,
was lost and bewildered at the turn
affairs had taken.
Young Donagby. spick and span
In his tailored uniform, stood at one
of the windows, apart from the oth
ers. Busy with his thoughts, he
looked out steadily and unseelngly.
as if absorbed by a mental puzzle.
Richard Croydea, pensive and sub
dued. Idly ran his sensitive lingers
up and down tbe keyboard of the pi
ano, turned sideways across a cor
ner of the room He fingered melan
choly little snatches of melody, soft
ly, dreamily, his thoughts busy else
where. The first muted chords had
drawn glances of wonder and dis
apptoval at th Intruding of the
sound of music at such a time. 11)'
the side of the piano, seated in an
easy chat, was Aline Croyden,
smoking a cigarette and frowning
at tbe swinging toe of her slipper.
THE! minutes dragged by Inter
minably to make a quarter hour,
the quarter became a half, the bait
lengthened to a full hour, and the
relentless cycle started on Us sec
ond lap.
Ct-nversalion succumbed to the
strain and became forced and desul
tory as Impatience gnawed at every
one. Even Dufresne's indignation
was reduced to Intermittent flashes.
One hour and a half Harper and
bis men expended on tbe search and
whet be returned to the drawing
room no one could tell from his ex
pression wether or not they had
been successful. But one glance at
Mrs. Whitmore's disdainful air of
triumph told tbem that tbe much
sought weapon had not yielded the
seoret of Its hiding-place. : -.
Hamper's"' bitter' disappointment"
was betrayed only by bis grim tone
as he stood before Pierre Dufresne.
"1 have not found tbe gun but I nm
still convinced that It Is concealed
here In the bouse. Since no one tins
left. It can hardly be otherwise."
Dufresne made a gesture of dis
missal to tbe servants, who prompt
ly filed out, that they might talk
over tbls asloundlng affair more un
reservedly In their own quarters.
Aline Croyden and her husband left
quietly, tactfully leaving the Held
clear for tbe discussion that must
follow.
"I hope you did not' overlook
Mrs. - Dufresne's room. Harper?"
Durresne asked Insolently.
" "No, Indeed. I looked there very
thoroughly," the detective an
swered. "And what absurdity do you pur
pose next? Please don't, worry about
auy Inconvenience to my family or
myself. I am merely the owner of
this property." Dufresne was being
purposely insulting.
"I have given orders' that no one
Is to leave this bouse without being
searched. We do not Intend to have
this revolver carried away. Later
we may search for It again, but for
the present I shall work along other
lines that may bring the same re
sult.' "Going out to study the snow
again. I suppose? Or possibly to
look for more places where finger
prints should he. but are not. Bah,
you have no case. Harper, and you
know ft."
Dufresne's tones were obviously
Intended to be baiting, and this
thought acted as a counter-Irritant
to tbe detective's natural chagrin.
"Do you think so?" was his cool re
ply. "We've Just about finished with
our study of the material facts. Now
we take up the characters and per.
sonalllles involved. I'll endeavor to
follow the good advice you gave me
at our first meeting. Mr. Dufresne,
and take nothing for granted."
E)cb flashing, lips curling angrily,
Pierre Dufresne turned his hack nn
the detective and walked out of the
room. Captain Macklln look up his
hat and overcoat. "Stay on the Job.
Harper, but you'd better work fast.
Dufresne is a bad man to cross and
be carries plenty of weight In cer
tain quarters. He'll bsve your scalp
if he can."
"I'll risk tbat. Captain. I think
he's so damned sure that 1 can't
make a case out of It that be'll let
me carry on. Just lo show me up."
After Captain Macklln bad gone.
Harper called to Latterly, and they
proceeded to search the room In
which the Dufresne household had
waited. Lafferty asked. "Do you
think any of tbat crowd would have
nerve enough to keep that gun hid
den on themselves? Perhaps we
should have made a personal
search."
Harper shook his head. "The gun
would be too bulky and the risk
foollsn. No. the thing was bidden,
and hidden well. We'll have to keep
thinking about It."
iCopwtuht IMI bu Wallet c. Urounl
ronarrow. the dttectivta, nnd
mysterious pises f string.
The fact, demonstrated by years
of experience, that the various cen
sor boards do not always agree on
what should be eliminated, or on
what films are "bad" and what films
"good", complicates the problem In
Hollywood.
"Sex", -'orlme" and "political cor
ruption" are three subjects respon
sible for the majority of deletions
and changes. Scenes that will be
passed in one of the censor states
will meet disaster In another.
Hollywood's plea, from the very
beginning, has been for Internal cen
sorship before production. On the
other hand, agitation for complete
federal censorship has been heard In
congress for years. A bill to create a
federal motion picture commission
was Introduced in congress In 1928,
and other attempts to obtain such
control have been made from time to
time.
Buttles lli-gah Karly
The films have challenged the con
stitutionality of state censorships. In
the cases of Kansas and Ohio, and
the United States supreme court has
held them constitutional.
The battles over movie censorship
began early, and with them came the
first of the torrents of literature and
declamation that have continued
ever since. In Chicago's 1907 excite
ment a Judge in a letter to the papers
ascribed much Juvenile crime com
ing to his court to nickelodeon Influ
ence. The same charge. In varying
forms, has been made against films
ever since, while other Judges have
denied movies . contributed to Juve
nile delinquency.
Attempts to inaugurate censorship
have been made at one time or an
other in most of the states, without
success. These attempts and the run-
nlng fire of controversy during lulls j
in the battles have created an exten- ,
slve literature pro and con. The argu
ments, on both sides are many and
varied.
Old Cliurgm l-'umlllcr
The pros recurrently cite the need
they see for protection of children
and adolescents from sex nnd crime
scenes and themes, from "vulgarity
and from "corruptive influences. -The
cons call state censorship -un-
American," "un-democratlc" and I
"dangerous," charge that it opens
doors to political Influence and
"graft", that the application of form
al standards results In "ridiculous
and "unjust" eliminations and re
strictions, and they point out Its
"evils" with as much enthusiasm as
the pros point out its "benefits."
There Is striking similarity, inci
dentally, between the charges of
"low moral tone" and "Indecency
made by the church and club reform
movement today nnd the charges
made against movies In the past.
Charlie Murray
Half a Century
In Actor's Role
Ity Kuhbin Conns
HOLLYWOOD Another screen
veteran this week joined the exclu
sive ranks of players who have been
before the public for 50 years.
Charlie Murray, the 62 - year - old
comedian, passed the milestone July
10.
When he was 12 years old, Charlie
ran away from his Cincinnati home
to Join John Robinson's traveling
circus. It Was on July 10. 1B84, that
lie gave his first public performance.
Nobody who watched the cavorting
of the four clowns at Zanesvllle,
Ohio, that daytwent around predict
ing that one of them some day would
becomo a popular funny man.
Charlie stayed with the circus
three years, working as a clown,
trick rider and Roman charioteer. A
full irom a horse brought an Injury
that sent him home to his parents.
But it didn't stop his stage career.
He became an "actor" in medicine
shows and worked in cheap reper
tory companies. It was on another
visit to his family, which had moved
to Cenlervllle, Ind., that he met OUle
Mack. The two of them decided they
were what the stage needed and so
the team of Murray and Mack was
born.
For 21 years their (association
lasted and In all that time they ex
perienced but one financial failure.
Cno of their biggest hits, "Plnnegan's
Ball," kept them busy three years
running,
Charlie Murray ventured Into films
about 1012, with the old Blograph
company. He loomed largo in the
early days of Mack Sennett's Key
ytcno comedies, and he has been on
the screen, with rare periods away,
almost continuously since then.
You don't hear much about Mur
ray as one of the leading stars of
Hollywood. He doesn't have the
"glamor" of a big name, he isn't a
"romantlo hero," aud he isn't a
"handsome Romeo." It takes a per
sonal appearance to bring out the
truth about how he stands with his
fans. The boys and girls pick him
out in a parade of screen stars and
shout his name when they merely
show polite Interest in the "glamor
girls and boys."
He has been associated with George
Sidney in the "Cohens and Kellys"
series since 1927. Never very pre
tentious offerings, the films made
money and the team continues in a
series of six short comedies made for
Columbia.
His first director was a chap named
David Ward Griffith. But he becamo
known to the film world generally
as a Bennett Keys to ner, remaining
eight years in the company of
"klownlsh kops."
ENGIN EERS TO
MEET IN "35
IN ARIZONA
(Continued Prom Page One)
Alvnnley Johnston, grand chief of the
B. of L. E., and pledged continued
support to him.
A great majority of the delegates,
pleased with the hospitality of La
Orande and impressed with the open
ing numbers of the Semi -Centennial
U. P. celebration her yesterday, were
remaining In the city today and to
morrow before returning to their
homes in the eleven western states
and three Canadian provinces from
which thoy came.
The delegates to the W. U. M. A.
convention were special guests last
night at the Old Timers Boll which
was held In the Sacajawea Ballroom
Immediately following the coronation
ceremony. An excellent crowd was
present for this final event of the
convention and dancing was enjoyed
until midnight.
During the evening Queen Taye
Walker and her attendants were! es
corted to the ball room and Intro
duced to the gathering. '
LOCAL BAKERS
TO HOLD ME EI
HERE SUNDAY
now
Bakers all over the state are
getting organized and holding lec
tions to create a bakers board! of
control to administer the state ffiar-
ketlng agreement recently approved,
and also to act as a code authority
under the national code. ,
The local section will hold Its flec
tion July 22 to elect a member on
this board, and transact such other
business preparatory to compliance
with the code becoming effective
July 23. I
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GAS SUPPLY
HERE AMPLE
FOR JUBILEE
There is plenty of gasoline in La
Grande now for all local uses, for the
farmers, and for the visitors to the
Semi-Centennial. U, p,. celebration, it
was announced : today ; by -:Charles
Playle, head of the local committee
of distributors.
He reported a shortage of third
structure gas but said there was
plenty of first structure for all.
72. E. BEAN HERE
TO SEE SHOW
R. E. Bean, Republican candidate
for the state senate from Union.
Umatilla and Morrow counties, is
here from his home at Freewater to
attend the U. P. Jubilee today and
tomorrow. Mr. Bean editor of the
Freewater Times.
BILL ELLIS IN
CITY TODAY
Bill Ellis, of Baker, with his famous
Oregon Trail costume, is here today
attending the celebration.
DR. ZIMMERMAN
SEES JUBILEE
Dr. George Zimmerman, for many
years a practicing osteopath in La
Grande and voluntary coach at La
Grande High, Is here to attend the
home-coming and celebration. His
present home is In Los Angeles.
ERIX PITS HI LENT Kit ON JAZZ
LIMERICK. Ireland MV-The Tho
mond festival committee here wan
told by Patrick O'Flannagan that the
death knall of Jazz had been struck
In the Irish Free State. The Athlone
radio station has cut syncopated mu
sic from its programs and O'Flanna
gan said efforts would be made to
wipe out all foreign dance music.
Thirty pure-bred Jersey calves re
cently were distributed to 4-H club
members in North Carolina to stimu
late farm boys' Interest in good livestock.
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1101-3 Washington
La Grande
Phone Main 18