PICTURES AND PITFALLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16982, 16 October 1918, Page 8

PICTURES AND PITFALLS.

■ Sir,—lt was With unbounded relief .that;;;' I read the report of the discussion on the - influence of picture shows ..by the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. During '; a recent visit to the city with my young - daughter I attended for her entertain-, mont three picture shows. To my disgust) two of the programmes were largely devoted to "the sex subject,"*and I re- - turned to the wholesome air of the country, asking myself whether it really wore ', true that film-makers and exhibitors think • that tbja only tiling to attract an Auckland audience ib that sort of stuff. I have. often rebelled in silence against this " sex- • crankiness " of picture men, who seem to , think they cannot please their patrons unless they reach out to stir up the he* ? setting sin. Have we fallen to such depths in Lhis twentieth century that nothing but that can rouse us? Or is it that picture*, I writers are so incompetent that when they J set out to ennoble purity they invariably .*■ besmirch it and us instead? 'Wo can do J quite well without the sex pictures. Much more beneficial-rand perhaps more acccpt* able in theso clays when we are crying oat £ for efficiency—would be educational films;*';; When we want thrills, other fields offer inexhaustible scope. In these advanced times we are disposed to ostraciso the ?' clercy as men who interfere with wicked-•:* nesses of this world which do not concern f. them, but I am old-fashioned enough to think a censorship board of clergy and women would do good work. Pateb.