TRYING TO PLEASE ALL THE COUNTRIES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 16

TRYING TO PLEASE ALL THE COUNTRIES

qMIE recent decision of an American 1-1 company to shelve its projected screen version of Sinclair Ix'wlss story of Fascism conduit to America. "It Can t Happen Here.” has prompted Hollywood to survey the film industry’s censorship difficulties throughout the world. No other business is so harassed. No producer dare make that will give offence in even a minor country. Because certain foreign rules may not like the theme of Mr. Lewis’s book, for instance, the film company has to throw away the record price of i-10,000. which

“T)ON’T let anyone fool you about the reserved British,” Madge Evans told an interviewer recently. “When they like you, they are far more demonstrative than we are. And their loyalty is unwavering. In America, an actress is as good as her last picture, but in England, if you on-’e win the affection of the fans, you can count on them to stand fay you through failure as well as <u«ess.“

iz -.aii =l= ri-giis. if :T ; can «• no: ass-w"*. so zsacy e-:.s -are demands :i.a: &zzzzi lc<»s a2 its distinction, and perhaps qni:e meaning! ess. The British censor, it is alleged, made 129 cuts in “The Informer,” removing all illusions to the Black and Tans and ±he Irish Republicans. This, it may be added, did not prevent it being regarded by mhny good judges in England as one of the best pictures of 1935. • Italy, always sensitive, objected' to an Italian comedian in a Jackie Cooper film, "Dinky,” being shown eating spaghetti witli enthusiasm and misunderstanding a baseball game. Italy also objected to an Italian policeman being given a black eye in “Give Us This Night.” “The President Vanishes” was barred act only by Venezuela, Germany, Austria and Italy, all countries with dictatorships, but also by France, because 'of “the continuous political allusions ■throughout the dialogue.”