STAGE AND CENSORS.

Grey River Argus, 11 August 1925, Page 3

STAGE AND CENSORS.

“TIGHTENING UP’’ DEMANDED. CRITICISM OF PLAYS. LONDON, July 19 The Public Morality Council’s intention to petition the Government, requesting a tightening-up of the theatrcensorship, with a view to preventing the production of sex plays, has aroused the keenest controversy.

ilie movement represents London churches of all denominations, and aims at making the London County Council the licensing authority, with power tc withdraw a theatre license in the event of an objectionable production.

Mr Seymour Hicks, in an interview published in the Daily Mail, says: “Obviously there is something wrong, apart from the question of decency. The Deity’s name seems to have become accepted as part of stage dialogue, and frequently is used i.i the most light-hearted way, merely as a colloquialism and not as an emotional expletive. “Nevertheless, because we are living in days when women smoke between the acts, and youths adorn themselves with Oxford trousers don’t let us lose our sense of proportion and make a ‘cock-shy’ of the censor, who is a benevolent person in an extremely awkward position. He has a difficult course to steer, policeman can decide what is basically indecent, but the Lord Chamberlain is forced to decide whether delicate subjects, which, perhaps, are in bad taste or are mildly suggestive, aro sufficiently obnoxious to deprive a hundred people of their dail” bread.

‘I have seen the most beautiful words in the language ‘I love you,’ made grossly indecent by a pause and a gesture. I favour a viligance committee to urge the withdrawal or modification of objectionable plays, but the censor must bo the final arbiter.” Mr Frederick Lonsdale, the playwright. says: “A preacher is forced to mention sin in his pulpit, and if wickedness were omitted from plays there would be no opportunity of presenting a. conflict euding in the triumph of virtue, which is the dramatist’s trump card. My contribution to ‘immoral’ drama—‘ Spring Cleaning’ —is reallv an unintentional sermon. I cannot conveive anyone being incited to vice by witnessing ‘Spring Cleaning’s’ castigation of modern degeneration. ’ ’ The Daily Sketch says: “Only four plays in London could be described as indecent or pernicous—namely, ‘Rain,’ ‘White Cargo,’ ‘Fallen Angels.’ and ‘Spring Cleaning,’ yet the last, as a whole, purports to ran down vice and hold up virtue. Bishops should see more plays and not listen to prejudiced persons who are so willing to give information,”