CINEMA POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15322, 7 June 1913, Page 5 (Supplement)

CINEMA POLITICS.

Three great city officials holding offices in New York corresponding to those of the Lord Mayor, Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, and City Chamberlain of London, posed and talked the other day bo that records might be made by the proprietors of speaking and moving-picture machines. It is true that the officials mentioned are elected by the popular vote of New York city, and in consenting to become stars for the cinematograph they are not forgetful of the effect of their enterprise upon their constituents. The little drama that was staged indicated what the Mayor of New York and his much-abused coadjutors really do for the city. The Mayor's secretary, who helps to run the city government at New York's Mansion House, was the "announcer." He says: — " I desire to introduce to you the Mayor of New York and his commissioners," etc., upon which the great city officials rise from their roll-top desks, smirk, and bow. It seems that the illustrious municipal trio in their very first appearance on any Thespian stage, spent a very active six minutes, after which they sped back to their routine work in official motor-cars. It is expected that there will be some fun when the new stars appear before the public in . the picture theatres, and some destructive criticism may be expected. There is a tremendous commotion in New York just now about police corruption, but the police ' commissioner does not hesitate to say from the film that New York constables are the " finest, bravest, and best in the world." Statistics show that ' New York has rather a big share of crime, far bigger than that of London, Paris, or Berlin ; but the Mayor of New York tells us: ''We are the. most moral city of modern times." ' Each of the trio in the show spoke lines of his own composition, and the Mayor's part in the dramatic nlavlet ran for three minutes.