CINEMA POLITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10803, 24 June 1913, Page 2

CINEMA POLITICS.

. Three great city officials holding offices in New York corresponding to those of the Lord Mayor, Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, and Cit\y Chamberlain of London, posed and talked the other day so 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 kinematograph they are not forgetful of tho 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 Now York's Mansion House, was the "announcer." He says:—"l 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 deskSj ? 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 bo 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 tho film that New York constables are the " finest, bravest and best in the world."' Statistics show that Now York has rather a big sliaro of crime, far bigger than that of London, Paris or Berlin; but the Mayor of New York tells us: "We are tho most moral city of modern times-" Kadi of the trio in the show spoke I lines of his own composition, and the | Mayor's part in _ the dramatic playlet ran for three minutes.