THESE BEASTLY FILM POSTERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19478, 23 December 1925, Page 6

THESE BEASTLY FILM POSTERS

(To the Editor). Sir.—Kindly allow me space in tout valuable columns to comment on the statements made by Sir Janies Parr, .Minister of Education, at Napier recently, in reference to film posters. Sir James is reported to have said, "It is a little less than disgrace that we let these beastly film posters appear on hoardings in our cities. I consider they are an evil and should receive the attention uf the proper authorities without delay. Unfortunately as Minister of Education I have no voice in | this, but if I did, I would see that ! these hoardings were stripped to-nior-I row of their filthy suggestive posters.’-’ Now, Sir. these remarks, coming from a Manister of the, Crown, cannot be allowed to remain unchallenged, as they arc without any foundation of fact and are liable to have a detrimental effect on the moving picture business in this country. It is astounding that a man in Sir James Parr’s position should make such sweeping statements unless he is sure of his ground, and in justice to the people of New Zealand, who. he implies, have been content to look at "filthy suggestive” posters for years without making any protest, I ask him to mention, any I specific poster which could reasonably be considered "filthy and suggestive.” If there is any semblance of truth in his remarks, I would like to know what the police have been doing to allow posters of this description to be displayed before the general public. The police have power to order the removal of anything even suggestive, without being filthy, from public exhibition, but to my knowledge there has not been any film poster displayed to which they or any other decent minded people could take exception. Film, posters are displayed to the public for the same reason that a shopkeeper displays his goods in windows and in practically every instance arc reproductions of scenes from the pictures. A great amount of money is invested in picture theatres in New Zealand, and it is certainly not to the advantage of theatre proprietors or film distributors to display any poster which is likely to offend picture-goers by being “beastly, filthy and suggestive.” The film posters displayed in Wellington are similar to those displayed in practically every town in the Dominion and as being fair sample of film posters generally, I will mention those displayed in Wellington at the present time. They arc:— De Luxe, "Peter Pan” and “Are Parents People’’; King’s, “Siege”; Queen’s, "The-

Fighting Heart”; Paramount, “The Talker”; Empress, “The Parasite” and “Slim Shoulders”; Britannia, “The Light of. Western Stars”; Strand. “The Triflers” and ‘‘Pagan Passions”; Shortt’s. “Single Wives” and “Painted People”; Tivoli, “Orphans of the Storm” and “Ladies td Board”; Princess, “The Golden Bed.” and “Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Boom Model”; Artcraft “The Sagebrushcr.” Is there* anything in any of the posters for the pictures mentioned above, to which ex ! ccption could be taken? I ask the public to take particular notice of’ them and to report anything which! could be considered “beastly, filthy and suggestive.” Moving pictures arc the most popular form of cheap amusement for the masses, and it is only by means of posters that the people can “shop” for their entertainment. At a big film luncheon in London some time ago the Prince of Wales is reported to have said that “the film posters are the art galleries of the poor of the country,” yet Sir James Parr describes them generally as “beastly, filthy and suggestive.” Tn conclusion. Sir, in justice to the people of New Zealand, who have apparently been looking at “filthy suggestive” posters for some years without raising their, voices in protest, and to those responsible for the public display of these posters. I ask Sir James Parr to mention specified instances of posters which could he termed by any decent-minded person as “filthy and suggestive,” or to admit that the statements made by him have I no foundation of fact.—l am. etc., R. M. STEWART, Secretary Film Exchanges Association of N.Z. (Inc.). Wellington, December 21, 1925.