The Tidings from Los Angeles, California • 9

Lesion of Decency Enters 17th year Of Film Evaluation By WILLIAM H. MOORING The National Legion of Decency is about to enter its 17th year. Among all the agencies engaged in classifying motion pictures, it represents the greatest single force in the moulding of public opinion and appreciation. It is the only organization officially concerned with the purely moral evaluation of movies. As such it com- man(js great respect among such motion picture producers as are alert to their responsibility to the public.

Started In 1934 How and why did the Legion of Decency come ihto being? When the Bishops of the United States held their annual conference in. 1933, the late Archbishop (then a Bishop) John J. Cantwell crystalized widespread public and episcopal concern regarding the then dangerously low moral quality of film entertainment He proposed that an Episcopal Committee on Motion Pictures be charged with the formulation of constructive action towards encouragement of better movies and the discouragement of bad ones. Bishop Cantwell, together with the late Archbishop Mc-Nicholas of Cincinatti, Bishop Boyle of Pittsburg and Bishop Noll of Fort Wayne, comprised the Episcopal Committee which put forward the plan in 1934 which resulted in the formation of the National Legion of Decency. AU Catholics The Legion's membership included every practical Catholic within the United States.

There was and still is, much non-Catholic support for the movement, although its operation is and has always been entirely Catholic. Because the International Federation of Catholic Alumnae had for some time previously operated a film reviewing service, experienced members of its Motion Picture Department were deputed by the Bishops to review films for the Legion of Decency. They still perform this voluntary and estimable service under the chairmanship of Mrs. James F. Looram.

The method by which films are reviewed prior to classification by the Legion, probably is unique. Report Made An exacting and specific report in which answers must be Morally Bad Films Show Increase Are movies getting better or worse A current Hollywood slogan Insists that they are "better, than ever, A glance at the Legion of Decencys annual reports suggests that they steadily are get-lng worse; morally worse at least Comparative statistics date from two years after the Legion was formed. They show that whereas In 1936-37 only 8 per cent of 1271 films viewed were found "objectionable in part and only 1 per cent had to be condemned, during the year 1948-49, when films reviewed totalled only 467, no fewer than 20.58 per cent were found "objectionable in part" and 2.78 per cent entirely condemned. Increase Yearly During the whole period of 13 or 14 years during which statistics have been kept, there has been an almost uninterrupted increase in objectionably movies. There has been a particularly steep climb in objectionable and condemnable movies since the war, during which, for two years only, there was a slight improvement.

From 9.62 per cent class pictures in 1941-42, the figure advanced to 12.53 per cent in 1942-43. In 1943-44 this percentage had dropped to 11.89 and in 1944-45 it further improved to 11.5 per cent. By 1945-46, however, it had leaped to 15.35 per cent. Two years later it had risen to 18.18 per cent and the last report showed that more than one film in every five contained some objectionable matter, while almost three out of every hundred had to be condemned. Most common objections developed in screenplays concern the treatment of marriage with deliberate oondonement of di ON THE SET Msgr.

John J. Devlin of the Legion of Decency chats with Leo McCarey, producer-director-writer, during a studio conference on one of McCareys movies. What Do you Do On Legion Pledge? Do you stand up in Church on thkt Sunday in December when the annual pledge of the Legion of Decency is taken? Do you recite the words and let them sink in? Or do they pass quickly from your mind If you take the pledge, you become a member of the National Legion of Decency which includes around and 20,000,000 teen-age Tkt TIDINGS 9 Friday, June 2, 1950 Legion Gives Guidance to U.S.Catholics Why doesnt the National Legion of Decency pass upon stories before they are filmed The answer is that, contrary to' misrepresentations often made by anti-Catholic agitators, such as Paul Blanshard, the Le- gion of Decency is not. a censorship body. Its main objective is to guide the faithful in selecting movie entertainment and to offer constructive encouragement to film producers who aim to make only wholesome film entertainment.

No Interference The Legion does not interfere in any -way with Hollywood production policy. Only when an individual movie producer seeks advice befon? a film is produced does the Legion of Decency give its -views Even then the final tion of the film will depend upon what emerges on the screen, not what is suggested in the' script. Often there is a wide difference. Quite frequently when Hollywood producers seek advice on questions concerned with faith and morals, they call upon Msgr. John J.

Devlin, who under the late Archbishop John J. Cantwell and since under Archbishop J. Francis A. McIntyre, has given expert advice on films in an official liaison capacity. Archbishop's Advisor In addition to acting as the Archbishops advisor on film matters Msgr.

Devlin has, for many years, been actively associated with the National Legion of Decency. Before Eric Johnston of the Motion Picture Producers Association withdrew facilities for the reviewing of movies on the West Coast, a number of Legion of Decency viewers operated in Hollywood. They came under the guid- ance of Msgr. Devlin whose vigilance was sometimes responsible for checking upon questionable films not yet shown to the Legion in New York. Such a case arose in connection with "Duel in the Sun which proved in its original form to be condemnable.

It nevertheless was released publicly in Los Angeles before the New York headquarters of the Legion had been given a viewing for the purpose of rating it. In the circumstances, the late Archbishop Cantwell created a precedent when he bound the faithful to stay away from "Duel in the Sun pending a Legion of Decency rating. Msgr. Devlin's reports to New York produced immediate action. Much of the offensive matter was cut from the film and instead of being condemned it was rated "objectionable in part." Technical Advice Msgr.

Devlin reads and advises on a large number of story ideas each year. He also acts as technical idvisor during the making of many films in which religious matter is involved. It is understood by individual film producers that opinions given by Msgr. Devlin, like those given by Legion officials in New York, involve no guarantee that a favorable rating will be given to the finished film, but the' trouble saved is tremendous. vorce, suggestive situations and dialogue, tacit approval of im-i moral actions, sadistic and brutal scenes which not only offend those of decent tastes but often jeopardize law enforcement and salacious story material of designedly low moral tone.

In part, a post-war pursuit of realism, in which the misconception that only the bad side of human nature offers opportunity for graphic, and profitable dramatization, is responsible for the present situation. As long as the movies become morally worse It is im-' possible to accept Hollywoods suggestion that they provide better entertainment unless we are prepared to concede that the great American nation is in a state of mental and moral decay. like the other fellow, to have no need of Legion of Decency guidance? Do you feel confident that nothing you are liable to see in a motion picture will ever prove to be for you a proximate occasion of sin? Do you consider yourself an individual of developed intellect whose faith and morals are immune to sinful suggestion via the movies? If you do, you perhaps overlook the fact that the so-called intellectual" is as prone to sin as the man of simple, or uneducated mind but that greater enlightenment of mind vouchsafed him, tends to increase his culpability whenever he falls intosin. You overlook one thing more. Those in the movie industry who are unconscionable regarding the moral quality of the films they, make, wish that among those taking the annual Legion of Decency pledge, more were like you.

For you are the Fifth Columnist in the cold war between cash and conscience. You are the fellow who pledges allegiance and then sells out to the enemy. adult a o. 1 i in the United States. You "condemn Indecent and Immoral motion pictures and those which glorify crime and You promise to.

strengthen public opinion against the production of such films and "to unite with those 1 who protest against them. Do You Co-Operate? Do you therefore read and abide by the Legion of Decency classifications when choosing movie entertainment for yourself or your family? Do you also encourage others to do the same, particularly those who may be less cautious against films disapproved by the Legion? Do you cooperate whole heart-edly with Catholic groups whenever a stand is taken against a particular film or films, on moral grounds? Having pledged yourself "to form a right conscience about movies that are dangerous to your moral life and "to stay away from them, do you rely upon the Legion of Decency lists and perhaps read what the Catholic critics have to say about this or that film? Or do you take your cues "to see or not to see a particular movie, from the secular press which has a good word to 'say about almost, anything Hollywood turns out, regardless of moral quality? You pledge yourself to stay away altogether from places of amusement which show indecent and immoral films as a matter of policy? What Does It Mean? What does that mean to you? Are you prepared to deny all further patronage to any thea- ter, regardless of personal inconveniences, if and when it is officially declared to have deliberately booked, as a matter of policy, films which the Legion of Decency has condemned? Do you imagine yourself, un mad to standard questions, is filled in by each reviewer. Every Tam to Fage 19, Column 1 REV. r. A MASTERSON MRS.

JAMES F. LOORAM.