Sabbath Cinemas.
—The Lord’s Day Magazine (London) has a striking article by Mr. F. E. Adams formerly a magnate of the film world. Mr. Adams is strongly opposed to Sabbath opening of cinemas. His article is of special interest because of the knowledge possessed by the writer. In answering the question, Who is really behind the Sabbath Cinema Opening? he answers: “The great Picture-Producing Combines are mostly American and controlled by Jews. The Cinema Theatres in England show 85 per cent. American films; we pay them for our week-day Cinema Programmes some £13,800,000 . . . The producers of many films and the financial controllers of a great number of Cinemas have no sympathy with either our religious beliefs or the observance of our Sabbath; nor do they agree with that sacred possession of the English—the Day of Rest.” He mentions that there are 4,500 Cinemas in Britain and if these are opened on Sabbath they will probably be visited by 8 million people and a sum of £16,000,000 will go to the Film-Producing and the Cinema-Owning Companies. This will explain the determination of these conscienceless individuals to set up their god, mammon, at all costs.
Irreparable Harm of the Cinemas.
—Mr. Adams, who claims “a greater, more all-round, and, perhaps, a more successful association with, and knowledge of, the Cinema business in all its many ramifications, than any other man” bears this testimony against the modern Cinema: “Backed by that knowledge and experience, I maintain, without fear of serious contradiction, that the present-day type of film, with sex and crime appeal predominating, is definitely undermining the moral tone of the youth of our Nation and doing irreparable harm which will take generations of effort to eliminate. The uplifting, educative, harmlessly-amusing and entertaining film of a few years ago, is all but a thing of the past. Film producers (having learnt that the nearer the knuckle the subject the greater ‘the draw,’ and so the profits) expend almost their entire talent and resources on the production of the type of film that panders to modern craving. Can, or dare, any one claim a benefit from extending the opportunity of screening that type of stuff from six to seven days a week? By so doing they rob us of our Day of Rest, take millions of pounds a year from us for foreign films, and establish the principle of ‘Sunday’ Trading for profit.”
Bill for the Closing of Shops on Sabbath.
—Mr. D. M. Mason, M.P., has introduced a Bill into Parliament having for its object the closing of shops on the Sabbath. The Bill, which applies to Scotland only, is to be debated in Parliament on 9th March. The evil of Sabbath trading is growing in this country, some of the chief transgressors being Italians. Unfortunately many of our own countrymen are following suit. The Bill imposes a penalty of £5 for the first offence and £20 for the second or subsequent offence. This may get at the Italian ice-cream shops though this is questionable as the sale of refreshments is permitted. Formerly the Italians could pay their £2 fine on Monday and keep open every Sabbath as their drawings left them a fair margin of profit. Unfortunately the Bill does not go as far as we would like it. It does not prohibit the business of supplying refreshments (except ice-cream) for consumption on the premises; the business of dairyman (for supply of milk only); and the business of supplying petrol or other fuel for motor vehicles, etc.
A Clever and Effective Retort.
—Recently the famous Cocoa Manufacturers, Messrs. J. S. Fry, made arrangements for a Sabbath broadcast to give publicity to their products. Circulars were sent out to grocers asking them to give as much publicity as possible to this new scheme. The energetic Secretary of the Lord’s Day Observance Society sent a strongly worded protest pointing out to the firm that whatever they might gain in one direction they would lose in another by the withdrawal of orders from those who loved the Lord’s Day. One of these, Mr. J. R. Huntley, head of the firm of Messrs. John R. Huntley & Son Ltd., Bath, wrote to Messrs. Fry saying: “You claim the right to break the fourth commandment, ‘Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.’ If I were to claim the right to break the Commandment which reads, ‘Thou shalt not steal’ and refused to pay your account, I daresay you would enter your protest against it—as I most solemnly do in regard to your present action.”
A Perverted View of God’s Commandments.
—As this number of the Magazine is issued from the press there will be, we have no doubt, the usual flood of vapid sentimentalism with Bohemian touches extolling the virtues of Robert Burns to the heavens. We take this occasion of uttering an emphatic protest against the view that the possession of genius demands a different standard by which the conduct of those so favoured is to be judged. When a genius breaks the law he may be more culpable for his transgression than a less favoured person. The possession of genius does not convey the right to any man to ride rough shod over any of the commandments of God. Goethe was a great genius but lived a lax life; Byron was a brilliant star in the literary firmament but that does not excuse the irregularities of his life; Shelley was a sublime poet but that did not keep him from setting decency at defiance. These were mighty rebels against the divine law and the fact that they were geniuses is no excuse for their rebellion. God did not make one law for ordinary mortals and another for geniuses and Burns’ orators, especially ministers, should not forget this.