Fans Ignore Books and Stage, Wail About Filth in Movies

BY W. WARD MARSH Practically Audiences can be the cwazall the letters I lest people-griping loudest get are those lambasting that against the movies but ignor-word Junior is ing something much worse on not yet old stage or in books. The wail is enough to learn. against s-e-x. about.

This should not be surpris-

ing, in view of

the telephone W WARD MARSH

WES LAWRENCE says he ing a list of books which gets "very few" letters comwould be instant sell-outs if plaining about the filth in the listed, but, for example, modern novel. We agreed we

had stopped reading many of "The Carpetbaggers" is being the so-called popular novels filmed. I read not more than of the day is because of the 30 pages in book form and tossed it. Fulton or elsewhere-when it dirt in them. has stuff which a quarter of He noted that there are sepa century ago might have

closed the house.

There were those who went to the old Opera House to see "Damaged Goods" just to hear a social disease called

the first time.

the movie and the book .

•

I have lived long enough to arate audiences for the play, know that men and women are won to each other by a and we agreed that the mov-variety of attractions, but why egoer is the noisiest of the go into details so obviously in-

lot. cluded to make a best-seller What's to be expected of of a novel and then be a sure Irma La Douce" was a

by its right name on stage for the movie today when the sale for Hollywood? stage goes overboard and the novel spends most of its time great hit on the stage where A few years later violets in the bed chamber, occupied players can still say and do

calls which ask whether such./practically had to go under-by a couple either not mar-things which are ultra-sensa-

I NEVER HEAR about

ground because of their im-ried or each married to sometional on the screen. and-such picture is "fit" for plication in "Well of Lonelikiddies. It likely isn't. one else? ness," both in book and play. Billy Wilder filmed it with The joy of living does not Jack Lemmon and Shirley Yet today no one is shocked end there. Both the stage and MacLaine in the leading roles. when syphilis is mentioned the book, particularly the I've already viewed it. Peter Bellamy's readers lac-and homosexual is becoming book, goes into the kind of ing him for a show at the common in print and spoken detail which would have made Hanna-or at Warren, Canal-word.

a Victorian bookseller faint. Even a dealer in the 1920s would have wondered whether the beat-officer was merely browsing or looking for evidence. Such details today are more than bread-and-butter; they mean moncy in the bank.

HOW ARE the movies to gauge the temperament of its audience when it knows that dirt is no longer swept under the rug but gathered into play form or put between bestseller book covers?

I have no intention of nam-