Ramparts in Pennsylvania

Last fortnight in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas upheld an order of the Pennsylvania State Board of Censors banning a revised version of the MARCH OF TIME'S first full-length feature, a story of how the U. S. entered and fought World War I called The Ramparts We Watch (TIME, July 29). Reason: since The Ramparts was approved by Mrs. Edna Carroll and her assistant censors in early August, MOT had inserted 900 feet from Baptism of Fire, the Nazis' record of their Polish Blitzkrieg.

Declaring that Baptism of Fire sequences might frighten prospective draftees, Mrs. Carroll had dismissed the new edition because: "The Board thinks it is psychologically bad for the people . . . has a tendency to corrupt and debase morals; and is not proper." The Court, finding that the Board had failed to act "arbitrarily or capriciously," decided it had no power to reverse the ruling. It further observed:

"To spread propaganda which brutal men believe will instill terror in the hearts and minds of women and children can serve no useful purpose to the American way of life. To depict a man in the character of a German hurling insults at our American citizenry could only serve a god of hatred, m contrast to our God of Love. It would tend to stir up strife and resentment, resulting in possible attack upon some innocent American citizens of German descent. . . .

"The invasion of Poland is not news now, and the scenes shown are not 'current news events or happenings, commonly called newsreels.' " Newsreels do not come under the authority of the Board.

MOT Producer Louis de Rochemont explained that after submission to six State and four local censorship boards, The Ramparts met objections only in Pennsylvania, has had successful runs in 15 large U. S. cities. He announced he would appeal the Philadelphia decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and on up if necessary. Said he: "My interpretation of the Court's decision is that the Court has not fully realized that our use of the interpolated material from the German propaganda film, Baptism of Fire, was deliberately such as to transform a piece of Nazi propaganda into American propaganda of the clearest and most definite kind. We have gone on the assumption that the American public is not likely to be deluded or affected by German propaganda once that propaganda is brought into the open and exposed for what it actually is."

Outside Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall the New York Daily News conducted its own investigation of The Ramparts, asked exiting audiences their reaction. Prospective soldiers between 20 and 40 denied any fright, spouted such remarks as: "This picture makes me more willing than ever to fight. . . ." "Far from frightening Americans, it makes them want to get busy before they are smashed as Europe's little countries were. . . ." "We don't scare. . . ."

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