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5/10
Sabbath Law Repeal
bkoganbing1 June 2015
Among the many things banned because of Sabbath Laws was movies in the great state of Pennsylvania right up to 1935. No doubt seeking what was lost revenue the film industry made this short subject for a referendum in Pennsylvania that year. The movie moguls then and now knew the power of film as a persuader.

Kay Francis and Margaret Hamilton appear as themselves urging passage of this question, voting yes on the question of Sunday films. But the highlight is Warner Oland as Charlie Chan urging folks from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to allow people to see Charlie Chan bring criminals to justice.

Not something I'd want to miss on Sunday.
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5/10
Silly but True
redryan643 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
NOT VERY EXCITING as viewed today, this self-serving slice of commercial message was most likely sort of bland and boring in its heyday. However, it does carry a very important message that was of vital interest to a certain special interest group, namely the Motion Picture Industry.

MUCH THE SAME as any other political advertisement (which this essentially is), the film is heavily weighted toward one point of view. That's not unusual nor truly dishonest; for it is the very function of a film such as this, to promote a particular idea, cause or product.

FOLLOWING AN OPENING pitch, the film takes us to the scene of a "typical American family" at Sunday dinner. In a very sort of "Ozzie & Harriet" manner, they decide to go to the movies after the Sunday roast chicken dinner had been consumed. All portrayed are idyllic; be they the family members, the movie theatre and all movie house employees.

AMONG THOSE WHO appear to give testimony are humorist/author Irwin S. Cobb, Kay Francis, Warner Oland (appearing as Charlie Chan)and May Robson. The words "wholesome" and "entertainment" are paired often in emphasis of the 'clean' film, Mother, Apple Pie and Baseball school of metaphoric expressions.

ALTHOUGH THE SITUATIONS that are portrayed and mentioned about the banning of movies being exhibited on the Christian Sabbath may well seem to be kind of "Campy" to the modern reader; but we should not be too quick to dismiss what we are being told.

THIS SORT OF look into the past's peculiar problems just may well lead to our understanding of some of our modern day problems in this heavily bureaucratic, highly centrally governed and overly burdened with laws and regulations in today's World.
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