'Dangerous pictures' in Nenagh cinemas 100 years ago
The following is a letter from one our our readers a century ago giving out about the "lustful embracing" on show in Nenagh cinemas in 1923.
Dear Sir, Permit me through the medium of your journal to draw attention to the grave scandal which, despite protests, remains unchecked, and threatens to destroy the purity and character of the youngest child among us. I refer to the local cinemas.
For years the people of Nenagh are being deluged with pictures of the most immodest nature conceivable from the hell-inspired pagans who produce them. All these pictures are exhibited without discrimination to all - young or old - who can produce the price of admission.
Those in country districts who are so fortunate as not to have witnessed any of these pictures may ask do the Catholic audiences of Nenagh enjoy lewd pictures. The answer is – Yes, and moreover where a scene of lustful embracing occurs in the picture the crowd approve with a grin of delight which indicates the satisfaction of foul passions. The reason for all this is that bit by bit these immodest pictures have engraved their likeness in the hearts of those people, so that now a lewd scene is their greatest joy.
To prove the infectiousness of these flourishing picture shows, it may be stated that a few years ago there was in Nenagh only one cinema hall showing two pictures weekly - now there are two halls showing about eight pictures weekly, with full houses most of the nights.
A picture was screened in Nenagh some nights ago, parts of which were highly objectionable. After being three years married Mrs X finds that her husband is keeping company with that inevitable ‘other woman’ so intrinsic to these pictures. She sees him embracing her and sundry other items, unfortunately only too well known to picture-goers. In a development of the ‘story’ the wife enters into a reverie and sees a parallel in her position with that which obtained in the Roman Court shortly before Christianity penetrated its way there. Here the illustrations are horrible - dangerous to attempt to detail.
Captive women are placed side by side, and those court attendants who desire a ‘mate’ march out and directly opposite the captives. Each man takes to himself the woman facing him. Terrible scenes are here enacted, men and women embracing each other in the most filthy cannibalistic fashion.
Another drama, entitled ‘A Virgin Paradise’, shown in Nenagh some time ago drew a larger crowd on its second exhibition than it did the previous night.
People in this case saw a lonely girl living away on an uninhabited island who sat nude on the cliffs. When ‘the news went around’, I regret to say it made certain the success of its second exhibition.
Other picture comedies and dramas shown from time to time include mixed bathing resorts. ‘Wild West’ stunts, where men ‘know no God but Revenge.’ When one of these film ‘heroes’ comes into contact with ‘the villain’ there are roars from the smallest child in the hall to ‘plug him’, ‘riddle him’, thus showing how youthful minds are impressed by misdeeds.
Some parents, to their shame, give the admission price to their children, but if the youngsters can’t get it at home they range themselves outside the picture halls and challenge each passer-by for ‘Give us a penny, sir.’ Crowds of them indulge in this practice. To put a stop to this a vigilance committee should be formed who would prohibit children being allowed into such places at all. The cinema proprietors would be approached and requested to exhibit only pictures free of smut.
Signed, McE