In 1911, there was a big push to censor motion pictures, especially with children who were easily influenced by the violence they witnessed on the theater screen.
On movie that was debated was called
"The Old Water Jar." It had everything: a "scandalous life," "marked by lust, cruelty, rapine and bloodshed" of an old, primitive Indian chief. On the characters death bed, "he attempts to paint the last scene of his life, the vision which comes to him then of the young brave he once was riding recklessly on his unsaddled horse."
 |
| 1911, March 5 The Sun |
The movie included a "famous orgy scene" which passed censorship. Even the film companies questioned if it was too much, and said they could cut it if it were deemed objectionable. At this time, censors believed that if the scene was true and accurate to the story, then it could remain. I could not find where they passed the orgy scene for this reason, but it does make me wonder.
Below, the article notes that a crowd of
Seminole Indians were in Washington (Taft would, that year, set aside land for reservation use) and were taken to theaters, and the tribe spokesman made a "vigorous objection to the Indian as portrayed in the motion picture, where they had found he was shown as either a coward or cruel and rapacious. This may possibly result in a different series of Indian views."
 |
| 1911, March 5 The Sun |
