Anti-Arbuckle Letter

[Bruce Long]

In the July 1922 issue of Filmplay, there was a letter by Peter Doyle which tries to rationally argue that despite Arbuckle's acquittal, the Arbuckle films should not only be banned but FP-L should publicly burn them. "Let the burning be marked with fitting ceremonies."
https://archive.org/stream/FilmplayJuly ... 6/mode/1up

I can imagine how all producers must have awk'd when they read that. If they set the precedent of a public film burning, all sorts of publicity-seeking groups would start demanding various films be ceremoniously burned for some reason.

[bobfells]

In the July 1922 issue of Filmplay, there was a letter by Peter Doyle which tries to rationally argue that despite Arbuckle's acquittal, the Arbuckle films should not only be banned but FP-L should publicly burn them. "Let the burning be marked with fitting ceremonies."
https://archive.org/stream/FilmplayJuly ... 6/mode/1up

I can imagine how all producers must have awk'd when they read that. If they set the precedent of a public film burning, all sorts of publicity-seeking groups would start demanding various films be ceremoniously burned for some reason.

I think that people write stuff like that - and they still do today - to attract attention to themselves and nothing more. "look at me, look at me!" Life's too short to waste on wannabes.