T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S ^Hilliaiillllllliillllltllllliliiiiiliiiiiiiillllllllllllllilllliliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ i THE HOLLYWOOD S PASSION PLAY SiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
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present a dramatization of the “ Life of 'Christ’’ in Los Angeles each year. For two years this play has been given and the advertising campaign is now on for the third season. The twelve sponsors for this Amer ican production include Bishops and other churchmen as well as actors, art ists, educators, editors and club-women. So far as we are acquainted with this personnel, we are not willing to entrust to their decision any question that in volves the higher things of the Chris tian life or the finer points of divine revelation. Their purpose may be benevolent, and even from the stand point of artistry, they no doubt will en deavor to exclude all that might savor of blasphemy, but to the spiritually minded, their very attempt to drama tize the atonement is in itself an im piety and their gate receipts suggest the price of the Potter’s Field. No doubt many Christian people will at tend, and no doubt feelings will be deeply stirred and fresh realizations will be gained of the awful tragedy. Some even of the world’s people may be stirred as they never have been by the spoken word, but the net result upon actors and observers can be only a weakening of the divine appeal of the Cross and a blurring of the line be tween the holy and the profane. —American Evangelist m m FRAUDULENT USE OF A NAME In business we often see a well-re puted name pass from the original pos sessors into the hands of those who make use of the old and trusted title or trademark to give standing to some new organization of entirely different per sonnel and principles. At the outset the name sustains confidence but ensuing deteriorations of the product' or dubi ous dealings on the part of the new concern disclose the change and decep tion. The exploiters perhaps bring
PINIONS differ as widely as the poles as to the Passion Play as presented at ten-year intervals at Oberammergau in Europe. Some who witness
the elaborate spectacle are deeply im pressed by it; and agree that, since the play was inaugurated in fulfilment of a religious vow, and,since the play ers are so deeply reverent in their portrayal of our Lord’s passion, the thing itself must be pleasing to Him. On the other hand, men like Dr. S. E. Wishard who have studied the mat ter from every angle except personal observation are led to brand this dram atization of the crucifixion as the most stupendous act of sacrilege that could be devised. That any sinful man should consent to impersonate the divine Re deemer in the very act of purchasing our redemption seems almost past be lief. That this should be conceived of as a religious Christian performance seems as incredible. We are not attempting to enter into the merits of the case at length, though our conviction is very positive as to the sacrilege of the entire performance. We wish, however, to call attention to the impudent attempt of interests in Los Angeles and other parts of the country to have the play reproduced by the Oberammergau players here in America. The players themselves re volted from the thought of transferring this great drama from the hills that to them have been rendered sacred by it, and from the proposal to commer cialize the production as would have been done in America. Since this effort failed, the Pilgrim age Play Association has undertaken to
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