The Press Friday, February 4, 1921. An Extreme Measure.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17061, 4 February 1921, Page 6

The Press Friday, February 4, 1921. An Extreme Measure.

The latest Government restriction on • moving picture films is a proof of how ' ' easy it ia for a well-meaning Minister to do the right thing in quit© the wrong ( way. Inspired apparently by complaints as to the nature of the films shown in 'certain picture theatres in •' Wellington—which are also exhibited in Christchurch and other towns —and possibly by the report bf the special ' committee set up by the Educational Institute, the Minister ■of Internal i Affairs, backed, we are, told by our : Wellington correspondent, by Cabinet sanction, has issuod a drastic regulation against the exhibition of .films in which thieving, robbery, iSurder or suicide "is made -a feature." Reports differ as to the exact nature of this prohibition/ One states that "no film or por- *' tion thereof "■ of the class referred to " will be passed for circulation in New " Zealand''; the other says that " any "portion of a film," in vhich any of the offences mentioned is made a feature, "must be cut out." Though the' wording differs, the effect of the regulation would in mfiny cases-be equally disastrous, for every patron of "the pictures" will recall, films of which a, " robbery op a murder was the central incident, and if that was cut out the rest of the film might as well go with it, since it would be rendered'meaningless and useless. TIo one would try "to defend-some of the films exhibited nowadays from the charge of being un3uly sensational and of dealing rather too realistically with crimes of vio- . ience. But such crimes are by no means absent from novels, newspapers, and theatrical plays, and the public ' that can read- about them freely and see them enacted on the stage is not • going to have its morals corrupted by their representation on the films. "Unless the Government is prepared to extend its censorship of morals in the . directions we have indicated it is not logically 'justified in doing so to- the moving pictures. There is no sense in the discrimination which would permit the representation of such dramas as, Hay, "Oth&llo'' or "Romeo and Juliet," or such operas as "Faust'' or "Carmen" in one theatre, and veto their production on the film in another theatre across the street. But what will not injure the minds of adults may have a distinctly demoralising effort on those of children; and so far as the Minister's edict ia intended to safeguard tho latter ' he lias our sympathy. As we have said, however, he has gone about the'matter .in the wrong way. He wants to prevent the children, who constitute only a \ small portion of the average attendance "at picture shows.when films of a certain class are tho principal feature, from seeing such films. Well and good, but obviously tho right way to do it was to instruct the censor to increase the . proportion of films which he marks as suitable only for presentation to adults, and, if this warning was found ineffective, to impose upon picture-show man-' agera tho duty, neglected by too many parents, of keeping children under a certain out of their theatres when pictures are exhibited. Such a regulation would, we believe, be wel- . corned by tho managers, and certainly would bo preferred by them to the new . order. Instead of adopting this course, . Mr AwL'/son has lightly' introduced a regulation which, if enforced, will severely penalise the picture-going p>ublie,' and may ruin, the entire' moving picture industry ia Zealand The m

makers of films are certainly not going to cater specially for the Dominion's tastes, for this country represents but a very small spot in the world-wide field of their activity. The matter is not to bo allowed to rest where it is; a deputation of these interested in the picture show business is to wait upon tho Minister, to protest against the new restriction, nnd their'views, with tho I weight of public opinion behind them, | should induce him to change the method | by whi?h he lias sought to meet the ! vipws of those, with, whom we are j largely in agreement, who hold that | many of tho pictures shown nowadays ! are unsuitable for young children to see. j If the incident leads to managers ol j picture shows putting on special sfterj noon programme.-; for children, a reform j I will 'have been instituted which we advocated years ago, and which, if then adopted, would have prevented the pre- j i sent trouble from arising.