MOTION PICTURE POSTERS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20024, 4 September 1930, Page 5

MOTION PICTURE POSTERS.

CENSORSHIP PROVISIONS. POWERS OF CITY COUNCIL. Censorship. of moving picture posters on advertising hoardings has been announced by the' Government, but in Christchurch such posters are already under the control of the City Council, which has authority to forbid the display in a public place , of any advertising matter deemed objectionable. But the practice —formerly a regular one—of submitting those posters shown on the outside of theatres to the civic authorities seems to have fallen into desuetude, for the Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville) said yesterday that noiie of -these had been submitted lately. Mr Claude Haigh, publicity manager of Christchurch Cinemas, also stated that this was once the practice, but it had been discontinued; apparently the authorities did not consider it necessary. "If there is anything in our posters which is questionable we simply do not put them up," commented Mr Haigli, "and I do not think that any regulations the Government may bring in will make any difference to us. Occasionally we have people of a certain type protesting to us." Authority Under By-laws.

The Council is vested with authority of censorship under the bylaws, one of which states that no exhibit of a profane nature shall be made in a public place. The definition of "profane" is the difficult part. According to another, no advertisement may be displayed on properties where such advertisement can be seen from the street without the City Council's permission having been first obtained. Thus the position in Christchurch may bo divided into two parts: where the posters are displayed on the theatres themselves and where they are displayed on permanent advertising boards throughout the City. In both cases. the majority of posters are designed and printed in the country whence issues tho picture they advertise, and they come straight to the theatre proprietors, it is understood, without having been subject to any censorship. What displays are to be made on theatres themselves seems to have been left to the good sense of the proprietors to decide. This applies befth to the big display bills and to smaller panel photographs contained in glass eases outside some of the theatres. Mutual Understanding. However, most of the advertising on permanent hoardings is in the hands of ono advertising firm, and between this firm and the City Council there is an understanding that any display bill of a doubtful character, whether pertaining to moving pictures or not, shall be submitted to tho Council authorities before it is displayed; failure to do so is a breach of the by-laws. In all cases where this firm has been in doubt the authorities have been consulted. In some cases the objectionable part has been excised, and in one or two cases the poster has not been displayed at all.