CENSORSHIP OF FILMS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 12

CENSORSHIP OF FILMS

366 EXCISIONS IN YEAR “MOST MADE ON SCORE OF VIOLENCE” (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Aug, IL There was no marked variation in the amount or general character of objectionable material requiring to be Cut from films shown in New Zealand in the year ended March 31, says the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs, submitted to * arliament today. Three hundred and thirty-five cuts were made from United States films, 13 from British Commonwealth films, and 18 from films from other countries. “The overwhelming majority of excisions continues to be made on the score of violence, a term which embraces excessive brutality, overprolonged and dirty fighting, torture, over-emphasis on an act of murder, and unnecessarily gruesome and terrifying elements,” the report says. "Last year. 310 separate cuts were made for these reasons, this representing 85 per cent, of all cutting. In 44 Westerns, there were 92 excisions and with one exception, all were on the grounds of excessive violence. Five serial films alone contributed 40 excisions to the total “On the other hand, ‘sex,’ which includes unduly suggestive or vulgar dialogue and situations, produced only 7 per cent of all cutting; and other reasons, such as ‘personallv insulting references to heads of States’ or ‘objectionably flippant references to religion.’ provided the remaining 8 per cent, of cuts.” Although the broad pattern of material liable to censorship remains much the same each year, certain trends in the handling of that material by film producers have become apparent the report says. In the year reviewed, three refinements of violence

came specially to the fore. One emphasised scenes of flogging and whipping, and the other the beating up of a helpless adversary. But the most pronounced trend was the use or threatened use of a knife as a weapon, the report says. There were no fewer than 47 excisions involving scenes showing the use of knives.

“When a trend in film making becomes as obvious as this, the censorship authorities are obliged to take necessary action to remove or tone down its most blatant examples in case they should come to be accepted as representing a normal and commonplace mode of behaviour on the screen, and from there begin to have an influence on real life,” the report says.

CONCILIATION BILL MINOR AMENDMENTS BY COMMITTEE (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 11. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was reported back to the House of Representatives today from the Labour Bills Committee. The .ommittee has made a few i-<«ruuinents to the bill, but they are oi a minor or technical and do not affect its principles in any way. As originally drafted, the bill imposed a limit of Is a week on union subscriptions unless the members of the union had decided bv a majority of the votes cast in a secret ballot to umocse higher dues. The committee has increased to 2s 1113fc can be levied without taking a ballot.