Later Hotel Closing Affecting Cinemas

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 36

Later Hotel Closing Affecting Cinemas

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 12. Ten o’clock closing in hotel bars had caused a further decline in attendances at cinemas, according to the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs.

“Although too early as yet to evaluate its full effects, there can be little doubt that later closing, coupled with television and other competing interests, are adding to the difficulties being experienced by theatre proprietors,” it said.

until a satisfactory alternative title was supplied and other alterations made. Films, other than television films, exempted from examination numbered 319, compared with 361 in the previous year.

The number of television films examined increased from 3659 to 4858—shorts increasing from 2491 to 3432 and features from 1168 to 1426.

But the report—which was tabled in Parliament today—said it was interesting that screenings were revived from time to time in localities where they had been discontinued.

In spite of falling attendances generally, film censors had reported a growing public interest in films, brought about mainly by the increasing production of controversial cinema features. “This interest has been reflected over the year in newspaper and broadcasting comment on the censorship of features such as ‘Ulysses’ and on the high incidence of violence in films generally,” the report said. “The substantial increase in the number of cuts made on account of violence indicates that censorship policy is moving with public opinion.” For the year ended March 31, 1968, 218 feature films were approved without cuts. But 1930 cuts were made in 120 theatre feature films, 175 trailers, 19 shorts, and 16mm films (non-television) and 389 television films, compared with last year’s over-all total of 1414.

Of this year’s cuts, 1125 were made because of violence compared with 675 the previous year, 479 because of sex (449) 44 because of horror (107, and 282 for other reasons (183). Four feature films and 13 television films were refused certificates of approval. No appeal was lodged in respect of the features “On Her Bed of Roses,” “A Woman’s World,” ‘The Amourist” nor in respect of the fourth feature film which had been refused approval