FILM CENSORSHIP

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3172, 24 August 1917, Page 6

FILM CENSORSHIP

A WOMAN MAY BE APPOINTED DOUBTFUL FILMS The censorship of films was the subject of some remarks by the Hon. G. W. .Russell yesterday in reply to a deputation of Otago member* of Parliament which waited on him. It was suggested among other things that a portion of the programme at picture shows, say 25 per cent., should comprise educative and instructive films. The Minister, in reply to the deputation, said ho believed a certain improvement had been made in picture programmes since tho censorship had come into operation, but he did not think the censorship had sufficiently got going yet to fully justify itself, because a number of films were on circuit and in the libraries of the companies hiring out films at the time it came into force. A reasonable tiine had been given to work these off. The right was reserved to withdraw this concession at any time. He was not going to state all.he knew, but certain information had come to him, and after the end of this month there would be a prosecution against every .picture house that showed a film that had not been censored. "By that means," lie said, "we shall get a grip on a lot of stuff that is being hawked round still without passing through the censor's hands." That he believed had been the cause of a great deal of the trouble. The censorship was receiving the consideration of the Government now, and very careful inquiries were being made as to the appointment of two other censors, one to be a woman. He could not say how far the matter had gone.' Inquiries were being made, and he hoped that very shortly a statement would be made with reference to the matter. He did not think it would ever bo possible to attain to the high level suggested by members of the deputation in regard,io the proportion of educational fiims.- ; He did not think it was possible for the Government to lay down a rule that twenty-five per cent, of the programme would have to be of a particular class. All they could lay down was that there should be a reasonable standard. Just as it was in literature so it was in picture films. One could not reduce the films to tho level of the child any.mora than one could reduce ono's library to the level of the child. There must be some films which a child could not understand. Thev could only stipulate that a particular film could be witnessed by a specified class. The experience, however, was that so soon as it was stipulated that a film could be witnessed by adults only, and this was advertised, there was a rush for seats in the theatre in which it was being shown, and even yoivng girls put -up their hair and'made themselves like women in order to see tho picture. At the. present time proposals were under consideration which he hoped would materially have tho effect of affecting the status of pictures very shortly. Ho hoped the appointment of a womnn censor would be definitely dealt with by Cabinet. Ho had'not definitely committed himself yet. He did not' want to increase the expenditure at the present time, but tho deputation's requests had his sympathy.