BAN ON FILM “DAWN.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 January 1929, Page 9

BAN ON FILM “DAWN.”

DOMINION CENSOR UPHELD. FURTHER APPLICATION PROBABLE. One of the first acts of the new Cabinet lias been to uphold the ban placed by the film censor (Mr W. Tanner) on the-, much-debated film “Dawn.” Imported to 1 New Zealand by Messrs \YilUamison-Ta.it Ltd., the film earn© before the censor in December, and he declined to pass it for general exhibition. Because of the world-wide publicity which the production had received. and the .general nature of • Dawn.” Mr Tanner departed from his usual practice and gave his. reasons for the refusal to issue a certificate. These were the general political atmosphere and the! fact that one of the incidents recorded, the refusal of a German soldier to shoot Nurse Oavell, is regarded as having removed the production from even the classification of an historical film. An appeal to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. P do la Perrelle) found him unwilling to- make the decision, and he took the mutter to Cabinet, where the censor’s decision was upheld. Now, however, the film has passed into the hands of British Dominions Film Service, and as the ban previously imposed in Anstrn.‘iia..has boon lifted by the new Minister of Customs, and tibe picture will ho released in Sydney, it is jilce'v that a further attempt will be made to release the fiiinii in New Zealand. An additional argument is found in the fact that India, after banning “Dawn,” has also lifted the prohibition. . , At the same time it is known that tbe German Consul in New Zealand i,s under instructions to protest if there is any likelihood of “Dawn” being released locally.