FILM CENSORSHIP

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1932, Page 5

FILM CENSORSHIP

STANDARDS CRITICISED. CONTROL OVER POSTERS. ; (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) VVELLiiNU iON, Dec. 7. ; A vote on tile (Supplementary Jtsti- | mates for assistance tor the him I censor gave members of tlio fjouse of I Representatives an opportunity to criticise tins branch ot the State’s activities, to-day, Mr W. E. Barnaul commencing with an indictment of (picture posters and >-skpig whether I the censor was responsible lor allowing 'their display. He also objected to the large proportion of American films showing the worst features of American life. Why was not a larger proportion of English films provided? lie asked. Why were Russian Five-Tear Pla.n pictures banned? “Over 40 per cent, of the films shown in New Zealand are British,” declared Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, who added that this matter was pretty closely discussed at the Ottawa Conference. There was, however, the difficulty that film exchanges handling British films bought on the British censor’s certificnte, but films which got past in England might not fit in with the ideas of the New Zealand censor. Efforts were being made to standardise as far as possib e the requirements and give British producers an idea what films might or might not be passed in New Zealand. He had seen several films dealing with Russia in New Zealand theatres. “You get the American twang and American slang wherever you go,” declared Mr R. A. Wright. Young New Zealanders had been fairly clea.r of slang, but this could not be guaranteed to-day under these‘conditions, and as for the certificate that pictures were to be shown only to adults, that was humbug, he added. Rev. C. Carr: Half-price for chil-j dren. “T object to the whole vote because I think the censorship is a nuisance,” said Mr P. Fraser. It neither protected old nor young, he continued. The tragedy was that Elstree (England) was making a silly attempt to imitate Hollywood with its comedies, though some of the best pictures seen in New Zealand came from Elstree. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. jA. Hamilton) assured members that the film censor was quite free to exercise his good judgment and no direction was given him that Russian or any other films should be banned, jlf members had experience of the censorship task they would realise its difficulties. The censor did cut out a I lot and he censored picture posters too. Mv Barnard: - Then he does it poorly. ihe Minister: You have to consider the material he lias to deal with. I (think the standard has been improved of late.

PROVISION FOR APPEALS.

POAVERS OF THE POLICE

Per Press Association. * AVELLINGTON, Dec. 7

During the discussion on film censorship in the House of Representatives, Hon. A. Hamilton explained that there was provision for appeais against the censorship and there had been a great deal of extra work lately in consequence of the large number of appeals that had been lodged.

He added that the exhibitors were also in favour of the censorship, and it wak their desire that the standard of films should be high.

Replying to an interjection, the Minister said tlie police had the right to challenge and suppress any picture after it had been passed by the censor.