"ALL QUIET" BANNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)

"ALL QUIET" BANNED.

DECISION OF CENSOR. RIGHT OR WRONG? "All Quiet on the Western Front," the talking picture! upon which the Universal Film Company h;is pinned such great hopes, has been banned from presentation in New Zealand. This Dominion, therefore, along with Italy and Germany, constitutes the small minority of countries j which have refused to give further publication to Erich Remarque's book. It does not follow, however, that, our censor is to be reproached for his decision that New Zealand would be just, as well off without seeing this much-discussed picture. In Italy Mussolini barred Italian translations of the hook lest they should damp ] the militaristic ardour of the youth of j his country. Iu Germany it would not be uncharitabie to suggest that somewhat similar reasons created the wave of feeling which practically drove the author into exile. The New Zealand censor has | banned the him presumably because he j is oi' the opinion that the possible moral it conveys is not won.h tlie rather un- | necessary raking of the muck-heap whuh accompanies it. If such is the censor's considered opinion. one can only applaud his sinceiity. American press reviews of the film have stressed the accuracy with, which the picture keeps to as original. Some —to say nothing of the film publicity organisations—have belaboured the canal incident to such ail extent as to givo the impression that it is one of the great pieces of the film. Even taking this with the requisite grain of salt, as one must, m lieu of personally viewing the picture, it still appears that the amorous diversions ol three German soldiers, together with many other episodes which need not he quoted here, are hardly essential items of a campaign against, war. \ point winch possible objectors to the ban raav have overlooked is the question of public psychology. There is quite a considerable difference between the readme of outspoken literature in one s own home and * collectively seeing a motion picture presentation of the same ideas. It is this Ten' point which makes it unnecessary to indulge in these columns m an exposition of arguments for or against

'"sometliinc lias been made of thn fact, that " Serceant Grischa ' was admit tea into New Zealand and barred m Australia -more recent advice from Auslr '"j dk*at«s that the film has been admitted •with one or two slight •' Ail Quiet " has been admitted in .he Common wealth. Bound up as we are with Australia, ret surely our film censorship is entitled to the courage of its convictions.