CHILDREN AND FILMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26782, 27 May 1948, Page 2

CHILDREN AND FILMS

PRESBYTERIAN ATTITUDE DEFINED EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY p.A. WELLINGTON, May 26. Objection to horror films for children was universal, and it was considered that they should be eliminated, stated the Public Questions Committee of the Presbyterian Church in a statement presented by its convener, the Rev J. S. Somerville, at the sitting of the Parliamentary Committee inquiry into the film industry. Children, he added, were not able to discriminate as to the reality of these things or otherwise, and were often nervous victims of phantasies seen in films. The people of the Presbyterian Church had real objections to insincere advertising of pictures, and particularly the type seen on hoardings. The superlatives in advertising used so widely inoculated people against discrimination and ultimately defeated the commercial ends for which they were used. It was felt that children’s programmes were badly handled, and parents were disturbed. More rigid enforcement of the regulations attendant on censorship should be made. If a film was for adults only, children should be kept out, and at least there should be no children’s prices at such sessions. “On behalf of our committee and our church people generally I want to make it clear that we are not obscurantist in our attitude to films,” said Mr Somerville. “We want good wholesome programmes and honest advertising.” The assistant film censor, Mr C. R. H. Taylor, suggested that the all-too-fieeting censor’s certificate should be accompanied on a sound film with a vocal text to something of the same purport. In many instances it would be advantageous for theatre managers to interpret as not only more faithful to the spirit of the censor’s opinion, but also as more considerate of their clientele the recommendation for adults as implying a virtual exclusion of juveniles from such programmes. In many quarters it was urged that such exclusion should be an explicit inference, and the intention of the recommendation, but, until it became a ruling or an order, much abuse by children of thoughtless parents seemed inevitable.