CINEMA CENSORSHIP.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11990, 29 January 1920, Page 5

CINEMA CENSORSHIP.

OBSCENITIES RAMPANT IN

GERMANY.

Xinited Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright-

Received Jan 29, 10 a.m. - London, Jan 27,

The Daily Chronicle’s Berlin correspondent states that one of the earliest Government measures after the revolution was the abolition of film censorship. It had unfortunate results in the cinema wqrld, owing to the extraordinary vogue of the socalled “Aufklarnngs” films of which the ostensible pqippose was to Warn German youth ’against erotic tendencies. Since the ffemovai of the censorship the picture palaces have been flooded with masked obscenities which the newspapers describe as a sea of mud. Tne public agitation is so great that a movement against the whole film industry is threatened, and Government is introducing a universal cinema censorship, enabling the authorities to refuse to license any film calculated to excite base instincts. The judges will include as officials leading artists and writers, and also men and women of experience in training |he young. The cinema manufacturers say that the Bill will kill the industry and are thoroughly organised for a fight. The biggest combination, known as thoU.F.A. Company, has a capital of sixty million marks and owns seven factories and fifty picture palaces.