Motion Picture Commission : hearings before the Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Sixty-third Congress, second session, on bills to establish a Federal Motion Picture Commission (1978)

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MOTION PICTURE COMMISSION. 45 Mr. TiiAcina;. That would not be covered bv the presoiit law. T know the present law would not stop those things if (here was any complaint made. jNIr. Bush. Well, if it was anything oft'ensive or anything inde- cent Mr. Thachek (interposing). 1 do not mean indecent; 1 mean dan- gerous. Mr. Brsn. But even noAv public sentiment—not any law. but public sentiment—rejects that sort of thing, Mr. Thachkr. That is your view? Mr. Busii. Yes, sir. I am not like the Nev,- York judge, whose opportunities of observation. I fear, are somewhat limited. I have been in every studio in this country and abroad. I know just exactly what the producers want and what they are trying to do. They are thoroughly alive to their responsibilities, and I doubt very much whether at this time yon will see pictures in which the details of a crime are disi)layed with too much circumstance. I do not believe you will see such a picture to-day anywhere. I would like you to bear this in mind; it is a remarkable thing and well worthy of your attention: We are now turning out 150,000 feet of film subjects every week for the consumption of the Amei'ican market alone. Now, if the pictures were really as horrible as some of our friends, zealous and well meaning but not always guided by information and by cool, calm judgment, if these pictures were really bad and depraved, is it conceivable that they would have risen to their ])resent prosperity and popularity? Even at this time they are in every city of the United States building at tremendous expense new theaters exclu- sively devoted to the exhibition of motion pictures. Bear in mind that the motitm picture has grown away from its early standards, with the larger theaters, with the very best classes of our population going there. Your chairman has been telling me that he enjoys noth- ing better than motion pictures, and that he has been to various mo- tion pictures in this city and that he has never seen anything that seemed ott'ensive to him; and I challenge the experience of every man on this committee to mention now^ specifically the title of a picture wdiich could be classed as horrible or offensive or indecent or immoral. The Chairman. T want to ask you this question: In the city of New York there is what we call the national board of censorship, is there not 't Mr. Bush. I l)elieve there is; yes. sir. The Chair?iiax. Now. what ])ower has that censorship board of New York '. Mr. Ik^SH. Whatever ])owers they ha\e are derived from the sup- port of public opinion. They have no legal power at all. The Chahoian. Still it is'called a natiimal board of censorship? Mr. Bush. It is called that, but that is a misnomer if there ever was one. Dr. Carter. Mr. Chairnmn. may I call the attention of the com- mittee to the fact that I am a member of that national board, and later I shall be glad to have a word to say to the connnittee con- cerning that national board? Mr. Tow^NER. You said a short time ago that the censorship \\\ Germany and other places did no good. Will you tell the com- mittee, if you can, just Avhat you mean by saying that it did no good ?