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)

84 MOTION PICTURE COMMISSION. Mr. Towner. Will you explain that ? Mr. Seligsberg. Yes, sir. Dr. Carter refers to the three produc- ing companies. There is no such thing as three producing companies. Dr. Carter. I really never referred to three producing companies. I think Dr. Howe spoke of or suggested that there were three pro- ducing companies. Mr. Seligsberg. I refer to the record. In order to understand this business, the effect of the statute on it, and the effect of the censor- ship on it, and the interplay between the companies, and the fact that, as some members of the committee seem to think, there is only one combination here. I want to say there are three very bitterly con- testing factions, of which my friend, Mr. Schechter is of counsel for one faction, and I for another, and of which the third, the largest and the oldest in the business, is so bitterly against the two factions which we represent that, although they oppose this measure, they vrill not appear against it at the same time we appear against it. The relationship between the two factions which I and my friend, Mr. Schechter, represent is so bitter that it is only l)ecause we have become personally friendly that we are able to appear togetlier be- fore you this evening. It was at first somewhat against the desires of our principals that we do it. We have prepared one argument to present to you, of which .Mr. Schechter will deliver the first part and 1 the second part. I ask you, in the name of the people who are in this industry, and who are all decent and good people, and who do not produce indecent films, and who, strange to say. do not produce white-slave films, and who have never produced the House of Bondage films, which you have heard criticized; I ask you in their name to give us your attention, even though we may proceed at great length, because we want y< u to un- derstand the f'ncts of the situation and the facts which this great industry is based, the size, extent, and nature or the industry, and the effect which this prop* sed bill would ht'.ve on the industjy. The Chairm.\n. I wish to say right there. Mr. Seligsberg. that the only purpose of the <-omnuttee i- ti) get at the facts and the truth in regard to this matter. Mr. Seligsberg. We are going to try to give you the facts and the truth in regard to this matter. We want you to hayetheui cor- rectly. With your peruiissit.n, in view of the errors of fact which appear in the record, we ae going to ask yi;u for permission to sub- mit a brief, because there are a good many errors of fact in the state- ments which have already been made before you and whicii appear in the record. Mr. Towner. You must remember tliat every individual nuni who has any knowledge on these matters must have some view of the question; the various individual members of the connnittee may entertain different individual views. We have all had so much experience in these matters that we know that our judgments may jierhaps be based upon entirely erroneous statements of fact, and therefore we are anxious to get at all the facts and all the truth on this particular matter. Mr. SELKiSBKiUi. With the permission of the C( inmittee, Mr. Schechter will now address you.