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)

MOTION PICTURE COMMISSION. 16T labors in the conducting of Georgetown University, as well as in promoting the public-morals crusade of our society have made it impossible for the presi- dent of our society. Rev. Augustus J. Duarte, S. J., to get to see you in con- nection with the subject, and at our last meeting it was decided to submit this^ communication to you. Briefly the society's idea is that an excellent, in fact a perfect, censorship^ can be exercised over the moving pictures by a voluntary board of censors selected with your own approval and of which board you might serve as chair- man. We do not think it would be necessary for this board to meet frequently, as we would wish you to attend to the censorship of the pictures themselves, and your committee would be concerned only with the plots or the stories submitted for presentation. It would no doubt be possible for each member of the committee to receive by mail daily, or every week, a brief printed synopsis of the films to be sent here, giving a short detail of the nature of the play. The Chairman. That refers to the District of Columbia, Washing- ton City, does it not ? Mr. Br-dlawski. Yes; this was concerning the District of Colum- bia, censorship here. When, in the opinion of the committee a story was dangerous to the morals of the young, or otherwise morally offensive, the matter would then be promptly- referred to you. as chairman of the committee, for action. We simply suggest the following gentlemen as a board which would give broadminded and intelligent censorship on this subject: Rev. Charles J. Mul- laly moderator of the Aloysius Club; Rev. Dr. Wallace Radcliffe, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church; Rabbi Abram Simon, of the Wash- ington Hebrew Congregation; Rev. Dr. John Van Schaick, jr., pastor of the Church of Our Father; Mr. Myron Germain Jones, of the Men aud Religion Forward Movement; aud Miss Julia Chandler Manz, editor of the woman's department of the Washington Herald. The Chairman. It is suggested that they serve without compen- sation ? Mr. BRY1.AWSKI. Yes, sir; a voluntary board. Such a committee would not act arbitrarily and could not interfere in any way with the real interests of the moving-picture world, inasmuch as you would personally reserve the right at any time to relieve the entire board of their duties if you so desired. We feel sure that you will agree with us also that such a board is gre-itly more desiralMe than the aitpointiiig of inspectors by the District. We will greatly appreciate your favoring us with an expression on this important subject, and we take this opportunity of expressing to you the thanks of the Washington Truth Society's officers and members for your own personal work in connection with the censorship of moving pictures here. Verv truly, yours, The Washington Truth Society, By I'RANCis De Sales Ryan. Vice President. P. s.—It is our understanding that the presentation of practically all indoor pictures in Washington is subject to your censorship, and a committee &uch as we suggest, under your direction, would thereby be really censoring nearly all of Washington's moving pictures. (All expenses in connection with mailing matter to the various committee members would, of course, be paid by our society.) To which I replied as follows: Rev. Francis De Sales Ryan, Vice President Washington Truth Soelety. Washington, D. C. Dear Sir : Your valued favor of the 20th received, and I thank you and your worthy society very much for the expressions of confidence therein. I shall en- deavor to answer your letter in detail, but the subject is so vast that a personal conversation would have been much more satisfactory. It has been the aim of my life to help my fellow men. irrespective of race or belief; both being simply matters of accident, there should be no reason for discrimination. I feel that in my present business a large field is opened