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. 173 censorships now would do even more harm than they did in past ages, in com- parison with what little good they might possibly do? I do not believe the people of this country are ready to permit any censor to decide in advance what may be published for them to read, or what pictures may be exhibited to them. Our laws forbid the publication of any libelous, obscene, indecent, immoral, or impure picture or reading matter. Is not that enough? If anyone does this he commits a criminal offense and may be punished therefor. If this ordinance be legal, then a similar ordinance in respect of the news- papers and the theaters jrenerally would be legal. Are you of opinion that you have any such power as that? If so, you should probably begin with the news- papers and the so-called high-class theaters. Once revive the censorship and there is no telling how far we may carry it. These moving-picture shows are attended by the great bulk of the people, many of whom can not afford to pay the prices charged by the theaters. They are a solace and an education to them. Why are we singling out these people as subjects necessary to be pro- tected by a censorship? Are they any more in need of protection by censorship than the rest of the community? That was once the view which prevailed in government, and there are some among us, ignorant of or untaught by past ages, who are of that view now. Are they better than the rest of us or worse? When I became mayor the denunciation of these moving-picture shows by a few people was at its highest. They declared them schools of immorality. They said indecent and immoral pictures were being shown there. I personally knew that was not so. But I had an official examination made of all the moving- picture shows in this city. The result was actual proof and an official report that there were no obscene or immoral pictures shown in these places. And that is the irutii now. Wherefore, then, i;:i all this ze;il tor censorship over these places? The truth is that the good, moral people who go to these moving-picture shows, and A'ery often bring their children with them, would not tolerate the exhibition of obscene or immoral pictures there. A place in which such pictures were exhibited would soon be without sufficient patrons to support it. At all events, the criminal law is ample to prevent the exhibition of such pictures. I have asked these people who are crying out against the moving-picture shows to give me an instance of an obscene or immoral picture being shown in them, so that the exhibitor may be prosecuted, but they have been unable to do so. What they insist on is to have the pictures examined in advance, and allowed or pro- hibited. That is what they are still doing in Russia with pictures and wth reading matter generally. Do they really want us to recur to that system? Perhiips I should say I understand that comparatively few of your honorable body are in favor of the censorship. Many of you voted for the whole ordi- nance in the belief that the mayor had the right to veto the censorship provisions and let the rest of the ordinance stand. But I find that the mayor may not do that. The censorship provisions are not independent of the rest of the ordinance. but interdependent and so connected therewith that the whole ordinance must stand or fall as a whole. I trust you will pass the or(''inance which the commission prepared. It safe- guards these most imports . and wholesome places of amusement physically and morally. Respectfully, W. J. Gaynor, Mayor, Now, Mr. Chairman, to quote from Shakespeare, i.s it not better to "bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of"? In Washington there has been only one picture taken off in nearly two years, and there was a diversity of opinion as to whether that should be taken off or not. The Chairman. What picture was that? Mr. Brylawski. That picture w^as entitled " The Traffic in Souls." It was decided by a special connnittee appointed by the connnis- sioners as being correct and was exhibited a full week. This com- mittee consisted of 12 persons, but they Avere not all business men, as stated by the previous speaker. The committee was composed of six gentlenien and six ladies. The ladies represented civic organiza- 44072—No. 2—14 S