Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

Warners in New K-B Suit Brief AP TELLS THE FACTS ABOUT QUICLEY CODE AUTHORSHIP Associated Press Newsfeatures this week sent to member newspapers a feature interview with Martin Quigley built around his authorship of the Motion Picture Production Code. The story relates the facts about the inception of the Code, its adoption by the industry and its implementation. by CYNTHIA LOWRY AP Newsfeatures Writer Eighteen years after the movie industry developed a formal, written conscience, it's now disclosing the author of the self-censorship code. "I asked to be kept out of it," explained Martin Quigley, film trade journal publisher, in an interview, "because I figured it should not be known as the work of one man ; that it should be considered as having spontaneously arisen from the conscience of the industry." The code, as it was called, was adopted at the time the young film industry was under bitter attack. As the Motion Picture Production Code, specifically drawing the line of what would be banned in picture entertainment, it was immediately accepted. At first it was referred to as the Hays Code, after Will Hays, Moviedom's first czar. Today Quigley is happy to take his bows for authorship. Recently the Motion Picture Association of America, headed by Eric Johnson, passed a formal resolution "bearing witness" to his contribution, so did the Association of Motion Picture Producers of Hollywood. The gray-haired, quiet-mannered Quigley also is pleased because "radio, television and even the comics industry are basing their codes on that of motion pictures." Quigley started in the picture business after he saw "Birth of a Nation," and by 1922 he was already concerned with the freewheeling attitude of film producers in the matter of good taste. Criticism of movies mounted steadily through the 1920s, heightened by a succession of scandalous episodes in the private lives of film notables. Quigley, who had been "screaming editorially" for years about the social and moral significance of motion pictures, sat down in the summer of 1929 and drafted a document. In it, he outlined specifically a Pioneer Telefilms To Produce Programs Ralph Cohn has announced the formation of a new television producing firm, Pioneer Telefilms, Inc. The company will have the same ownership and board of directors as the recently organized Telespots, Inc., but while the latter deals exclusively in television commercials, Pioneer will concentrate on live action and film programs. Four basic programs have already been prepared in a preliminary package form. Officers of the company in addition to Mr. ban on certain subjects which he felt could, if portrayed, lower moral standards, offend good taste, or encourage sympathy for wrong-doers. A few months later he worked over his draft with Father Daniel A. Lord, a Jesuit priest of St. Louis, "who always had been interested in the theatre." Worried Will Hays enthusiastically adopted the document and it was immediately accepted by the industry. However, there were no teeth in the code, at first. That came four years later, after many violations. Roman Catholic Bishops organized the Legion of Decency to effect a change in the character of movie fare. Among other activities, they obtained pledges from church-goers to keep out of movie theatres. Business dropped off — and the film producers hurriedly organized a special police authority to force compliance with the code. Joseph I. Breen, a former employee of Quigley's, was named chief policeman. "The Legion of Decency's campaign, you might say, was ended by the existence of the code," Quigley said. "The code is rooted in the objective principles of morality. It's based on the theory of applying the fundamental moral principles of the Ten Commandments to motion pictures. And the Ten Commandments are subscribed to by the principal religious beliefs in the modern world." The Production Code specifically sets down the ways in which crimes against the law, sex, profanity, religion, national pride and offensive subjects should be handled. It outlaws completely nudity, cursing, vulgarity, obscenities, details of crimes and the use of certain words. Quigley has seen his code copied all over the world. "What's more," he said, "it has been pretty amply demonstrated in our own film industry that, aside from moral considerations, the code has been good business." Cohn are : Jules Bricken, Sam Dembow, Jr., Arthur L. Mayer, Robert Gruen, Allan Robbins and Samuel Spring. Construction of Five New Houses Planned in South Plans are under way for the construction of five new theatres in the south. The Newport Amusement Co. will build in Gatlinburg, Tenn., the Hartselle Theatres in Russellville, Ala., the Posner Enterprises in Atlanta, F. Arthur Hazard in Madison, Ga., and Martin Theatres in Marietta, Ga. Washington Bureau The decision of the Supreme Court in the Paramount anti-trust suit cannot be used as prima facie evidence against the five major defendants in private anti-trust suits brought against those defendants. This is the contention of Warner Brothers which last Friday filed yet another brief with the U. S. District Court here in the suit of the K-B Amusement Co. to force Warner's subsidiary, the Stanley Co., out of the Mac Arthur theatre here, jointly owned by Stanley and K-B. In a long series of briefs, Philip Amram, Warner attorney, has been attempting to demolish all possible grounds for the K-B suit — countering the K-B argument that the Paramount decision requires the District Court here to oust Stanley. Warner has moved to dismiss the suit and K-B has countered with a motion for summary judgment. Argument on the motions has been twice postponed, but was to have been heard Thursday. Pennsylvania Town Raises Prices to Cover Tax Admission prices to six Lancaster, Pa., theatres were increased this week when the new municipal tax on amusements became effective. The increased prices were to cover the new tax of one cent on each 10 cents of admission, and probably several additional cents to meet higher income operating expenses. The new amusement tax ordinance in Ephrata, Pa., calling for a 10 per cent levy on the price of all amusements and sports events, and affecting the two theatres there, was passed this week on final reading by the Borough Council. The tax will become operative later in the month after advertising the measure. In Reading, Pa., amusement tax payments increased about $2,000 in September, compared with August figures, the City Treasurer reported. Since the 10 per cent admission tax went into effect February 27 of this year, the total from all sources was $17,781.45, with the theatres paying $17,500.32. Bingo game parlors, sports events and other amusements paid $281.13 in amusement taxes. Special Vatican Showing Set for "Fugitive" "The Fugitive" was to be presented at the Vatican November 6, in a special showing to be without precedent. The audience of some 500 persons will include the highest dignitaries of the Catholic Church as well as teachers and students from Catholic colleges and universities. The dubbed in Italian version of the film, starring Henry Fonda and Dolores Del Rio, will be presented and RKO will release it in Italy in late November. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 6, 1948