Film Weekly 1961-62 year book : Canadian motion picture industry with television section (1961)

CENSORSHIP MOTION picture censorship in Canada, a provincial right exercised in nine of 10 provinces, was the target of more newspaper criticism in 1960-61 than at any time in the past. And in the 'Fall of 1960 the Canadian Bar Association, at its an¬ nual meeting in Quebec City, heard its Civil Liberties Committee call for discon¬ tinuance of film censorship by provincial agencies on the grounds that prejudging in an invitation to thought control. In Nov., 1960 the Provincial Censors of Motion Pictures met in Saint John, NB and a result of the discussion was a re¬ solution calling for the end of “obvious excesses” in films through enforcement of the Motion Picture Association of Amer¬ ica’s Production Code. USA and UK cen¬ sors have been invited to attend the 1961 meeting of the Canadian censors, which was scheduled for Regina in the Fall. The U.S. Supreme Court gave motion picture censorship a new lease on life early in Jan. through a five-to-four de¬ cision holding that states and cities have a right to deny permits for films. Previous decisions of the court had rendered censorship ineffective. The motion picture industry renewed its. fight against it. Motion picture censorship in Canada is generally a bit more relaxed than in the past. British Columbia established the Restricted Category which enables certain types of films to be shown to those 18 and over, and Quebec permitted the at¬ tendance of children under 16 under cer¬ tain conditions for the first time since 1927. Television, governed by federal legisla¬ tion, is completely without official censor¬ ship, so that the alleged benefits of mo¬ tion picture restriction for theatres don’t seem very real. To restrict one and not the other seems not only unrealistic but absurd to most people. The Provincial Censors of Motion Pictures passed a re¬ solution at the 1958 meeting calling for TV censorship along the lines of that ap¬ plied to films. CENSORSHIP BOARDS AND RATES BRITISH COLUMBIA CENSOR OF MOVING PICTURES 636 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC. (Mutual 4-4181, Local 56) Operates under the Department of the Attor¬ ney-General and Senior Officer is Hon. R. W. Bonner, QC, Attorney-General. Chief Censor is R. W. McDonald. Chief Inspector of Theatres is Basil O. Nixon, Provincial Fire Marshall, 411 Dunsmuir St., Van¬ couver. CENSORSHIP FEES 35 MM. — Silent films: $1.50 for the first 1,000 feet and 75 cents for each additional 500 feet or fraction thereof. Sound films: $4 for the first 1,000 feet and $2 for each additional 500 feet or fraction thereof. Additional prints: $3 for the first 1,000 feet and $1.50 for each additional 500 feet or fraction thereof. Trailers: $2 for each 500 feet or fraction thereof. Other (without film exchange licence and/or not mentioned previously): $6 for the first 1,000 feet and $3 for each additional 500 feet or fraction thereof. 16 MM. — Silent films: $1 for the first 400 feet and 50 cents for each additional 200 feet or fraction thereof. Sound films: $2 for the first 400 feet and $1 for each additional 200 feet or fraction thereof. Additional prints: $1.50 for the first 400 feet and 75 cents for each additional 200 feet or fraction thereof. Trailers: $1 for each 100 feet or fraction thereof. Other (without film exchange license and/or not mentioned previously): $3 for the first 400 feet and $1.50 for each additional 200 feet or fraction thereof. APPEALS — $25 for each appeal. TELEVISION — Fees for films to be used for TV broadcasting are at the same rates as a bove. NEWSCLIP— $1.50 for each 500 feet or frac¬ tion thereof for newsclips added to a newsreel. Additional prints — $1 for each 500 feet or fraction thereof. AD FILMS — 50 cents for each 100 feet of film or fraction thereof for screen advertising film. SPECIAL FILMS — $5, or any lesser fee chargeable under these regulations, for each titled sub¬ ject of 35, 16 or 8 mm. film to be shown by an organization or society operating primarily for cultural, educational or chari¬ table purposes, to be shown not more than twice in the Province on a date or dates specified on a certificate from the Censor to accompany the film while in the Province, for the complete film. EXCHANGE LICENCES Exchange licences are issued by the Censor of Moving Pictures in Vancouver and the annual fees are $300 for 35 mm. and $25 for 16 mm. ALBERTA MOTION PICTURE CENSOR BRANCH Natural Resources Bldg., Edmonton, Alta. (Phone CA. 9-3310) Operates under the Provincial Secretary's De 156