Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Says Legion of Decency No Censor Any More Than Is a Book Critic MILWAUKEE— Father Robert A. Pai-r, director of the Legion of Decency, speaking before a group of some 25 parish representatives at the Wauwatosa archdiocesan headquarters, emphasized that the legion makes a moral classification on movies and makes no effort to judge their artistic or technical value. “Because a movie is rated A-1, does not mean that it is a good movie or a movie just for kids. Such a classification means that the movie is moral and fit for family audiences. And, an A-3 movie is not ‘on the borderline’ morally, but its subject matter is just for adults. Children should not be admitted to these movies, because they do not undei'stand them,” he said. In pointing out the problems and criticism arising from many sides on the Legion of Decency ratings. Father Parr asked; “Why does one man have the right to criticize a work’s literary and artistic value, and not criticize the work on its moral value? “You are always going to meet with prejudices in a secular society where you can’t express opinions about religion or morality, although you can speak out on any subject. You will have to deal with that prejudice.” Classifying movies is not censorship, he pointed out, just as book reviews are not censorship. He defined censorship as prior restraint, a prevention of publication or exhibition. “We believe movies can be an occasion of sin and thus a moral issue is involved,” he said. “The legion aims to be a service to those who have to form their own conscience and to those who have to form consciences of others.” The priest also noted that any prejudice that all movies are bad must be eliminated, adding that movies are a combination of many arts and should be treated as an artistic medium. He said that it is as fair to make moral classifications of movies as of any other artistic media. “Evil is a proper subject matter for art,” he stated, “but how evil is treated is the subject of classification. Movies are immoral when they treat evil as good or good as evil, or most insidious of all, when they are indifferent in the treatment of good and evil.” Father Parr asserted that the Legion of Decency is not an ann of authority. “It can’t supplant the higher authority of individual conscience and parents. It is incorrect to say that the legion commands. Many resent it because they feel the legion is telling them what to do. The legion simply gives infonnation. People have to tell themselves what to do.” Reporting on the fact that there is an agreement with the motion pictm’e industry and the legion to submit pictures for classification before they ai'e shown, he also pointed out that in recent years films of “fly by night” producers have bypassed classification by the Legion of Decency. “Most of the time however,” he said, “when a movie comes out before it is rated, it is not a matter of bad faith on the part of the movie personnel or negligence on the part of the legion, but a result of circumstances.” In the final analysis, down through the years, most exhibitors can point with pride to the manner in which they see eye-to-eye with the Legion of Decency’s classifications. Nevertheless, it would be well to bear in mind the role and pui-pose of the legion as explained by Father Parr. New Morgan Management MORGAN, MINN. — 'The Morgan Theatre is now under the management of Mrs. Laura Fixsen and Mrs. Enid Seidl. Previously the theatre had been operated by Mrs. Carl Gore. P/eare setter /ne Q 2 years for $5 O 1 yeor for $3 D 3 years for $7 O Remittance Enclosed □ Send Invoice THEATRE STREET ADDRESS ZONE STATE POSITION THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY 52 issues a year 825 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas City 24, Mo. TOWN NAME. MINNEAPOLIS ■^^hile Mill City theatremen began to bear the promotional drums for their Christmas-New Year blockbusters. Twin City bus drivers played a collective Hamlet, promising strike action by day and voting by night to consider new salary offers from the bus company. Finally, the strike was averted and the drivers settled for a 25-cent an hour raise to be spread over the next three years. Needless to say, this came as good news to both local theatre owners and moviegoers. Morrie Steinman, St. Paul free-lance exploiteer, did the promotional work on “Billy Budd,” the Melville sea tale, presented at the State in Minneapolis and the Paramount in St. Paul . . . Harry Hollander, Columbia exploiteer out of New York, is in town working on “Barabbas,” the Orpheum’s New Year’s picture. The Mann unit will play Jerry Lewis’ “It’s Only Money” for Christmas. New Year’s Eve midnight shows will be shown in Loop houses this year as in past years. It seems that New Year’s Eve business is picking up again in recent years, making the midnight show profitable for all . . . Walt Disney’s “In Search of the Castaways” is the Gopher’s Christmas movie. The film stars one of Wedgely Todd’s (he’s Minneapolis’ No. 1 movie fan) favorites, Haley Mills. Clarence Johnson and Hans Torgerson have rented the shuttered State Theatre in Lanesboro from Gerhard Qualey and reopened it again. Qualey had operated the State for 26 years and the theatre’s history dates back to the first decade of the century. The State had been closed since last July. Highway improvement in North Dakota will force relocation of the Star Lite DriveIn in Grand Forks. Construction will begin in the spring and the new theatre will be expanded for 750 cars, compared with the 500 of the present location. The new picture screen will be the largest in the state, with picture space 140x50 feet high. Manager Mike Holt revealed. Fire gutted the Mission, S. D., theatre last week, charring the entire 30x70-foot structure and leaving only the projection booth untouched . . . Three new rectifiers have been installed in the Empire Theatre, Minot, N. D., as part of a general sixmonth’s improvement plan for the theatre, R. J. Hasselo, manager, announced. William Horstman, owner of the Odebolt Theatre, Odebolt, Iowa, died while at work in the projection booth last week. He was 71 and had been ill with throat cancer. Mrs. Laura Fixsen and Mrs. Enid Seidl have taken over management of the Morgan Theatre, Morgan . . . Lloyd Houdek has leased the Dakota Theatre, Sturgis, N. D., from Carl Shaffer. Extensive redecorating is planned and Clayton Davidson will be the manager. The Northwest Theatre Corp., at a November 20 meeting of the board of directors, declared a 10 per cent dividend on all outstanding stock as of September 30. Dividend checks went out last week. NC-4 BOXOFFICE :: December 24. 1962