The Exhibitor (1965)

Top Industry Execs Join N. Y. Golden Heart Club Philo. Inquirer, Daily News Set Standards Of Acceptability For Ads PHILADELPHIA — Standards of acceptabil¬ ity for advertising copy submitted by the en¬ tertainment industry were outlined in a story published last week in The Philadelphia In¬ quirer. The statement, also distributed to members of the industry, spells out the policy of both The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. The statement is as follows: “We have for some time felt increasing concern about the character of a fringe area of the presentations and advertising in the entertainment field. That concern is under¬ scored by the large number of comments we have received from readers expressing their views on the subject. “We therefore feel that this is an appropri¬ ate time to restate clearly our policy with regard to the acceptability of advertising copy. “Basically, advertising columns, like news columns, must remain free for the dissemina¬ tion of information. However, good taste and a due regard for the public interest are in¬ tegral parts of the moral responsibility which freedom imposes. “We are convinced that it is in the best interest, both of the public and of the enter¬ tainment industry, to apply standards of taste which exclude the offensive without limiting the freedom of social and intellectual expres¬ sion essential to an understanding of the problems of a modern world. “The application of such standards not only serves the public interest but also, in our opinion, further the long-range interest of the entertainment industry by correcting a situation in which the abuses of a few can taint the public image of the many who make a useful and important contribution. “Accordingly, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News will not accept for publication advertisements which, wheth¬ er by text or illustration, involve blatant em¬ phasis on sex or violence for their own sake, are calculated to arouse prurient or morbid interest, or portray characters in posture or dress pandering to such interests. “We do not believe that any specific line can be drawn to cover all cases of the use of particular words, poses, subjects, or illustra¬ tions. Effect and impression are largely a mat¬ ter of purpose, situation, and context. It is not, of course, our intention in any way to impede an accurate description or objective presentation of bona fide social themes. Nor, in the non-serious areas of expression, is all ribaldry necessarily to be equated with pruri¬ ency. “Therefore, each advertisement submitted must be judged as a whole, on its own merits, in the light of its purpose and effect. Obvious¬ ly, in making such admittedly subjective eval¬ uations, differences of opinion can from time to time arise. However, we know that those of our advertisers who share our basic con¬ victions in this matter, will work with us, in cooperative understanding, to further the pub¬ lic interest. “We do not consider it necessary to require earlier deadlines for the submission of copy in order to provide additional time for re¬ view and possible revision. Where doubt ex¬ ists, it is best resolved by the initial selec¬ tion of alternative copy rather than by ad¬ vancement of deadlines to test acceptability. Four Tex. Solons File Bill Against Obscenity AUSTIN, TEX. — Four Harris County legislators filed for introduction of a bill to provide criminal penalties for persons who make, sell, or exhibit lewd motion pictures. They are Reps. Don Garrison, W. H. Mil¬ ler, Paul Floyd, and Lee Duggan, Jr. The penalty on conviction could be a fine of $1,000, jail imprisonment for a year, or both. Under terms of the bill, persons convict¬ ed for selling or exhibiting obscene mo¬ tion pictures to minors would be subject to a fine of not more than $2,500 nor more than two years imprisonment or both. Smakwitz Off To Races NEW YORK — Charles A. Smakwitz, second assistant chief barker of the New York Va¬ riety Club Ten 35, has once again been named by chief barker Jack H. Levin to head the “Night at the Races” committee, fund-raising operation utilizing the facilities of Yonkers Raceway once each year. David Sanders will act as his co-chairman. However, advertisers may find it useful for a time to submit their copy one or two days earlier than current deadlines to help avoid the effects of misunderstandings. “We wish to make it abundantly clear that this statement of policy is in no sense a criti¬ cism of, but is rather an expression of con¬ fidence in, the vast majority of the members of the entertainment industry who have served and will continue to serve the public well.” NEW YORK — Top executives in the motion picture and legitimate theatre industries are joining the Golden Heart Club for the Variety Club Children’s Heart Center in New York, it was announced by Saul Jeffee, president of Movielab, Inc., and chairman of the club. Accepting membership on the committee now in formation are Harry Brandt, president of Brandt Theatres; Alexander H. Cohen, theatrical producer; Jean Goldwurm, pres¬ ident of Times Films; Salah Hassanein, pres¬ ident of Skouras Theatres; Donald Hyndman, assistant vice-president, Eastman Kodak; Leo Jaffe, executive vice-president of Columbia Pictures; Gabe Katzka, theatrical producer; Melvin Jacobs, president of Technicolor; Irving Ludwig, president of Buena Vista Distributing Co.; Robert O’Brien, president of MGM; Arnold Picker, executive vice-presi¬ dent of United Artists; John Pistor, general manager of the east coast motion picture division, Eastman Kodak; Seymour Poe, ex¬ ecutive vice-president of 20th-Fox; Sam Rosen, executive vice-president of Stanley Warner; Leslie Schwartz, president of Cen¬ tury Circuit; Spyros P. Skouras, board chair¬ man, 20th-Fox; Samuel Spiegel, well-known motion picture producer. Si Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Theatres, is serving as campaign chairman of the overall drive, and Jim Carreras, inter¬ national chief barker of the Variety Clubs, is honorary chairman. The Golden Heart Club will be the “major gifts” division of the project, with all funds earmarked for the Children’s Heart Center at the New York Medical CollegeFlower Fifth Avenue Hospitals. The new Variety hospital pavilion, according to Jeffee, will be devoted solely to infants born with cardiac malfunctions. The lobby of the new edifice will include a “Golden Heart Hall of Honor” in recognition of donors to the project. The Children’s Heart Center is the new “heart” project of New York Variety Club Tent 35. Jack H. Levin is chief barker. Cameraman Leon Shamroy, second from right, recently celebrated his 27th year under contract to 20th Century-Fox with the start of “Do Not Disturb,” and was presented with an anniversary cake by, left to right, director Ralph Levy; co-producer Martin Melcher; star Doris Day; and co-producer Aaron Rosenberg. 8 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR February 10, 1965