My Wild Irish Rose(Warner Bros.) (1947)

Revised Advertising Code Maintains High Industry Standards A long step forward has been taken by the Motion Picture Association of America with the promulgation of the revised Adver tising Code. This revised Code is the product of changes suggested, after careful study, by the Advertising Advisory Council of the Motion Picture Association. The revisions clarify and make unmistakable the purpose and extent of this code, which has served for the past 17 years as the standard for motion picture advertising. The Advertising Code, as revised, hailed in the press as progressive action, applies not only to advertising, but to all publicity and exploitation. It is based on the same high principles which the Production Code brings to bear upon the content of motion pictures. FILM ADS TO STRESS ‘GOOD TASTE’ By John Beaufort Chief of the New York News Bureau of The Christian Science Monitor New York The Hollywood film industry has decided to widen the practice of “decency and good taste in advertising’? which it claims ‘thas been the accepted policy of leading film companies for the past 17 years.’ The new effort is being undertaken by the Motion Picture Association of America on the recommendation of its Advertising Advisory Council. The Council consists of the directors of advertising and publicity of the principal film producers. As part of the program, the MPA board has approved revisions which extend the scope of the present film advertising code. Self-Regulation Decision of the board was announced here, on July 30, at a press conference presided over by Eric Johnston, MPA chief.*Mr. Johnston, who looks like a movie producer’s. ideal of a personable business executive, also discussed his recent visit to England. The Hollywood ambassador said he found Europeans eager for pictures of the real United States—‘“‘they want less of extremes and more of pictures of average American life.” The new advertising ptoject was explained to the press by Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising, publicity, and exploitation for 20th Century-Fox and Chairman of MPA’s Advertising Council. Mr. Schlaifer said that intensive efforts would be made to convey full information about the self-regulation system to all elements in the industry. These would include large and small theater owners, nonmember producers, sales forces, field men, advertising agencies, and others not presently subscribing to the code. Revisions in Code The board felt it was time that ‘the public’?’— the newspapers, legislators, and all other segments of the population—is told with emphasis the facts about the diligence of the organized industry in protecting the public against offensive or dishonest material in advertising, publicity, and in films themselves. . . . “Our self-regulatory system is workable, and our people mean to keep it so.” The new code contains a number of revisions, With regard to liquor, it states: “Motion picture advertisers shall be guided by the provision of the production code that the use of liquor ‘in American life shall be restricted to the necessities of characterization and plot.”” To the original rule banning the use of ‘“‘nudity with meretricious purpose and sala It is commended to the exhibitor as a further symbol of the ethical and moral responsibility of theatre operation—a documentary aid ~to him in his leadership in a large phase of American life. It is notice THE FILM DAILY NEW YORK, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1947 Editorial ‘The New Film Ad Code . «+.» @ major entry in the ledger By CHESTER B. BAHN WHEN the 1947 industry ledger is balanced on Dec. 31 next, among the major entries will be the new Advertising Code for Motion Pictures, legislated into being on Wednesday by the MPAA board of directors after months of patient and exceedingly painstaking labor by Chairman Charles Schlaifer and his associates of the MPAA’s Advertising Advisory Council. The new Code formulated by the 20th-Fox ad-publicity-exploitation chief and his associates, Metro’s Howard Dietz, Warmers’ Mort Blumenstock, U-I’s Maurice Bergman, Columbia’s Ben Serkowich, RKO’s S. Barret McCormick, UA’s Paul Lazarus, Jr., Eagle-Lion’s Max Youngstein, and Republic’s Steve Edwards, best — for itself. Both in preamble and operating provisions, it is a stronger and hence better Code than that placed in effect 17 years ago. Particularly to be commended, too, are those procedures designed to widen the observance of the system of voluntary self-regulation of advertising. Note the “voluntary,” for it is the highly important cornerstone on which the self-regulatory edifice is constructed. ° — o-— THE MPAA board, no less conscious than the Council of the voluntary aspect, is at pains im its statement issued in connection with Wednesday's approval of the Code to state: “It will be noticed that we stand against all official curbs upon freedom of decent expression,’’ and to add: “We decry obscenity and dishonesty in advertising and publicity material as much as any part of the public, and we submit cheerfully to the general statutes against obscenity to which offenders against public morals are subject. But we mean to stand free of undemocratic restraints and propose to carry the doctrine of self-responsibility to every segment, every individual and to the outermost periphery of our art.”’ The industry this year by the narrowest of margins escaped the enactment of one such “undemocratic restraint’ in the New York Legislature. And as Schlaifer pointed out Wednesday. that specific demand for legal restrictions arose only when elements beyond the control of the organized industry offended the public taste. That, too, has been the case when the subject of complaint has been exhibitor advertising. Fortunately, the '‘mavericks’” are few . .. but unfortunately it takes only one to cause the brickbats to fly, with the industry’s fate that of the proverbial “innocent bystander.”’ eae (oad IN publicizing the industry’s new Code and the accompanying intensive efforts to extend its acceptance and rigid observance throughout the industry, those having the task in hand would do well to stress that the organized industry for 17 years successfully has protected the public against offensive or dishonest material in advertising, publicity and the films themselves. That certain misconceptions may exist is evident from metropolitan press treatment of the new Code yesterday with references to ““a general whitewashing” and “clean up” of film advertising and publicity. That's using the tar-brush on the industry with a vengeance. cious postures,’”’ the new code adds, ‘‘And clothed figures shall not be represented in such 2 manner as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals.”’ In connection with his visit abroad, Mr. Johnston said he was hopeful that some substitute could be found for the ‘Dalton Plan’”’ providing Revised Advertising Code It takes the exception to prove the rule. Thus those few and farbetween instances of violation of the film advertising code have proved the need for its revision, a move which has just been made on the recommendations of the Advertising Advisory Council of the Motion Picture Ass'n. That this is a forward step goes without saying. In the 17-year history of this phase of the industry’s program of self-regulation, there has been little and infrequent cause of complaint over its record. But it took only one extreme and quite flagrant instance, that involving “The Outlaw,” to bring widespread criticism on the industry as a whole. This was carried to the point of introduction of a measure of law to censor film advertising. (An editorial published in BOXOFFICE, August 2, 1947.) for the imposition of an ad valorem tax on Hollywood films imported into Great Britain. The plan is now law but it has not been invoked. Mr. Johnston declared that J. Arthur Rank and Sir Alexander Korda, British film men, agreeds that imposition af the ad valorem tax would harm the British industry. to every community that all branches of our industry are alert to their obligations to the public. The Advertising Advisory Council is composed of the directors of advertising and publicity of the major companies, as follows: Charles Schlaifer, Chairman, 20th Century-Fox; Ben Serkowich, Columbia; Howard Dietz and Si Seadler, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ; Curtis Mitchell and Stanley Shuford, Paramount; S. Barret McCormick, RKO; Paul Lazarus, Jr., United Artists; Maurice Bergman and Hank Linet, Universal-International; Mort Blumenstock and Gil Golden, Warner Bros. NEW YORK SUN NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1947 MOVIES TIGHTEN UP ADVERTISING CODE Most of the movie industry was pledged today to do a thorough clean-up job on its advertising and publicity, mostly with a view to deemphasizing sex and liquor. Agreement to tighten the twelve-point code governing film advertising was reached here. yesterday by unanimous agreement of the board of the Motion Picture Association, it was announced by Eric Johnston, president. The desire to assure good taste and decency in advertising motivated the board members, who were perturbed by the sensationalism of ‘a few mavericks in the industry,’’ Johnston said. Among other changes in the code adopted by the board, one section dealing with nudity and salacious postures was amended to read that “clothed figures shall not be represented in such manner as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals.’”? A section dealing with liquor was changed to assert that members will be guided by, instead of just mindful of, the belief that ‘“‘the use of liquor in American life shall be restricted to the necessity of characterization.”’ Pledges to avoid possible ridicule of any race and any kind of misrepresentation also were adopted. WIRES EXHIBITORS ALL OVER AMERICA SHOULD WELCOME THIS SELF-IMPOSED CODE SINCE IT WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS REMEDYING A GREAT DEAL OF THE CRITICISM LEVELLED AT THE INDUSTRY . . . PLEASE ACCEPT MY CONGRATULATIONS ON A FORWARD LOOK ING MOVE. HARRY BRANDT President, Independent Theatre Owners of America HEARTILY ENDORSE PLAN AS OUTLINED . YOU CAN COUNT UPON US HERE IN TEXAS AND YOU CAN ALSO COUNT UPON US TO GET BEHIND ANY NATION AL MOVEMENT IN HELPING COUNTERACT SELF-APPOINTED CRITICS. R. J. O'DONNELL Vice President & General Manager, Interstate Circuit THE REVISED CODE FOR MOTION PICTURE ADVERTISING IS A STEP FORWARD AND WILL RECEIVE THE ENDORSEMENT OF LEGION OF DECENCY, BETTER FILMS COUNCIL, BOARDS OF RELIGIOUS OR. EXHIBITORS AND ALL BRANCHES OF ENTIRE INDUSTRY SHOULD ENDORSE IT. FRED WEHRENBERG President, Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America GANIZATIONS . . While in the main transgressors of the industry’s advertising code have been so-called “lone wolf” operators, there have been, to say the least, borderline instances of disregard for the spirit and the letter of the code in even higher quarters. Fortunately, these have been minor offenses. Nevertheless they have been straws in the wind which have blown in the wrong direction. Decency in advertising is as essential as is decency on the screen. One goes hand-in-hand with the other. The motion picture long since has ceased to be a peep-show. If it is to be highly regarded by the public, it must be sold on a plane of high standards, ae E> 103