ALLEGED INDECENT POSTER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 6

ALLEGED INDECENT POSTER

THEATRE MANAGER FINED. By TelecraDh.-lre." Association. Auckland, July 8. Judgment was given to-day by \Vil6ori; S.M., in the case r iu which Kobnt Cleland, manager of the National Theatre, was charged with having publicly exhibited an indecent picture. Tho picture in question wm a photogravure, inhibited as '?. poster in the -esii'oiilß of the theatre advertising the attractions of the film picture, "Queen of the Sen." His Worship stated that lie must find that the vestibule was part of the theatre, and, therefore, a public place within the meaning of the Indecent -Publications Act, under which the charge' wns laid. He further considered on tho facU that one of the figures in the poster gavo the impression of being that of a nude yoinan, and in his opinion its exhibition under the circumstances stated had a nischievous tendency, and made the picture an indecent one. He accepted the' statement of defendant that the photogravure was an actual reproduction of part of tlm film which had the unqualified annroval of the Censor. The defendant stated that when the picture was shown on the screen certain shades appeared which were not discernible on the photogravure. It seemed to-be purely a matter of shading, but nevertheless the i«sult in tho photogravure did nut meet 1 the requirements of the Act. The trenagement of the theatre should have recognised that the poster was one it wotr.d be better not to exhibit as they did, nlthough in tho screen picture there might be nothing to which exception could be taken. The defendant would be convicted and fined <£2. '

Mr. Skelton, for the defendant, rpmarked that probably there would be an appeal on both law aud fact, and asked Bi» Worship to increase th; fine sufficiently to enable that to be done.

The Magistrate acceded to the request, and raised the fine to £5 Is., v.-ith costs. Ho also fixed security for appeal at ton guineas, in addit'on to the amount of the tine and costs.