ADDRESS BY BERNARD SHAW

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 100, 22 January 1935, Page 9

ADDRESS BY BERNARD SHAW

Place of Sex Appeal in Art COMMENT ON CENSORSHIP OF FILMS By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received January 21, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 20. "Sex appeal is a perfectly legitimate element iu all arts dealing directly with humanity,” declared Mr Bernard Shaw, during a broadcast address He added that the Archbishop <>f Canterbury had referred to undesirable films. There were none No film studio would spend £50.000 making, a film unless it was very desuable indeed, possibly not by an archbishop, but ceutainly by a large section of tlie human race who are not archbishops. “Let us cease talking anout desirable and undesirable, and consider whether we can extirpate films detrimental to public morals.” he said. “A censorship involving handing over the job to some frail, erring, mortal man, making him omnipotent, on the assumption of an official status which confers infallibility and omniscience, is silly. One of the most sacred functions of the theatre is to educate and refine sex appeal, the treatment of which, under a censorship, is often vulgar, yet. the good done by associating sex appeal with beauty, cleanliness, noetry and music is incalculable.”