Film Censorship.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1922, Page 1

Film Censorship.

MR JOLLIFFE’S REJOINDER

WELLINGTON, April 6

Mr William Jolliffe (film censor) was interviewed by a “New Zealand Times” representative with regard to the strong condemnation of the film censorship—as a principle rather than as regards its operation in New Zealand—by Mr John W. Hicks, junr., managing-director in Australasia for Paramount Pictures. “The point is,” said Mr Jolliffe, “that tlie standard of morality and humour is very different here from what it is in America, and we don’t want our standard to be lowered to theirs. I think that covers the ground and answers the whole speech. There is no doubt about, that ; the American standard of morality and humour is decidedly different from our standard in New Zealand.” 25 MILLION FEET CENSORED. Asked how many fet of film he had censored since he. took up the censorship in September, 1916, Mr Jolliffe looked up bis records and said that the total to date wasi 25,731,000 feet.

“Your signature must be very wellknown now to the picture theatre public of the Dominion,” said our reporter. “Yes,” replied Mr Jolliffe, adding that six feet of film, or 96 representations in all, go to make up the censor’s signature as shown with each motion picture exhibited in New Zealand. During the year ended March 31, ho stated, he had inspected 5,672,000 feet of film, which was some 90,000 feet short of his record for any one year. The biggest number of feet put through in any one year was 5,761,570 feet, in 1918, when they had a rush on to keep up with the large number of films then on circuit in the Dominion. During the past year he had “turned down” altogether 41 films, and made 193 “cuts” in others. He did not keep a record of the number of feet of film cut out in each

A BETTER CLASS OF FILM. “On the whole,” continued Mr Jolliffe, “I think we are getting a better class of film through now. There is more film coming from England now of course, than during the war. But it is mainly topicals and scemcs, and that sort of thing—small stuff; not much in the way of dramas. November last was an average month, and m that month we bad five British dramas, three comedies, and thirty-four topicals, totalling 50,000 feet in nil out of the 430,000 put through that month. 1 topicals were nearly half of the 50.000 feet.