CENSOR'S DUTY.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1926, Page 1

CENSOR'S DUTY.

8000 MILES OF FILMS.

“NINE TENTHS PIFFLE,” It is now a little less than ten years since Mr \V. Jolliffe was appointed as New Zealand’s first censor of films, and lie is justly proud of the fact that lie has held that position for a longer period than any other film censor of whom he has any knowledge in any part of the world. Mr Jolliffe, in an interview in Wellington, ridiculed the prevalent idea that the “movies” were bad for the eyes; at least, lie had not found it so. "What they are had for, he said, were liis nerves, for, to use his own words, “ninetentlis of the pictures are piffle.” As giving some idea of the work entailed in scrutinising personally every single film exhibited in New Zealand, Mr Jolliffe said that since the office of the censor was established in 1916 he had witnessed the screening of -11,328,890 fleet of film, wlfic-li is over 8000 miles. During the financial year ended March 31st. -he examined no fewer than 1935 pictures of a total length of 4,660,600 feet, or nearly 900 miles. Therefore, allowing for holidays, the daily average was something in the region of three miles. Unfortunately out of that stupenduous length of celluloid but- a small proportion was of British origin, a very large

percentage coming from America. The actual proportions wens impossible to arrive at, as the tendency at the present day,was to link British and American names together, and in some instances the country of origin was uncertain.

Mr Jolliffe said he had found from

experience that certain artists had to ho watched more closely than others some were inclined to be indelicate rather than immoral. However, there could lie no unvarying standard, as for

example, ten years ago it would have been considered decidedly indelicate for the fair 60x to show so much of their nether limbs as was the common custom to-day in all walks of- life. AVhat might have been cut out of a film when the censorship was first inaugurated was now passed without question. Asked if there were any attempts to show uucensored films, Mr Jolliffe said that he thought such was very rarely the case, as the trade “played the game.” A penalty had been imposed once or twice for evading the censor, but such crises were few and far between.

PRESENT-DAY TENDENCIES. “I have not observed much difference in human nature during the last ten years,remarked the censor when discussing the films exhibited now compared with those shown when th’ censorship was established. “Unfortunately the sex drama still predominates. and its lease of life shows little sign of abating.” Photo-dramas present varying styles, added Mr Jolliffe, the fashion of the moment being very rapidly copied by rival concerns. As an instance of a very prevailing plagiarism, ho mentioned that since the screening of the picture, the “Ten Commandants” he had wit-

nessed no fewer than three crossings of the Red Sea. Tlie best picture over brought to his notioe, Mr Jolliffe considered to be “Disraeli.” PICTURES AND CRIME.

Hanging on the wall of the censor's office was a humorous picture of two burglars being rapidly overtaken by a guardian of the law. “Hi, Egbert!” shouts tlie leading ruffian, “don’t forgot to blame it on to the movies if you get copped !” The picture prompted a query as to what the censor thought of the idea that- the pictures

were responsible for juvenile crime. Air Jolliffo, however, ridiculed the idea, and quoted the English authori-

tics to prove that the reverse was really the ease. Children who- would otherwise he roaming the streets and getting into mischief were, by means of the cheap cinema house, kept out of harm’s wav. The habit of keeping late hours thus engendered could not. he blamed on the censor. He was quite! willing f.o admit that through the pictures chiklnen would, and did get a wrong impression of life, of American life that was. All the glittering wealth and opulence shown on the screen must tend to give their values a wrong perspective, hut as it was the function of pictures at present to entertain and not to uplift, it would he necessary to wait for a nearer approach to the millennium before that state of affairs was changed.