POLITICAL FILMS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1933, Page 2

POLITICAL FILMS

LEGISLATORS OBJECT. UNTRUE A-vf> BIASED IMPRESSIONS. ALBANY (New York), February 8. Bills to ban moving pictures portraying the life and works of politicians in a manner held to reflect on their standing in the community were introduced in the Legislature to-day. Identical measures were presented by Senator Jeremiah F. Twomey and M r Irwin Steinguf. of th e Assembly, both Brooklyn Democrats, who issued a statement declaring that pictures wore being distributed which grossly distorted th e behaviour of the public official. While 'they refrained from saying .so explicitly, it was learned that their measure was prompted by the recent political pictures in which, it was asserted, Mr J. J. Walker, former Mayor of New York, was the prototype of tho chief character. “In the past several months,” their statement «aki, “there have been exhibited several pictures which, in our opinion, convey an entirely untrue aud biased impression of our governmental and judicial systems.” The statement- added: “The introducers of thus bill have been hi public ]if e for a good number of years and it has boon our pleasure never 'to have come in contact with any conditions even remotely app r oaching the conditions depicted in these productions. "Among qui friends and colleagues

are many gentlemen actively engaged in public life. They are a'l splendid, conscientious, and honest c't'i/.e-ns. .S°me of thcs e productions shown at our theatres are in contemptible liber or. these gentlemen.” The measure would permit the State License Board to refuse a permit to any film which .would “create a false and untrue impression of the conduct of public office by any putiutc official, or would without warrant or cause tend to undermine public confidence in public officials and their conduct of public office.”