o_1974ubsal1lsv6ju1aoh1ko31rbsa.pdf

Church Groups Withdraw Support
Of Motion Picture
NEW YORK—In a joint statement issued
Tuesday (18), the National Catholic Office
for Motion Pictures and the Broadcasting
and Film Commission of the National
Council of Churches expressed lack of
confidence in the industry's Motion Picture
Code Rating system and asserted: "We can
no longer commend this plan to the public."
The organizations, however, promised
that they would continue periodically to reexamine
the performance of the system and
make further reports "in the public interest
as new developments arise."
The statement pointed out that both
NCOMP and NCC endorsed the rating plan
at its inception "as being consistent with
the rights and obligations of free speech
and artistic expression, as well as with the
duty of parents and society to safeguard
the young in their growth to responsible
adulthood."
Asked for Changes a Year Ago
But. it continued, in May 1970, "we
warned parents and the film industry that
the rating system was not working well,"
and called for immediate improvement in
these areas: "more reliability in the ratings
themselves, and especially in the GP rating:
better theatre compliance; more honesty in
advertising and elimination of R and X
rating program is whether it protects the
young from material beyond their ability to
cope. We believe that the ratings at present
do not take into account sufficiently the
total context of a given film, that they
place too much weight on overt visual sex,
and not enough on the implicit exploitation
of sex and the over-all impact of violence
and other anti-social aspects of the film
on the child. In addition, overt visual sex
is now finding its way into the GP films.
This pivotal rating thus has become worse
than useless because, a parent, having once
been misled, has no way of knowing
whether other GP rated films contain similar
material."
Point to Self-Regulation Need
Admitting that some elements of the
industry are concerned, the statement further
charged, "but apparently the pressures
from motion picture companies are too
great, and the specter of governmental regulation
is too remote, for the industry as a
whole to take seriously its task of selfregulation
at present."
Announcing their intention to withdraw
support from the rating plan, the NCC and
NCOMP further charged that, in their
judgment, public confidence in the plan
"has already been seriously eroded" and
Rating System
would not be restored "until the ratings
become more reliable, more local theatres
seriously enforce the ratings and advertising
reflects more concern with informing
the public and less with exploiting sex
and violence."
But, it added, "it is the ratings themselves
which are at the heart of the matter."
The two bodies reasserted their belief in
freedom from censorship through effective
self-regulation, but added: "We believe that
by expressing our lack of confidence in
the
present implementation of the rating system
the best interest of the moviegoing
public, and of the industry as a whole, are
served. It is essential that the motion picture
industry itself realize that it must develop
a workable, dependable and credible
system of self-regulation as an alternative
to governmental censorship."
Volenti Charges Statements
'Inaccurate and Unfair'
NEW YORK—In response to the press
release issued Tuesday (18) by the Broadcasting
and Film Commission of the National
Council of Churches and the National
Catholic Office of Motion Pictures criticizing
the film industry Code Rating System.
Jack Valenti. president of the Motion Pic-
necessarily differ.
"No notice was given to anyone before
the press release was issued," Valenti continued,
"and, therefore, there was no opportunity
to correct factual errors. The press
release is wrong about trailer policy; is
wrong in stating that theatres are not complying
with ratings when the vast majority
are; is wrong in making vague claims about
reliability without any specifics; in criticizing
standards of ratings without saying
whose standards are to be judged as right; is
wrong in stating that the film industry has
not accepted its responsibility seriously; is
wrong about the public's confidence in the
rating system when every scientific survey
shows public approval.
"The rating program has been constantly
improved. It is a bulwark for artistic freedom
by discouraging censorship. It is a valuable
service to parents to help them guide
their children's viewing habits.
"No other communications medium offers
such a public informational service.
No other communications medium has consulted
so freely with so many different
groups to get varying views involved in the
rating system."
Valenti concluded: "It is our conviction
that when the Broadcasting and Film Commission
of the National Council of Churches
and the National Catholic Office of Motion
Pictures have all the facts concerning the
constant improvement of the rating system,
they will continue to cooperate toward our
common goal."
Picker Says NATO Members
Comply With Code Rules
NEW YORK—Challenging the statement
of the National Catholic Office for Motion
Pictures and the Broadcasting and Film
Commission of the National Council of
Churches, Eugene Picker, president of the
National Ass'n of Theatre Owners, asserted
that, based on a survey in late 1970, "the
vast majority of our member theatres are
conscientiously fulfilling the provisions of
the Code and Rating System in their daily
operations."
Picker said NATO felt that the NCC-
NCO statement was "unwarranted" without
"prior consultation with NATO or notice
to us, especially since it
had been established
in prior meetings with representatives of
both organizations that NATO would be
advised by them of any instance of lack of
Code compliance by a NATO member theatre
which came to their attention.
Picker pointed out that the Code and
Rating committees of the Motion Picture
Ass'n of America, the Independent Film
Importers & Distributors of America and
NATO meet at least twice a year to reexamine
the code and that a meeting for
this purpose was set for Thursday (20). He
ture Ass'n of America, charged the statement
"is inaccurate and unfair," and stated,
trailers shown with G and GP films.
"Now," the organizations said, "we must "The rating system is a public service, praised
generally, but always finding some dis-
interested in receiving suggestions aimed at
reiterated that the organizations always are
conclude that during the past year, the
MPAA has not measurably improved the agreement."
improving the system.
system and that the ratings themselves have In his statement, Valenti continued: "Indeed,
sometimes when a picture is given a cluded, "that the Broadcasting and Film
"It is my hope and belief." Picker con-
become even less reliable.
"The basic criterion for evaluating the certain rating, Catholic priests, ministers and Commission of the National Council of
rabbis offer statements critical of the rating's
severity. Opinions in these matters for Motion Pictures—organizations which
Churches and the National Catholic Office
I hold in the highest esteem—will continue
their prior policy of cooperation with all
parties concerned toward the furtherance
and improvement of the Code and Rating
System, with the American public the prime
beneficiary as a consequence."
Film Importers and Distributors
Disagree With Church Views
NEW YORK—Myron Saland and Paul
Sawyer, co-executive directors of International
Film Importers & Distributors of
America, responded to the church groups
with this statement: "While we have no
doubt of the sincerity behind their statement,
we feel that they are entirely wrong
in their expressed dissatisfaction with the
'reliability' of the ratings and the allowed
erosion of public confidence. Our disagreement
is based upon extensive surveys and
day-to-day contact with the theatre-going
public. We, the MPAA, and NATO would
have welcomed the opporunity to have conferred
with BFP and NCOMP prior to
the
public release of their statement. We feel
that by so doing they could have received
information which would have,, perhaps,
modified their views."
BOXOFFICE :: May 24, 1971