27, 1936. In May 1939, the film was again “rejected on the grounds
that the ecstasy referred to is the ecstasy of immoral relations;
also rejected on the grounds that the entire theme of the picture
is immoral and indecent.” In fact, the film was disapproved on
four separate occasions in 1939 and again in 1940 and 1941. It
was not until December 1942 that Ecstasy was finally approved
for screening in Pennsylvania after numerous eliminations were
made of scenes deemed “not moral nor proper.” This controversial
film played throughout Pennsylvania in January 1943. However,
the Board of Censors once again saw fit to ban Ecstasy on March
2, 1948. The Certificate of Censorship—Not Approved is the
official notice that was sent to the Eureka Productions notifying
the firm that Ecstasy was again banned from being shown in the
Commonwealth. It is possible that an uncut print had begun
circulating, and that it was this version that prompted the board
to once again ban the film.
Even when the Board of Censors did not order any changes or
eliminations to a film, it nonetheless influenced the film industry,
since all motion pictures exhibited in Pennsylvania were required
to display the board’s stamp or seal of approval on screen for four
feet of film. Pennsylvania’s State Board of Censors believed that
it was protecting individual citizens from harmful, salacious, and
violent subject matter and was particularly concerned about
the negative impact that such movies could have on children.
The reign of state censorship boards in the United States came
to an end as a result of a series of court decisions grounded
upon the free speech provision of the First Amendment during
the 1950s and 1960s. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled
• Can you think of situations today where a similar scene
might be repeated?
Read students the background information on the creation
of Pennsylvania’s State Board of Censorship in 1911. This
information can be found in the “Teacher Background” section
(specifically see first five paragraphs). Do not go into banned
subject matter listed in the Teacher Background section, as
students will be creating their own lists.
Ask students to take out a sheet of paper and create two
columns. Have them label the first column “Don’ts” and the
second “Be Carefuls.” If they were censoring films, what topics
would they place under each column? Have them make their
own censorship list. Allow approximately five minutes.
Next explain to students that this list was first created in
1927 by the Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of
Pennsylvania’s law unconstitutional on March 13, 1956.
Procedures:
Show students the Ramparts We Watch photograph and asked
Day One
them to describe the scene. The teacher should lead a discussion
about the image as an introduction to Pennsylvania’s and the
United States’ attitudes toward film censorship from 1910 to
1960. Consider the following questions when examining the
photo:
• What do you see in this photograph?
• What time period do you believe it is from?
• Why do you think the film was censored?
• What concerns might a censorship board have in regards to
displaying war brutality to an audience while the country
is at war?
1938 Sunset Strip Case Poster. Credit: Courtesy of the Pennsylvania
State Archives Record Group 22 Records of the Department of
Education, State Board of Censors (Motion Picture).
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2015
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