4009N
F�a
Y
ORDINANCL NO. 4UO9
AN ORDINANGE PRUVIDING FOR Ci:.N6UR1AG i.XHIBITIUNS
OF oiUTION PICTURE 6HUW6, VAUDEVILLE AND 'OTHER
T&.ATitES, PLAYHuUzi16, HuU:jLi OF EXHInITIONS, GIR-
CU:;EO, CAW41VAL6, AiZ ALL OTHER 6:iUW-6 AND Pi�trryUi�;AliCEO;
ALSU, THE. ADVLATISIiiG OF SUCH EXH161T FUNS, AiND OTHER
ADVinTi I dts; ALSU, OF PICTUFiEa PUBLICLY DIUPLhYED;
ALuO, OF LITERATURE, a"GAZINL:1, AND PU6LIQA`lIUNS "D,
PROVIDIAG PLNALT1 FUR VIUL' TIuN 'TH!r,;:.UF, ivb FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.
BE IT ORDAINED bi THE CITY COUNCIL OF `j'HE CITY OF
LITTLE RUCK:
;aECl'ION 1. In order to protect the morals, sense of
decency, peace, and safety of the residents of the City, especially
those under legal age, a hoard of Censors is hereby created consist -
ing of nineteen. members. One shall be appointed uy each member of
the Council and the member so appointed shall serve at the will and
pleasure of the Alderman mailing the appointment and the appointee
must reside in the ward of the Alderman making; the appointment.
When a vacancy occurs it shall be filled by appointment of the
Alderman making the appointment of the censor who is no longer on
the uoard.
6&CTIUN 2. The Board of Censors shall have power to
formulate and adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary
to assist it in carryinn out the duties assigned in this ordinance,
subject to approval by the Council.
:;ECTIUN 3. The Chief of Police with the approval of the
w4or shall place an officer at the service of the Board who shall
be a member of the Joard and serve as its ,secretary. He shall keep
a record of the proceedings of the board in a book provided for that
purpose. The board of Censor; so appointed shall within ten. days
after the organization of the new Council each year meet and elect
a Presiding officer of the board from their number. ;iLembers of the
board shall be exr ected to censor at least two performances each
month when called upon for such service by the Presiding Officer and
their failure tG, do so shall cause their being dropped from meimber-
ship on the board.
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:� CTIQN 4. The members of the 60ard shall receive no
pay for their 6 ',rvices- t: ach member of the Doara shall be fur-
nished free of ahar6e by the City a bad6e sjOwja6 wembei'ship On
the j�oard which they shall return on retiring from the board. 'Ehe
earer to enter freely any Uujldin-,,,, tent
bade shall entitle the wearer r exhibition Is held In order to
or place where any performance 0 ordinance. The manaement shall
investj,.j; ate same and enforce this e;
'Der or members Of the board. The
furnish a 'eat or seats to the mem
City shall make no payment for seats used 'by the hoard unless the
house is entirely sold Out' In which case the QItY shall pay the
manaiLement for seats used at the re6ular price-
�v,QTIQN 5• The members of the hoard shall be sworn In as
re6ular members of the police Department and shall have police powers
in censoring; all picture shows, theatres, circuses, carnivals, ex:-
hitDitions and performances open to the public- -fficer
b. �_Under the airec-10n 04' the Presiding; (j
the members of the board shall, in rotation as near as possible, Zor
sin6ly or in 6roups Of not more than four, censor all attractions
offered to the public in the various mOvjn6 picture, vaudeville and
other theatres, playhouses, houses of exhibitions, circuses, carni-
vals, street shows and any and all e;jIloltions and performances
offered to the public. k:very performance of each show may
be censored
Icer \ d
should the(? residiri Qf:L eem it necessary. ' The censors shall
6 !
have authority to order eliminated any part Of any scene or act WhAch
they find to be in violation of this ordinance-
LiLICTiON 7• To protect the public peace, morals, sense of
decency ar.d safety, the followin6 thin6a shall De Ille6al:
(a) scenes and acts in which the name of God or Jesus Christ,
the savior, are used In any way except in veneration and worship.
(b) 6cenes and acts which exhibit nakedness Of females, pro-
vided this does not prohibit legs being; bare below the knee and
one-third of the %,jay between the knee and waist, nor bare arms or
shoulders, but does prohibit the display of the naked body or any
,portion thereof except the back from the waist UP.
J '
(c) aeenes and acts in which dialo6ues, jokes, gestures, and
songs are used the lan6uage of which directly or by double meaning
is obscene or suggestive of sexual relation.
(d) :.)eenes and acts in which proper home life is ridiculed or
In which unfaithfulness to marries a ties are portrayed, hinted at
or made attractive unless to convey a Moral lesson.
(e) Scenes and acts in which suggestive bed room scenes, white
slavery, suggestive gestures, immorality or underworld life is made
attractive.
(f) zeenes and acts in which marriage relations or love scenes
are portrayed or hinted at between a, white person and any colored
person, either full or mixed blood.
61CTIUN S. '+'jhen a member of the ,card after examining an
exhibition or performance of any kind, finds that any part of same is
in violation of this ordinance, it shall by the duty of the censor to
report the same to the management of the place where said exhibition
or performance is held and order the unlawful part or parts excluded
from future showings. If the management does not agree with the
Censor or fails to do so after so agreeing, the censor shall report
same to the Presiding Officer who shall direct that at least three
members of the i-oard review the next performance. If it is the
unanimous opinion of those so viewin6 the performance that part or
parts of the act or acts are unlawful, they shall report the same
to the thief of Police who shall have authority to close the place
until a lawful program is offered. Oervice by three or more members
of the board where a unanimous decision is required shall be known
as 3peeial Oervice.
1jECTIU14 9. If by reason of advance advertising, press
notes, or suggestive name, the Presiding; Officer may deem it necessary,
he or she may order that three or not more than four members of the
board censor such performa -'jce. ' hen it is the unanimous opinion of
those so cansorin6 a performance that it or parts of it are unlawful,
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they shall order the unlawful features excluded from future showings.
I
;Dhould the management fall W u6ree with the censors or fall to do so
after so agreeing, they shall report to the Chief of -Police Who shall
r
have authority to close the place until a lawful program offered.
is
This service oil three or more me;Loers of the zoard shall be known as
6pecial Qervlce.
;)LOTION 10. The Qecratary of the ooard shall prepare I.
alphabetical order, a list of the members of the ooard, which he shall
correct as often as changes occur In the membership. '11hen the Presiding
officer of the "ard shall deem ;;peolal iaervice necessary he shall call
three or atore from the top of said list for such service. 'Ishen the
Fresicdinb Officer again calls for jpeoial ;service, he shall call three
or wore directly below those previously called, and so on. 'if-hen the
entire list has been called, he shall begin again at the top and pro-
ceed as before. in this manner the entire membership shall be called
for an equal share of Special 6ervice.
iiiMION 11. The City Council after a hearing shall have
authority to close permanently any place where this ordinance Is
repeatedly violated.
6LUTIoN 12. The Board of Censors shall have authority to
examine pictures shown to the puUlIc whether for sale or not, and
A
order removed from any public exhibition any picture which Decause of
vulgarity, Indecency or suggestion violates puolic morals or sense
of decency. when a member of the sjoard decides that a picture or
pictures publicly displayed whether for sale or not Is unlawful the
censor shall order the ►anagement to remove the picture or pictures.
.,,hould the management refuse to do so, or fall to do so after so
agreeing, the (sensor shall report to the Presiding Officer who shall
direct that three or mere members perform Op � ecial Service. When
those so viewing said picture or pictures agree unanimously that the
picture or pictures are unlhwful they shall report to the Chief of
Police who shall have authority to close the exhiultion until the
illegal picture or pictures are removed, or remove the -picture or
pictures himself.
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sh all have authority to
SF:CT1Uid 1;. The j�oard of censors
11.,tions offered for sale ire the
e_xamine papers, ma6azines and Pub any VubjAcai,,.jon which they find
sale
City and order 0 �Cluded from sc roprietY, or which
Violates the pu I Ullc sense of decency, morals and P
aj6h,� 1,,,d -those under le6al a6e to delinquency- pass on publ,oations
6LOTIoN 14. The i�oard of Censors shall
at meetin6s called by the Fresidi n6 officer and a three-fourth's
vote of -hose present Shall be required to exclude from sale any
U its sale in the QItY thereafter shall be unlawful,
publication and this vote later grants Pe-mission
unlesa the board oy a three-four
for its sale-
LCTIUIV 15. It shall be unlawful for any peraon, firm or
cont-oilln6 or Owning any motion
"'Ion, operat'_'n6, ma"6"61
carp lay house, house of
picture show) vaudeville or other theatre, carnival, street show or any other performance
exhib,,.tions, circus, ca . any motion picture
or exhibition to exhibit or atteiiipt to ex)""It
� ch Is in violation
or part thereof, vaude ville or other performance whisapproved and unanimously
of this ordinance, or whioh has been di +- %A
.P he i�oard of "ensors.
declared unlawful by three Or more memwers OA W and shall be punishable
;�uoh violation shall constitute a misdemeanor, h;ach. time a
by a fine of not less than 450-UQ or more than 42U()-QQ-
Picture film or part thereof, vaudeville or other performance or part
thereof shall be exhibited after the saize has been disapproved and
the .6oard
declared unlawful unanimously by three or more members Of
separate offense, constitute a
of Censors shall be considered a separ 1, 4`50-00
misdemeanor and :hall be punishable by a fine of not less than
or more than 4200-00• any Person to partici-
LiLUTION 16• It shall tie unlawful for a in violation of
path In or take part in any exhibition or performance -
this Ordinance, or which has been unanimously declared unlawful by
three or more members Of the ooard of Censor:. *.AA violation shall
� b —
con a raisde�llewl0r, and be punishable by a fine Of not less
r+,ormanCe or showln6 by
ore than 050-00- Lach Pe �%
than 425-00 or -ra ugly been declared
artir ein After same has unwillaO &
those P then - 3 of the joard Of Censors,
shall be
.,, ,lore- 11PiBbe'
unl&wful ay three 0
considered a separate offense, constitute a allude6jeanor and be
fine of not 1.5a than 425,00 or cadre than ' 450•u0'
i)unj3j,j,3CDle by a It sha-!l ue unlWNful to e�,,,hlDlt publicly a
�ji:GTIUN 17• v1hethe" for sale or not, in violation of this
,,Ic.�Ure or pictures, Aun 31�,l constitute a ttnd be
ordinance- ��uch viola" more than 450-00-
1.)Un:lshabl,- by a fine of not less than 425-U0 or nlawful by three or
;,,ach hour that a picture unsAirlicualy declared U ly. ej.1bited after
hoard. Of Censors, Is Public
more members Of the 110 L "Ise constitute
such declaration shall L)e considered 411 separate Offe� 3
misdemeanor and be punishable by a fine Of not less than 425-00
or ono re than 450*00' b-, cation ,dered e.�.Oluded
pu
each sale of a -)arate
(i of Qensors shall -e considered a seT
from 3Lje Dy. *he boar by a f in
e
W 1�,jsdeweanor and shall be punishable
of. constitute a than
.t,t
"an 425.UU or mor public
41 safety, PU
0, not less 19• In order to protect the peace,*
Z)& I P decency -,Is of the City, this ordinance
welfare, sense 01 'ency and morals from and after Its passage
shall effect &nd be In full force
, .11 take I �1 are
and all ordinances or parts of ordin Ices in conflict herewitv
!-,eret)y repealed.
AT TF,5T1
Knowlton
City clerk.
V
aphov�D:
Chas. &• ;:over
iia,vor.