Title: Motion Picture Commission Records
Inclusive Dates: 1914-1971

Creator:

• Milwaukee (Wis.). Motion Picture Commission.

Call Number: City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 31

Quantity:

• 3.7 cubic ft. (25 boxes)
• 3 volumes

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

Records of the Motion Picture Commission, which was created in 1913 and had the authority to approve or censor movies shown in Milwaukee. It was abolished in 1971. Contains meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, and an index of films rated by the Commission.

Note:

To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-cmac0031

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Prompted by public awareness of increased permissiveness in the motion picture industry, Mayor Gerhard A. Bading organized and set in place a “watch dog” Commission on December 16, 1913. Nine members and fifteen aides were appointed by the Mayor with the idea of having the Commission be representative of the entire community. For example, in 1967 the 9 man Commission consisted of a union official, a corporate executive, a doctor, a barber, a used-car dealer, a public relations director, and lay representatives of three religious faiths.

Since no ordinance governed the Commission, it was considered a censorship organization whose status barred any opportunity for an official review. The Commission’s authority rested in large measure on the willingness of City officials to prosecute uncooperative exhibitors for showing allegedly unacceptable films or threatening to revoke their theatre licenses. The Commission ranked films in four categories: General Audience, Mature Entertainment, Adults Only and Unacceptable. Films labeled as “Unacceptable” could eventually pass, but only if the distributors agreed to make cuts suggested by the Commission.

Because Milwaukee was an important gateway to a sub-regional sales market, the Commission’s influence extended beyond Milwaukee. If the Commission decided not to allow a film to be viewed in Milwaukee, the chances of it being seen elsewhere in Wisconsin were very slim. On November 16, 1971, the Common Council voted to abolish the Commission after a Federal Court decision ruled the Commission’s work to be unconstitutional.

This collection is comprised of Screening Reports, Review Reports, and Screening and Compliance Summaries on 3x5 index cards. These cards include the title of the movie proposed to be shown in movie houses, names of actors, directors and distributors of the films, as well as personal comments by the reviewer. These cards were submitted to the Commission with recommendations for release, censorship, or banning from public viewing. Also included are minutes of the commission, minutes of special reviews in which members met at movie houses to review films and voted on whether or not the films would be shown in Milwaukee, as well as annual reports, correspondence, proceedings, and the by-laws of the commission.

The Screening Reports are presented first. The cards are filed alphabetically by name of the movie. The rest of the collection follows and is arranged alphabetically.

Motion Picture Commission Records, 1914-1971, Collection 31. City of Milwaukee Archival Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Archival Collections

• Carl F. Zeidler Mayoral Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 44.

• Daniel Webster Hoan Mayor Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 8.

• Frank P. Zeidler Mayoral Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 44.

• John L. Bohn Mayoral Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 16.

Publications and Other Items

A Procedural Study of the City of Milwaukee Motion Picture Commission

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials. The collection is open to all in accordance with state law. The public may view City of Milwaukee Archival Collections by appointment at the Central Library. To request an in-person appointment, create/login to your Special Collections Account. If you have any questions, please contact the Archives and Special Collections Department at mplarchives@milwaukee.gov.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

Milwaukee Public Library receives official materials from city departments via the Milwaukee City Records Center, pursuant to state statutes and city ordinances governing the permanent retention of city records.

Processing Information

Initial Processing by Robert Carter, 1997. Additional material added by Janet K. Geronime, 1999. Additional material added by Gayle M. Ecklund and Joseph Hyland, 2001. Additional material added by Rachael N. Tebow, 2012. In 2018, Bob Jaeger combined the previous Motion Picture Commission collections with CMAC 31.

	Screening Reports
Box   1	A, circa 1950-1970
Box   2	B - Bla, circa 1950-1970
Box   3	Bli - Cc, circa 1950-1970
Box   4	Ce - Cy, circa 1950-1970
Box   5	D - Dy, circa 1950-1970
Box   6	E - Fl, circa 1950-1970
Box   7	Fo - Gn, circa 1950-1970
Box   8	Go - He, circa 1950-1970
Box   9	Hi - Iri, circa 1950-1970
Box   10	Iro - Kw, circa 1950-1970
Box   11	L - Love, circa 1950-1970
Box   12	Love - May, circa 1950-1970
Box   13	McA - Na, circa 1950-1970
Box   14	Ne - O, circa 1950-1970
Box   15	P, circa 1950-1970
Box   16	Q - R, circa 1950-1970
Box   17	S - Sink, circa 1950-1970
Box   18	Sinn - Ste, circa 1950-1970
Box   19	Sti - Th, circa 1950-1970
Box   20	Ti - Vin, circa 1950-1970
Box   21	Vio - Wom, circa 1950-1970
Box   22	Won - Mature Entertainment/Adults Only, circa 1950-1970
Box   23 Folder   1-4	Annual Reports, 1942-1970
Box   23 Folder   5	By-Laws, 1913-1965
Box   23 Folder   6	Certified Resolutions and Ordinances, 1917-1971
Box   23 Folder   7	City Attorney, correspondence, 1967-1970
Box   23 Folder   8	City Attorney, file #66-2125J, 1970
Box   23 Folder   9	Civil Action File 70-C-570, 1970-1971
Box   23 Folder   10	Frank Zeidler Correspondence, 1956-1960
Box   23 Folder   11	Henry Maier Correspondence, 1968-1971
Box   23 Folder   12	Historical Timeline and Clipping, 1963, undated
Box   23 Folder   13	License Committee Meeting, The Outlaw, 1947
	Minutes
Volume   1	1914-1918
Box   23 Folder   14	loose items from volume, 1914-1918
Volume   2	1928-1944
Box   23 Folder   15-17	1945-1950
Box   24 Folder   1-11	1951-1967
Box   25 Folder   1-3	1968-1970
Volume   3	special review, 1928-1944
Box   25 Folder   4	Municipal Action and Civil Liberties, booklet, 1957
Box   25 Folder   5-7	Record of Proceedings, 1918-1928
Box   25 Folder   8	Senate Bill 2123, 1959
Box   25 Folder   9	US District Court #60 C921, 1960