Guide to the Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents
1926-1965

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Overview of the Collection

Creator: Seattle (Wash.). City Clerk
Title: Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents
Dates: 1926-1965 ( inclusive )
Quantity: .6 cubic foot (2 boxes)
Collection Number: 1802-E5
Summary: The Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents include annual reports, meeting minutes, petitions, and correspondence regarding theatre licenses and censorship of films and theatrical performances.
Repository: Seattle Municipal Archives

PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives

Languages: Collection materials are in English. 
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical Note

The Board of Theatre Supervisors was created in 1923 with Ordinance 52969; its purpose was to regulate exhibitions of motion pictures, drama and opera performances, theaters, and other public entertainment. The Board was to enforce the ordinance, which prohibited the production or display of "obscene, indecent, or immoral" entertainments. The nine-member Board, which regulated entertainment and exhibitions "contrary to the public morals and good order," was appointed by the Mayor, with the stipulation that one member be involved in motion picture production or distribution and another be involved with the ownership or management of a motion picture theater. Earlier incarnations of the Board (then known as the Board of Censors) had between five and fifteen members; in many cases, a certain number of Board members were required to be women. Board members were authorized to enter theaters and perform inspections and to view and censor films before they were shown to audiences.

The Board of Theatre Supervisors was dissolved in 1968 through Ordinance 97321.

Content Description

Included in this set of documents are annual reports; petitions, protests, and other correspondence regarding shows at theatres and panoramas (panorams); and other material related to the Board. Subjects include licensing of theatres and censorship of theatrical performances or motion pictures deemed obscene or offensive by the Board. Of particular interest is a set of files dating from 1950 which deal with the City ban on the motion picture "Stromboli" on the basis of lead actress Ingrid Bergman's extramarital affair with the film's director, Roberto Rossellini. Included are the mayor's directive banning showing of the film as well as letters from citizens both in agreement with and opposition to the City's position.

Annual reports exist from 1956 to 1963, although not for every year. The reports are brief and include discussions of the Board’s activities for the year, information on membership, meetings, and budget, and a list of films previewed, plays checked, and actions taken. Actions include recommendation of deletion of scenes as well as age limits for films. Panorama activities and foreign film screenings were the subjects of separate subcommittees, and reports are included for some years. A special committee was appointed for the "supervision and control" of entertainment at the Seattle World's Fair; this committee's activities are discussed in the 1962 annual report.

Minutes document the Board's meetings, including members present and business discussed. Topics covered are largely the same as in the annual reports. The minutes include members' reports on spot-check visits to theatres and conversations with theatre owners, as well as findings of the Board's various committees, such as the Panorama Committee, the Night Club Committee, and the Foreign Film Committee.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access :  

Records are open to the public.

Preferred Citation :  

[Item and date], Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents, Record Series 1802-E5. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative Information

Arrangement :

The Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents are arranged in three subseries:

Subseries I: Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents

Subseries II: Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Reports

Subseries III: Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes

Within each subseries, documents are arranged chronologically by year.

Custodial History :  

Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.


Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Board of Theatre Supervisors Documents, 1926-1961
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Petition for Ordinance to Close All-Night Theatres 1926
1/2 Petition to Close Motion Picture Theatres at 12:30 a.m.; referred to Women's Division of the Police Department 1926
1/3 Protest Against Budget Allowance for Board of Theatre Censors 1930
1/4 Petition for Amendment to Ordinance 59674 re: Films, Slides, and Literature Concerning Sex Subjects 1931
1/5 Report on Operation of State, Rialto, and Palm Theatres 1934
1/6 Report on Operation of Palm, Rialto, and State Theatres 1934
1/7 Report of Notice Served to Owners of State, Palm, and Rialto Theatres 1934
1/8 Petition for Suspension of License of Star Theatre 1934
1/9 Petition for Renewal of Star Theatre License 1935
1/10 Petition that Mayflower Theatre Be Licensed to New Management 1935
1/11 Report Approving License to Oak Theatre 1935
1/12 Petition of Board for Warning to Moore Theatre 1937
1/13 Request by Board for Continuation of Monthly Budget Allowance 1937
1/14 Proposal to License Taverns Presenting Vaudeville Acts 1937
1/15 Report on Operation of State, Rialto, and Palm Theatres 1938
1/16 Protest Against Granting Licenses to Carnivals 1939
1/17 Petition for Notification of Licenses Issued for Carnivals 1939
1/18 Protest of Clean City League Against Proposed "Moulin Rouge" Show at Civic Auditorium 1939
1/19 Protest Against Proposed Closing of Rialto Theatre 1940
1/20 Letter of Appreciation to City Council for Revoking Rialto Theatre License 1940
1/21 Petition for Ordinance Amendment Concerning Films on Sexual Hygiene 1948
1/22 Request by Board for Increased Budget 1948
1/23 Petition for Investigation of Operating Standards for Atlas Theatre 1949
1/24 Protest Against Showing of Film "Stromboli" in Seattle 1950
1/25 Directive from Acting Mayor to Chief of Police Banning Local Showing of "Stromboli" 1950
1/26 Protest Against Banning of Film "Stromboli" 1950
1/27 Reports on Panorama Machines and Peep Shows 1956
1/28 Recommendation to Suspend License of Rivoli Theatre 1956
1/29 Reports on Inspection of Panorama Machines 1956-1957
1/30 Reports on Inspection of Panorama Machines 1960
1/31 Petition for City to Revoke Panorama Movie Show Licenses 1960
1/32 Reports on Inspection of Panorama Machines 1960-1961
1/33 Petition to Keep Movies in Seattle Clean 1961
1/34 Protest Against Banning of the Film "Erotica" 1961
1/35 Recommendation of Mayor to Enlarge Board 1961

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Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Reports, 1956-1963
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
2/1 Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Report 1956
2/2 Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Report 1957
2/3 Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Report 1960
2/4 Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Report 1961
2/5 Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Report 1962
2/6 Board of Theatre Supervisors Annual Report 1963

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Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes, 1957-1965
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
2/7 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes 1957
2/8 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes and Reports on Panorama Operations 1958
2/9 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes 1959
2/10 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes 1961
2/11 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes 1962
2/12 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes 1963
2/13 Board of Theatre Supervisors Minutes 1964-1965

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Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

    • Geographical Names :
    • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government
    • Subject Terms :
    • Arts--Censorship--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Censorship--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Motion picture theaters--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Motion pictures--Censorship--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Music-halls (Variety-theaters, cabarets, etc.)--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Panoramas--Censorship--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Theater--Censorship--Washington (State)--Seattle
      • Form or Genre Terms :
      • Annual reports
      • Other Creators :
      • Seattle (Wash.). Board of Theatre Supervisors

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