The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-22
Ordinance No. 469-C
An ordinance to further regulate mov-
 ing picture shows. theatres and oth-

ing picture shows, theatres and Oth- I places of amusement.
 l Be it ordained by the commission of the city of Birmingham as follows: Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation oper- ating or conducting a moving picture show, theatre or other place of amuse- ment in the city of Birmingham to show or place on exhibition or allow or permit to be shown or exhibited at such moving picture show, theatre or place of amusement, and film scene, show or picture which picture illus trates or represents the human female in a nude state or condition or draped or clothed with transparent or par. |tially transparent garments, draperies or clothing, which picture shows Or represents any indecent, obscene
 lewd, filthy, vulgar, lascivious or sug- |gestive act. scene, picture or perform. ance or part of such act or perform ance or that pictures illustrates or repre- sents any suicide unless shown in a flash, or any torture scene or any hang ing, lynching or execution of any human being. And it shall be unlawful to picture, display, illustrate or represent in any moving picture show, theatre or other place of amusement any scene depicting drunkenness of any female unless the scene is reduced to a flash. Ol any rape UT attempt at rape scene. or any childbirth or maternity scene in whole or in part. or any scene or picture depicting domestic or conjugal infidelity of any immoral nature on
 the part of either the husband or the wife. or any scene in any immoral house of general character which is forbidden by the ordinances of the city of Birmingham, or the laws of the state of Alabama. or any scene, pie fnr ch ,Str ;x,r :
 describing the plying of the trade of any procurer, procuress or cadet or any person or persons who profit di- rectly from the prostitution of any female person or any seduction scene of any scene showing or depicting any at- tempt at the seduction of any person, or any scene or picture depicting or setting forth immoral, unlawful rela-
 tions of any person or persons of either sex with another person or per-
 sons of the opposite sex; provided, however. that nothing in this ordi- nance is meant to prohibit or to make unlawful any picture show, scene or illustration which represents the works, inquiry, Investigations or the report or reports of the findings of any inquisitorial or investiga ting pressly provided by the laws of the United States or of any state or of any municipality in the United States when such picture show, scene or illustra- ton is ordered, directed or permitted by the expressed will or wish of such board, committee or organization to be made into a motion picture film or show; provided such film or show shall first be displayed or shown in whole and in detail to the commissioner of public safety or to some person or per- sons duly elected or appointed hv '&ha commission of the city of Birmine.- fitness of such film or show. said commissioner of public safety or per son or persons to render his or thei decision in conformity with the pro- visions of this ordinance, and if deemed necessary or exnedient hv the commissioner of public safety. he shall then issue an order either pro hibiting or allowing the showing of the picture or show or limiting or specifying the ages or sex of persons who may witness such picture or pro viding that such picture shall be shown on separate occasions only to, members of either sex separately; and the commissioner of public safety or any other duly constituted person or persons may order cut out of said pic ture or film such scene or scenes or legend or legends or descrfptive phrase or phrases as he or they may deem unfit to be shown at any one or all exhibitions of such film or picture. and provided also that any picture of a medical. scientific, historical. classi- cal or other similar nature in which may appear scenes, pictures or legends which would in ordinary pictures or shows displayed for the entertainment