266822 WHI7E - CITV CLERK �
PINK - FINANCE GITY OF SAINT PAITL Council }/�� yv�
GANARV - DEPARTMENT File NO. `✓�`-���
BLUE -.MAVOR
� - Co ci esol 'on
Presented By LICF,��SE CO1�L'�,"ITfiEE
Referred To Committee: Date
Out of Committee By Date
RESGLV�D: That Application P 7127 for Motion Picture Theatre (71�0 5eats) and Class B-
Confectionery Licenses made by Kevin Von �'eldt at 1�50 tidabasha Street, be and the
same is hereby granted.
COUNCILMEN
Yeas Nays � Requested by Department of:
Christensen
�.ac Hunt [n Favor
Levine
Rcedler � Against BY
�teler
Tedesco
President �RC HoZZd
Ado ted b C . ate Form Appr by City Atto
P Y --T���r1976 .
Certi ' Passed y ncil S tarir BY "
By
Approv y ayor: te 'S Approved by Mayor for Submission to Council
By By
Ale►ts�� FES 2 8 tG?6
r y � � � ���
. �
2_�=Focus Section F�bruu'Y 22,1976
�Y;•�;�"•''""� ���'����! '�O qj • � �S � "'S� o ���
: The Voice of Miaae�ota � a�• �b ,+���� � & g' ,�� S
o � � q � . a�� w �� o
SBRNARD H.RIDDER.lleib�f WILWAM Q aUMNBR.B�ia. �d � ° °' w
dBRNARD H.WDDSR.1R..Pre��at JOHN R FWNSGAN.B�aowip Bditer i a�� ��,� ����'� �� °i
;7'HOINAS L.CAA[.IN.PaiN�� DONALD J.O'GRADY.Mssyi�/B�a► ,�'3 'S3,,,,,,,, y�y ��,,.� ,�,,,+�
• RUSSBI.L V.JOHNSON.aw�dq Sdker ,� "" �
� �. � - o�a��� r��. �p a� +-+� �3
� EdiTOR1AL PACIE ���� � �� �.� ����
. A ��'�°p � ��,�' '' :� w
• . �3 w o��.+ 'a4'Y,,, ��,�� •� ,�'
�� 0� � C� �� e0 � p'd �'•
P�orn and loca,l stand�rds o�� .� .� �3 a�
� � � � o
�.When, in June 1973, �the Su= in�it,�could only excuse himself E-�°'a�z ��� �-,��,.,� � . � �,�
pieme Coart rukd that local, with: If I don t show it, aome-
cather than national, standards bady else will." �r a� c� � �o �a � � � b ai � 'b
�i�hl: be �sed in determining So u�uch for his st�ndards. �.� y � 3,��,� ;�� �� �� �
whether pornograp hic ma t eria l W h a t a b o u t t h i s rn m m u n i ty's? H � � ��.�� � � p d � °�
could be dectared obscene and Someone, at leaat, has awak- � � � �� a�'„ d� �
b a n n e d, i t w a s w i d e l y�b e l i e v e d e n e d t o i t s r e spo n s i b il i t i e s. C i t y �,� '�� o�o o � o°' � � � �
that the wave of anything Councilman John E. Christensen � � � _a�,�,� �o,.,,_ � � �''� , � a��.
g o e s" h a d b e e n s t o p p e d, if �o t M►arned .the theater owner��that � � � �_ � r�
tt:versed. unless he acted upon ihose sec- � � � � �.��� � �� °•a° ,a�� n o$�
•'H a r d Core Pornography ond thoughts" and withdrew �� �� �� ° :B •• `° "� ���
Cutbed' the headlinea read. In the film,he(Christensen) would � p �j �q „ � � ad'� :d ��
th�se news a . �s It was editori• ask the cit attorne to institute � 3 'd'�.�a �� �, � � � �'°
�Ily asea�r�ed�h t the coart hacY criminal pinceedings. �� � c�o����� °'y � a°y °>2 ����
�tt►a
sestared the `rtile of coenmort rhat action is �moot for the �. � � '�'�-� 'O
�en . time being, because before the ��� '• °� � � �� m"� � ��
. I�othing of the kind has h�p• film copld-open,-the theater it- o ;� � v � �'d o ��v, m *» °
p�Red, it agpeara. NeitC�er has k�elf was cloaed — for falling to, '� � � v�x '�z� 9•� a��:! a: x o'�
l t ard cote p o r no�raphy been �ave an operating�icen�. But iE
cu r b e d nor h as commoa sense t he t heater owner su c a e e d s in �+ � � � ,� „ � •M
-�rev�2led. Local commtmities — getting that license and "opens ��� 3 35'°��'�� ��� S�.�� °'�
�rtaanly s�up a�� �in he wish Christ naen,and t�he�eity ��� �� �M w �° � �'° �
face of the necessiE t.� deter- attorney, every success in their „ '� � �?t� ��.'�� � ��� ��
mine and acE upon '�community din . �L ,�, � � 8 "$ �� �'� ,� "
s�an rda" oc eise the have e no an one actua- °g'� �� � � �• �
c�� � �� �' ��� o �.�_
aurn�end to the notion that ly wa� killed during the ftlming � b
t�+ey�tave no atandards at aU.. of thls picture("filmed in South � � � • � .,� y M� ,a•+E'�o ��
T h e "D e e T h r o a t a" a n d t h e A a t e r i c a, w h e re l i f� i s c h e a " i s .e �- �
"Miss )oneu�a" toll on �i en, the revolting advertising mes- ��� � � � � ,�� � �� �
and have been joined m the sage)ahocking as the thought is, � w � ' �� �
w a l t o w b y f i l m s a n d•b o o k a o f ie no t t h e poi n t — t h o u g h i t v� � � � � �� a '�
ever-increaa ing ex p l i d t n e s s.a n d a hou l d be sai d.her e t h a t t h e re i s I r� o .. � � � �
d ravity ihat mock the words more than a little auspicion thae a �� �� � ��
,� � �. �� k . What �.��� �.$ �'�� �� �� �� "
�of the Supreme Court a rulu�g the murders are fa ed �.�a ��
Eliat a conurtuaity, a�ay judge ia at point is that the gauntlet
whether "taken as a,whole (tFie haa been thrpwn down to local a 5 ��� ' � � ' ' � ,�� �� m a m .
f�irri or book or other work) �communities and that these ��, i° �� • °°r��� �'� 'c� „ '3���
lacks serlou� literacy, artistic, commat�ities are loag, long past � � � ,�� �� �� � �,;
�Q4itical or sci�entific value:' due in accepting and meeting a�,��;,, �� "� -• '+
. Here and tlure is the ieolated � o � ��°` � .
� �� �� � �� �� ��
1 ma orit o in- � �
c�stae of an�ction tak�n in q ocal n t e ourt s. I Y P ���� � 'F3 � �,' � �8,� �b
cowrt, but b y utd l a r ge the ex- ion,Chief justice Warren B u r ger �o .� � � d� ��� � 9 �
c r e t a l f i l t h S o w s i n.a a e�r e r-w i d- �si d t h a t w h i l e#h e s e x u a l r e v o• �� v� �e'+ �
aning f�o¢d. Ita rc�du�rs utd .lution" may have bee� useEul � �,,,, �� '� �'��8��� '��g� � ,�
prd
purveyon exptoit every �an- "in strikin� layers oE prudery � o . g$ � �°'� � �
�qus sexual aberration. in fram a subKct tong irrationatly �� b � � �� a a� ,n
ir luat far pmfits, and' theie kept ,fcom nreded venttlation � � ��° � � �a �„�
ai�+ers aind abeftors are all,too �: . , it does,trot;foUow that no � � � � � p ,�� �
o� public ofHciata eilhee too regnlation of patently oEfenaive � .g� � _
's�id or too confused � tMOve . nu�terials i"s needed or per- � �� �'zJ �����3 � � .� ��� � .
�i�t theat — and inex�l�cably missible;civiliud people do not'
` ,���ti�n media,cacryir�g thelr �tllow unregulated access to her- . , ,. ; �
�
isemenk; at�d promoHonal oin because it is a derivative of. � �t �.
� medicinal morphine." r, �
' �t t — an t t No one in his right mind �
t�lti�teT — affront.to any con- would argue that unregulated y �� ���
teiy�bk cbmntunity atattdards:a access to heroin would not do � � x
film entltled "SnufE," which �at hanit to"accepted commu= ,C � � '�� �
was acheduled to open last week ,nity standards" of what is good �+�
at a downtown St. Pau! theabec. for the pubtic health._ And no � $ y
It pu r p a r ts to show not only comtnunity in .ita right mind � 'g�, �& �
icenea oE revolting sexual ex- y�ould atand for it. Why should f �� � �� �+ �9 _
p�ltaes�s, bat etso tlur. actual thi� or any other cbma�nity !3 a�
�n..w+dets of four oE the °stcte+ess• stand: by uawilling b�,a�em the � � a p� �
Sow of loiNre f�lth,� , � �
� �P �.. � �i
ter owner, whp w1d. w�icK �notA only confdnlnaMs' � � :
befo�e ib schednkd ope .n�'�, bat, like the u reg �se,of, ,� � ��v� a� �.R
that: he l�adn't aeen tTie f�lm �di�Nve,druqs.� de�ma�nda ever-` .
�aueif, but that lu was 1wV1ng ccruing doses for iEs cap• �l.i�'f�'�N�`'�1
••t�opnd lhoughte" about :how• .� tivear , . �1�
� _
,;i .
� T �R
`�- A _
� n E . . . .
�
The A�rgentine fiLn °Srnxff"' is exploiting the .news media, the gsneral pu?�lic�
and the minority of people who will pay the going rate to view it.
- - News releases mailed out by the Monarch Releasing Corporation, New York�
as their advance publicity prior to int�oducing the film to a selected area�
suggest that four actresses were murdered duri.ng .the filmi,n� of "Srnzff". ?hey
count on the resulting articles by membera of the media, and the autrage of the
getiera�. public to push the film into record-brealdng proPit,� far� the theater
a�d in turn :the distributing corporation. Their profits are the�losees of all
concerned cit�.zens. ' , �
- - Variety magazine describes the opening scene as "a typical hard-core sex
- scene involvin� a group of inen and� one� woman.. Aftpr a,ssorted oral �and : �
sadomasochistic sex acts� one of the men produces a knife and atabs the
surprised actress repeatedly."
- - The ad placed by the Strand Theatre in the St. Pau1 Di�patch;,&'�Fionepr
Press read "The picture t�hey sa3d could NEVER by shrnm.- The B1ood�.est thing
that ever happened in front of a camerall! The fi'lm that �cou d�o y�e made�
. in Sou i Ameri.can whare life is CHEAP! (emphas�s in ad itself) `
- - The Strand Theater mana�;er said that the idea of the film was revolting
� and that he probably could not watch it himself. But he hopes to make a lar�e '
profit on the fi3m. "Srruff" was to open at the Strand, St. Paul on February '
20, 1976 but the theatre was closed temporarily because it lacked �i ']:icense., `
- - The Ad nlaasd in the Minnea�olis Tribune by the America� Theater� Minneanolis
read "BANN�D IN ST., PAUL What happened to those four Arger.tine actresse5?'
They were snu e . ee for yoursel.f - uncut and unc.ensored - '�Sriuf�": "Snuff��
opened at the American Theater for a limited run until the Strand Theater is
able to sho�r it.
- - According to Mayor Cohen, Federal aqents have determined the ��murders"
are actually a "theatrical enactment".
�, - .. .
��� . .
'rJhether or not four ac#�resses are actually killed during the fi.lming of `
"Snuff'j, this film 3.s n►aking money by exploiting ,
- � the sincere concern of the public about sex and violence
� # vioience 'dir'scted specifically taward women .
# depraciation of the South �lmerican heritage -
You �ould voice your pro test abaut thi s film by refusing to �pport the .
t.heaters �rhich insist on showing '�3nuff"� by urging others to withdraw their
suppoxt from thes.e theaters� and by writing. to the following: ,
Kevin von Feldt Mr. Alexander �
Manager, Strand Theater Uwner, American Theater �
!�8 tr7abasha Street 16 E. Lake Street
S�. Paul, Minnesota Minneanolis, P?innesota
�
Thmnas L. Carlin Otto S;lha .
PubYisher Publisher �
Str Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press Minneapolis Star & T�ibiane
5� E, l�th Street lt25 Portland Avenue
St. Pau1, Minnesota Minneanolis, Minnesota '
Amos Martin , President �
President, St, Fau1 Cha�ber of Commerce� Minneapolis Chamber of Coiqmerce
Osborne Buildirlg - ' �Kinneapolis� ;finnesota
St. Pau1, Minnesota+' , ,
Mayor Lawrrence Cohen '` Nlayor Char7.e�s 3�envi� ' : �
City Hall & Crnirt House , Mi�neapolis Court House .
St. 'au�� Minriesota° Minneapolis, Minnesota
St. Paul City Council Members Minneapolis Aldermen �
- Office of the City Council ' " HenneAin County Goverinnent Cen�er -
City Ha1Z & Court House Minneapolis� Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota tt1t1.02
Council Presiden� David Hozza, Councilman Jack Chriatensen, and Councilman
Victor Tedesco. St.. Paul Citv Council. have alreadv voiced their concern.