Gordon Mirams
Encyclopedia
Gordon Holden Mirams was born in Christchurch
on 9 March 1909, the son of Leslie Haywood Mirams and Mary Elvire Webb. He married Ruth Taylor in Christchurch on 23 November 1932. They had three daughters and one son.
Before becoming a film censor
, Mirams worked as a journalist and film reviewer for the Christchurch Sun, the New Zealand Radio Record, the Dominion newspaper, and the New Zealand Listener
. In his book Speaking Candidly: films and people in New Zealand published in 1945, Mirams argued that film has an enormous influence on culture. For this reason, he campaigned for more local New Zealand documentary and feature film production. He also argued for the need to show quality films that were generally ignored by commercial film distributors, which led to the formation of the New Zealand Film Institute, a national federation of film societies, which Mirams chaired.
In Speaking Candidly, Mirams was forthcoming about his views on censorship. He wrote, “I am one of those people who believe that, ideally, the best censorship, like the best government, is none at all” and “in the long run, the community is best left to censor itself; that when given the opportunity coupled with knowledge it can usually be relied on to reject the bad and accept the good.” On the other hand, Mirams was critical of Chief Censor W A von Keisenberg
’s decision to approve the film Iceland in which Sonja Henie
abandons her Icelandic sweetheart in favour of a US Marine, “at the very time that the American-serviceman-New-Zealand-girl problem was causing concern” in New Zealand. He wrote, “I am against censorship on principle, [but] if we must have it I would suggest that the custodians of our screen morals might be better employed in discouraging this sort of thing than in worrying about whether we should, say, be allowed to hear a few naughty words in Noel Coward
’s In Which We Serve
.”
In 1947 Mirams was appointed first assistant film information officer, Mass Communications Section, UNESCO
. In this position, he worked to develop film as an educational medium. He left Paris
in 1949 to become New Zealand’s fourth Censor of Cinematograph Films, a position he held until 1959.
Mirams was the first censor to make liberal use of the R certificate, allowing films to be restricted to specific audiences and age groups. He also made extensive use of non-restrictive certificates that recommended films as more suitable for exhibition to particular audiences. These included the GA certificate that approved a film for general exhibition but recommended it as more suitable for adults, and the GY certificate that approved a film for general exhibition but recommended it as more suitable for persons 13 years of age and over.
Mirams was sensitive to the influence film had on social and cultural perceptions. After the release of the Mazengarb Report
on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents in 1954, Mirams responded to community fears about juvenile delinquency by banning The Wild One
starring Marlon Brando
and Rebel Without A Cause
starring James Dean
.
In 1959, Mirams accepted a permanent appointment at UNESCO’s mass media division in Paris where he worked on the development of children’s television programmes. He was succeeded as Chief Censor by Douglas McIntosh.
Mirams resigned from UNESCO in 1966, and died in Wellington
on 29 November 1966.
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
on 9 March 1909, the son of Leslie Haywood Mirams and Mary Elvire Webb. He married Ruth Taylor in Christchurch on 23 November 1932. They had three daughters and one son.
Before becoming a film censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, Mirams worked as a journalist and film reviewer for the Christchurch Sun, the New Zealand Radio Record, the Dominion newspaper, and the New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
. In his book Speaking Candidly: films and people in New Zealand published in 1945, Mirams argued that film has an enormous influence on culture. For this reason, he campaigned for more local New Zealand documentary and feature film production. He also argued for the need to show quality films that were generally ignored by commercial film distributors, which led to the formation of the New Zealand Film Institute, a national federation of film societies, which Mirams chaired.
In Speaking Candidly, Mirams was forthcoming about his views on censorship. He wrote, “I am one of those people who believe that, ideally, the best censorship, like the best government, is none at all” and “in the long run, the community is best left to censor itself; that when given the opportunity coupled with knowledge it can usually be relied on to reject the bad and accept the good.” On the other hand, Mirams was critical of Chief Censor W A von Keisenberg
W A von Keisenberg
William Arthur Leopold von Keisenberg was New Zealand's third Chief Censor, a position he held from 1938 to 1949.- Career :...
’s decision to approve the film Iceland in which Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
abandons her Icelandic sweetheart in favour of a US Marine, “at the very time that the American-serviceman-New-Zealand-girl problem was causing concern” in New Zealand. He wrote, “I am against censorship on principle, [but] if we must have it I would suggest that the custodians of our screen morals might be better employed in discouraging this sort of thing than in worrying about whether we should, say, be allowed to hear a few naughty words in Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
’s In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by David Lean and Noël Coward. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information ....
.”
In 1947 Mirams was appointed first assistant film information officer, Mass Communications Section, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. In this position, he worked to develop film as an educational medium. He left Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1949 to become New Zealand’s fourth Censor of Cinematograph Films, a position he held until 1959.
Mirams was the first censor to make liberal use of the R certificate, allowing films to be restricted to specific audiences and age groups. He also made extensive use of non-restrictive certificates that recommended films as more suitable for exhibition to particular audiences. These included the GA certificate that approved a film for general exhibition but recommended it as more suitable for adults, and the GY certificate that approved a film for general exhibition but recommended it as more suitable for persons 13 years of age and over.
Mirams was sensitive to the influence film had on social and cultural perceptions. After the release of the Mazengarb Report
Mazengarb Report
The Mazengarb Report of 1954, formally titled the Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents , resulted from a ministerial inquiry sparked primarily by two infamous and well-publicised events in New Zealand's history: the 22 June 1954 Parker-Hulme murder...
on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents in 1954, Mirams responded to community fears about juvenile delinquency by banning The Wild One
The Wild One
The Wild One is a 1953 outlaw biker film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. It is famed for Marlon Brando's iconic portrayal of the gang leader Johnny Strabler.-Basis:...
starring Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
and Rebel Without A Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
starring James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
.
In 1959, Mirams accepted a permanent appointment at UNESCO’s mass media division in Paris where he worked on the development of children’s television programmes. He was succeeded as Chief Censor by Douglas McIntosh.
Mirams resigned from UNESCO in 1966, and died in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
on 29 November 1966.
External links
- Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)The Office of Film and Literature Classification is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand...
http://www.censorship.govt.nz/censorship_dash.html#censor