W A von Keisenberg
Encyclopedia
William Arthur Leopold von Keisenberg (1881 - 29 July 1967) was New Zealand's
third Chief Censor
, a position he held from 1938 to 1949.
. Von Keisenberg became Chief Censor in 1938. He was succeeded by Gordon Mirams
in 1949.
Secure in the knowledge that his opinion had to give way to the Chief Censor’s when he was Tanner’s assistant, and to the Appeal Board when he became Chief Censor, von Keisenberg was happy to air his own dissenting, and generally somewhat conservative, views in public. When The Devil’s Cabaret http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022817/, a short colour B-grade talkie about the devil opening a night club to recruit more people to Hell, played at the Paramount in Wellington
in 1932, von Keisenberg wrote to a correspondent, “I certainly would not have passed it myself. I told the Censor so too.”
Many films about the Second World War, even those made by Allies, came under close scrutiny. For example, the Oscar
-winning Arise, My Love
starring Claudette Colbert
and Ray Milland
required a cut to remove a comment by a maid about the war that “our men have to die, and their sons and their sons” so as not to demoralise civilians. Even films not directly about the war were cut. When it came to New Zealand in 1942, Gone with the Wind
required excisions in six places to reduce the intensity of the American Civil War
battle scenes.
, New Zealand
on 18 April 1881, the son of William Carl H. von Keisenberg. He married Margaret Mary A. Martini of Kumara
in 1912. They had four daughters. He died in Auckland in 1967 aged 86. His wife Margaret also died in 1967, and they are both buried in the Glenfield Cemetery.
Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)
http://www.censorship.govt.nz/censorship_dash.html#censor
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
third Chief 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...
, a position he held from 1938 to 1949.
Career
Von Keisenberg worked for P. R. Dix’s vaudeville enterprises as Dix’s personal secretary and advance representative for Dix’s North Island touring company between 1901 and 1904. His career in the public service started when he joined the Railways Department as a shorthand writer and typist in 1904. He was transferred to the Electoral Department in 1908 and to the Department of Internal Affairs in 1912. In May 1920 he became the officer-in-charge of the Government Advertising Department, and in February 1928, became assistant censor of films under Chief Censor Walter TannerWalter Tanner
Walter Alfred Tanner was born in Northampton, England, the son of William Wilcox Tanner, Member of Parliament for Heathcote, Christchurch, and Emily E. Browett. He married Laura Matilda Maude Torckler in 1907. They had one son and one daughter...
. Von Keisenberg became Chief Censor in 1938. He was succeeded by Gordon Mirams
Gordon Mirams
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...
in 1949.
Approach to censorship
Von Keisenberg wrote that the censor’s job was “to tone down those [films] which are capable of improvement and to reject those entirely which over-step reasonable bounds, leaving the final responsibility with the Appeal Board – if the Renter [i.e. exhibitor] considers an appeal worth while.”Secure in the knowledge that his opinion had to give way to the Chief Censor’s when he was Tanner’s assistant, and to the Appeal Board when he became Chief Censor, von Keisenberg was happy to air his own dissenting, and generally somewhat conservative, views in public. When The Devil’s Cabaret http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022817/, a short colour B-grade talkie about the devil opening a night club to recruit more people to Hell, played at the Paramount 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...
in 1932, von Keisenberg wrote to a correspondent, “I certainly would not have passed it myself. I told the Censor so too.”
Wartime censorship
By secret memorandum dated 20 July 1939, the Prime Minister’s Department instructed von Keisenberg to act as agent for the Director of Publicity “for the purpose of exercising the necessary additional control over films in time of war.” Such additional prohibitions included information on troop movements, “matter calculated to impair the efficiency, morale or discipline of His Majesty’s Fighting Forces, or to create or encourage disaffection among the civil population”, and “matters as might help to raise the morale of the enemy.”Many films about the Second World War, even those made by Allies, came under close scrutiny. For example, the Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning Arise, My Love
Arise, My Love
Arise, My Love is a 1940 American romantic comedy film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Mitchell Leisen, written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett and Jacques Théry, and starring Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland....
starring Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert was a French-born American-based actress of stage and film.Born in Paris, France and raised in New York City, Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the 1920s, progressing to film with the advent of talking pictures...
and Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
required a cut to remove a comment by a maid about the war that “our men have to die, and their sons and their sons” so as not to demoralise civilians. Even films not directly about the war were cut. When it came to New Zealand in 1942, Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
required excisions in six places to reduce the intensity of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battle scenes.
Personal life
Von Keisenberg was born in WanganuiWanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 18 April 1881, the son of William Carl H. von Keisenberg. He married Margaret Mary A. Martini of Kumara
Kumara, New Zealand
Kumara is a town on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres south of Greymouth, close to the western end of State Highway 73, which leads across Arthur's Pass to Christchurch...
in 1912. They had four daughters. He died in Auckland in 1967 aged 86. His wife Margaret also died in 1967, and they are both buried in the Glenfield Cemetery.
Sources
Who’s Who in New Zealand and the Western Pacific (4th ed., 1941)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