Maryland State Board of Censors
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The Maryland State Board of Censors was a three-member state agency created in 1916 required to view all films to be shown in the state, and decide whether or not the films were "moral and proper."[1] Without approval of the agency, a film could not be legally shown in Maryland.[1] The agency was also charged with enforcing their decisions.
One agency decision against a film led to the Supreme Court case Freedman v. Maryland, 380 U.S. 51 (1965), which placed significant restrictions on state censorship statutes.[citation needed]
In 1970 the authority of the State Board of Censors was assigned to the newly created Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.[1] Due in part to rising costs of maintenance, the board was dissolved in 1981. At the time of its disbanding, it was the last state-specific film censorship agency in the United States.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Maryland State Board of Censors." Maryland State Archives.
- ^ Franklin, Ben A. (June 29, 1981). "Last State Board of Censors Fades Away After 65 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
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