How a local cinema manager ended up in hot water over Monty Python

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

Local theatres brought great entertainment to our residents but they also caused some people to question the morality of some of the shows being presented. Stories from the city’s past – involving allegations of obscenity and blasphemy – shed light on some of the controversies associated with local theatres.

In 1911, local theatres caused quite the stir when their moving picture shows were deemed obscene – so much so that they caught the attention of city council and the police.  

One city councillor described watching people leave the Gayety Theatre in disgust. The Gayety, located on Queen Street, billed itself poetically as being:

Open to all

Opera chairs for all

Reserved seats to all

We accept them all

Same price for all

We welcome them all

Comfortable for all

No charge for the heat.

Other councilors had received complaints about the vaudeville shows, with viewers feeling they “were not of an elevating character.”  In fact, concerns about the shows’ content were so high that they warranted regular weekly visits from the police to see if the theatres’ licenses needed to be cancelled for showing objectionable content.

What content was so objectionable?

According to the Star, one show featured “two degenerate married couples” with “little left to the imagination.” On another occasion, a performance at a local theatre resulted in one of the actors charged with and found guilty of using obscene language.

These instances were so disturbing that Police Magistrate Elliot expressed that “no child under 16 years of age should be allowed to go to these places at all and parents who permit their children to go take no interest in their welfare.”

Approximately 70 years later, in 1980, movies were still causing controversy in the city when Reverend Michael Eldred, an Anglican priest from Richards Landing, levelled charges of blasphemous libel against a local cinema.

Both local theatre manager William Graham and the Toronto-based Villa Theatres were implicated for airing the Monty Python film Life of Brian, a movie that satirized organized religion and was the subject of controversy around the world. The charges were filed under section 260 of the Criminal Code; the code imposed a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Station Cinema cancelled one of the film’s showings, which prompted one woman to pass around a petition against the cancellation. The theatre opted to air its next showing as scheduled, then replaced it with another movie the following day and temporarily closed while the company decided how to proceed.

Ultimately, the Station Cinema opted not to air Life of Brian until after the criminal charges had been dealt with. They replaced it with a double feature consisting of Just You and Me, Kid and Hot Stuff. Despite the rumours that were flying, the manager was not fired, nor did he quit his job.

Months later, the charges were stayed by Ontario’s Attorney-General, who said that “whatever else may be said about the film, no offence has been committed and accordingly the prosecution ought not to proceed.”

Moreover, according to the Globe and Mail, “two lawyers from the Attorney-General’s Department had viewed the movie and found it funny.”

Reverend Eldred described the ruling as being “like a slap in the face.” He expressed that he still wanted the movie to be banned, and said he would escalate things to the premier if necessary.  However, ultimately, nothing came of the case.

Whether it’s the 1910s or the 1980s, entertainment is not without its controversy, as these two instances from Sault Ste. Marie’s history show.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here