Infamous 'Fortas' Film

Stuns Ohio Judiciary Unit

By RICHARD ZIMMERMAN

Plain Dealer Bureau

COLUMBUS A notorious film produced primarily to discredit U.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas' judicial views on obscenity shocked a House Judiciary Committee yesterday.

The film, produced by the Cincinnatibased Citizens for Decent Literature, contained numerous clips from stag and underground movies that portrayed both female and male nudity in explicit detail and suggestive poses, ..

The film was shown in connection with the committee's study of a bill which redefines obscenity in an attempt to keep questionable material out of the hands of juveniles.

IT IS THE SAME MOVIE circulated in Washington last year by those opposing the confirmation of Fortas as chief justice of the United States. It was rated as playing a key role in the Senate's blocking of Fortas.

Time and time again, shocking film clips were followed on the screen by a photograph of Fortas, as the narrator related that Fortas had voted to reverse lower court decisions that held the scenes portrayed were obscene.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Barry Levey, R-39, Middletown, earlier had said he would clear the committee room of all but newsmen and committee members before the film was shown. But when a sociology class from Denison University at Granville, O., showed up, Levey relented, allowing anyone who wandered in to attend.

tive and explicit, snickers and whispered jokes that at first punctuated the darkness slackened. By the time an underground film portraying homosexual acts between two nude males flashed on the screen, viewers were sitting in stunned silence.

Most of the Denison students appeared to take the showing-in stride but many committee members obviously were distressed.

"I realize (the scenes) were all taken out of context, but it was pretty frightening," said Rep. Robert A. Manning, R-94, Akron, sponsor of the obscenity bill. "I'm no prude but boy oh boy."

Earlier, the committee was urged by a representative of magazine wholesalers to retain sections of the bill which deal with minors. But he suggested that proposed sections dealing with obscenity in general should be rejected and present statutes be retained.

THE WHOLESALERS' WITNESS said a New York law dealing with minors, on which much o fthe proposed Ohio bill is based, already has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as constitutional. He added that while present Ohio statutes dealing with obscenity generally may be poorly worded, they had been effective enough to put several convicted pornographers in the penitentiary.

The magazine wholesalers fear that years of litigation will result if the committee attempts to write new language into law which has not already been held constitutional.

There are not expected to be any opponents to major parts of Manning's bill. It probably will be sent to a subcommittee As scenes grew progressively sugges-next week for extensive redrafting.

THE ROOM WAS CROWDED throughout the 55-minute screening.