Seattle (Wash.). Board of Theatre Supervisors

The Board of Theatre Supervisors was created in 1923 with Ordinance 52969; its purpose was to regulate exhibitions of motion pictures, drama and opera performances, theaters, and other public entertainment. The Board was to enforce the ordinance, which prohibited the production or display of "obscene, indecent, or immoral" entertainments. The nine-member Board, which regulated entertainment and exhibitions "contrary to the public morals and good order," was appointed by the Mayor, with the stipulation that one member be involved in motion picture production or distribution and another be involved with the ownership or management of a motion picture theater. Earlier incarnations of the Board (then known as the Board of Censors) had between five and fifteen members; in many cases, a certain number of Board members were required to be women. Board members were authorized to enter theaters and perform inspections and to view and censor films before they were shown to audiences. The Board was dissolved in 1968 through Ordinance 97321.