State ex rel. Dowd v. Motion Picture

287 N.E.2d 650, 31 Ohio Misc. 208, 60 Ohio Op. 2d 382, 1972 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 196
CourtStark County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedApril 21, 1972
DocketNo. 116368
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 287 N.E.2d 650 (State ex rel. Dowd v. Motion Picture) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Stark County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Dowd v. Motion Picture, 287 N.E.2d 650, 31 Ohio Misc. 208, 60 Ohio Op. 2d 382, 1972 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 196 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1972).

Opinion

Quinn, J.

This matter is before the court on the application of the State of Ohio for a permanent injunction pursuant to R. C. 3767.03 to enjoin the exhibition of two alleged obscene films, to wit: “Pay the Baby Sitter” and “Open-Air Bedroom” and other obscene films and stage shows as a public nuisance, and on a motion to show cause for violation of orders in a temporary injunction issued in this matter pursuant to this statute.

Incorporated into the trial of this cause and received as part of the evidence was the court’s viewing of the films “Pay the Baby Sitter” and “Open-Air Bedroom” at the State Burlesque Theater at 412 Tuscarawas Street, East, Canton, Ohio. The film “Pay the Baby Sitter” consisted of a number of episodes in which couples, male and female, became involved in various erotic activity. The participants were eventually in the' nude, exhibited the genital areas and performed actual or simulated sexual acts. The theme of the film consisted of the introduction to a young female of an awareness of individual and paired sexual activity and her subsequent engagement either alone or in participation with various persons, male and female, in a variety of sexual acts. At the viewing by the court, the film ended with the young baby sitter and her boyfriend being found nude on the sofa engaged in an act of actual or simulated sexual intercourse by the residents of the apartment who suddenly returned, whereupon the two couples agreed to trade partners. However, testimony by Officers Petterman and Maxson and the witness, 'Whitten Richman, indicated that when they had viewed this film prior to the official court presentation, that the film had gone on to show actual or simulated sexual intercourse between the two couples in an exchange of partners. These witnesses testified that these final scenes had been deleted from the viewing by the court.

The film “Open-Air Bedroom” presented a variety of scenes beginning with lesbian roommates involved in sexual activity with each other and going on to present their becoming involved with male partners. Most of the scenes were photographed in a wooded area a short distance from [211]*211what appeared to be a public park. Again, there were numerous scenes of nudity showing both the male and female genitalia and various acts of actual or simulated sexual intercourse.

Officers Fetterman and Maxson testified that when they viewed the film “Open-Air Bedroom” prior to the institution of suit, there was a scene showing the extraction of the erect male penis from the female but that this scene had been deleted from the viewing by the court.

In both movies the sole emphasis was on the provocative and the erotic, with the obvious intent to commercially exploit sex in a variety of lewd and lustful settings. Each film was dominated by a pattern of movement by the characters from one sex act to the next. Such acts included actual or simulated coitis, masturbation, sodomy, and lesbianism.

There was further testimony that when the witness, "Whitten Richman, viewed the films at the State Theater on November 18, 1971, he also observed a filmstrip entitled “Spread Eagle.” He testified that this filmstrip involved the exposure of the complete female genitalia in a manner intended to be sexually stimulating. This was corroborated by testimony of the witness Maxson.

Officer Fetterman testified that when he attended the State Theater on November 12, 1971, to observe the films “Open-Air Bedroom” and “Pay the Baby Sitter,” he also observed a live dancer named Maria London, perform nude on the stage at which time she exposed the interior of the vaginal area to the viewing audience and engaged in a series of actions in running her hands through her pubic hair and around her breasts. Evidence relating to the live show was to the effect that the performances were completely nude and performed so as to expose the entire female genital area.

The court did not have the opportunity to view either the live show or the filmstrip “Spread Eagle,” and must rely upon the other evidence presented.

No pleading was filed on behalf of the defendants and no testimony was presented in their behalf. In addition [212]*212to the witnesses, Fetterman, Maxson and Bichman, the state called the defendant, Martin Konoph, who refused to testify on the ground that his testimony might incriminate him.

At the end of the state’s case, the defense rested, advising the court that it intended to call no witnesses nor to present any evidence. The state’s evidence clearly supports the conclusion that the defendant, Martin Konoph, has at all relevant times been the manager of the State Theater. Officer Fetterman identified the defendant, Konoph, in the courtroom and stated that he had seen him frequently at the Burlesque Theater; that as an officer of the Morals Bureau, Fetterman had had occasion to converse with Mr. Konoph concerning the. types of films being-shown; that Mr. Konoph had agreed to comply with the suggestions of the Morals Bureau from time to time with regard to particular movies being shown; that in the past Mr. Konoph had made deletions or cuts from films at the request of the Morals Bureau; that Officer Fetterman had observed Konoph give orders to ticket takers and had observed Konoph give an employee a pay envelope. Further, it was stipulated that the defendant, Konoph, was listed in the Canton City Directory as the manager of the State Burlesque Theater.

It was further stipulated that the lot and building within which the State Burlesque Theater is operated is owned by the defendant, Jamal Limited, Inc. Certain records of the County Auditor’s Office were received in evidence showing this real estate to be owned by Jamal Limited, Inc., and further indicating that such premises were used as a theater.

Officer Fetterman further testified that he observed that the movies “Pay the Baby Sitter” and “Open-Air Bedroom” were exhibited on November 12 and 13. The witness, Whitten Bichman, testified that he observed these films at the theater on November 18. There was further testimony that the standard running time at the State Theater for films was an entire week beginning Friday and ending Thursday of the following week.

[213]*213The state’s expert witness, Whitten Richman, an English instructor at the Kent State University Regional Campus, Stark County, testified that he had found the films “Pay the Baby Sitter” and “Open-Air Bedroom” to fit the following criteria:

1. The dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest in sex;

2. The material is patently offensive because it confronts contemporary community standards relating to the description or representation of sexual matters;

3. The material is utterly without redeeming social value..

From the evidence, the court makes the following findings of fact:

1. The plaintiff, David D. Dowd, Jr., who brought this action in behalf of the state of Ohio, has at all relevant times been the duly elected and acting Prosecuting Attorney of Stark County, Ohio.

2. The defendant, Martin Konoph, was at all times referred to in the complaint, the manager of the State Burlesque Theater located at 412 Tuscarawas Street, East, Canton, Ohio.

3.

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Related

State v. Harrold
585 N.W.2d 532 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 1998)
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320 A.2d 646 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
287 N.E.2d 650, 31 Ohio Misc. 208, 60 Ohio Op. 2d 382, 1972 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-dowd-v-motion-picture-ohctcomplstark-1972.