"Mary Avara" vs "Bobby Darin" 1970

"Mary Avara" and "Bobby Darin" debate censorship and pornography on the Mike Douglas Show in 1970.

"Mary Avara" was Born in Baltimore Maryland in 1910 to an Italian immigrant family with 17 brothers and sisters. Despite very little formal education, and the death of her husband in 1943, Mary became a political powerhouse and in 1960 was appointed by Governor J. Millard Tawes to the Maryland Motion Picture Censor Board. Her outspoken, common sense nature made her very popular with the national talk shows of the day including Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas.
On several occasions, Mary happened to be a guest on the same show with Bobby Darin.
This was their first encounter.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Bobby Darin
• Mary Avara
• Mike Douglas
• pornography
• censorship
• censor
• censors
• maryland
• baltimore
• john waters
• italian
• pat cooper
• 1970
• 1960
• porn
• nudity
• sex
• silanskas
• movies
• movie
• the kings speech

[GoRetroGirl]

I do think it's funny when Mary accuses Bobby of not being Italian...considering Italian filmmakers gave us the Godfather movies, Goodfellas, and the Sopranos!

[Altair6films]

Interestingly enough, I remember when the Godfather was released, I wasn't allowed to see it but I seem to recall that she liked it. At least I can remember some lively discussions on the subject. Since we were all members of the "Sons Of Italy", you can only imagine. LOL

[Altair6films]

She was actually a wonderful lady. She spent her life feeding the poor and helping anyone and everyone she encountered. In Baltimore she was known as Miss Mary and despite being well off financially, lived in the inner city so she could feed, cloth and help anyone in need. Remember... this was the end of an era.. Censorships last days... and... She was my Grandmother. We miss you gramps.

[GoRetroGirl]

With some of the garbage being shown on TV and the big screen, we could use more of your grandmother's judgement today. Sounds like she was a very kind lady.

[Altair6films]

Thanks... She really was an amazing women and very outspoken on topics that effect children. John Waters dedicated several pages in his book "Shock Value" to her. He really hated the fact that she challenged his warped sense of humor.

[bhamdodger]

I find Mary very self righteous and overbearing.

[DevilFish222]

Anytime someone uses "I'm just trying to protect the children" as part of, or as their whole argument, it's because their point is total crap.

[9162vb48]

Think about it ... the State of Maryland appoints a censor who in defending her "right" to capriciously and arbitrarily censor a movie calls a grown man "a little boy."

The little child is Mary. As such, the children she so fervently wants to protect are no more than herself wanting to be protected from life itself.

[9162vb48]

She acts as if stupidity is a virtue.

[9162vb48]

Remind me not to ever set foot in Maryland.

[tallulahdarling]

We had someone in the UK like this. She was called Mary Whitehouse and just as close-minded. I can understand that she wanted to protect children but what gave her the moral superiority to decide what was good or bad. I'm sure she was well-meaning but she was dangerous.

[chasethecrooner]

First of all I thank the person who posted this enlightening video. Bobby Darin was a liberal and a democratic supporter or was he? Like Frank Sinatra who started out liberal on many issues, found in later life he was really a conservative. I LOVE Bobby Darin who was a musical and performing genius, the like we will never see again. His position here is not supporting the liberal socialist view, but quite the contrary, he is spouting conservative principles. Most on first view would say th

[kirbygene]

Funny how culture changes. The audience was solidly behind her in 1970, but the majority of comments in 2011 are solidly against her, including me.

[emsguybob]

@Altair6films it wasn't that she challenged his warped sense of humor, but that she wanted it illegal for anyone to view movies she didn't like. She was a bully who felt people could not judge for themselves what they wanted to see,

[tracieh15]

what do you have to do to qualify to be an "expert"? IJA

[scoremanga]

i agree with bob

[hnksnw]

And thus that easily, people give away their rights. Bobby was right. If only people used both sides of their brain.