Times Film Corp. v. City of Chicago et al.
In two cases involving limits on freedom of expression for motion pictures, the Court affirmed the right of local governments to engage in some form of censorship.· AI-written
365 U.S. 43 · No. 34 · 1960 term · Warren Court
Decided Jan 23, 1961 · argued Oct 19, 1960
First Amendment · First Amendment, miscellaneous
Majority opinion: Tom Clark
The voteMajorityDissent
5–45 in the majority, 4 in dissent
4 dissents (5–4)
Affirmed. Times Film Corp. lost.
What this ruling means
Affirmed: the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, so it stands (sometimes with changes the Court made to it).
Times Film Corp. was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Lost” means the Court did not give that side the result it asked for.
From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.
Summary
The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.
Times Film Corp. v. City of Chicago, or Times v. City of Chicago is the name of two cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1957 and 1961. Both involved the issue of limits on freedom of expression in connection with motion pictures. In both cases the court affirmed the right of local governments to engage in some form of censorship.
Within a few years after the second decision, however, the court had dramatically reversed itself, coming down in favor of broad First Amendment freedoms for filmmakers.
Data notes
The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.
How the justices voted
Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 1960 term. Filled: the 5 in the majority. Hollow: the 4 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.
Majority(5)
Tom ClarkWrote the majority opinion
Potter StewartJoined the majority
Charles WhittakerJoined the majority
Felix FrankfurterJoined the majority
John HarlanJoined the majority
Dissent(4)
William DouglasWrote a dissent
Earl WarrenWrote a dissent
Hugo BlackJoined a dissent
William BrennanJoined a dissent
Data notes
Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.
Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.
The parties
Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.
- Petitioner
- Times Film Corp.Movie, play, pictorial representation, theatrical production, actor, or exhibitor or distributor
- Respondent
- City of Chicago et al.City, town, township, village, or borough government or governmental unit (Illinois)
- Reached the Court by
- Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Data notes
The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.
The law at issue
The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.
- Provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Kind of law
- Constitutional Amendment
- Decided by
- Judicial review (state level)
Data notes
The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.
Timeline
What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.
- Jan 23, 1961DecidedDecided · Decided 5–4: affirmed. Times Film Corp. lost.
- Oct 19, 1960ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
- Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari).
- Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit: affirmed.
- Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the Illinois Northern U.S. District Court.
Data notes
From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.
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- Gravel v. United StatesLandmark · Other408 U.S. 606Jun 29, 1972 · 408 U.S. 606First AmendmentLandmark · Other5–45–4 band
- Healy et al. v. James et al.408 U.S. 169Jun 26, 1972 · 408 U.S. 169First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Laird, Secretary of Defense, et al. v. Tatum et al.408 U.S. 1Jun 26, 1972 · 408 U.S. 1First Amendment5–45–4 band
- Lloyd Corp., Ltd. v. Tanner et al.407 U.S. 551Jun 22, 1972 · 407 U.S. 551First Amendment5–45–4 band
- New York Times Co. v. United StatesLandmark · Freedom of speech and of the press403 U.S. 713Jun 30, 1971 · 403 U.S. 713First AmendmentLandmark · Freedom of speech and of the press6–36–3 band
- Organization for a Better Austin et al. v. Keefe402 U.S. 415May 17, 1971 · 402 U.S. 415First Amendment8–18–1 band
- Brandenburg v. OhioLandmark · Freedom of speech and of the press395 U.S. 444Jun 9, 1969 · 395 U.S. 444First AmendmentLandmark · Freedom of speech and of the press8–0Unanimous band
- Red Lion Broadcasting Co., Inc., et al. v. Federal Communications Commission et al.395 U.S. 367Jun 9, 1969 · 395 U.S. 367First Amendment7–0Unanimous band
- Carroll et al. v. President and Commissioners of Princess Anne et al.393 U.S. 175Nov 19, 1968 · 393 U.S. 175First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Amalgamated Food Employees Union Local 590 et al. v. Logan Valley Plaza, Inc., et al.391 U.S. 308May 20, 1968 · 391 U.S. 308First Amendment6–36–3 band
- United Mine Workers of America, District 12 v. Illinois State Bar Association et al.389 U.S. 217Dec 5, 1967 · 389 U.S. 217First Amendment8–18–1 band
- Bond et al. v. Floyd et al.385 U.S. 116Dec 5, 1966 · 385 U.S. 116First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Mills v. Alabama384 U.S. 214May 23, 1966 · 384 U.S. 214First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Lamont, dba Basic Pamphlets v. Postmaster GeneralLandmark381 U.S. 301May 24, 1965 · 381 U.S. 301First AmendmentLandmark8–0Unanimous band
- Dombrowski et al. v. Pfister, Chairman, Joint Legislative Committee on Unamerican Activities of the Louisiana Legislature, et al.Landmark · Freedom of speech and of the press380 U.S. 479Apr 26, 1965 · 380 U.S. 479First AmendmentLandmark · Freedom of speech and of the press5–27–2 band
- Freedman v. Maryland380 U.S. 51Mar 1, 1965 · 380 U.S. 51First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama ex rel. Flowers, Attorney General377 U.S. 288Jun 1, 1964 · 377 U.S. 288First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Virginia ex rel. Virginia State Bar377 U.S. 1Apr 20, 1964 · 377 U.S. 1First Amendment6–27–2 band
- Gibson v. Florida Legislative Investigation Committee372 U.S. 539Mar 25, 1963 · 372 U.S. 539First Amendment5–45–4 band
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button, Attorney General of Virginia, et al.371 U.S. 415Jan 14, 1963 · 371 U.S. 415First Amendment6–36–3 band
- Wood v. Georgia370 U.S. 375Jun 25, 1962 · 370 U.S. 375First Amendment5–27–2 band
- Lathrop v. Donohue367 U.S. 820Jun 19, 1961 · 367 U.S. 820First Amendment7–27–2 band
- Louisiana ex rel. Gremillion, Attorney General, et al. v. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People et al.366 U.S. 293May 22, 1961 · 366 U.S. 293First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Shelton et al. v. Tucker et al.364 U.S. 479Dec 12, 1960 · 364 U.S. 479First Amendment5–45–4 band
- Talley v. California362 U.S. 60Mar 7, 1960 · 362 U.S. 60First Amendment6–36–3 band
- Bates et al. v. City of Little Rock et al.361 U.S. 516Feb 23, 1960 · 361 U.S. 516First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- In re Sawyer360 U.S. 622Jun 29, 1959 · 360 U.S. 622First Amendment5–45–4 band
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson, Attorney GeneralLandmark · Freedom of association357 U.S. 449Jun 30, 1958 · 357 U.S. 449First AmendmentLandmark · Freedom of association9–0Unanimous band
- Staub v. City of Baxley355 U.S. 313Jan 13, 1958 · 355 U.S. 313First Amendment7–27–2 band
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 695, A. F. L., et al. v. Vogt, Inc.354 U.S. 284Jun 17, 1957 · 354 U.S. 284First Amendment5–36–3 band
- United States v. Harriss et al.347 U.S. 612Jun 7, 1954 · 347 U.S. 612First Amendment5–36–3 band
- Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson, Commissioner of Education of New York, et al.Landmark · Freedom of speech and of the press343 U.S. 495May 26, 1952 · 343 U.S. 495First AmendmentLandmark · Freedom of speech and of the press9–0Unanimous band
- Feiner v. New York340 U.S. 315Jan 15, 1951 · 340 U.S. 315First Amendment6–36–3 band
- Building Service Employees International Union, Local 262, et al. v. Gazzam339 U.S. 532May 8, 1950 · 339 U.S. 532First Amendment8–0Unanimous band
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, etc. Union, Local 309, et al. v. Hanke et al., Doing Business As Atlas Auto Rebuild339 U.S. 470May 8, 1950 · 339 U.S. 470First Amendment5–36–3 band
- Cole et al. v. Arkansas338 U.S. 345Dec 5, 1949 · 338 U.S. 345First Amendment8–0Unanimous band
- Terminiello v. Chicago337 U.S. 1May 16, 1949 · 337 U.S. 1First Amendment5–45–4 band
- Giboney et al. v. Empire Storage & Ice Co.336 U.S. 490Apr 4, 1949 · 336 U.S. 490First Amendment9–0Unanimous band
- Saia v. New York334 U.S. 558Jun 7, 1948 · 334 U.S. 558First Amendment5–45–4 band
- Winters v. New York333 U.S. 507Mar 29, 1948 · 333 U.S. 507First Amendment6–36–3 band
- United States v. Petrillo332 U.S. 1Jun 23, 1947 · 332 U.S. 1First Amendment5–36–3 band
- Craig et al. v. Harney, Sheriff331 U.S. 367May 19, 1947 · 331 U.S. 367First Amendment6–36–3 band
- Oklahoma v. United States Civil Service Commission330 U.S. 127Feb 10, 1947 · 330 U.S. 127First Amendment5–27–2 band
Data notes
Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.
Official record
Read the full opinion on Justia, the argument audio on Oyez and Wikipedia. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.