In the case of Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of Dallas in 1967, the Supreme Court ruled that a city ordinance which required a board to review and classify films before they could be shown was unconstitutional due to its vagueness and potential for censorship. The Dallas-based company Interstate Circuit, Inc., along with other film distributors and theater owners, challenged an ordinance by the City of Dallas that established a Motion Picture Classification Board responsible for reviewing all movies intended for public viewing within city limits. This board had authority to label films as "not suitable for young persons" based on their content. The plaintiffs argued this system violated their First Amendment rights because it allowed government interference in deciding what audiences could view certain films without clear guidelines or standards about what constituted inappropriate content. In its decision favoring Interstate Circuit, Inc., the court found that such broad discretion given to a censorial body risked suppressing free speech.

In the dissenting opinion for Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of Dallas, Justice Hugo Black argued that the majority's decision was a significant departure from previous First Amendment jurisprudence and could potentially lead to widespread censorship. He contended that by allowing local governments to censor films they deemed "unsuitable" for children without clear guidelines or standards, the Court had effectively given them carte blanche to suppress any material they found objectionable on subjective grounds. Furthermore, he criticized the majority's reliance on social science research as evidence of harm caused by exposure to certain types of content, arguing that such studies were inconclusive at best and should not form the basis for constitutional decisions. Finally, he expressed concern about potential chilling effects on free speech and artistic expression resulting from this ruling.