American adult movies from 1970 that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
Analyze Your Sex
aka Analyse Your Sex
Produced by Fleetan Films / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In January 1981, a 581.43-meter (52:59) 16mm ‘pre-censor cut version’ of ANALYZE YOUR SEX was passed with an R-rating.
Esquire Films was the applicant.
The following month, 14th Mandolin resubmitted it as ANALYSE YOUR SEX. This 581.41-meter (52:59) 16mm print was censored by 4.5-meters (00:25) for an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
In the censored R-rated version, it was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin released it theatrically and on their King of Video label.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD – 47:20
Part of THE YOUNG MARRIEDS & THE LOST FILMS OF ALICE FRIEDLAND
A female patient (Alice Friedland) goes to see a sex therapist (James Brand) to talk through her sexual problems. She learns some new sex techniques and he learns a few lessons too.
This is a softcore film which makes efficient use of its footage. For example, we first see Alice Friedland’s character having sex with a man on a dirty mattress in a room full of cardboard boxes, and she tells her therapist that she didn’t enjoy it. He tells her to imagine the incident again but this time with her playing a more dominant role. We see this second version of the scene and it seems to be almost identical to the first one.
It’s difficult to be sure of the cuts because the extant print runs over 5 minutes shorter than the 52:59 version submitted in Australia which was itself precut.
It seems possible that the initial sex scene on the dirty mattress had a non-consensual set-up which is missing from the Alpha Blue Archives version and that this was removed by the distributor. This would make sense of Friedland’s character saying that she didn’t enjoy the experience.
There is also a scene in which the therapist shares his experiences of making love to his wife. Friedland’s character tells him that she sees him playing a more dominant sexual role too. This is illustrated by the therapist inserting a candle into his wife’s posterior and setting light to it. This scene has no credibility as the candle is clearly resting on the bedspread and is nowhere near the wife, but the idea was probably too strong in itself. This may have been precut too.
So why was the first precensored version passed intact, and the 14th Mandolin version a month later cut by 00:25? There is a scene late in the film in which Friedland’s character and the therapist decide to have sex with each other. It starts with him placing her on the bed and she has her hands behind her back. Unless you’re watching extremely closely it’s very possible to miss that her hands are tied, although not very convincingly as the ropes are only resting on her wrists. Around 00:25 later we see the ropes again and this time they fall off her wrists completely. It may be that the Film Censorship Board only noticed this on the second submission.
Bacchanale
aka Bachanale
Directed by John Amero – Lem Amero / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In December 1980, a 1729.06-meter (63:01) print was censored by 3.70-meters (00:08) for an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The sex in the censored R-rated versions was:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
They released it on tape on their Video Budget label with a cover title of BACHANALE.
Review
Mike reports
Cal Vista International (us) – VHS – 76:05
Ruth’s (Uta Erickson) spirit leaves her body during the night and explores a fantasy world in which she meets an array of bizarre people and scenarios. The official synopsis claims that her journey is reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno, which is partly true in that she ends up in a hellscape in which people are being tortured, and the main point of the film is the visuals rather than any attempt at a coherent plot. Obeying dream logic, very often scenes have no connection with those that precede them and it is really a sequence of disconnected happenings in which we don’t get to meet any other characters.
14th Mandolin’s 1980 release ran 63 minutes, which is 7 minutes short of the ‘official’ complete version and 13 minutes shorter than the extant (2026) print. BACCHANALE does contain some hardcore scenes, but these are relatively brief and only run for around 4 minutes, so it is unlikely that 14th Mandolin’s submission was based on simply cutting the hardcore. Since the version I viewed is so much longer it’s impossible to tell what was in the print the Film Censorship Board viewed and to what they objected. For the record, there are three sequences that each last roughly 00:09 that would match the length of the Board’s cuts.
1. Ruth approaches a naked man extremely slowly over several minutes. As she gets very close, we see a few seconds of his erect penis. I the next shot it’s flaccid again.
2. A woman we haven’t met before runs towards Ruth screaming. She lifts up her top and shows her breasts which are covered in blood. How this happened is never explained and we do not see her again.
3. In the sequence in hell at the end, a female figure who seems to be a goddess, makes a naked man lie on the ground and penetrates him anally with the handle of a whip. This looks quite convincing but it was likely faked and therefore not hardcore.
Further reading
For more censored John and Lem Amero, see the database entry for DYNAMITE (1972).
Britt Blazer
Directed by Marty Rensokoff / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In January and February 1981, a 656.50-meter (59:49) 16mm print of BRITT BLAZER was banned because of sex, which was described as being
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
It was also refused because of ‘sexual violence’.
The first applicant was Esquire Films followed by 14th Mandolin.
In August 1981, it was R-rated for a third time, now in a censored 647.23-meter (58:58) 16mm version. It was awarded for sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Sexual violence was not mentioned, so presumably, this had been removed.
The applicant was once again 14th Mandolin.
14th Mandolin released BRITT BLAZER on their King of Video label.
The censored sexual violence
Simon reports.
Something Weird (us) – 1996 VHS – 59:58 (NTSC)
The censored minute of ‘sexual violence’ must have come from the sequence where Nick (Norman Fields) rapes Denise (Barbara Mills). She is shown tied to the bed when he enters the room and removes his clothes. At 30:30, she begins to resist his advances, so he slaps her around the face before raping her.
The whole film is just an endless sequence of softcore sex, with the flimsiest of plots.
The Caper
Directed by Bill Board / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In January 1982, a 658.32-meter (59:59) 16mm print of THE CAPER was censored by 18.80-meters (01:43) for an R-rating.
It was cut to remove sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
While in the R-rated version, it was reduced to being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 10 March 1982, the censored R-rated version of THE CAPER was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was 14th Mandolin.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – 2014 DVD – 61:35
Sally (Kathy Hilton) is a photographer who takes nude photos of male and female models in her house. Both she and her neighbour have sex with some of the models. It’s not an all-sex film by any means. The convoluted plot concerns a stolen purse and a pair of mislaid underpants, breaks up the sex scenes.
It’s difficult to be sure about the 01.43 of cuts imposed by the Film Censorship Board as the 14th Mandolin submission seems to have already been 01:30 shorter than the Alpha Blue Archives version. I would suggest the following may have been an issue.
There is a group sex scene featuring Sally, her neighbour and two male models. At times the thrusting becomes more vigorous and there is clear genital contact, although this mainly serves to show that the sex is simulated. For over a minute, the camera takes the place of one of the male participants. This places the viewer directly in the scene and means that more of the action is filmed close-up. There are 00:10 of an erect penis which would presumably have had to go.
Cousin Jed Rides Again
aka Cousin Jedd Rides Again (Classification Board title)
Produced by Scorpio / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In December 1981, a 510-meter (46:28) 16mm print of COUSIN JED RIDES AGAIN was censored by 10-meter (00:55) for an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’, which was described as:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
In the R-rated version, this was reduced to:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
It screened at Melbourne’s Club Cinema from March to April 1982 and again in May 1983.
Review
Mike reports
Something Weird Video (us) – DVD – 53:15
Ken and his wife Linda (Antionette Maynard) manage to fill their time sexually but they’re fast running out of money and her part-time job in a pool hall can no longer support them. She decides to invite her cousin from Texas, Jed (Paul Scharf) over in the hope that he will provide a boost to their finances. An impostor posing as Jed arrives and steals their furniture instead.
Despite the IMDb labelling COUSIN JED RIDES AGAIN as a softcore film, the sexual content is actually quite a bit stronger. There are erect penises, masturbation and blowjobs which last over 2-3 minutes. The US definition of ‘softcore’ was still in flux in the early 1970s, but unsimulated fellatio as seen in this film was always over the hardcore boundary. In the 53-minute version that I viewed, the sex is pretty much wall to wall, which doesn’t really fit with the Film Censorship Board’s description of it as ‘infrequent’.
However, US cinema ads show a version that ran a maximum of 50 minutes so presumably, that was a softcore version. Whether that was what 14th Mandolin had access to, or whether they cut the hardcore version themselves isn’t known, but it’s clear some editing went on somewhere.
One softcore scene which may have posed problems, had it been present in the version viewed by the Board, occurs when Ken is unhappy at Jed having so much sex with his wife and he decides to get drunk and have sex with Maggie (Orita De Chadwick), a woman he met at the bar. He begins to thrust into her from behind and she says ‘Hey there, don’t be so rough’. An energetic sex scene follows and the camera swirls around chaotically, perhaps trying to mimic his drunkenness, and gets very close to the action at times.
The IMDb claims that COUSIN JED RISES AGAIN is a 1970 film but there are no US newspaper ads for it prior to 1973. One IMDb reviewer points out; there are Sonny and Cher songs on the soundtrack that were only released in 1971.
The Curious Female
Directed by Paul Rapp / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In June 1972, a 6600-feet (73:20) print of THE CURIOUS FEMALE was banned because of ‘indecency’. Roadshow Distributors were the applicant. The running time indicates that it had already been precut before submission.
Review
Mike reports
Unknown label – DVD – 85:34
In 2157, society is ruled by a supercomputer which bans the viewing of outdated films which preach the virtues of love, marriage and traditional sexual morality. A group of barely clothed dissenters gather in Los Angeles for an illicit screening of some of the films. The event is hosted by Liana (Bunny Allister) and the projectionist Jorel (David Westberg).
It’s not clear why Roadshow precut THE CURIOUS FEMALE by as much as 14 minutes, but there are certainly a number of scenes which would have troubled the Film Censorship Board at that time:
1. The first film is a softcore stag loop called THE VACUUM SALESMAN. He has sex, featuring some nudity and toe sucking, with a housewife while trying to interest her in his products.
2. The second is titled THE THREE VIRGINS and it takes up most of the remainder of the film.
(a) One of the group asks what a virgin is, and they’re reminded of the custom of a teenager having sex with an old man, which seems to be part of a coming of age ritual. This is referred to repeatedly afterwards;
(b) One of the virgins is sexually assaulted by her uncle on the sofa. Her father comes home, blames her for it and slaps her face;
(c) The three virgins all join a computer dating agency to find a man to lose their virginity to. We see a scene at the reception in which an unhappy customer complains about being given unsuitable partners. One of these is a youngster who is seen wearing make-up and acting flirtatiously. She tries to persuade him to take her on a date regardless. This scene is played for comedy;
(d) Two sleazy bikers try to chat up one of the virgins, Pearl (Charlene Jones), in a bar. They attempt to rape her on the pool table before a patron steps in and assaults them with a pool cue. He’s less chivalrous than he seems as he proceeds to blame her for leading them on;
(e) Another of the virgins is picked up by a man who initiates sex and persists despite her objections. He gets the message eventually but the nonconsensual scenario goes on for a while;
(f) Susan (Angelique Pettyjohn) decides to lose her virginity by attending a drug-induced orgy. A five minute group sex scene features all the participants smoking cannabis and is accompanied by psychedelic music and visuals. One of the group has clearly been taking something much stronger and is having a bad trip.
(g) One of the virgins decides to turn her back on the swinging lifestyle and goes back to her long-term boyfriend. They decide to get married and on the wedding night he brutally rapes her.
Even when the sex in THE THREE VIRGINS is consensual, it’s largely too strong for 1972 standards.
Nevertheless, it’s a slight surprise that as many as 14 minutes were precut in 1972, but even more of a surprise that the Board were prepared to pass it in a presumably complete version just two years later.
New distributor & rating
Filmways finally received an R-rating for the film in April 1974.
The 2387.00-meter (87:00) print was 14-minutes longer than the one that was banned only two years earlier.
Banned in Queensland
On 30 April 1976, the censored R-rated version of THE CURIOUS FEMALE was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Filmways.
Video release
In June 1990, an 84-minute VHS of THE CURIOUS FEMALE was passed with an R (Frequent sexual activity) rating.
RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts Video released it on tape.
Deep Love
Directed by Sarky / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In April 1977, a 2209.30-meter (80:32) print of DEEP LOVE was banned because of ‘indecency’.
The same decision greeted a 1945.00-meter (70:54) ‘reconstructed version’ in September 1977. This print was the subject of an unsuccessful appeal to the Films Board of Review in November 1977.
In all cases, Lestrig Trading was the applicant.
Interestingly, an admat had appeared in Sydney’s Daily Mirror in May 1977. It was promoted as ‘Obscene? You be the judge. DEEP LOVE – R – Now at Sydney’s first truly adult cinema. Eros, 654 George St, City.’ At the time, it did not have an R-rating, so it is unclear if it actually played.
X-rated video
In September 1984, a 76-minute video called DEEP LOVE was passed with an X-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The National Classification Database lists no Director or Producer for this submission, so it cannot be confirmed if it is the same film. It was submitted by 14th Mandolin and released on their Pink Video label.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD – Trailer only
Part of CUMMING ATTRACTIONS 1970 VOL. 2
It would be interesting to know if DEEP LOVE on Pink Video is the same film because, apart from the trailer, no other versions appears to survive.
The plot seems to concern a talent agency where women who are applying for parts in movies are given aphrodisiac potions before being forced to have sex with sleazy photographers. The sex scenes with drugged victims presumably meant that even a cut down version was deemed unacceptable.
The IMDb claims that DEEP LOVE is a hardcore film, but there’s no sign of any real sex in the trailer.
Get What You Pay For
Produced by Janus II / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In August 1980, a 625.30-meter (56:59) 16mm print of GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Mutual Film Distributors were the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD – Trailer only
Part of CUMMING ATTRACTIONS 1970 VOL. 2
Apart from the trailer, GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR is very likely lost.
The plot seems to concern what goes on behind the scenes on an adult movie set, including how women are interviewed for their roles (by having sex with the producer) and how cast and crew let off steam after being sexually aroused throughout a day’s filming. There’s a brief moment when a woman is seen pleasuring herself with a telephone receiver, but otherwise all of the sex in the trailer is fairly conventional softcore and consensual. There’s no sign of the high-level explicitness which caused it to be banned.
He and She
Directed by Matt Cimber / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In July 1977, a 1744.30-meter (63.35) print of HE AND SHE was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A censored 1371.00-meter (49:58) print lost a further 1.6-meters (00:03) before being awarded an R-rating in September 1977. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
Lestrig Trading was the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 22 April 1978, the censored R-rated version of HE AND SHE was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Lestrig Films.
White-coated hardcore
Matt reports.
Something Weird (us) – 1994 VHS – 57:52 (NTSC)
This was a very choppy print, so that may account for the shorter running time. The sex is hardcore but is presented educationally. SEXUAL FREEDOM IN DENMARK (1970) used this ‘white-coater’ trick and the Australian censor passed that in 1974.
With thirteen minutes missing, the Australian R-rated version of HE AND SHE must have been very painful to watch.