American adult movies from 1970 that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
A History of the Blue Movie
Directed by Alex de Renzy / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In November 1975, a 3234.23-meter (117:53) print of A HISTORY OF THE BLUE MOVIE was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A censored 1914.20-meter (69:46) version lost another 50.30-meter (01:50) before being awarded an R-rating in January 1978.
Seven Keys were the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
After Hours Cinema – DVD – 116:08
A serious documentary about the history of adult movies in the US in which a number of the films are shown accompanied by commentary by an unnamed narrator.
A HISTORY OF THE BLUE MOVIE covers the period from the first US blue movie, A FREE RIDE (1915), through the nude striptease films of the 1940s and 50s to the commercial adult film production of the early 1970s. Alex De Renzy, spends some time towards the end showing the making of an adult movie in his own studios. The aim is clearly to inform and the narrator is keen to put the stag loops which are being shown in historical context and connect them to debates about obscenity. There is also an explanation of how these films were made and distributed. It’s certainly far more than an excuse to show pornography.
Other problem areas might have included sexualised urination in A FREE RIDE (1915), implied sex with animals in ON THE BEACH (1923), animated hardcore in EVEREADY HARTON IN BURIED TREASURE (1929) and lack of consent when actress Candy Barr refuses to give her partner oral sex, apparently for real, in SMART ALEC (1951).
While there is a lot of hardcore, it doesn’t last anywhere near the 50 minutes that Seven Keys cut to secure a release in 1978. The main reason for the massive cuts might well be that simply removing the censorable material would have been technically difficult. The loops are accompanied by a music track and also by the narrator making quite frequent and detailed comments on the action. It may well be that far more was cut than strictly necessary and that this was done for continuity reasons.
A HISTORY OF THE BLUE MOVIE seems to be an interesting case study in that by 1975, the Film Censorship Board had been prepared to pass real sex in what they thought to be a genuine sex education context, but weren’t happy to do so here in a serious documentary.
I Do Voodoo
Produced by Reel Images – Video Yesteryear / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In January 1981, a 50-minute video of I DO VOODOO was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Hollywood House Video was the applicant.
The Italian Stallion
Directed by Morton Lewis / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In April 1979, a 1801.60-meter (65:40) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of THE ITALIAN STALLION was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Lestrig Trading was the applicant.
1980s video double-bill
In October and November 1985, a 180-minute double-bill tape of THE ITALIAN STALLION and Bob Chinn’s FANTASY WORLD (1979) was twice passed with an R-rating.
The video was submitted by Communication and Entertainment, who released it on their Playaround Video label.
Review
Mike reports
Unknown DVD – 69:00
Kitty (Henrietta Holm) and Stud (Sylvester Stallone) are lovers who have a full sex life and often invite friends over to their apartment for orgies. Stud has a temper but this makes Kitty love him even more.
It’s not clear which version of THE ITALIAN STALLION 14th Mandolin started from when they made precuts as there are prints running anything from 67 to 83 minutes. There have been unsubstantiated rumours since the mid-1970s which claim that it was originally contained hardcore sex. Such a version does exist, but it was only created many years later by an enterprising German distributor who added hardcore inserts taken from WHITE FIRE (1976). That version definitely didn’t exist back in 1979, so we can be certain it was not what 14th Mandolin precut.
It’s likely that the precuts mainly focused on a scene in which Stud loses his temper, throws a near-naked Kitty on the bed and whips her vigorously with his belt for over a minute. The camera focuses especially on her vagina during the whipping and when she turns over it zooms in on her buttocks. Stud then thrusts into Kitty against her will for around 10 seconds.
Another scene which may at least have raised eyebrows at the time occurs when Stud again gets angry and punches a window, causing a bloody injury to his hand. Kitty licks off the blood slowly for some time in a manner which suggests that she is sexually aroused by the experience.
Another persistent myth surrounding THE ITALIAN STALLION is that it was an unreleased (and unreleasable) film made in 1970 which sat on the shelves until the distributor decided to cash in on Stallone’s success as ROCKY (1976). In fact there are US newspaper ads showing that it was in circulation from 1970-73 under its original title of THE PARTY AT KITTY AND STUD’S.
Love Secrets of the Kama Sutra
aka Kama Sutra
Directed by Raj Devi / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In April 1975, a 1886.20-meter (68:45) print of LOVE SECRETS OF THE KAMASUTRA was banned because of ‘indecency’.
An appeal was made to the Films Board of Review. In July 1975, they agreed to register it for restricted exhibition, subject to eliminations of 166-meters being made.
The censored version, missing 166-meters (06:03), was released theatrically by Lyra Films.
The daybill lists the distributor as Louis Film Co.
Video release
In the early 1980s, Videoscope issued LOVE SECRETS OF THE KAMA SUTRA as KAMA SUTRA.
Their catalogue advertised it as running 60-minutes.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – Blu-ray – 52:09
A young couple seeking sexual enlightenment visit a guru at his reservation for spiritual advice. While sitting cross-legged on an island in the middle of a lake and accompanied by his pet goat, he regales them with sensual episodes from the Kama Sutra, which we see acted out on screen.
LOVE SECRETS OF THE KAMA SUTRA on the Australian Videoscope label is very rare, so hopefully a copy will one day turn up. The film was generally assumed lost until Alpha Blue Archives released a 52-minute fragment. Since this version is 17 minutes shorter than the one submitted in Australia and 25 minutes shorter than the complete version, it’s difficult to be sure about the Film Censorship Board’s cuts. The extant print is softcore throughout, but there is no reliable information on whether the original version playing in US cinemas contained hardcore material. Some of the cast members such as Jane Tsentas and Uschi Digard were generally associated with softcore while others like John Holmes generally appeared in hardcore.. The surviving US cinema ads show that it played on double and triple bills with both hardcore and softcore movies.
The material from the Kama Sutra which we see performed in the extant version would have been unlikely to trouble the Film Censorship Board. These scenes are slow and fairly tame, the camera is often kept at a distance, and lighting and editing effects, including solarisation of the image at times, reduce the impact further. These scenes are far more concerned with eroticism than graphic sexuality. Aside from 00:03 of an erect penis there wouldn’t have been anything to cut.
Towards the end of the film, the couple decide to have sex in the woods on the way home. They’re joined by the guru’s maid for a threesome. This scene has the potential to be more explicit and censorable but Alpha Blue’s print stops part way through, so it’s difficult to be sure.
Matinee Wives
aka Matinee Hookers
Directed by Kendall Stewart / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In February 1976, a 2359.00-meter (85:59) print of MATINEE WIVES was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A 2017.20-meter (73:31) ‘reconstructed version’ lost a further 159.80-meters (05:49) of indecency before being awarded an R-rating in July 1977. This submission was made under the alternative title of MATINEE HOOKERS.
In both cases, Roadshow Distributors were the applicant.
Re-rated for video
In May 1982, Blake Films had a 2245.70-meter (81:51) print passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The submission was made under the MATINEE WIVES title.
In February 1984, it was twice passed on video as MATINEE HOOKERS. The first was an 82-minute tape from Blake Films, which was rated for the same reasons as their May 1982 submission.
The second tape ran 88-minutes and came from Pakenham Video Library.
Roadshow released MATINEE HOOKERS on their Vibrant Video label.
Further reading
For more censored Kendall Stewart (AKA Ken Stewart), see the database entry for CODE NAME: RAW-HIDE (1972).
The Model Hunters
Produced by M.J Productions / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In February 1978, a 1481.22-meter (53:59) print of THE MODEL HUNTERS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
This was followed in April 1978 by the refusal of a 1226.00-meter (44:41) ‘reconstructed version’.
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Apart from the long OOP Something Weird Video VHS, THE MODEL HUNTERS might be extant. It does not seem to be not available online [2026].
An article in CINEMA JOURNAL, Vol. 41, No 3 titled ‘Gauging a Revolution: 16mm Film and the Rise of the Pornographic Feature’ describes it as featuring vagina close-ups and erections, but simulated oral sex and intercourse.
Mrs. Stone’s Thing
aka The Very Sensuous Wife
Directed by Joseph F. Robertson / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In August 1976, a 2164.50-meter (78:54) print of MRS. STONE’S THING was banned because of ‘indecency’.
The film was cut down to 1763.70-meters (64:17) but was refused again in October. The following month, Briad Film Productions failed to have this decision overturned by the Films Review Board.
Finally, in January 1977, after seventeen minutes of cuts, a 1700.00-meter (61:58) print was passed with an R-rating.
The daybill poster lists it as being released by Mutual Film Distributors.
Banned in Queensland
On 13 July 1977, the censored R-rated version of MRS. STONE’S THING was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributors were Briad Film Productions and Mutual Film Distributors.
Videotape release
In March 1981, a 75-minute videotape of MRS. STONE’S THING was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin released the film on their King of Video label.
The PAL running time indicates that it may have been either uncut or slightly censored. In the space of four years, the censor went from demanding seventeen minutes of cuts, to zero.
Banned for sexual violence
In October 1985, Platinum Video had an 80-minute videotape Refused Classification. The reason for the decision was ‘gratuitous sexual violence’.
The tape was submitted under the alternative title of THE VERY SENSUOUS WIFE. It is unclear if this was ever released.
Uncut German video
Simon reports.
Mike Hunter Video (de) – VHS as HEISSE FINGERSPIELE – 76:03 (PAL)
The sex in MRS. STONE’S THING is pure softcore, so it is hard to see why it was necessary to remove seventeen minutes of footage for the 1977 theatrical release.
The 1985 refusal is easier to explain. The ‘gratuitous sexual violence’ is as follows.
07:00 to 08:15 approx. – Joanie is making out with her boyfriend in the back of his car. Suddenly she has a flashback and stops; before explaining to him what happened in her past. We are then shown the four-year-old Joanie watching her mother in bed being raped by her father. For the record, the child actor was obviously not present in the same scene. She goes on to explain how as a fourteen year old she was picking flowers when her father leapt from the bushes and raped her. We are shown shots of her struggling as her father pulls open her top.
34:30 to 35:10 approx. – Joanie is being seduced at the party by another woman. She has another flashback to her mother’s rape as she looks on. This is intercut with scenes of the woman seducing her.
36:45 to 38:00 approx. – There is yet another flashback to her mother’s rape. Again, this is intercut with her and the woman on the bed. Joanie suddenly gets rough with her and begins to act as her father did to her mother. The scene ends with her saying ‘You dirty bitch, my mother got to like it, and so will you’.
54:00 to 54:10 approx. – An old man is shown having sex with a distressed woman who mouths the words ‘No’.
Further reading
For more censored Joseph F. Robertson (AKA David Fleetwood), see the database entries for A TOUCH OF SWEDEN (1971), MEET SWEET MYRA (1973) and A DIRTY WESTERN (1975).
Naked are the Cheaters
Directed by Bob Augustus / 1970 / USA / IMDb
In November 1974, a 2334.00-meter (85:04) print of NAKED ARE THE CHEATERS was censored by 70.6-meters (02:34) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
Blake Film was the applicant.