American adult movies from 1971 that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
All About Sex of All Nations
Directed by Kemal Horulu / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In February 1975, a 2468.00-meter (89:58) print of ALL ABOUT SEX OF ALL NATIONS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
The applicant was A. De Zauerain.
New distributor, same outcome
In May 1977, a censored 2086.60-meter (76:03) version was also refused. Again, the reason was ‘indecency’.
A second cut print was eventually passed with an R-rating in October 1977. It ran only 1837.80-meters (66:59), but still lost a further 11.5-meters (00:25) because of ‘indecency’.
This version, missing over 23-minutes of footage, was released theatrically by Seven Keys Films.
Further reading
For more censored Kemal Horulu, see the database entry for THE VIRGIN AND THE LOVER (1973).
The Big Snatch
Directed by Byron Mabe – Dan Martin / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In November 1977, a 2194.50-meter (79:59) print of THE BIG SNATCH was banned because of ‘indecency and indecent violence’.
Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.
Picked-up by 14th Mandolin
In May 1982, a censored 1645.80-meter (59:59) version was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Availability of uncut version
Simon reports.
Something Weird’s print of THE BIG SNATCH runs 80:25 (NTSC) and appears to be complete.
Further reading
For more censored Dan Martin, see the database entry for THE MERMAID (1973).
Censorship U.S.A.
Directed by Alan Roberts / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In July 1979, a 2128.00-meter (77:34) print of CENSORSHIP U.S.A. was censored by 55.00-meters (05:00) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
Lestrig Trading was the applicant.
Censored DVD
Matt reports.
After Hours Cinema (us) – 2012 DVD – 40.27
Unfortunately, this was missing nearly half of its running time. All of the sex had been removed, but what remains is still interesting.
Through interviews with the public, adult book store and cinema owners, filmmakers and performers, it provides a good overview of the rapidly changing censorship situation just before the release of DEEP THROAT (1972).
Further reading
For more censored Alan Roberts see the database entry for PANORAMA BLUE (1974).
The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio
aka Pinocchio
Directed by Corey Allen / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In March 1977, a 2112.00-meter (76:59) print of PINOCCHIO was censored by 63.5-meters (02:19) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.
Video releases
In the early 1980s, K&C Video released a 72:37 (PAL) version of PINOCCHIO on tape. The title on the box was THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO.
Three tapes of PINOCCHIO, all running 72-minutes, were passed with R-ratings in September 1987 and June and July 1989. The 1989 classifications also included the newly introduced consumer advice warning of ‘Frequent sexual activity’.
The first two submissions were by Video Excellence and the final one by Koala Marketing. It is unclear if any of these were ever released.
The Godson
Directed by William Rotsler / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In February 1982, an 89-minute tape of THE GODSON was censored to remove ‘sexual violence’.
It was then awarded an R-rating for sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The applicant was K&C Video, who released it on their Starbase Video sub-label.
Uncut version
Simon reports.
Something Weird (us) – 2003 DVD – 91:28
The ‘sexual violence’ in THE GODSON is not particularly graphic.
At 11:30, Marco (Jason Yukon) threatens one of the hookers by grabbing her breasts and twisting her nipples. A similar scene takes place at 85:30 where the gangster rival has a topless girl strung up by her arms. He twists her nipples to make her scream and draw Marco’s attention. The scene ends at 89:30 with Marco shooting the girl in the chest.
Apart from a couple of brief shots in the opening and closing credits of a gun being run over a woman’s breast, that is it for the ‘sexual violence’. Presumably, some of this was trimmed from the Starbase Video release.
Love in Hot Pants
Produced by Triumph Films / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In November 1979, a 56-minute videotape of LOVE IN HOT PANTS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
C. Morley was the applicant.
Love, Yolanda
Directed by Charles Webb / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In December 1973, a 969.00-meter (88:18) 16mm print of LOVE, YOLANDA was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A censored 847.00-meter print (77:11) lost a further 49.98-meter (04:33) before being awarded an R-rating in July 1974. The cuts were again made to remove ‘indecency’. This submission was described as a ‘second reconstructed version’.
Garron International was the applicant.
Melbourne – You have to see this film!
The following text is taken from an admat that ran in The Age newspaper in June 1976. After talking up how explicit the film was, it undermines it all by admitting that it had been banned by the Australian Censorship Board and was therefore censored.
June 1976
The Roughest Hottest movie to hit this town. Word of mouth on a picture like this spreads like wildfire – get in and see it now before the house full signs start to go up. This picture was made by the same guy [Lowell Pickett] who made LEARNING TO LOVE (Barrell) and if you tried to see that picture and kept finding a ‘House Full’ sign up – you’ll know why this picture went to a larger theatre and you’ll know why we still expect ‘House Full’ signs. LEARNING TO LOVE is an almost hard core ‘Hot’ smash hit movie and tens of thousands of Melbournites agree as they flocked to see it. But LOVE YOLANDA is something else again. The film was originally shot as a hard core sex feature and is by far a Rougher Hotter film and we expect this town will literally buzz with the word of mouth it generates – if you see it and don’t talk about it, it’s very possible you’ve been left speechless – some people could be shocked or offended by scenes from this film. Please understand this fact before attending a screening – if in doubt, please do not attend. If you liked LEARNING TO LOVE you’ll ‘LOVE YOLANDA’.LOVE YOLANDA is the grand-daddy of all erotic cinema. Produced in 1971 and released in San Francisco and New York. It took on tremendous proportions and at year-end was No 324 on Variety’s list of top grossing films for the whole of the United States, all this from just two city releases.
Shortly after this the film’s producer and director was arrested on charges of obscenity connected with the film. The San Franciscan district attorney alleged the film was pornographic but the local juries took a lot of convincing and on both times that the case was heard (the second was a retrial) the juries were undecided and ‘Hung’.
During all the legal process that want on the film was withdrawn from the screen but because of the lack of court success the district attorney informed the producers that there would be no further harassment, the film then went on to financial success after success (e.g. the film ran 26 weeks at the 55th St Playhouse in New York). It became one of the most successful ‘Skin Flicks’ ever to be made in ‘Beaver Valley’ San Francisco and was perhaps the most successful until the release of DEEP THROAT.
The Australian censor banned LOVE YOLANDA in 1973 because of alleged hard core pornography in sections of the film – the uncut version is still banned.
– Garron International admat
Further reading
LEARNING TO LOVE (197?), the other film mentioned in the June 1976 admat, was another Garron International release that was also produced by Lowell Pickett.
See the separate entry for this title in Film Censorship Database No. 1.
The Man from S.M.U.T
Directed by Marvin H. Lincoln – George Rubine / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In September 1978, a 2304.00-meter (83:59) print of THE MAN FROM S.M.U.T was censored by 34.8-meters (01:16) for an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
14th Mandolin was the applicant. It is unclear if they released it on their King of Video label.
This played at Melbourne’s Club Cinema in November 1978, February and March 1980, May 1981 and September to November 1982.
Nympho Cycler
Directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In May 1981, a 654.70-meter (59:39) 16mm print of NYMPHO CYCLER was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
A 515.59-meter (46:59) ‘reconstructed version’ lost a further 17.00-meter (01:36) before being awarded an R-rating in September 1981. The extra cuts were to remove sex, which was still described as being the same level as the previous submission.
Once censored, in the R-rated version it was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant. They went on to release it on their King of Video label.
Banned on video
In August 1982, a 58-minute tape of NYMPHO CYCLER was again refused because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Intercontinental Video was the applicant. This may have been an import of the UK pre-cert tape released on the Dapon label.
