American adult movies from 1974 that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
Angie Baby
aka Forbidden Passions
Produced by Alan Colberg / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In August 1975, a 2304.00-meter (83:59) print of FORBIDDEN PASSIONS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A ‘reconstructed version’ running 2210.00-meter (80:33) was passed with an R-rating in December 1975.
Roadshow Distributors were the applicant.
Video releases
The following submissions were under the original title of ANGIE BABY.
In December 1981, an 82-minute tape received an R-rating. The sex was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Videolink, the applicant, may have submitted an import of Cal Vista’s UK pre-cert.
Blake Films received an R-rating for a 2227.08 (81:11) print in May 1982. The sex was now described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
They received an identical rating in February 1984 for an 81-minute. Caballero Home Video/Rodox issued it on tape.
In May 1986, the Victorian Police were awarded an X-rating for an 81-minute tape. The sex had now increased to:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Further reading
For more censored Alan Colberg (AKA Arcen Ciel), see the database entry for TAPESTRY OF PASSION (1976).
Bikini Bandits
Produced by Hal DeLechere / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In September 1976, a 2112.11-meter (76:59) print of BIKINI BANDITS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A 1712.60-meter (62:25) ‘reconstructed version’ was passed with an R-rating in November 1976.
Briad Film Productions were the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 13 July 1977, the censored R-rated version of BIKINI BANDITS was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Cine Centre Films, Cine World Film Distributors and Mutual Films.
It went on to play at Melbourne’s Club Cinema in June and July 1980, August 1981 and April 1983.
Review
Mike reports
It is not clear if BIKINI BANDITS or even its trailer survives. The only apparent visual evidence (as of July 2026) is a 6-page article in the February 1976 edition of ADAM FILM WORLD. It does shed some light on the problems it may have posed for the Film Censorship Board.
The article tells us that the plot concerns three women – a blonde, a brunette and a redhead – who roam the desert in a jeep conducting a series of hold-ups and kidnappings. Although it claims that the focus is on comedy rather than sexual stimulation, it does also tell us that the girls manage to turn every robbery into multiple rapes as they force their male victims to have sex at gunpoint. In between robberies the girls also make love to each other and there are also a couple of orgy scenes. The article concludes that “Robbery or rape, rape or robbery, these three torrid terrors of the desert pull it off with equal glee”.
China Girl
Directed by Paul Aratow / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In November 1978, a 2317.60-meter (84:29) print of CHINA GIRL was banned because of ‘indecency’.
Regent Trading Enterprises were the applicant.
Banned on video
In April 1983, Video Classics had an 84-minute tape refused because of sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Passed with a Special Condition
In September 1983, Video Classics had an 83-minute ‘reconstructed version’ of CHINA GIRL passed with the Special Condition ‘that this film/tape will not be exhibited in any State in contravention of State’s law relating to the exhibition of films’.
Modified version still banned
CHINA GIRL was Refused Registration again in December 1983, for the same reason as April.
The 60-minute tape was submitted by Jim Do.
R-rated video release
In May 1987, a 67-minute tape was passed with an R-rating. The running time indicates it had been precut before submission.
Video Excellence, the applicant, released this ‘bonus double banger’ as part of their ‘Hustler Video presents” range. The companion feature was a 40-minute R-rated ‘cable version’ of JEWEL OF THE NIGHT (1987). An 80-minute version of which already held an X-rating.
Review
Mike reports
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – Blu-ray – 89:25
A group of American scientists have discovered a chemical which, when administered, allows the victim’s mind to be completely controlled. Three scientists each have possession of one part of the formula. A Chinese crime syndicate called ‘The Dragon’, headed by Madame Woo (Pamela Yen) are trying to kidnap them and steal the formula.
It seems likely that the 84 minute versions submitted by Regent Trading Enterprises in 1978 and Video Classics in 1983 had been pre-cut to remove the hardcore. However, there isn’t a great deal of it in CHINA GIRL. Actually, there is not really that much sex at all, so it isn’t clear why the Film Censorship Board described it in the Video Classics submission as being ‘frequent’.
The main problematic scene would be the 07:20 sexualised torture of Dr Olinsky (Barry Vane). He is kidnapped, stripped, and we are told by Madame Woo, given a drug which will render him unable to achieve release. This will, apparently, drive him insane. Three women then force him to have sex and in the latter stages he tells them to stop repeatedly, but they don’t.
Teresa (Annette Haven) has much better luck. The drug doesn’t work on her at all so she has sex very happily first with three women, and then with three men. There is talk of making Teresa suffer, but none of this is seen. She is briefly handcuffed to the wall in a basement, but she is never seen naked and is rescued quite quickly.
The Danish Connection
Directed by Walt Davis / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In October 1975, a 2605.00-meter (94:57) print of THE DANISH CONNECTION was banned because of ‘indecency’.
The following month, a 2331.00-meter (84:58) ‘reconstructed version’ passed with an R-rating.
Briad Film Productions was the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 17 November 1976, the censored R-rated version of THE DANISH CONNECTION was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Consolidated Films.
Video releases
In the early 1980s, 14th Mandolin issued THE DANISH CONNECTION on their King of Video label.
This was followed by a release on Vintage Video.
High School Fantasies
Directed by James Bryan / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In October 1977, a 1837.00-meter (66:57) print of HIGHSCHOOL FANTASIES was censored by 38.10-meters (01:23) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
Lestrig Trading (aka Lestrig Films) was the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 11 November 1978, the censored R-rated version of HIGHSCHOOL FANTASIES was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Lestrig Films.
Review
Mike reports
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – Blu-ray – 70:21
It’s late 1950s small town America, and nerdy college student Freddie (Larry Barnhouse) has the hots for fellow student Mary-Lou (Rene Bond). Will he able to overcome the bullying jocks and his own lack of sexual confidence to make it with her by the homecoming dance?
There’s not a great deal of hardcore in HIGH SCHOOL FANTASIES so the precuts made by 14th Mandolin would have been enough to remove all of it. The additional cuts made by the Film Censorship Board were likely to the following scenes:
1. Freddie takes Mary-Lou for a ride into the woods to make out and his car gets stuck in the mud. While they’re waiting to be rescued he pulls her knickers aside and gropes her. She says to him, ‘Get your finger out of there! What kind of girl do you think I am?’ No digital penetration is seen, but he continues for around 00:20 before getting the message.
2. Mary-Lou tells Freddie that she prefers her men to be more experienced before she will sleep with them, so he decides to lose his virginity by propositioning his English lit teacher Mrs Brown. They have fairly graphic sex in a classroom with quite a few close-ups and the penetration is only masked by shadows.
Further reading
For more censored James Bryan (AKA Morris Deal), see the database entries for HIGH SCHOOL FANTASIES (1974), I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU NOT (1974) and BEACH BLANKET BANGO (1975).
I Love You, I Love You Not
Directed by James Bryan / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In February 1978, a 2414.00-meter (87:59) print of I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU NOT was censored by 39:00-meters (01:25) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
14th Mandolin was the applicant. It was released on their King of Video label.
The Life and Times of Xaviera Hollander
Directed by Larry G. Spangler / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In July 1976, a 1947:00-meter (70:58) print of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF XAVIERA HOLLANDER was banned because of ‘indecency’.
Blake Films were the applicant.
Banned on video
In July 1983, it was ‘Refused Registration’ again, this time in the form of a 60-minute videotape. The reason for the ban was sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
A. Davis was the applicant.
Censored video releases
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF XAVIERA HOLLANDER was finally passed with an R-rating in February 1986 following the removal of 00:02-meters (00:03) of footage from a 1947:00-meter (70:58) print.
The cuts were made to remove sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
…while the sex in the censored R-rated version was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
This was followed in February 1987 by a tape of a 49-minute ‘edited version’. It was passed with an R-rating for the same reason as the February 1986 classification.
In both cases, Video Excellence was the applicant. It is unclear why they chose to resubmit the film in a heavily censored version when it already held an R-rating.
Panorama Blue
aka Blue Visions
Directed by Alan Roberts / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In July 1974, an 83-minute 70mm print of PANORAMA BLUE was banned because of ‘indecency’.
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Hardcore in mid-1970s Australia
December 4, 1974
CP: Could we talk a little about censorship? Censorship at the moment seems almost at a standstill. On the one hand we have the federal organization which seems to be allowing soft-core films through, and is indeed leaning towards medium-core. The major distributors and exhibitors seem to be saying, “Go any further, let in hard-core, and we’ll lose our system of uniform censorship. The states will retrieve their federal delegations of the censorship power.” Yet Queensland in fact has already done this and has banned EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO, SEX AIDS [AND HOW TO USE THEM] etc.Filmways has obvious moneyspinners like NOTORIOUS CLEOPATRA still banned, but is on record as saying it doesn’t think DEEP THROAT or DEVIL IN MISS JONES should get through. What is Filmways’ present attitude?
WARD: Our attitude is this: we feel that the film industry is an industry to entertain. Now whether it be artistically entertaining or commercially entertaining is quite separate. But we feel that the industry as a whole can’t afford to accept DEEP THROAT, MISS JONES, BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR and films like this. On the other hand there are movies like PANORAMA BLUE, and though I saw only 15 minutes of it, I didn’t find it objectionable. I think by and large the censor is being realistic, but things are fairly unpredictable in this area at the moment.
CP: Do you think censorship decisions should be based on precedent, in other words if film A shows a man ejaculating and is passed, then films B and C with a man ejaculating should also be passed?
WARD: I don’t think so because a hard-core film with a man ejaculating can be very different to an artistic film of a man ejaculating. I think this is the whole problem with censorship. Where do you draw the line? How can you draw a line? I am relatively happy with the composition of the Censorship Board and Board of Review at the moment.
– Robert Ward, Dendy Filmways
– Cinema Papers No. 4
R-rated censored version
A heavily censored 1729.00-meter (63:01) version was finally passed with an R-rating in August 1979.
14th Mandolin was again the applicant.
In the early 1980s, they released it on tape on their King of Video label.
Video Classics submissions
In December 1983, Video Classics had an 83-minute version of PANORAMA BLUE passed with the Special Condition ‘that this film/tape will not be exhibited in any State in contravention of State’s law relating to the exhibition of films’.
In February 1984, they also had an 86-minute tape passed with an R-rating.
X-rated & R-rated videos
In February 1984, the X-rating was introduced in Australia. That month, a 56-minute version of PANORAMA BLUE was passed with this new classification.
This was followed in April 1985 by a 58-minute R-rated tape. It was awarded for sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Both submissions were made by 14th Mandolin, who retitled it BLUE VISIONS and released it on their Pink Video label.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – VHS – 82:21
An on-screen narrator (Richard Ellman) talks us through a variety of softcore comedy vignettes showing how adult entertainment has evolved through the ages.
It seems initially that we might be watching a real documentary about the history of erotica as our host begins by giving a brief history of silent cinema and showing us a very tame but genuine porn loop from the 1920s called SAILOR BEWARE. It becomes clear that this isn’t the case when he shows a second loop titled THE VACUUM CLEANER SALESMAN which he claims dates from the early sound era. The performers are in fact Jan Davis and Peter Dawson, 1970s US adult film actors. The rest of the vignettes are contemporary and showcase noted porn performers of the day.
There are several scenes which might explain the 1974 ban.
1. A man and woman (Stephen Nave and Carona Faoro) have fairly graphic sex on the beach for several minutes. This would have been difficult to cut as it occurs during the opening credits and the soundtrack PANORAMA HOLIDAY plays throughout.
2. We are given a guided tour of a sex shop and the owner lets us see a range of adult magazines, some of which he opens for us. The cover of HOGTIE shows a woman wearing a gimp mask, BITCH has an image of a woman putting a leather bit between the teeth of a naked man and pulling it, and an unnamed Swedish magazine shows a scene of family sex involving husband, wife and adult daughter. We then see the very explicit front cover of a graphic novel titled BIOGRAPHY OF AN ENEMA BAG RAPIST. BONDAGE CLASSICS magazine shows a woman tied up and wearing a ball gag, and similar images are shown within the pages of a magazine called BOUND TO PLEASE. The owner then shows us some of his more popular battery-powered sex toys.
3. An upscale Hollywood party, complete with an orchestra, turns into an orgy. The guests pair off and the camera moves from one pair to another repeatedly for several minutes. Most of the sex is quite tame although there is the occasional stronger moment. One such sequence, in a clear reference to LAST TANGO IN PARIS(1972), a man grabs some butter from a passing waiter and uses it to lubricate his partner.
4. Two lovers (Sue Moses and Dennis Zlamal) decide to have sex while on a rollercoaster ride. We see them sitting in the rollercoaster and also some point of view shots from it while in motion. The footage of them having sex during the journey is clearly achieved by editing, which is just as well as it is extremely enthusiastic and acrobatic at times.
It is likely that 14th Mandolin were over cautious with the version they submitted in 1979. The Film Censorship Board would likely have struggled to pass it uncut, but would not have demanded 20-minutes of cuts.
Pretty Wet Lips
aka Women in Peril
Directed by Carl Stanfill / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In September 1974, a 2224.00-meter (81:04) print of PRETTY WET LIPS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A cut 2012.00-meter (73:20) version was Refused Registration in November 1974. The following month, the Films Board of Review upheld the decision of the Film Censorship Board.
The same 2012.00-meter (73:20) print was resubmitted for possible classification in November 1976. However, once again it was banned because of ‘indecency’.
In all three cases, Blake Films was the applicant.
Janet Strickland was Deputy Chief Censor during this period. Soon after becoming Chief Censor in September 1979, she was quoted saying she found PRETTY WET LIPS to be one of five worst banned films.
Retitled, resubmitted & rejected again
In March 1981, a heavily censored 669.70-meters (61:01) 16mm print was submitted under the title WOMEN IN PERIL. This was banned because of sex and violence, which were found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
A 633.70-meter (57:45) version was refused in September 1981. The violence had been toned down, as now, only the sex was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
It was Refused Registration for a third time in March 1982 in a ‘second reconstructed version’ running 623.50-meter (56:49). The sex was now described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
However, ‘sexual violence’ was now also listed as a reason for refusal.
In these three cases, 14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Roughie sex & violence
Matt reports.
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – 2014 DVD as PRETTY WET LIPS – 73:31
The plot involves a couple called Buster and Chickie (Sunny Boyd). They kidnap and rape a girl, before invading a woman’s house, take her hostage and finally and assault her.
7.00 approx. – Buster strips and rapes a kidnapped girl in the back of a van as Chickie drives.
18:00 approx. – Buster and Chickie take Ellen (Mary Steely) hostage in her house. Buster has sex with her on the springboard and in her pool. Meanwhile, the girl they kidnapped is forced to go down on Chickie.
26:00 approx. – Norma (Kathy Reeder) and Ellen’s husband have sex.
40:00 – The final 23-minute sequence includes the previous two victims being threatened with a gun or a knife before and during sex. Eventually, Ellen’s husband and their neighbour fall victim to the home invaders before the tables are turned.
It is very easy to see why the Film Censorship Board continued to refuse this roughie. The sex is not hardcore but is still quite explicit. Apart from the affair that Ellen’s husband has with Norma, the other sex begins as non-consensual but inevitably develops into the victim enjoying it. This would have been an issue that no amount of cuts could conceal.
Super Ball
Directed by Charles Edward / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In January 1978, 2172.00-meter (79:10) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of SUPER BALL was passed with an R-rating.
132.93-meters (04:50) of footage had been removed.
Lestrig Trading (aka Lestrig Films) was the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 23 November 1978, the censored R-rated version of SUPER BALL was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Lestrig Films.
Review
Mike reports
Unknown label (es) – VHS as THE GREAT HOLLYWOOD RAPE-SLAUGHTER – 61:25
Steve Ford (Michael Plamondon) has recently graduated from film school and is doing the rounds of Hollywood studios trying to get someone interested in his new project. The only offer he gets is from Jake Burns (John Dennis) who offers him the chance to make a porn film. He visits the sets of various adult movies while mulling over the offer and eventually turns it down and goes on a violence-fuelled rampage.
The version I watched was significantly shorter than the original one but it did contain clues as to the possible Australian precuts.
1. At the start of SUPER BALL, an audience of his fellow students are watching the movie Steve made at film school. It is experimental in nature and features three elements. One is a conventional gangster movie shoot-out, the second is a very graphic scene of anal sex being performed by Rene Bond and Rick Lutze (this was an existing softcore loop) and the third is a clip of a man strangling a woman who has been tied to a bed. These three scenes are intercut with each other. Presumably the sex and sexual violence would need to have been removed. The credits of the version I viewed claimed that the strangulation victim was US singer Linda Ronstadt, but that clearly isn’t the case.
2. At the end of SUPER BALL Steve goes crazy and fires indiscriminately into a room in which a very tame clothed orgy is taking place. Everyone is killed and we see repeated close-ups of bloodied bodies and faces. Steve then makes two people who are barely still alive have sex with each other before he shoots the man in the back of the head at close range. The dialogue in this scene makes it clear that his main target was his ex-girlfriend, who was one of the orgy participants and who he blames for aborting his child.
Teenage Bride
Directed by Gary Troy / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In September 1978, 2139.54-meter (77:59) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of TEENAGE BRIDE was passed with an R-rating.
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Abandoned K&C Video release
In June 1981, K&C Video had an 87m tape banned because of sex, which was identified as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Review
Mike reports
Unknown source – 88:46
Marie (Colleen Brennan) and her lover Charlie (Don Summerfield) have a plan to speed up Charlie’s divorce proceedings. She will arrange for a private detective to spy on his wife Sandy (Cyndee Summers) and find incriminating evidence of her infidelity. To this end Marie invites Charlie’s stepbrother Dennis (Ron Presson) over for a few days and sets up a sexual encounter between him and Sandy. Will the private detective arrive in time to take the compromising photographs?
TEENAGE BRIDE is softcore throughout but the sex is generally very strong and the scenes lengthy. Every one of the four sex scenes would have posed censorship problems in 1978 and it’s not surprising that 14th Mandolin decided to precut it rather than risking it being banned.
1. It’s never clear what Marie sees in Charlie as he’s permanently bad tempered and rude to her throughout the film. Early on, they’re sitting naked on the sofa together and, for no apparent reason, he grabs her, pushes her against the wall and thrusts vigorously into her against her will. This turns into a consensual sex scene which lasts for 11 minutes. Removing the nonconsensual set-up wouldn’t have been sufficient as the sex involves multiple changes of position, close-ups that last for minutes at a time and extremely enthusiastic grinding with clear genital contact.
2. Charlie goes to the Metropolitan Detective Agency to hire someone to spy on his wife. He is turned away due to not having an appointment and then we see the head of the agency and his secretary having graphic sex in his office for 8 minutes. This involves many close-ups of sexual organs and a scene that comes very close to oral sex when the secretary’s tongue passes within millimetres of her boss’s penis repeatedly for around 30 seconds.
3. Charlie is seeing another woman too and he goes to her house to have sex with her. This also lasts for several minutes and there are many graphic moments.
4. Sandy finally meets Dennis and they decide to have sex with each other almost immediately. They manage to do so for around 8 minutes before the private detective breaks in and takes pictures of them. This is also an explicit softcore scene and there are vaginal close-ups which last up to 30 seconds.
Young Secretaries
Directed by Richard Kanter / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In June 1976, a 2081.30-meter (75:52) print of YOUNG SECRETARIES was banned because of ‘indecency’.
Modern Film Distributors was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – DVD – 76:19
The boss of an advertising agency is trying to secure a major contract. He succeeds, despite him and his employees allowing sexual liaisons to distract them from their work.
The sex in THE YOUNG SECRETARIES starts fairly mild but gets more graphic as time goes on. There are four sex scenes which would have potentially posed problems for the Film Censorship Board. Each are softcore, but explicit, feature vigorous thrusting, multiple changes of position and go on for quite some time. Nevertheless, it’s surprising that no attempt was made by Modern Film Distributors to resubmit, as removing around ten minutes should have been enough to deal with the ‘indecency’ concerns.
R-rated on video
In October 1985, an 80-minute version of YOUNG SECRETARIES was passed with an R-rating on a double-bill tape with TEENAGE CRUISERS (1977).
It was awarded for sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Communications and Entertainment went on to release it on their Playaround Video label.
Further reading
For more censored Richard Kanter (AKA Roger Kramer, AKA Ramsey Karson), see the database entries for FANTASY IN BLUE (1975), DESIRES WITHIN YOUNG GIRLS (1977) and SENSUAL ENCOUNTERS OF EVERY KIND (1978).