American adult movies from 1975 that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
The Story of Joanna
aka The Story of Joana (Classification Board title)
Directed by Gerard Damiano / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In October 1976, a 2149.10-meter (78:20) print of THE STORY OF JOANNA was banned because of ‘indecency’. It was described as being an ‘optically modified version’.
An appeal to the Films Board of Review was upheld in December 1976.
Filmways Australasia was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Excalibur Films (us) – VHS – 83:11
Jason (Jamie Gillis) is a millionaire who craves power and starts a sado-masochistic relationship with the innocent Joanna (Terri Hall). With the assistance of his faithful manservant Griffin (Zebedy Colt) he tries to break her will and sexually dominate her.
Very likely inspired by THE STORY OF O, THE STORY OF JOANNA has pretensions to making serious comments about power and sexuality, but it could also be seen as an exercise in sexual domination, humiliation and abuse. That’s perhaps how the Film Censorship Board viewed it. Even with the hardcore footage precut, as Filmways Australasia almost certainly did, there would still be serious censorship problems.
1. When Jason first invites Joanna to his home they have a romantic conversation which comes to an abrupt halt when he rips off her knickers and penetrates her from behind. She screams repeatedly, tells him to stop and says that she didn’t want their first time to be like this.
2. Jason uses a great deal of demeaning language to crush Joanna’s spirit. One example comes fairly early on. She professes her love and he responds by saying “You’re not a woman, not even a girl, you’re a cunt!”
3. A group of four men visit Jason’s house and he orchestrates a group sex scene between them and Joanna. She is distinctly uncomfortable but he does nothing to stop them.
4. Griffin prepares Joanna for Jason’s attentions by shaving off her pubic hair and then cutting off large chunks of the hair on her head. Joanna looks distressed throughout this scene.
Why did Filmways Australasia refer to their submission as an “optically modified version” rather than a precut version? The answer might concern a scene in which Joanna has sex with Griffin and Jason decides to punish her for “infidelity”. He straps her into a chair and she is topless and wearing only a corset. He whips her repeatedly on her bare legs causing weal marks. His female assistant then inserts the handle of the whip into Joanna’s vagina against her will. This scene is crucial to the plot and couldn’t be removed entirely, but the area of Joanna’s body where the whip lands is very close to the bottom of the frame and could easily have been shunted downwards so that while the lash of the whip is heard, it isn’t seen to connect with her body.
THE STORY OF JOANNA is also notable for a scene of gay oral sex between Jason and Griffin, which would have been unexpected for the audience of a mainstream adult film at the time. But since this is exclusively hardcore it would probably have been part of the precut material.
Summer Session
Directed by George Savage / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In November 1976, a 515.59-meter (46:59) 16mm print of SUMMER SESSION was banned because of ‘indecency’.
Garron International was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD – 62:56
Part of ANDREA TRUE TRIPLE FEATURE which includes THE SEDUCTION OF LYN CARTER (1974) and DANCE OF LOVE (1974)
The reason for the inflated runtime is that Alpha Blue Archives made a hash of the release. The reels were transferred in the wrong order, and some of the sex scenes are shown twice. The runtime was always 46 minutes, and with a little imagination it’s possible to see what that version would have looked like.
Andrea True plays an extremely unconvincing English literature professor who bonds with a hunky student over their shared love of Ancient Greek erotic poetry. The plot is soon forgotten as the main point is to show them having sex several times. To pad out the running time we see some other scenes of people who we assume to be students having sex. We’re never introduced to any of those people and they don’t even have character names.
It’s not clear how Garron International hoped to get this film passed. With the hardcore removed the runtime would be only 36-38 minutes, and even that version would have been way too strong for the mid 1970s. It’s clear that all the sex was unsimulated and even in the moments when there’s no visual evidence of this, it’s still very explicit and enthusiastic and is accompanied by frank sexual language. Aside from the few minutes when the main characters are discussing Greek poetry, it’s pretty much sex from start to finish.
Swinging Ski Girls
Directed by Don Trendall / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In May 1978, a 2086.20-meter (76:02) print of SWINGING SKI GIRLS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A 1913.30-meter (69:44) ‘reconstructed version’ was passed with an R-rating in December 1978.
14th Mandolin the applicant, released it on their King of Video label.
Second video?
The 1981 Video Classics catalogue advertises SWINGING SKI GIRLS as being available on their Movies at Midnight label. They describe it as ‘…the R-rated version of the US X-rated best seller’.
It is unclear if it was ever released.
Review
Mike reports
VCX (us) – DVD – 84:01
Libby is a college student who is wild about skiing but has no one to accompany her to the big ski weekend. She meets Jack (Rick Cassidy) at the local ski shop and invites him along. They spend most of the weekend having sex but occasionally find time for the après-ski too.
SWINGING SKI GIRLS, like its companion production SWINGING SORORITY (1975), is a softcore film by US standards. There is no visible explicit penetration, but it does feature occasional erections and many sex scenes are clearly real but well-chosen camera angles obscure the action. Of the two, this fared better with the Film Censorship Board because there are fewer sex scenes and more plot development.
It’s difficult to be sure about the cuts as the first 14th Mandolin submission was already 7-8 minutes shorter than the complete version, but it seems likely that erections and close-ups of sex organs were removed throughout.
The main focus of the cuts would probably have been on the first sex scene. Libby and Jack are travelling to the ski resort and she gives him a blowjob while he is driving. Soon after they decide to pull over and have sex in the back of the car. Almost this entire scene is shot in close-up as the cameraman was inside the car with them.
An interesting censorship question arises towards the end when Jack and Lizzy’s snowmobile runs out of fuel in an isolated area and they decide to pitch a tent and camp out for the night. They have hardcore sex inside the tent, but since the camera is positioned outside and looking through the canvas we only see the action in silhouette. I’m not sure what the Board’s view would have been on that.
SWINGING SKI GIRLS concludes with one of the female skiers showing us a party trick. She tells a man to lie down on a table with a dollar bill in between his teeth, after which she strips, sits on his face and grasps the banknote with her labia. We see all of this in close-up.
There are a few sex scenes which are much tamer and would have posed no censorship issues at all, including two which feature only upper-body nudity and any sex which was happening is hidden below the screen.
Further reading
For more censored Don Trendall, see the database entry for SWINGING SORORITY (1976).
Swinging Sorority
Directed by Don Trendall / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In May 1978, a 2109.00-meter (76:52) print of SWINGING SORORITY was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A 1973.00-meter (71:55) ‘reconstructed version’ was refused for the same reason in September 1978.
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Banned on video
In December 1983, a 78-minute tape of SWINGING SORORITY was Refused Registration because of sex. This was described as being:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Video Box Office was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
VCX (us) – DVD – 80:42
Sexual hijinks on a college campus in which the sorority and fraternity houses have more on their mind than studying. Mary Beth has been crowned homecoming queen but who will she choose to accompany her to the ball?
SWINGING SORORITY is difficult to classify as most of the sex is clearly real, but aside from 5-10 seconds when the camera captures genuine penetration for most of the time the hardcore action is blocked by camera angles, other people or shadows. So what is seen generally fits the US definition of softcore. Nevertheless, we frequently see erect penises, sometimes being handled by actresses, and the sexual action is extremely strong. It would certainly have been much too explicit to meet Australian standards in the late 1970s and it’s likely the Film Censorship Board found none of the sex scenes to be completely acceptable.
1. Before the plot has got going, we see Rick (Rick Cassidy) having extremely vigorous and sweaty sex with a cheerleader in a scene that goes on for around 5 minutes. Penetration is barely concealed and he is clearly aroused throughout.
2. Some of the frat guys play a trick on Mary Beth. They tell her to come to the frat house and they will test her to see whether she is suited to being homecoming queen. This involves covering her body with glitter and involving her in an orgy with five men that lasts for 6 minutes. Several erections are seen and it’s abundantly clear that real sex is taking place in this scene despite the lack of visual evidence.
3. Six female students are having a second and final attempt at an important biology test. The test is being supervised by their male professor. The last girl to leave the test tells him that she thinks she has done badly, so he offers to give her some anatomy tuition which involves stripping her and then having rear entry sex with her over a desk. He tells her afterwards that he will record her mark as an A+. Another girl returns to retrieve her forgotten handbag and he tells her that she will be given an A for keeping the sex quiet. This is perhaps the one scene which might have stood a chance with the Film Censorship Board based on the explicitness of what is shown, but the impact is raised because it’s based on coercion and ‘sex for grades’.
4. Poochie (Adam Ward) climbs through the window of the sorority house to meet the girls. This is against the rules so to avoid being caught, the girls hustle him into a walk-in wardrobe where they have sex with him for quite some time. This scene is shot at extremely close range to create the illusion that we are in a confined space.
It’s not clear what 14th Mandolin removed before submitting this film for the second time, but the five minutes of footage which they deleted was never going to be sufficient.
SWINGING SORORITY is the companion film of SWINGING SKI GIRLS (1975) which also had censorship problems in Australia. Both were shot at more or less the same time and with many of the same cast members.
Tales of a High Class Hooker
Directed by Robert M. Mansfield / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In January 1981, a 1416.95-meter (51:39) print of TALES OF A HIGH CLASS HOOKER was censored by 25.7-meters (00:56) 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 was the applicant.
Teenage Sex Kitten
Directed by Ann Perry / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In December 1981, a 1716.40-meter (62:34) print of TEENAGE SEX KITTEN was banned because of ‘sexual violence’. The running time indicates that it had already been precut before submission.
An unsuccessful appeal was made to the Films Board of Review in January 1982.
A 1645.80-meter (59:59) ‘reconstructed version’ was finally awarded an R-rating in July 1982. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
In all cases, AZ Associated Theatres was the applicant.
Censored video releases
In February 1984, a 58-minute tape was passed with an R-rating, with Video Classics as the applicant. This precensored tape was issued as part of their Movie at Midnight range.
In the mid-1980s, TEENAGE SEX KITTEN was rereleased by Palace Vibrant Video.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD – 69:19 – Part of RENE BOND TRIPLE FEATURE TWO
Debbie (Rene Bond) and Shawn (Sunny Boyd) are two girls who are looking for some excitement during their last summer before college. They decide to go to Palm Springs for a vacation with their boyfriends, Tommy (Gary Schneider) and Jock (Max Init), but they have no cash. They hatch a plan of paying for everything on their trip – fuel, accommodation and food – by selling their bodies for money.
TEENAGE SEX KITTEN was shot as a softcore film but had hardcore inserts added before release. These would have been easily removable and harm the film in any case as the insert performers bear no resemblance to the main cast members.
The censorship issues arise towards the end of what has been, to that point, a fairly light-hearted comedy. The tone changes dramatically when Debby is making out with a man in a car who is killed via a machete to the head and she is abducted. The maniac takes her back to his house where he lives with his adult, mentally challenged son. There they decide to sexually assault her.
What follows is a 04:46 scene in which the father ties the unconscious Debby to a mattress and rapes her while his son looks on and masturbates. Removing the hardcore inserts from that here would still leave 02:43 of sexual violence.
A 01:45 follow up scene occurs when the father has left the house and the son waves his penis in Debby’s face in preparation for assaulting her further. She regains consciousness and starts struggling while he slaps and punches her.
Since the sexual violence cuts imposed by the Film Censorship Board ran 02:35 and these scenes together last 04:28, it may be that some of this material, although softcore, was part of the precuts made by AZ Associated Theatres.
Eventually the father is tracked down by the girl’s boyfriends and they tie one end of a rope to his penis and another to their car. They drive away at speed leading to his penis being torn off, but no detail is seen.
Further reading
For more censored Ann Perry, see the database entry for SWEET SAVAGE (1979).
Voyeur
Produced by Harry H. Novak / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In August 1975, a 297.00-meter (10:49) print of VOYEUR was banned for ‘indecency’.
Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.
Background
THE VOYEUR is a deleted scene from PLEASE DON’T EAT MY MOTHER! (1973) which Harry H. Novak distributed as a short. It features Buck Kartalian spying on Flora Weisel and Norman Fields having sex.
PLEASE DON’T EAT MY MOTHER! (1973), from which this outtake was derived, was censored ahead of its R-rating in February 1976.
Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman
Directed by William A. Levey / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In the early 1980s, a 75:22 tape of WHAM BAM THANK YOU SPACEMAN was released on K&C Video’s sub-label, Starbase Video.
Most of Harry Novak’s Boxoffice International Pictures had Australian theatrical releases. However, in this case, there is no rating in the National Classification Database.
Missing video
In May 1984, Showtime Video had a 90-minute video passed with the newly introduced X-rating. The reason given for the decision was sex, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
It is unclear if this tape was ever released.
Police crackdown
In March 1985, the Victorian Police submitted an 87-minute tape, and in February 1986, a 90-minute tape. Both were banned because of ‘gratuitous sexual violence’.
In August 1986 the NSW Police and in September 1986 the Victorian Police both had videos banned by the Film Censorship Board. Again, the reason was ‘gratuitous sexual violence’. In both cases, the running time had shrunk to 80-minutes.
These may be copies of the aforementioned Showcase Video. By 1985, the guidelines for the X-rating had been tightened enough that a previously classified film could now be refused.
Abandoned DVD
WHAM BAM THANK YOU SPACEMAN was passed with an R18+ (High level sex scenes, Coarse language) rating in October 2007.
The DVD does not appear to have been released as the applicant, MRA Entertainment, went out of business soon after the classification.
Review
Mike reports
Unknown DVD – 79:10
Two spacemen from a depopulated planet (Jay Rasumny and Samual Mann) decide to save their civilisation by hovering their spaceship over Hollywood and impregnating earth women.
WHAM BAM THANK YOU SPACEMAN is extremely underwhelming in terms of sexual content. The various sex scenes between earthlings are very tame softcore with little to no frontal nudity, and the scenes of the aliens impregnating women are even more restrained. The aliens’ tongues perform the same function as penises do on earth. The sex scenes involve them extending them in the woman’s general direction, but there is no contact at all and the woman and the tongue are never seen in the same shot.
The controversy surrounding the film, and the reason why there were a number of police referrals in the mid-1980s, is a 2-3 minute scene in which a thug (David Dover) abducts a woman (Gayna Shireen) and takes her to a disused warehouse. He ties her to workbench, cuts her clothes off with a knife and then rapes her while still threatening her with the knife. It looks like she is going to be saved by the aliens when they teleport her to their spaceship, but then they decide that they have no use for her and send her back again. The rape scene is entirely unexpected and completely changes the tone of the film.
WHAM BAM THANK YOU tries to be a sex comedy, but overall it’s neither sexy nor funny. That may explain the lack of a cult following. It has also dated quite badly in that there is an unpleasant and complete unnecessary thread of homophobia running through the film and the script introduces gay characters from time to time only for the aliens to refer to them as faggots.
The Young Passions
Directed by Bobby Davis / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In July 1978, a 2066.30-meter (75:19) print of THE YOUNG PASSIONS was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A 1873.90-meter (68:18) ‘reconstructed version’ was refused for the same reason in September 1978.
In both cases, Lestrig Trading (aka Lestrig Films) was the applicant.