American adult movies from 1977 that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
The Abduction of Lorelei
Directed by Richard Rank / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In April 1983, a 1281.00-meter (46:41) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of THE ABDUCTION OF LORELEI was banned because of sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
It was also refused because of ‘sexual violence’.
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Illegal Melbourne screening
Robert Hoskin reports
THE ABDUCTION OF LORELEI played in Melbourne’s Club Cinema from the 1st to the 14th of September 1983. 14th Mandolin screened the ‘pre-censor cut version’ that had been banned by the Film Censorship Board.
He (name withheld) appeared in Federal Court and received a severe fine of an unknown amount. Club X took over the Club Cinema on 24th November 1983 after paying 14th Mandolin’s fine.
Banned twice more
A 1206.92-meter (43:59) ‘reconstructed version’ was Refused Registration for the same reasons in January 1984.
The X-rating was introduced in February 1984, but THE ABDUCTION OF LORELEI was still too much for the Film Censorship Board. In August of that year, it was banned again, this time in a 1009.00-meter (36:46) version. It was now refused only due to ‘sexual violence’. The submission was described as being the fourth reconstructed version.
In both cases, 14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Unknown VHS – 69:58
Lorelei (Serena) is the daughter of a rich businessman who is abducted by three kidnappers while on a shopping trip. After being snatched off the street she is taken to the gang’s hideout where she is sexually mishandled until daddy pays the ransom. Despite being so brutally treated she does manage to bond sexually with most of the kidnappers.
It’s clear that 14th Mandolin realised all along that THE ABDUCTION OF LORELEI would be a problematic film as can be seen by their cutting around 23 minutes before submitting it to the Board. These cuts would have been both to the hardcore and to the worst of the sexual violence. But even those would have been vastly insufficient and it’s hard to see how any version could ever have passed in the late 1970s. The problematic scenes would have included the following.
07:17 to 15:24 – Lorelei is grabbed by the gang at gunpoint and thrown into the back of their van before one of the men strips her and rapes her both vaginally and anally. There is a lot of screaming by the victim and abusive language so it’s hard to see how any amount of cuts could have made it acceptable.
16:01 to 17:06 – The kidnappers reach their safe house and drag Lorelei, kicking and screaming, from their van into the bedroom. She is partially naked at the time with her legs spread apart and the camera especially focuses on her genitals as she is carried inside.
17:09 to 23:01 – The kidnappers strip Lorelei on the bed and roughly manhandle and slap her while she screams loudly. They then decide to take images of her which they will send to her father to persuade him to pay the ransom. She is forced to pose sexually in all of these photographs and in one of them she is shown being explicitly penetrated by a wine bottle. This scene would probably have to have been reduced to seconds.
28:30 to 29:40 – The female kidnapper Jenny (Monique Perris) tells Lorelei that she is not going to harm her and starts licking her genitals. Lorelei doesn’t object but she still has her hands tied at the time.
31:28 to 35:57 – The sex scene between the two women becomes more graphic. Jenny has taken the ropes off Lorelei’s wrists by this point but the camera gets extremely close and captures the sex in explicit detail.
37:50 to 40:07 – In the only truly consensual scene in the film, Jenny gives one of the male kidnappers Al (Charles Neal) oral sex. But since this is hardcore throughout it would have been part of the precuts.
44.30 to 46:34 – Lorelei and Jenny have sex again. This is again captured in close-up and explicit detail.
48:17 to 49:00 – The two women finish having sex.
50:21 to 55:07 – After a short break, they move to another room and have sex again.
61:37 to 67:08 – Lorelei’s father pays the ransom and the two male kidnappers fall out over how the loot is going to be divided. Billy (John Galt) shoots Al and, disillusioned by this turn of events, he tells Lorelei that she is free to go. She stays and has very graphic sex with him instead.
The primary problem for the Board with THE ABDUCTION OF LORELEI would clearly have been the sexual violence. But even when the sex scenes are at least in some way consensual they would have been far too explicit. The main reason for this is that the action is frequently zoomed in and sometimes handheld cameras are used so that the viewer is placed right in the action at very close range. Had 14th Mandolin tried a ‘fifth reconstructed version’ they would probably have needed to reduce the running time down to around 32 minutes, and that version would have included mainly action, dialogue and only fleeting sex and nudity.
Captain Lust
Directed by Beau Buchanan / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In November 1977, a 2212.80-meter (80:39) print of CAPTAIN LUST was banned because of ‘indecency and excessive violence’.
A 1886.30-meter (68:45) ‘reconstructed version’ was submitted in February 1978. This too was banned, but now only for ‘indecency’.
The following month, this print was taken to the Films Board of Review who upheld the decision of the Film Censorship Board.
In all cases, D. Dunningham Films was the applicant.
X-rated hardcore is go
In July 1984, a 78-minute tape of CAPTAIN LUST was passed with the newly introduced X-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
W. B. and J. E. Wathen was the applicant.
Desires Within Young Girls
Directed by Richard Kanter / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In October 1980, a 2228.70-meter (81:14) print of DESIRES WITHIN YOUNG GIRLS was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Presumably, this was a precensored version.
A 2119.49-meters (77:15) ‘reconstructed version’ received an R-rating in April 1981. The sex had been reduced to:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
AZ Associated Film Distributors was the applicant.
R-rated & X-rated videotapes
The X-rating was introduced in February 1984. That month saw a 90-minute tape of DESIRES WITHIN YOUNG GIRLS passed with such a classification.
W.B. and J.E. Wathen was the applicant
Video Classics released an R-rated version on tape as part of their Movie at Midnight range.
It was rereleased by Palace Vibrant Video.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD – 102:41
Maddy (Georgina Spelvin) is having extremely enthusiastic sex with her richer and older husband Charles (John Leslie) when, immediately after ejaculating, he dies of a heart attack. Her thoughts turn immediately to how she will maintain her current lifestyle and she decides to take her two daughters from her previous marriage, Cissy (Annette Haven) and Penny (Clair Dia), out of their finishing school and marry them off to wealthy men.
Most of DESIRES WITHIN YOUNG GIRLS focuses on encounters between Maddy’s daughters and various eligible bachelors. Once the hardcore had been removed, as AZ Associated Film Distributors surely did before their first submission, these scenes would have become quite tame. Presumably, the problematic material is focused on two scenarios which take place at a sex gathering hosted by Harrison (John Alderman) a sex-obsessed millionaire. Both of these scenes illustrate the theme that sexual role-plays based on domination are only viable if the subservient partner goes along with the fantasy.
57:58 to 61:57 – Cissy is manacled to the ceiling and an ageing general (Chesley Noone) threatens her with a 16th century ivory cane, then places a pair of pliers close to her breasts before telling her that he is going to ‘brutally fuck every opening in her body’. She refuses to go along with his plan by persuading him that she is ill, blowing bubblegum and even taking her wrists out of the manacles at one point. When she criticises the whip that he threatens to flog her with he completely goes to pieces and the scene ends.
At 75:08 we see a man lying naked on a bed when Dominique (Sabrina), a dominatrix in bondage gear, enters with a whip and threatens to make him her slave. He tells her that he has no intention of playing games with a woman like her and the scene ends quickly, but not before she has put some downward pressure on his flaccid penis while wearing high heels. This lasts only a few seconds.
Eruption
aka Big John is Here
aka “Big” John Holmes is Here
Directed by Sam Norvel / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In January 1978, a 1838.70-meter (67:01) print of ERUPTION was banned because of ‘indecency’. The running time indicates that it had been precut before submission.
A 1686.18-meter (61:27) ‘reconstructed version’ was passed with an R-rating in March 1978.
Lestrig Trading (aka Lestrig Films) was the applicant.
Pre-February 1984 hardcore videos
In the early 1980s, ERUPTION was released in Australia on the Mature Video Movies label.
This label existed during the early days of the video revolution and released hardcore titles at a time when they were not yet regulated.
In October 1981, a 78-minute tape was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Videolink was the applicant.
Censored R-rated version
A 581.41-meter (52:59) 16mm ‘pre-censor cut version’ of ERUPTION was passed with an R-rating in April 1982.
It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant. It was released on their King of Video label.
More pre-X hardcore
Tabu Video released ERUPTION on tape around 1983.
The cover claims that it ran 85-minutes and was X-rated. There is no record of this in the National Classification Database.
X & R-rated on Pink Video
The X-rating was introduced in February 1984. That month, 14th Mandolin had a 78-minute tape passed with the new classification.
This was followed in June 1985 by a heavily censored R-rated version, which was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The film was submitted by 14th Mandolin under the new title BIG JOHN IS HERE. It was released on their Pink Video label as “BIG” JOHN HOLMES IS HERE.
Late 1980s & Early 1990s videos
In July 1987, a 74-minute tape of ERUPTION was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The applicant was Supreme Entertainment.
This was followed in May 1991 by an 83-minute tape which was passed with an X (Contains sexually explicit material) rating.
Dusk Delta Pty Ltd was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha France (fr) – DVD – 82:31
Pete Winston (John Holmes) is an insurance salesman vacationing in Hawaii where he meets Sandra (Leslie Bovee) who has a husband she would like to be rid of. She suggests that Pete drafts a life insurance policy which they will persuade her husband to sign and then murder him and share the payout.
Lestrig Trading presumably removed the hardcore sex before their first submission in 1978, but there are several scenes which would still have been too strong for the Film Censorship Board.
1. A rather tame sex scene in a jacuzzi becomes more vigorous when another man joins in. This scene goes on for some time.
2. The plot to murder the husband seems to have worked and Pete and Sandra have enthusiastic sex to celebrate. This scene features around two minutes of ultra-close-ups of Sandra’s vagina.
3. Three characters who are only vaguely related to the plot meet in a gym and decide to have extremely graphic sex on a weights bench. This scene gets especially strong when the man decides to pleasure both women simultaneously with a double-ended dildo.
Since all of the sex in ERUPTION is consensual it’s no surprise that the complete version was passed after the X-rating was introduced in 1984.
The Lusty Ladies of Capitol Hill
Directed by William J. Condon / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In February 1982, a 2684.00-meter (97:50) print of THE LUSTY LADIES OF CAPITOL HILL was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
A ‘reconstructed version’ running 2386.41-meters (86:59) was passed with an R-rating in February 1983. The sex was now described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
In both cases, Greg Lynch Film Distributors was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Unknown 3-D – VHS as POLITICAL PLEASURES – 82:00
The plot of THE CAPITOL HILL GIRLS is difficult to describe. It is mainly about powerful politicians and the women who gravitate towards them – their wives and many hookers – but there are also two distinct subplots. One of these concerns a senator who is addicted to gambling, and the other focuses on a drunken professional baseball player who needs to sober up before the big game. However, these subplots are forgotten after a while and the film defaults to various scenes of prostitutes having sex with politicians and visiting foreign dignitaries. It eventually finishes arbitrarily with no narrative resolution.
The main selling point of THE CAPITOL HILL GIRLS was clearly that it’s one the few US adult films of the 1970s which was made in 3-D. There are many scenes which exploit this with objects and body parts (mainly breasts) being thrust towards the camera to exploit the 3-D imagery. Surprisingly this isn’t the most noticeable aspect of the film. That would have to be the extremely poor quality of the acting with none of the little-known cast seeming to be able to deliver dialogue credibly.
The extant (2026) version of the film derives from a VHS under the title POLITICAL PLEASURES. This version is softcore throughout and extremely tame, with many of the sex scenes lasting only seconds and some finishing while the actors are still fully clothed. It also contains jarring jumps to the soundtrack indicating that there was considerably more footage originally.
THE CAPITOL HILL GIRLS played with both X and R ratings in the US, and cinema ads indicate the R-rated variant ran less than 90 minutes. So, it seems likely that the first Australian submission was of the complete hardcore version and that cuts were required to remove the real sex. The extant print doesn’t suggest that there would have been any further censorship problems beyond that.
Paul, Lisa and Caroline
Directed by Ted Roter / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In November 1981, a 2332.40-meter (85:01) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of PAUL, LISA AND CAROLINE was banned because of sex. It was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
This was followed in May 1982 by a 2258.93-meter (82:20) ‘reconstructed pre-censor cut version’, which lost a further 16-meters (00:35) before being awarded an R-rating.
The extra censorship was done to remove sex, which was now found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
While in the R-rated version it was:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
In all cases, Cinerama Films was the applicant.
Pink Video’s hard & soft
The X-rating was introduced in February 1984. In July of that year, a 107-minute tape of PAUL, LISA AND CAROLINE was passed with this new classification. The sex was now said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
This was followed in April 1985 by a pre-censored 78-minute tape that was passed with an R-rating. In this version the sex was:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
In both cases, 14th Mandolin was the applicant. The R-rated and X-rated tapes were released on their Pink Video label.
Further reading
For more censored Ted Roter (AKA Peter Balakoff), see the database entries for A VERY SMALL CASE OF RAPE (1977) and THE MASTER AND MS. JOHNSON (1983).
A Very Small Case of Rape
Directed by Ted Roter / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In October 1981, a 2057.24-meter (74:59) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of A VERY SMALL CASE OF RAPE was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Cinerama Films was the applicant.