Adult and erotic westerns that have been cut or banned in Australia.
HOT SPUR (1968), THE SCAVENGERS (1970) and TRAMP WOMEN (1972) have separate entries in Film Censorship Database No. 1 and 2.
A Fistful of 44s
Directed by Jourdan Alexander / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In May 1978, a 2169.90-meter (79:06) print of A FISTFUL OF 44S was banned because of ‘indecency and indecent violence’.
A 2002.39-meter (72:59) ‘reconstructed version’ was passed with an R-rating in November 1978.
In both cases, 14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Video release
14th Mandolin issued A FISTFUL OF 44S on their King of Video label in the early 1980s. The 70:45 (PAL) tape was presumably the same as the cut theatrical print.
In October 1984, their tape was banned because of ‘gratuitous and exploitative sexual violence’. This was despite it being on video store shelves for several years.
Queensland Police banned
In November 1985, the Queensland Police also had a copy of A FISTFUL OF 44S Refused Registration.
This was presumably a copy of the King of Video release as ‘gratuitous and exploitative sexual violence’ was again cited as the reason.
Further reading
For more censored Jourdan Alexander (AKA Jaacov Jaacovi, AKA Jay Jackson), see the database entries for FEMALE CHAUVINISTS (1976) and TAXI GIRLS (1979).
Dr. Carstair’s 1869 Love-Root Elixir
Directed by Henning Schellerup / 1972 / USA / IMDb
In April 1979, a 2164.00-meter (78:53) print of DR. CARSTAIR’S 1869 LOVE-ROOT ELIXIR was banned because of ‘indecency’.
Blake Films was the applicant.
A Dirty Western
Directed by Joseph F. Robertson / 1975 / USA / IMDb
In March 1978, a 1537.00-meter (56:01) print of A DIRTY WESTERN was passed with an R-rating.
This version had been reduced by precensor cuts totalling 420-meters (15:18).
Roadshow Distributors were listed as the applicant. However, Blake Films were noted on the daybill poster.
Banned in Queensland
On 12 December 1980, the censored R-rated version of A DIRTY WESTERN was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was Blake Films.
Censored Playaround Video
In December 1982, a 70-minute tape was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded because of ‘sexual violence’.
PBL Video was the applicant.
The tape was released by Publishing and Broadcasting Video on their Playaround Video label.
The image of a bound and gagged naked woman was one of the more confronting covers found in Australian video stores.
WA Police investigation
In December 2004, a 155-minute VHS containing A DIRTY WESTERN and THRILL ST. BLUES (1985) was banned by the OFLC. It is unclear which of the films was responsible for the RC-rating.
The applicant was the Child Abuse Investigation Unit of the Western Australian Police.
Sweet Savage
Directed by Ann Perry – Charles Samples / 1979 / USA / IMDb
In November 1981, a 1645.80-meter (59:59) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of SWEET SAVAGE was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
AZ Associated Theatres was the applicant.
Censored Video Classics
Following the theatrical release, SWEET SAVAGE was issued on tape by Video Classics.
This 63-minute version was reviewed in July 1984 and confirmed with an R-rating. The sex was described as being the same level as the November 1981 classification.
