1960s American movies that have been cut or banned in Australia.
The Cut-Throats
Directed by John Hayes / 1969 / USA / IMDb
In June 1975, a 2077.00-meter (75:42) print of THE CUT-THROATS was censored by 34.00-meters (04:14) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
Filmways Australasia was the applicant.
Likely Australian cuts
Review by Simon.
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – DVD – 73:47 (NTSC)
VEC (us) – VHS box title CUT THROAT KOMMANDO SS – 72:12 (NTSC) – censored
By the standards of 1969, the softcore is relatively explicit, but by 1975 it should not have been an issue. All the sex is consensual, apart from one that begins at three minutes when a woman is forced to strip by a Nazi who then rapes her.
The VEC tape censors this scene from when the Nazi climbs on top of the woman until the American soldiers appear. This was likely what was removed from the Australian R-rated version.
Sinner’s Blood
Directed by Neil Douglas / 1969 / USA / IMDb
In February 1984, Filmways had a 76-minute video of SINNER’S BLOOD passed with an R-rating. The reason for the rating was:
Sex
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Violence
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
It appears this tape was never released.
Two more VHS refusals
In January 1985, an 80-minute tape was banned because of violence, which was described as being:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Ubat Video was the applicant.
A second 81-minute tape was refused by the OFLC in February 1990.
In this case, the applicant was Video Excellence.
So what was the problem?
Simon reports.
Saturn Productions (us) – VHS – 80:56 (NTSC)
One scene would have caused SINNER’S BLOOD to be banned. There is no rape, but it does show a topless woman being threatened with a knife.
70:00 to 72:45 – Gentry’s gay lover threatens Penelope with a knife. He blames her for Gentry’s death and advances towards her mumbling ‘women are dirty’. He holds the knife against her face as she pleads for him to stop. Part of this scene is also included in the first 00:22 of the film.
78:45 to 80:00 – The scene with Penelope continues. Gentry’s lover now slices open her bra. She screams as he cuts her breasts.
A second sequence may also have caused a problem.
45:00 to 47:45 – Aubrey (John Talt) attempts to rape Patricia (Cristy Beal). She screams ‘no’ and eventually talks him out of it. The scene concludes with him crying.
Wild, Free and Hungry
Directed by Paul Hunt / 1969 / USA / IMDb
In June 1973, a 2749.00-meter (100:12) print of WILD, FREE AND HUNGRY was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A censored 2468.00-meter (89:57) print passed with an R-rating in March 1976.
In both cases, Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.
