Italian poliziottesco and action movies that have been cut or banned in Australia.
An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
aka Occhio Per Occhio, Dente Per Dente (Classification Board title)
Directed by Miguel Iglesias / 1967 / Italy – Spain / IMDb
In early 1970, AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH was rejected by the Film Censorship Board. At the time, the highest classification available was SOA (Suitable only for Adults). This was broadly equivalent to the M-rating.
In April 1970, in a bid to introduce an R-rating, Don Chipp (Liberal) organised a parliamentary screening of censored and banned movie clips. AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH was one of the 28 titles that were included.
See the separate entry for this title in our Film Censorship Database No. 2 for more information.
Modified for an R
The R-rating was eventually introduced in November 1971.
In December 1977, a 2750.00-meter (100:14) ‘pre-censor cut version’ was passed with an R-rating. The Film Censorship Board noted that this was a longer version than the one that had been rejected in 1970.
Cinema Italia submitted it under the title OCCHIO PER OCCHIO, DENTE PER DENTE.
The Bastard
Directed by Duccio Tessari / 1968 / France – Italy – West Germany / IMDb
In July 1970, the Review Board upheld the decision to refuse THE BASTARD a rating. It had been submitted in an 8268-feet (91:52) ‘reconstructed version’.
At the time, the highest classification available was SOA (Suitable only for Adults). This was broadly equivalent to the M-rating.
See the separate entry for this title in our Film Censorship Database No. 2 for more information.
New rating, same result
The R-rating was eventually introduced in November 1971.
In September 1972, a 2518.24-meter (91:47) print of THE BASTARD was banned once again. The reason given was ‘indecency and excessive violence’.
Warner Bros. was the applicant.
Bloody Friday
aka Violenza contro la violenza
Directed by Rolf Olsen – Lee Payant / 1972 / Italy – West Germany / IMDb
In July 1974, a 962.25-meter (87:41) 16mm print of BLOODY FRIDAY was censored by 9.14-meters (00:50) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
This print was over five minutes shorter than the German version.
Anjohn International was the applicant.
German vs. Italian
A detailed comparison between the German and Italian prints can be found at the Italian censorship archive, Visioni Proibite. They note that the original German version, as BLUTIGER FREITAG, ran 2561.00-meters (93:21).
It was released on video in Italy under the title VIOLENZA CONTRO LA VIOLENZA. De Matteis Enterprises imported this New Pentax VHS into Australia.
During the 1980s and 1990s, this was widely available in Australia in stores that stocked Italian tapes. Visioni Proibite notes that it contains the uncut Italian version and runs 86:21 (PAL).
No Way Out
aka Tony Arzenta
Directed by Duccio Tessari / 1973 / France – Italy / IMDb
In July 1977, a 2797.00-meter (101:57) print of NO WAY OUT was censored by 31.20-meters (01:08) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘excessive violence’.
United Artists was the applicant.
Diplomatic Poliziottesco
In November 1982, a 680-meter (111:32) Super 8mm print was awarded an M-rating for violence. It was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The Embassy of Italy submitted it under the title TONY ARZENTA.
What violence?
Matt reports.
107:16 (NTSC) – 05:19 longer than July 1977 submission
The ‘excessive violence’ would have most likely referred to this scene.
82:00 – Sandra (Carla Gravina) is brutally beaten by three gangsters. This sequence was missing from the Japanese DVD release on the King Records label.
Mafia Junction
Directed by Massimo Dallamano / 1973 / Italy – UK / IMDb
In February 1978, a 2633.00-meter (95:58) print of MAFIA JUNCTION was censored by 23.1-meters (00:51) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘excessive violence’.
Natan Scheinwald Productions was the applicant.
Poliziottesco violence
Matt reports.
Arrow Films (uk) – DVD as SUPER BITCH
IIF Home Video/01 Distribution (it) – DVD as SI PUO ESSERE PIU BASTARDI DELL’ISPETTORE CLIFF?
There are a couple of head shootings at 07:45 and 24:15 and a machine gun massacre at 43:30. However, the main ‘excessive violence’ would be this scene.
58:00 – Mamma the Turk’s gang confront, and brutally beat a male escort. His legs are then positioned on the road and a car is driven back and forth over them.
Cry of a Prostitute
Directed by Andrea Bianchi / 1974 / Italy / IMDb
In December 1980 a 2246.50 meter (81:53) print of CRY OF A PROSTITUTE was banned because of violence, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
A ‘reconstructed pre-censor cut version’ running 2377.00 meters (86:39) was passed with an R-rating in July 1981. The violence was now described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
It is unclear why the R-rated version was longer than the initial banned submission.
House of Dare was the applicant.
The daybill lists it as being released by Garland Productions. It is advertised as ‘Joseph Brenner presents CRY OF A PROSTITUTE’.
Action to softcore
The Australian poster uses a modified image of Henry Silva. It should show him with one in his left hand and another sticking out of the top of his trousers.
This does not appear to be due to the Film Censorship Board, as it matches the American poster from Joseph Brenner Associates. The change makes it appear to be a softcore movie.
Poliziottesco problems
Matt reports.
83:21 – Joseph Brenner release as CRY OF A PROSTITUTE
The print was a bit choppy during the credits and the title card was missing. The full version should run over 12-minutes longer.
It contains various scenes of men being shot in the head and stomach, which results in lots of blood squibs.
36:00 – Tony (Henry Silva) bashes a guy’s head in with a rock and runs over him with a road roller. The latter is not graphically depicted.
These two scenes would likely have been trimmed in Australia.
44:00 – Tony rapes Margie (Barbara Bouchet).
59:00 – Tony beats Margie with a belt and rapes her.
The Last Desperate Hours
aka Milano: il clan dei Calabresi (Classification Board title)
Directed by Giorgio Stegani / 1974 / Italy / IMDb
In March 1977, a 2331.00-meter (84:58) print of THE LAST DESPERATE HOURS was censored by 3.2-meters (00:08) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove ‘excessive violence’.
The applicant, Cinema Italia, submitted it under the title MILANO: IL CLAN DEI CALABRESI.
Import VHS
In November 1985, A M Alessi Film and Video Service had an 88-minute Italian import VHS passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for violence, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Presumably, the footage previously censored in 1977 was now okay for an R-rating.
MILANO: IL CLAN DEI CALABRESI was released on video in Italy by both Universal Video Imports (UVI), and Cinehollywood. It is unclear which tape was submitted to the Film Censorship Board.
The censored eight seconds?
Matt reports.
Surf Video (it) – DVD – 91:36
I believe the 00:08 of ‘excessive violence’ would have likely come from the scene where Paolo (Antonio Sabato) attacks the Doctor (Nando Marineo) after he learns he is being double-crossed.
48:00 – Paolo brings a bone-saw down onto the Doctor’s throat. Blood spurts and the bloody wound is shown. The violence ends at 48:10, which is just over the length of the footage that the censor removed.
The Final Executioner
Directed by Romolo Guerrieri / 1984 / Italy / IMDb
In February 1985, Filmways had an 87-minute videotape of THE FINAL EXECUTIONER banned because of ‘gratuitous sexual violence’.
A censored 85-minute version was passed in June 1985. The R-rating was awarded for sex and violence, which were both described as:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The actual running time of the censored Filmways VTC/K-TEL Video release was 87:58.
Australian VHS vs. US VHS
Matt reports.
MGM/UA Home Video (us) – VHS – 94:17( NTSC) ≈ 90:31 PAL – Credits run 01:39 and play out over a black background. 00:14 extra is due to longer fade out music.
Filmways VTC/K-TEL Video (au) – VHS – 87:58 (PAL) – Credits run 01:25 and play out over a still shot of the hero.
28:00 to 30:00 – Melvin (Stefano Davanzati) pulls a woman to the ground, rips open her top to expose her breast and rapes her. The rest of the gang look on before the youngest member shoots her in the chest. Surprisingly, this sequence remains in the Filmways VTC/K-TEL Video.
The censorship is as follows.
Forced to watch No. 1
Before – The hero is hiding in a cellar and observes the guard’s legs as they pass.
Censored at 53:50 by 02:25 – One of the guards is shown putting out a call for help. The young gang member (who previously shot the girl) is shown wired up to a machine as Edra (Marina Costa) looks on.
He watches Melvin’s rape of the girl, which plays on a TV screen in black and red. The scene continues going back and forth between the screen and Edra and the boy before she kicks out Louis (Renato Miracco).
The rape makes up only 00:35 of the 02:25 of cuts. In the actual rape, uncut at 28:00 in the Australian tape, the gang is shown cheering on Melvin. In comparison, the censored TV screen replay shows the boy to be distressed while Edra and the gang look on concerned. It is a mystery why this was removed and the earlier scene left complete.
After – The guy in black leaves the room as the girl in the red dress enters.
Forced to watch No. 2
There is a second brief cut of the same footage. Watch carefully and you can see the image jump.
Before – Edra looks at the TV screen and says ‘I want to stay here a while’.
Censored at 58:36 by 00:02 – Another shot of the rape scene on the TV screen.
After – Edra still stares at the screen.
The inclusion of the original rape scene must have been a mistake. The Filmways VTC/K-TEL Video release runs 87:58, but if the rape had been removed then this would have taken it down to the 85 minutes that was quoted for the R-rated version.