The softcore and hardcore movies of Joe Sarno that have been cut or banned in Australia. He directed some of these under the name Karl Andersson.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
The Seduction of Inga
Directed by Joseph W. Sarno / 1968 / Sweden – USA / IMDb
In December 1973, a 2423.00-meter (88:19) print of THE SEDUCTION OF INGA was censored by 47.85-meters (01:45) for an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove ‘indecency’.
MGM-BEF Film Distributors were the applicant.
Daddy, Darling
Directed by Joseph W. Sarno / 1970 / Denmark – USA / IMDb
In November 1971, an 8586-feet (95:24) feet print of DADDY, DARLING was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A censored 8286-feet (92:04) version was passed with an R-rating in April 1972.
In both cases, Consolidated Exhibitors was the applicant.
Bibi: Confessions of Sweet Sixteen
Directed by Joseph W. Sarno / 1974 / Sweden – Switzerland – West Germany / IMDb
In November 1974, a 2606.00-meter (94:59) print of BIBI: CONFESSIONS OF SWEET SIXTEEN was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A ‘reconstructed version’ 2386.00-meter (86:58) version was passed with an R-rating in April 1976.
MGM BEF Film Distributors were the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 30 March 1979, the censored R-rated version of BIBI: CONFESSIONS OF SWEET SIXTEEN was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was G.U.O. (Film Distributors).
Confessions of a Young American Housewife
Directed by Joseph W. Sarno / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In September 1977, a 2260.00-meter (82:23) print of CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A reduced 1810.00-meter (65:08) version lost a further 42.4-meter (01:32) before being awarded an R-rating in June 1978.
Natan Scheinwald Productions was the applicant.
Video release
In the early 1980s, K&C Video issued CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE on their Starbase Video label.
Please e-mail us if you can confirm which version this tape contains.
A Touch of Genie
Directed by Joseph W. Sarno / 1974 / USA / IMDb
In July 1977, a 1739.90-meter (63:25) print of A TOUCH OF GENIE was banned because of ‘indecency’. This running time indicates that it was cut before submission.
The Films Board of Review upheld the decision in August 1977.
Lestrig Trading (aka Lestrig Films) was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – Blu-ray – 85:50
Melvin (Douglas Stone) runs an antique shop along with his overbearing and sexually adventurous mother (Ultramax). Most of his spare time is spent in the front row of the local porn theatre. One day he rubs a vase, which has remained unsold for some time, which summons up a female genie (Chris Jordan) who grants him five wishes. She hopes that his final wish will be to spend the rest of his life with her but instead he wastes them all on sexual fantasies.
Melvin’s favourite porn stars are Harry Reems, Marc Stevens, Tina Russell and Levi Richards and he longs to have sex as they do in their films. This is represented by the porn actors taking part in the sex scenes, and the person who Melvin is identifying with speaking with Melvin’s voice.
There are three known versions of A TOUCH OF GENIE – the 86-minute complete hardcore version, an 83-minute slightly shorter hardcore version and a 69-minute R-rated cut. It is unclear which one Lestrig Trading started from, but cutting the hardcore from one of the longer versions would leave a running time quite a bit longer than 63 minutes.
Even less clear is why the Film Censorship Board objected to the film as it’s a light-hearted comedy and all of the sex is consensual and separated by long gaps. The sex scenes are reasonably tame and short and when cut for softcore would have been even milder. It’s surprising also that no attempt was made to further cut A TOUCH OF GENIE and resubmit it.
Butterflies
Directed by Joseph W. Sarno / 1975 / West Germany – Sweden / IMDb
In April 1976, a 3154.45-meter (114:59) print of BUTTERFLIES was banned because of ‘indecency’.
A censored 2386.00-meter (86:58) version lost a further 35.70-meters (01:18) of ‘indecency’ before being awarded an R-rating in July 1976.
Consolidated Exhibitors were the applicant.
Caballero Home Video
In February 1984, a censored 74-minute video was passed with an R-rating.
This was followed in September 1984 by a 92-minute tape that was passed with the newly introduced X18+ rating. This was awarded for sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
In both cases, Caballero Home Video was the applicant.
Inside Jennifer Welles
Directed by Jennifer Welles – Joseph W. Sarno / 1977 / USA / IMDb
In July 1978, a 2212.30-meter (80:38) print of INSIDE JENNIFER WELLES was banned because of ‘indecency’. The running time indicates it had been precensored.
A 2043.00-meter (74:28) ‘reconstructed version’ was refused for the same reason in September 1978.
An appeal to the Films Board of Review failed in November 1978.
In all cases, 14th Mandolin was the applicant.
All About Gloria Leonard
Directed by Gloria Leonard – Joseph W. Sarno / 1978 / USA / IMDb
In May 1980, a 1981.70-meter (72:14) print of ALL ABOUT GLORIA LEONARD was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The running time indicates it had been precensored.
A 1898.18-meter (69:11) ‘reconstructed version’ was passed with an R-rating in September 1980. The sex was now found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant. They released it on their King of Video label.
Banned in Queensland
On 11 December 1981, the censored R-rated version of ALL ABOUT GLORIA LEONARD was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was 14th Mandolin.
X-rated, R-rated & banned videos
This was followed in December 1983 by a 90-minute tape, which was Refused Registration because of sex, which was:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Video Classics was the applicant.
The X-rating was introduced in February 1984. That month saw both 14th Mandolin, and Video Classics receive that classification for 72-minute tapes. The sex was again found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The Video Classics tape was released on their Xtra Hard label.
14th Mandolin resubmitted the film in January 1985 in what appears to be a precensored version. The 66-minute tape received an R-rating for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Presumably, this was released on their Pink Video label.
Review
Mike reports
Video-X-Pix (us) – DVD – 110:39
Gloria Leonard is about to retire from her life as a porn actress and is clearing up her office for the last time before starting a new career as owner of an adult magazine business. While packing she notices objects from the past which remind her of prior sexual encounters, all of which we see acted out on screen.
It’s a little difficult to be sure of the cuts details as the version I watched seems to be 20 minutes longer than any known release, but we can be fairly sure that ALL ABOUT GLORIA LEONARD was precut to remove the hardcore before its first submission. A softcore version wouldn’t contain any specific problematic scenes, but it might have been felt that the sex was somewhat too vigorous in general. Another possible area for cuts may have been language as Gloria Leonard tells her sexual partners exactly what she would like them to do next in very graphic terms.
West Australian Police submission
In December 2004, a 141-minute VHS titled EXPENSIVE TASTE – ALL ABOUT GLORIA LEONARD – WA POLICE 65/38707 was banned by the OFLC.
December 2004
– Classification Board
Film 1(a) The film is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Films Table, 1. (a) as films that ‘depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.’
The West Australian Police was the applicant.
Presumably, the second title on the video is Maria Lease’s EXPENSIVE TASTES (1978). This had previously received an X-rating in February 1984 after Blake Films had submitted a 71-minute tape.
Mike reports
ALL ABOUT GLORIA LEONARD should have been a very straightforward X-rating in 2004. EXPENSIVE TASTES on the other hand, centres on a group of ski mask-wearing thugs who invade people’s houses and sexually assault them. Around 41 of the 75 minute running time is taken up by scenes of the gang raping, sexually molesting and humiliating restrained nonconsenting victims. All of the sex in the film is hardcore.