Directed by John Hilbard

The softcore and hardcore movies of John Hilbard that have been cut or banned in Australia.


Bedroom Mazurka

Directed by John Hilbard / 1970 / Denmark / IMDb

In December 1971, a 7920-feet (88:00) print of BEDROOM MAZURKA was passed with the newly introduced R-rating.

This was followed in May 1972 by an ‘English dubbed version’ that ran the same length.

Bedroom Mazurka (1970) - Australian daybill movie poster 1
Daybill via moviemem

In both cases, Roadshow Distributors was the applicant.

Bedroom Mazurka (1970) - Australian daybill movie poster 2
Daybill via moviemem

Although it was not recorded as such, the film had been pre-cut before submission.

What was missing?

Shane Harrison reports.
Big Sky Video (au) – DVD – 88:04 (PAL) uncut
Includes 01:36 end credit fadeout music played against a black screen.

Hardcore pictures
12:24 – 00:02 cut – Close up of a hard-core porn photo. This was replaced with a close up of a less explicit image.

Adult store visit
31:37 – 03:07 cut – The complete sequence where Max visits a sex shop was removed. Two topless shop assistants accompany him around the store, showing him various sex toys and pornography. Leather fetish items, rubber, bondage equipment, dildos, vibrators, strap-ons, penis pumps etc. are shown in close-up. The porn magazines have modesty covers on them, which means no hardcore is visible. In the Australian theatrical version, the film suddenly jumped from Max in a museum to him falling out of the door of the sex shop into the street.

A huge hit & influential down under

Shane Harrison reports.
As one of the first R-rated films, BEDROOM MAZURKA would prove to be an iconic success. At Melbourne’s Roma Cinema, starting on March 9th 1972, it would continue running for 91-weeks. This beat the previous record-holder, BENJAMIN, OR THE DIARY OF AN INNOCENT YOUNG MAN (1968) by 20 weeks.

The huge box-office inspired, in part, the creation of ALVIN PURPLE (1973). That film honoured its source with a view of the Roma screening BEDROOM MAZURKA. This can be found at 62:48 on Roadshow’s DVD of the ALVIN PURPLE: HEXAGON TRIBUTE COLLECTION. In a further link between the films, the Roadshow Home Video release of ALVIN PURPLE was advertised on the rear of their BEDROOM MAZURKA tape.

Theatrical re-release

In June 1982, a 2413.00-meter (87:57) print was submitted. It was awarded an R-rating for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Low
Purpose: Justified

…and also for ‘Nudity’.

Blake Films went on to re-issue the film theatrically.

Bedroom Mazurka (1970) - Australian daybill movie poster 3
Daybill via moviemem

Presumably, this was the uncut version.

Video releases

In the early 1980s, BEDROOM MAZURKA was released on tape by Roadshow Home Video.

Bedroom Mazurka (1970) - VHS videotape 1
VHS – Roadshow

The cover announced that it was ‘Now fully uncut’.

Blake Films had an 88-minute video classified in February 1984. The R-rating was awarded for the same reasons as their June 1982 submission.

February 1984 also saw Pakenham Video Library receive an R-rating for a 92-minute tape. This would appear to be the uncut version.

DVD release

In October 2013, Big Sky Video issued BEDROOM MAZURKA on DVD with a cover that stated it was uncut.

Bedroom Mazurka (1970) - DVD cover 1
DVD – Big Sky Video

As it was not been resubmitted for classification, it still carried the previous R-rating. This explains the lack of consumer advice on the cover.


Bedside Dentist

Directed by John Hilbard / 1971 / Denmark / IMDb

In September 1972, a 2760.41-meters (100:37) print of BEDSIDE DENTIST was banned because of ‘indecency’.

A censored 2687.19-meter (97:57) version was passed with an R-rating in October 1972.

Bedside Dentist (1971) - Australian daybill movie poster 1
Daybill via moviemem

U.I.P released it theatrically. The advertising material lists it as being distributed by Cinema International Corporation.

Theatrical re-issue

In August 1982, Blake Films had a 1077.00-meter (98:08) 16mm print of BEDSIDE DENTIST passed with an R-rating.

It was awarded for sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous

The running time appears to indicate that is was already censored.

BEDROOM MAZURKA (1970) received a theatrical rerelease at this time, so presumably, that was the purpose of this submission.

Video mystery

In February 1984, a 100-minute tape was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for the same reasons as the August 1982 submission.

In early 1982, Roadshow Home Video released a tape titled SNEAK PREVIEWS FROM OUR CATALOGUE, which included BEDSIDE DENTIST.

Bedside Dentist (1971) - VHS videotape 1
VHS – Roadshow

It is unclear if the complete film was released.


Come to My Bedside

Directed by John Hilbard / 1975 / Denmark / IMDb

In August 1975, a 2765.00-meter (100:47) print of COME TO MY BEDSIDE was refused because of ‘indecency’.

The same month saw the decision confirmed by the Films Board of Review.

A ‘reconstructed version’ running 2385.00-meter (86:56) print was passed with an R-rating in December 1975.

Consolidated Exhibitors were the applicant.

Video releases

In 1982, Roadshow Home Video released a tape titled SNEAK PREVIEWS FROM OUR CATALOGUE, which included COME TO MY BEDSIDE.

Bedside Dentist (1971) - VHS videotape 1
VHS – Roadshow

It is unclear if the complete film was issued.

An 86-minute tape of was passed with an R-rating in February 1985. It was awarded for sex was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous

Blake Films were the applicant.

Come to My Bedside (1975) - VHS videotape 1
VHS – Rodox

The tape was released on the Rodox Video label and distributed by Caballero Home Video.


Danish Sailors

Directed by John Hilbard / 1976 / Denmark / IMDb

In December 1981, a 2486.00-meter (90:37) print of DANISH SAILORS was censored by 15.50-meters (00:34) for an R-rating.

The cuts were made to remove sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous

In the censored R-rated version, it was reduced to:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous

Blake Films was the applicant.

Banned in Queensland

On 13 March 1982, the censored R-rated version of DANISH SAILORS was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.

The distributor was Blake Films.

Video releases

In 1982, Roadshow Home Video released a tape titled SNEAK PREVIEWS FROM OUR CATALOGUE, which included DANISH SAILORS. It is unknown if the complete film was released.

Bedside Dentist (1971) - VHS videotape 1
VHS – Roadshow

A 91-minute tape of was passed with an R-rating in February 1985. The sex was described as being the same level as the December 1981 classification. This may indicate it was censored.

Danish Sailors (1976) - VHS videotape 1
VHS – Rodox

It was released on the Rodox Video label and distributed by Caballero Home Video.


back to top of page arrow