Cut: The Unseen Cinema

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This picture is a mock-up in Life magazine in 1946 (copyright in the photograph, A. L. Schafer) of the Hollywood Code of the time, listing the Ten Commandments of Thou Shalt Not Show This in the cinema.

Cut

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Lorrimer

© Lorrimer Publishing Limited 1975 First Published in 1975 by Lorrimer Publishing Limited, 4 7 Dean Street London W1 in association with Futura Publications Limited 49 Poland Street London W1 ISBN 0-85647-058-9

Production and Design by Jack Pia Ltd. Neal Street London WC2H 9PJ

55

Cover: JWA Designs This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

The publishers would like gratefully to acknowledge the help of the following organisations and people in providing the posters and other promotional material used in this book: S.F. Films, Fox-Rank, MGM, EMI, Columbia-Warner, United Artists, Allied Artists, Paramount, Universal MCA, RKO General Inc., First National, Cinema International Corporation, Hammer, the Cinema Bookshop, AlP, Contemporary Films, British Lion, Hemdale, Intercontinental Films, the stills and information departments of the National Film Archives, the British Film Institute, Titan International, Don Getz, Al Reuter, Brian Mcllmail and Martin Jones:

Erratum: page 7 9 Juliet Mills, not Hayley Mills, was the star of

Avanti.

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llle llrsl st1/Joltige pt1ge 1 politics tlnd 11111/tlllon pt1ge 24 In retret/1 P•ge SIJ cut on fllolence pt1ge 88

tlcltnowletlgements Grati.tude can only be given for the making of this book to those 'Nho have directly or indirectly caused the censorship of films or sequences from them. So this book is affectionately dedicated: To the public, which often will not pay to see a good film. -To the film financiers, who often will not pay to make a good film. -

-To the directors, who often fight for the film they want, and to hell with the audience. -To the stars, who wish to protect their performance at the cost of all other performers- and the film. -To the distributors, who ·won't show what they won't show, ·without giving any reason. -To the official censors, who have seen and scissored more bad movies (and a few good ones) than the human eye can bear. -To all, in fact, ·who have CUT� what we have not been allowed to view. -To them, THE UNSEEN CINEMA!

7

The creation or the world was the first sabotage. Why so, Cioran once asked?

t h ig h and hidden hair. The arts them­ sekes m oc k ed the censorship. Toulouse­

Because its creation destroyed the possi­

Lautrec's

bil i ty or all other wodds which could be made on t h i s particular pla net. The creation of a fi l m is also a sabotage. It prewnts anoth e r film being made on the same subject ;Jt uses up on its budget the monev which could ha\'e made other

number

were perhaps the most suggesti\·e, danc­

films; it i� completed in a form which is

ing with skirts hiked high abo\·e black

often unsatisfactorv to fi.nancier, director, . dis t ributor and au dience. The final print of' a film is its first censorship, because it e li m ina te s all othe1 possible versions of that film at tha t time. As the old Holly­ \\'ood saying goes, the only positive thing about a fi.ln1 is a negatiYe. In the labora­

stockings and bare thighs,

tories lies the unkindest cut of all, the

Because I've got a pussy cat

·

las t chance. Thus censorshi p in the cinema began

\\'ith th e creation of the cinema in the 1890s. Fo1· all th at was o·eated by Edison and the L u m i e re Brothers was a machine \\'hich could mO\·e the pictures of the habits

and

inhibitions

fi·iend

Ibels

drew

a

whole

or L'Assielle au Beurre on the

Cafe Concerts of Paris. It was subtitled 'Censorship' and it proYed how far the singers c o u ld get away with their risky mate1·ial. T h e English Machinson Sisters

with a live

pussy-cat held in the fold of the skirt and with a chorus which went: 'Nould you give me the tip of it, tip of it, tip of it Would you give me the tip of it, tip of it, tip of it Because I've got a pussy cat ·who hasn't eaten that, that, that! Ibels took great delight in stamping the words of the song with Passed By The Censor. Toulouse-Lautrec did, in fact, do the cover of

The

1895,

lvfntngraph Moving Picture

of their time.

Bonk

in

days

other illustrations the Serpentine Dance

consisted chieHy of the music hall, while

of Loie Fuller. This dance of the whirling

Victoi·ian

veils above an apparently naked body

entertainment

Popular

still

those

photography

recorded

chiefly Yiews of the streets and various female beauties. The music hall already

hac! its censors in France and in England,

of

which featured

among

took its inspiration from Salome, but the transparency of the veils was much helped by

backlighting from the new

\\'here the Lord Chamberlain was offi­ · cially the judge of indecency in the

electrical lamps in the theatres. It was

were something of a joke. The climax

name of Fatima, which was the hit of

theatre.

In Paris, howeYer, the censors

or the can-can, for instance, was the high kick followed by the shrieking splits; as the girls wore nothing under their long petticoats,

there '\·vas always a flash of

another performance of the Serpentine Dance by Loie Fuller's sister under the Chicago's

Columbian

Exposition

in

18 93; this actually led to the first overt act of censorship in the United States, ·when a peep-show

version of it was

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Lcs Sisters .1\\achinson's.

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9

10

Loie Fuller' s dance is t aken from The Motograph Moving Picture Book of 1 89 5 .

censored 111 1907 by superimposing para l l el l i nes across t h e p r i nt so that t he patrons cou l d only see a navel undulat i ng between bars, a son or S i ng­ S i ng m i d r i ff s t r i p show. In fact, desp i te the real i sm o f the first fi l m shows o f Edison a n d t h e Lumiere B ro thers - t ra i ns a rr i v i n g a n d workers leav i n g factories - the early ci nema evol ved out of the magi c t r icks of Mel ies, who certa i nly knew t he va l ue o f a l i ne of chorus girls even on a Tri p to the M oo n , a n d o u t of t h e p o p u l a r post - cards a n d peep shows o f the t i me . F o r t h e first ci nemas were l i t t l e more t h a n penny arcades fi l l ed ,.,•ith What The Bllller Saw mach i nes . The fi l m s were a series o f cel l u l o i d i mages or p o s t cards w h i ch fl i cked over rap i dly and gave t h e i l lu s i o n o f act i o n - usua l l y of a woma n undres s i n
Melies chorus-girls line up behind the moon- rocket.

II

were an i mated vers i o n s o r cont emporary t i t i l lat ion - rather l i ke the earl y years o r Pla}bO)' magazi ne, they showed every­ t h i ng except p u b i c hair, i n vanou s art ist ic o r fantas t i c poses . The Amer i can postcards of the period ten ded tO be more concerned "·i th clot hes and finance; but doubt less each co u n t ry knew i t s own market . I I" con t empora ry popu lar t a s t e deter­ mi ned r he nat ure o r t he peep-s h ow f i l m s lor t h e masses, the mak i n g ol. t h osc f i l m s ,,·as
The Love Business in the French Postcard

13

T o brighten u p a busy day Sly love will always find a way.

. . . and the American, with a more commercial approach.

14

Melies Apres l e Bal-le Tub ( 1 897) appears t o be the first naughty film. He did not follow it up, preferring fantasy voyages like Le Voyage a travers ['Impossible ( 1906). �

not el i cover what the Amer i can e n t re­ preneurs d i scovered- rwo themes ,,·hich were to exci t e both censors a n d t he ci ne­ mat ic p ubl i c for the nex t sevenr y years, a close view of sex and v i o lence. The t\vo i mportant f i l m s in t h i s respect were The Irwin-Rice Kiss of 1896 an d The Creal Train Robbery o f 1903. I n a stage per­ formance of The Widow Jones, M ay I rw i n a n d John C . R i ce hel d a k i ss on a s t age for a prolonged cli max . T h i s k i ss was filmed in close-up and led to a huge success, prompt i ng a con t empora ry cri t ic t o compl a i n that the k i ss was beastly on stage, b u t ' magn i fied t o G argant u. a n propor t i ons and repea t ed three t i mes over, i t was absol utely d i sgus t i ng' a n d called for police i nt erference.

The Great Train R ob bery led, i n deecl , to the i nven t i on o f modern ci nema, w i t h I rw i n S . Port er' s device o f cross - c u t t i ng a c t i o n seq uences . B u t i t s theme, the act ual s tagi ng of a robbery w i t h v i o l ence, en­ colll-aged the ma k i n g o f h u n d reds or c r i m i nal shor t p i c t u res . Just as the first voyeur films had been based o n the popu lar postcard, so t h ese crime f i l m s were based on the pen ny d read ful seri es , such a s t h e B uffal o B i l l L i b rary o r the Jack Sheppard s t or i es , and also o n the l ur i d i l l u s t rat i o n s i n such magazi nes o r cont empora ry CFi mes a s t he P o li re Gazelle. B u t t he success of The Great Train Robbe1:r l ed t o a spa t e o f recreat i o n s o r cri mes and even execu t i ons o n the s h o rt early movi es . V i o l ence had fqu n d its market . o r course, the mob had al \\·ays been i n t erested in execu t i o n s . Bal lads abo u t the dyi ng \\'Ords o f famous cri m i na l s oft en i n verse - were ha\\'kecl aro u n d t he s t ree t s o f London and Par i s before the v i ct i m \\'as yet swi ng i n g o n the rope o r head less after t h e gu i l l o t i ne . Fai rgro u n d machi nes sh o\\'ed on an i mated model s t he hangi ng o f such famous m urderers as C r ippen . And o n t he k i netcscope machi nes in the penny arcades, the a u d i � ences co u l d see the act ual ne"·sree l s o r t he behead i ng or· a Chi nese cri m i nal o u t s i de Mukden, the gui l l o t i n i ng of fou r French cri m i nal s at B ethune, a n d the hangi ng o f a man i n Misso u r i . I n England, cameras were s t i l l forb i dden from wat ch i n g the d rop ; b u t a res t ag i n g

The hanging o f C harles Peace w a s simulated in fairground style in 1905.

15

The Life nf Charles Peace i n 1 905 ended ,,· i t h h i s s i m u lat ed hanging, performed and hare­ B u l l figh t s rea l i s t ical l y co u r s i n g acci dent vict i ms, and opera­ t ions on women were shown i n a l l the i r gory deta i l s , a s wel l a s a t t acks on h o rses and on chi l d ren - considered revo l t i ng in tha t order i n E nglan d . As one d i s ­ gusted vi ewer comp l a i ned i n 1909 o f a film cal l ed The Blac/1 Hand, two ruffians were actu a l l y seen to enter a room where a mother was sewi ng, 'to take t h i s young child out of i ts bed, tie a rope round i ts neck, pass the rope over a peg behind a door, and actu a l l y p u l l the young i nn o -

of'

.

,

-

cen t up by the neck u n t i l i t s feet a re two three feet from the Aoor whi l s t the mother is kep t at bay. ' O fficia l censorsh i p was now a t hand because o f the secon d grou p o f censors a ft er the act u a l i nvent ors of the pr.ocess of f i l m-mak i ng - t h e d istributors . I n France, t h e grip of t h e L u m i eres a n d Mel ies rap i d l y l oosened i nto t h e hands o f the opera tors of Gaumont a n d Pathe, who d i scovered t hat the erotic p leased the i r patrons more t han the v i o l ent . B orrowing from the l ush n udes of con ­ t emporary p a i n ters s uch a s B o ugea ureau a n d G arni er a n d C hantron, a n d a lso

or

16

The Grasshopper by C hantron . . . and a tableaux vivant of Cupid' s Arrow for the naughty trade.

u s i ng t h e tra d i t i o n of the tabLeaux vivants o f undressed l a d i es in fant as t i c poses, t hey ran o ff a s er i e s o f naughty film s t r i p s u n der such t i t l es a s The Birth o f Venus ( aft er B o t t i cel l i ) , The Age for Love, a n d The lviodel en DeshabiLLe. P o l i ce act ion a ft er 1 90 5 , a n d grow i n g r especta b i l i t y , p u t Gaumont a n d Pathe more into t h e fea ­ LUre a n d newsreel b u s i ness, drivi n g na ugh ty French p i c t ures undergro und . The I ta l i a n ci nem a , h owever, began a p o p u l a r genre w h i ch has persi s t ed from t he Roma n c i rGus t h rough t h e M i dd l e Ages to t h e p resen t d a y - t h e h i s t or i cal ex t ravaganza fea t u r i n g naked women u nder such t itles as Lucrez.ia Borgia and The Last Da;•s of Pompeii, not to m ent i o n D a nt e' s Divine Comedy, i ncl ud i n g na t ur­ a l l v al l t he t o rt u res of hel l . Yet t he most i mport an t gro up o f f i l m d i s t r i butors lay i n Ameri ca, a n d t hey \\TIT a strange m ed l ey. A fter t he appearance of the fi rs t ni ckel odeon in 1 905 , i n\'ent ors, mechani cs, ga rment manu fact urers, s h oes t r i ng s h owmen, actors an d s nake- o i l sal esmen rushed into t h e b u s i nes s . Wi t h i n two years, t h ere were 5,000 o ff1cial ni ckel odeo ns and a s ma ny boot l eg o n e!'>, d eal i n g 111 E dw a rd i a n pornograp h i c moYies o f t h e sort recen t ly s h own i n t hat i n t eres t ing comp i la t i o n by S t ern and Neal , A i n 't Misbehavtn', by wh i ch a cri t i c was bemused because o f ' t he many fur ­ bel owed m a t ro n s so briskly ro ge r e d , and so l on g ago, for t he bene fit of the h a n d ­ cranked camera . ' O n B r o a dw a y and off i t , as R a yma n Maley descr i bed i t , t he film b u s i ness before 1 9 1 4 res i s t ed aca dem i c orderi ng. I ts be st d esc r i p t i o n w a s from t he l i ps o f one o f i ts l e a d i n g figures : 'Th i s i sn' t a b u s ines s . I " t ' s a d i s i p at i on . ' Th i s d i s s i pat i o n became o r ga ni se d for two reasons, f i rs t m oney, t hen publ i c protes t . The a m o u n t of fil m s p i rated par­ ticularly from the E d i so n S t u d i os forced t h e l ead i ng fi l m - ma kers and d i strib uto r s t o l ease p r i n t s o f t h e i r fi l m s rat h er than to sel l t hem o u t r i g h t and a l l ow u n l i censed cop i es to b e struck off t he print s . T h u s t h ey s upported t h e p ub l i c o u t cry a ga i ns t excess ively ero t i c or v i o l ent films, wh ich

17

Medieval woodcuts inspired visions of D ante' s Inferno (thi s still is not from the early Italian film, but the Ho llywood remake of 1924).

t he set t i ng up of a censors h i p comm i t t ee i n C h i ca go i n 1 90 7 a n d t h e tcmporarv cl o s i n g o f'a l l ci nema houses i n :--Je\1· York shonlv a ft erwar d s . T h e o u t ­ come o f r h i s pres � ure wa s t h e crea t i o n o f a sel f- regu la t i ng censors h i p com m i t t ee among r he prod ucers a n d d i s t r i b u t ors o f films, i n order t o co n t ro l t h e i r co ntent

caused

An orgy from the early Italian Beatrice Cenci ( 1 926).

a n d t he i r sa l e . T h u s t he ca sh gn p o n moYi es wa s firmlv, es t a b l i shed i n t h e firs t vears o f t h i s cen t ury, first by t he Mot i o n P i ct ure P a r en t s Com p a n y , t hen b y t he so-ca l le d Na t i onal Board o f Censorsh ip, t h en by t h e pass i ng o f S t a t e Laws ba cked by t h e loca l ex h i b i to rs f o r t h e regu l a t i on o f f i l m s ex h i b i ted i n each America n s t a t e .

18

The Vampire's Dance and the prolonged kiss in The Opium Dream were the most wicked films on mass release of their time.

Lya d e Putti i n a vampish pose. A s imi l a r process took p lace in a l l ot her lead i ng fi l m-ma k i n g cou n t r i es, led by Fra nce and E ng l a n d , w h i ch act iva t ed ex ist i ng censorsh i p provi s i o n s a n d pub l i c sa fety l aws r o control t h e i n fa nt i ndustry. In Engl a n d , t he First C i n emarograph Act of 1 909 , w h i ch dea l t ma i nly w i t h t he fire hazards o f t h e new ci nemas ful l o f com ­ bust ible s i l ver- n i t ra t e film s tock, was fol lowed by t h e film ma n u facturers and rent ers begg i n g the H ome Secreta ry to set up the Bri t i sh B oard o f F i l m Censors, "·hich ,,·a s duly done. Sel f- regul a t i o n was the plea , in order ro i ncrease t he profits of the respectabl e fi l m - ma kers a n d ro control p ub l i c protes t . A l t ho ugh l ocal borough a n d cou nt y counci l s could s t i l l ban films passed by the Board, o n t h e whol e i ts recommen d a t i ons a n d gra d i ng of films were accep ted cou n t ry - \\·ide. I n France, the gather i n g power o f t h e au thor i t i es i n the rea l m o f censors h i p l e d

some absurd i t i es . For i ns t a nce, t he D a n i s h fil m o f 1 9 1 1 , Vampire's Dance, was con s i dered t oo lascivious for Pari s i a n t a s t es , a n d t h e pro l o n ged k i ssi ng i n Sca n ­ d i na v i a n ftlms such a s Oj; i um Dream o r 1 9 1 4, b o t h l e d ro t he ba n n i ng o f t he f i l m i n P a r i s i n 1 9 1 4 a n d to t he origi n s o l· t he French myt h t ha t somehow sex i n t he Fa r N or t h \\·a s more scabrous t ha n t he i r o w n va riety. A n d i ndeed , n o t o n l y d i d Scandi navia crea t e t he Vamp i n a f i l m o f 1 9 1 1 ( s o much exp l o i ted b y i t s most fa m ­ ous exponenl Theda B a ra a n d Lya de P u t t i ) but i t a l so crea ted t he first major film on demons, Ch r i s t i a nsen ' s Wit clzcrafl Through lhe Ages, w h i ch has never been surpassed in t h e h a u n t i n g power or i t s images b y a ny o f t he D ra c u l a cycle . I n fa ct , i t was so powerfu l t ha t i t was b a nned from p u b l i c showi n g in nea rly a l l co u n ­ t ries o r t he worl d . Wi t h t h e onset o f t h e F i rs t Wor l d War

ro

19

The Devil comes for his Bride in C hristiansen's classic on witchcraft.

and t he ca rna?;e on t he We�t ern Fro n t , there \\·a-; a dc! i n i t iYc r i s e i n censors h i p i n Europe and a genera l l ower i n g o f sexual \tandards t o wh ich f i l m producers ca t ered .

It

i�

i n t erest i ng t o note t h a t i n t he report s

of the Bri t i s h Board o f F i l m Censors bc t iiTe n 1913 and 1915, n ew ca t egori es aro'>e "·h ich ca used t he Board to req uest cuts in cert a i n scenes before t h ey co u l d be

exh ibited "·i t h t h e Board ' s cert i fica t e . For the fn·sr t i m e, scenes were now sci ssored 11·hich '>hO\I"Cd:

The exh i b i t i o n o f profuse bleed i n g . N u de f i gures . Excessively pass i o n a t e l ove scenes . Ba t h i ng scenes p a ss i n g t he l i m i t s o f prop n e t y . The d r u g h a b i t , e . g . o p i u m, m o rp h i n e coca111e, e t c. M en a n d women i n bed tog et h e r . . . A perm i s s i \'cness had l ed to t h e se new scenes bei n g dep i ct ed , esp e ci a l ly a cross the A t l a m i c where t h ose t w i n methods of showi n g the na ked fem a l e body, the B a t h ,

20

An Edwardian French woman takes a bath in

front of her maid . . . followed by Mignon Craig in 1918 and Gloria Swanson in 1 9 19.

21

a nd Love Through t he Ages, were be­ com i ng i ncrea s i ngly p o p u l a r. The French had p i o neered ba t h i ng sequences i n drawi ngs, p h o t ogra p h s a n d fi l m s . The Amer i ca n s were q u ick to fol l ow, ca reful t h a t the s l i p p i n g robe a nd t he dark wa t er­ l i ne a l ways sh owed enough a n d n o t too much . Phys i ca l educa t i on a nd t he cu l t o f t he N ew L i bera ted Woma n were given a p l u nge i nto rea l i ty by t h e d i v i n g f i l m s o r Annet t e Kel lerm a n , w h o event u a l l y shed her one- p i ece swi m su i t en t i rely i n 1916 i n Daughter of the Gods. The o ther met h o d o f showi ng s i n a ccep t a b l e to reformers w a s b y m a k i ng i t b i b l ical and educa t i o n a l a nd t h erefo re m o ra l . I n a story t h a t may be apocryph a l, Annette Kellerman was ready to show far more than the l ater diving champion Esther Williams, who played the Kellerman life story in M ervyn LeRoy' s and Busby B erkeley's Million Dollar Mermaid ( 1952).

22

Miss Kellerman also seemed to get more out of a waterfall in 19 1 6 than anyone until Busby Berkeley swamped a cascade of beauties in Footlight Parade (1933).

one o f t h e first B r i t i s h film exh i b i tors, Ceci l H epwort h , told o f get t i ng a pa rson in 1899 to approve the s h owi ng in a ch urch h a l l o f a newsreel o f Lo i e Fu l ler's fam o u s Serpentine Da nce, by b l a ndly t el l i ng h i m t h a t it was a dep i ct i o n of 'Sal ome Danci n g Befo re H erod'. In fact, t h e l o nges t running play in the U n i ted S t a t es was a gra p h i c descr i p t i o n o f a drunkard's progress , cal l ed Ten Nights in a Bar-Room, wi t h a mora l endi ng tacked o n , i n wh ich t h e dru n kard' s good l i t t le da ughter d i ed o f negl ect a nd t h e p ro h i ­ b i t i o n i s t s saved t h e wastrel . A l t h o ugh t h e p layi ng o f t h e pi ece left not h i ng to t h e i magi na t i o n , i t packed i n t he ch urch fo l k , w h o l oved t o see dirty do i ngs i n t h e name of' the redempt i o n o f s i n . The monk Ras ­ p u t i n a l \\·ays used to a s k women who pro t es t ed a ga i ns t seduct i o n by h im, ' H ow can I con fess yo u w i t ho u t your s i n n i ng ftrst?' Film- p roducers a l so fo u nd i t profi t ­ able to show degrada t i o n before salva ­ t i o n , and t he fi l m vers i o n o f Ten Nights in a Bar-Room ended i n a spectacul a r brawl . (See Colour Section) Even t h e E mperor Cons t a n t i ne, in an ea rly ep i c o n h i s l i fe, was s h own in paga n orgi a s t i c r u l e before h e co u l d turn devou t a nd C h r i s t i a n in a contemporary mora l i s t i c j a u n t t hrough t he a ges ca l led Man, Woman and Marriage. Thus, before t h e end of t he First Worl d Wa r a n d t h e com i ng o f t he ' a rt ' fil m t h rough t h e work o f D . W . Gri ffit h and t he Gennan Expres s i o n i s t s and t he R u s ­ s i a n revo l u t i o n a ry fdm- ma kers, t he m a i n genres o f f i l m s h a d a l rea dy been crea t ed on t h e t radi t i o n s o f t h e past . By t ha t crea t i o n , censors h a d been set u p , a s i f ea ch i nven t o r chose t o set u p h i s own execu t i oner . The chaos o f t h e earlyci nema was soon ordered by i t s financiers; anarchy quickl y gave up-to p r o fi t . M oreover, t h e very t radi t i o n s o f mass entert a i nment , fi-om wh ich t h e earl y ci nema grew, h obbled i t s origi n s . T h u s early prod ucers ca t ered t o a conserva t i ve p u b l i c t a s t e and ca l le d i n censors t o regu­ l a t e t hei r O\\·n product, i n ca se t hey cou l d not make enough money o u t o f i t or t heir excesses ban ned t h em off t he nevv screens.

23

The first keyhole shot for peeping toms came from Suspense, an Americ an film of 1 9 1 3 .

l'f';P�I'"U�U

.... ,1'�1""("''

A contemporary French version of S alome Dancing ...

The most ra d i ca l i m'Cn t i o n o r t h e ea r l y 20 t h cen t ury del i bera t el y chai ned i t s l i m p i ng s t a rt . I t was t o t a k e two deca des o r pos t - wa r censors h i p ror Ted Cook to del i ver h i s d i c t u m , ' M ot i o n p i c t u res have r u i ned a l o t more e\'Cn i n gs t ha n t h ey haYc mora l s . ' In the i n t erva l s, t hey had t o be made f i t ror ma sses and voyeurs.

James Kirkwood plays the Emperor Constantine with h i s harem in the early Man, Woman, Marriage.

24

po/ltlc1 tint/ tltlllflllfJII Pol i t ica l censors h i p bega n i n t h e First World War. Wh i le i t "·a s near l v t rea son to oppose t he st ruggle i n Fra nce, i n t he England or 1 9 14- t\\'0 ne\1' ca t egories crept i nt o t he Censor's delet i ons o r m a t eria l­ 'lnci dent s tend i n g t o scare t he p u b l i c, and produce pa n i c d u r i n g t h e ,,·a r' a n d 'lnci dcnr s ha,·i ng a t endency t o d i sp a rage our Al l i es'. Wi t h t he r i se o f soci a l i s t t heory, ' Rel a t i o n s o f Ca p i t a l a n d Labour' were co nsidered \I'Ort hy o f t h e sci ssors by 1915, and t h us po l i t i ca l censors h i p wa s oflici a l l v approved a s a ,,·a r measure before the Russ i a n Revo l u t i o n and t he bri l l ia n t series o r propaga nda f i l m s mack bY E i senstei n and o t hers . As the B r i t ish B � ard o f Film Censors s t a t ed clea rly in 1 9 2 1 , ' A t t h e r i s k o f appea r i n g t o be narrowi ng t h e l egi t i m a t e l i bert i es o f' t h e art o f t h e Ci nema , t h e Board h a s ma i n ­ tai ned i t s a t t i tu de t o ,,·hat a rc genera l l y ca l l ed propaga nda f i l m s . ' Al t hough E i senst ei n ' s first t ri um p h , The Battle.1 h ijJ Pole111kin . f o u n d i t s ,,·a y past

4

AOLIT

-1914-

LA BELGIQUE

the CenSOrS o f t he \ITS t er n WOr l d t h rough film soc i e t i es beca use o r i t s revo l u t i o na ry m o n t a ge seq uences ( t hen ca l l ed ' R uss i a n c u t t i ng' ) a s m uch a s i t s revo l u t i o nary m essage, even i t s u ffered t he i n d i g n i t y i n t h e n i t ed S t a t es o f l o s i n g t h e p i ct u re o r Len i n ' s t om b i n scri bed wi t h t h e message RELI G I O I I S T H E O P I AT E O F T H E P E O P L E . Mother, wi t h i t s oYerr ca l l t o act i o n , s u iTered from hack i n g by foreign d i s t r i b u t ors a s wel l a s o u t r i g h t bars ! "r om t he censor in ma ny co u n t ri es . A n d vet such f i l m s a s t hese a n d Strike were del i bera t e weapo ns in the agi t prop a rm o u ry o f t he B o l s h evi k s . They d i e \ seck t o sprea d Marx i s m across t h e worl d , a n d ,,·hen see n , t h ey were a po,,-cr f "u l i n f l uence. Cert a i n l y , B o l shevi k Russia ba n ned a l l u nwho lesome a n d ca p i t a l i s t f i l m s; i f t here wa s somet h i ng or a reverse ba n in effect , rhe cen sor ,,·as m erel y bei ng s l i ced o n 0\1·n sci ssors. I n fa ct , n o R u ss i a n f ilm eq ua l l ed t h e pol i t i ca l b i gotn· o f ,·a r i o u s 'pa t ri o t i c ' f i l m s a t t a ck i n g t h e H u n o r t h e -

HEROiQUE SUBIT LES HORREURS DE l'INVASION lierotcBe/gwm suffers the horrors of fhe ('errnDn

.

.

ALLEMMil � 1n1

2

•

Three First World War postcards show the high patriotic feeling of France and England, which led to wide powers of censorship of unpatriotic materiaL

25

·c.··l',, _\' /

.,

.:[?

.

Ycl l o"· Per i l , such a s W i l l i a m Ra n d o l p h Hears t ' s i n famous ser i a l Pat ria ( 1917), ,,·h ich Woodro\\· W i l son h i msel f' h a d sliced up a fter p ro t es t s !' r om J a pan a nd Mexico . A s George Bernard Shaw once re­ marked, t he danger o f t he ci nema \\'
I

·I

I

I

ci nema, wh i l e t he over- ent h u s i a s t i c cen ­ sors h i p board o f Pennsylva n i a cou l d cla i m to rea rra nge f i l m ma t er i a l i n to "·h o l esome patt e rn s wi t h t h e sci ssors, marry i n g men o rr to t h e i r m i s t resses, l egi t i m i s i ng b a s t ards, m a k i n g evi l moraL The r i d i c u l o u s p owers o f t he l oca l s t a t e CensorS i n i m p o s i n g t he i r Y i ew of t he good o r man on t he ma t er i a l s u bm i t t ed to t h em, p rovoked t he first a t t ack on t he i r

26

The Revolutionary sailors . . . and the repressive Czarist soldiers in the massacre on the Odessa steps from The Battleship Potemkin (1925).

The American heroes menaced by the Yellow and Revolutionary Peril in Patria ( 1 9 1 7).

p owers by Amer i ca ' s first m a j o r d i rector . I n The B i rlh of a Nation , D . w: Gri ff i t h has a rab i d m u l a t to ca l l ed Lynch , a t t e m p t to rape L i l i a n G i s h , who i s saved by t he w h i te k n i g h t s o f t h e Ku Klux Kl a n , only t o have to t h row h ersel f to her dea t h when p u rs ued b y a n o th er black s o l d i er o n t he r u n . Gri ffi t h defended h i s ftl m from t h e censor's a t tack b y wri t i ng a p a m p h l e t ca l led 'The R i se a n d Fa l l o f Free Speech i n Amer i ca ' , cla i m i n g t ha t f i l m d i rect ors h a d t he r i g h t t o dea l wi t h o b j ec t s t ha t wo u l d s h ock a n d d i vi de . H i s next ma j or ep ic, a ft er some pa t ri o t i c wa r movi es, where M i ss G i s h now cri nged before t h e l eer i n g H u n , wa s I ntolera n ce, i n w h i ch G r i ff i t h wa s i nst ructed b y t h e d i s ­ t ri b u t ors t o p u r more sex i n t o t he p i ct ure and d i d so, scoun ng t he red - l i g h t d i s t r i c t s for s o m e women \,·ho \\·o u l c l p rO\· i c le n u d e close - u p s for B elshazza r' s Fea s t . These nude s h o t s \\TIT l a t er censored a n d t h e sem i - cl o t hed \·ers i o n s h o t by h i s a s s i s t a n t rema i ned, b u t \,·here G ri !T i t h l ed , de M i l l e \\·a s � u re to f ( ) l l m,· . T h e B i b l e \\·o u l d excuse t h e na ked breast .

Lilian Gish screams at the threat of rape in The Birth of a Nation ( 1 9 1 4) .

27

Griffith himself shot Belshazz ar' s Feast at t h e moment when Cyrus' final attack on B abylon was about to be mounted (top). His assistant shot extra sequences for the orgy scene (below) as did Griffith him self.

Gloria Swanson indulges herself in Don 't Change Your Husbands (19 19)

. . . and waits to be stripped in A Society Scandal, while Stroheim bites the hand that corsets him.

29

A Muybridge model is a realistic version of the coy undraping of the three nymphs posing for artist

Valentino in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (192 1).

De M i l l e rose to fame by a seri es of titilla t i ng movi es t h a t p rom i sed more than they performed, wi t h ti t ies such as Don '/ Change Y m a !-fll.lband and M ale and Female . I n t hem such new stars a s Gloria $\\"anson acted o u t t h e fa n t a s i es o f t he Jazz Babi es, even "·i t h f�tu n s . M i ss Swa n o n occa s i o n a l l y sho\\-cd a l i t t l e m uch for the sci ssors. b u r on t h e whole , sugges t i o n 11·as a l l and t h e t i t l e o f t he f i l m i nci t ed ll"ithout dep i ct i ng. Con t empora ry t i t l es in the J azz Age were such a s L u rin g Lips , Forbidden Fru i t , The Fo u rteen/ h Love r , I!e r Purchase Price . The Good- Bad Wife , a n d A Shocking Nigh t , wi t h t easer prom i ses for the a ud i ence such a s ' S E E ECK ERS,

P EIT E R S , W H I T E K I S S E S , R E D K I S S E S , P L EAS U R E - M A D D A U G H T E R S , S E N ­ SAT I O N - C RAV I N G M OT H E R S T H E TRUT H , B O L D , N A K E D , S E N ­ SAT ! O t AL ! ' True perversi ty o n t he screen was ex ­ ploi ted by t he ea rly f i l m s o f Erich von Srroheim, whose Blind Hu band.1 a nd Fo oli s h Wives exposed h i s pench a n t for sent imenta l sa d i sm a nd even trans,·es t i t ­ ism. I t was a l ong way from t h i s censored scene of S t roheim i n a g i rd l e to t h e j o key seq uence in Cal Ballou, where Lee Marvi n puts on h i s corset to go o u t for h i s ter­ mina l figh t aga i nst the man wi t h the ill'er nose. S trohei m very m uch knew that he had to exp l o i t t he t i t le o r ' t he man you l ove to h a t e' , j us t as t h e male sex symbol of his t i me, R udo l p h Va len­ tino, knew t h a t his role was ei t her as t h e

V alentino dressing for the bullfight in Blood and Sand ( 1922).

ravisher of t h e maiden or t h e spo i l of agei ng l adies . A l t hough t h e t i me­ honoured device o f t he na ked art i st's model ( first used a t t h e i nvent ion o f t he ci nema t i c i mage i n m o t i o n by M uybridge) somet i mes got a l i t t l e brea s t o nt o a Va l ent i n o veh i cl e , t h e rea l p ovver of h i s f i l m s lay i n h i m dres s i n g o r menaci n g o r even posi ng a s t h e naked Pa n .

30

31

Keaton gets the better of Arbuckle in Sherlock

Junior (1924). He always believed in the innocence of his fellow comic.

Yet i t was not what t h e stars d i d o n screen but what t hey d i d off duty t h a t ca used a mora l i st i c s o l u t i o n i n yo ung H ol lywood . The d i vorce of M a ry Pick­ ford t o marry D o uglas Fai rbanks was bad enough, as was t h e dea t h of her brot her' s w i fe, the Z i egfie l d Fol l ies' star O l ive Thomas, from p o i son and drug add i c t i o n . O t her stars confessed to d r u g hab i ts , b u t i t w a s popular Fat t y Arb uck l e who p u t t h e sci ssors to w o r k i n H ol lywood by h i s a l l - n i gh t party which ended i n t h e dea t h o f V i rgi n i a Rappe, a b i t - pa rt p l ayer. W h i l e Arbuck l e, a fter t h ree t r i a l s , was exonerated from rap i ng her t o dea t h , h i s career w a s rui ned a n d H o l l ywood was a larmed at i t s own image . A d i s t i ngui shed cri m i na l lawyer who t urned down the Arbuck l e case warned H ol l y•..v o od t o pre­ pare for tornadoes . I ns t ea d , the fil m baro n s ca l l ed i n t h e Postmaster G enera l , Wi l l H ays, to set u p a Code, t o which H ol ly,.vood wou l d a scribe i n genera l i n t h e mak i ng o f p i c t ures. Thus publ i c censoriousness o f t h e scanda l s o f t h e stars l ed r o s t u d i o censor-

The Wild Party (1975) takes as its subject another version of the Arbuckle scandal with Virginia Rappe.

32

Gloria Swanson and Raoul Walsh in Sadie Thompson ( 1928). Later Jean Harlow played the colonial whore role with Cl ark Gable in Red Dust ( 1932), where she had the obligatory revealing and unrevealing bath in a rain-barrel. A " blue" version of the film with spliced-in sex shots circulated in Havana and in other tourist traps.

s h i p o l . t he s u b j ect s made. The o b j ect \\'a s to foresta l l p u b l i c cri t i ci s m , a n d i n l'u t ure, t h e s t u d i os i n s i s t ed t ha t t h e s t a rs crea ted by t he s t u d i o s l ed t h e i r priva t e l i ves pub­ l i cl y accord i n g t o t h e i ma ges crea t ed by the p ub l i ci t y men. W i l l H a ys h i msel f represent ed t h e a\·erage Ameri ca n , a n d t h erefore t h e m a s s market , t o i t s m i dd l e common denom i na t or . H e ,,·a s , a s a co n ­ t em porary commen t a t o r sa i d , ' a s i n d i ­ genous a s sassa ! !·as root . H c i s o n e o l · us. He i s fo l k s . . . He i s a h u m a n f l i n -c r , t he most cha ra ct eri s t i c n a t i ve prod uct . ' So M r . H a ys set o u t t o make t he films o f H ol l v,,·ood i n t o America \ seco n d m o s t charact eri s t i c n a t iw· product . H ays d i d t h i s by ca j ol i ng, persua d i ng a n d browbea t i ng nea rl y a l l o f H ol l ywood i nt o a ccep t i ng a rough Code o f S t a ndards, ' ca l l ed the Form u l a o f 1 9 2 4 , wh i ch pledged t he M ot i o n P i ct ure Producers a n d D i s ­ t r i b u tors to t r y a n d a\·o i d t h e t ea s i ng t i t l e , t he wron g s ub j ect , t h e sca nda l o us fi l m . I n t h a t yea r, r he H ays Code got s i x t y - seven pop u l a r books or p l ays dropped as f i l m proj ect s . B u t t h i s eiTon a t sel f- regu l a t i o n soon fa ded . By 1 92 6, o n l y ten s ub j ec t s ,,·ere dropped, a n d H ays h i msel f h a d to l et Rain ( ret i t l ed as Sadie Thompson ) a n d They Kn ew What The)' IVanled go o u t , a n d s uch B ri t i s h b l a ck- leg i m p or t s a s While Car[!,O , \\' h i ch i nvent ed a n ew form o f p u l l i ng i n t h e crowds by advert i s i n g i t sel f a s t h e p i c t ure ' b a n ned by Wi l l H a y s ' . I f H ol l ywood sel f- regul a t i o n o f t he s ub j ec t m a teri a l wa s o n l y modera tely s u ccessfu l , the c e n s ors in the i nd i v i dual s t a te s h a d a chopp i n o- b l ock o f oppor­ t un i t i es i n reg u l � u i n g t he fi n a l p roduct . Ernst a n d Lorenz i n t he i r ' Censored : T h e Priva t e L i fe o f t h e M ov i es ' worked o u t t ha t t h e S t a t e censors i n I 92 8 made 1 , 6 7 2 cu t s in f i l m seq uences dea l i ng wi t h cri me, 8 7 2 c u t s i n sexy scenes , 3 4 8 cu ts for i mprop r i e t y, b u t o n l y 49 c u t s for a t t acks o n t h e governmen t a n d 1 0 c u t s for a t t acks o n re l i g i o n . Forbi dden words were ' b u m ' , ' b i tch ' , ' ch i p p y ' , ' m i s t ress', ' har l ot ' , ' n a k e d , ' pros t i tu t e' , - forbi dden p h ra ses were ' i t was n ' t l ove' , ' l ong, l onely '

33

Clark Gable rigs up a screen between his twin bed and C l audette C olbert' s in It Happened One Night (1934), thus avoiding the censor' s scissors and winning an Oscar. Gable referred to the intervening blanket as "the Walls of jericho" - not till marriage did the trumpets blow and the blanket come tumbli n g down. This twin-bed convention was strangely contrasted to French tradition that happy living meant going to bed together, even in the Puritan days of the First World War.

34

Conrad Nagel kisses Garbo in The Mysterious Lady ( 1 928).

n i gh ts' , a n d even ' tw i n beds' , desp i te the H o l l ywood tra d i t i o n of always p u t t i ng married coup l es i n twi n beds for fear that t h ey m i g h t seem to occupy the same one. K i sses cou l d n o t l a s t for more than four feet of film wherever the shoulder s traps or hands were. N o actor cou l d thumb h i s nose, s l a p a woma n ' s beh i n d , l ive w i t h a girl , use profa n i ty, or d i scuss pregnancy , venerea l d i sease, b i r t h con t ro l , abort i o n , eugen ics, i l l egi t imacy, pros t i t u t i o n , m i s ­ cegena t i o n , o r · d ivorce. And n o t u n t i l H edy Lamarr appeared naked i n Ecst asy d i d a major actress p l ay i n the nude. The bat h i ng sequence of t h e film was , of course, nom i na l l y banned i n the U n i ted S tates, a l though not i n Germany or France. I ro n i ca l ly, p r i n t s o f i t became rare due to M i ss Lamarr ' s la ter marriage t o a wea l t h y man, who tried t o i mpose h i s o w n censors h i p by b uyi ng up a l l extant cop ies of t h e fi l m . Time so changed t h at w h en the b a t h i n g sequence was reshown in the comp i la t i o n cal led The Love God­ desses , it seemed almost i nnocent com­ pared wi t h more recent scenes o f strip a n d rape. Yet the gover n i n g mora l s of t h e Amer i ­ can C i n ema were b o u n d t o break any truly erot i c or perverse fi l m - maker, and break S troheim they d i d . The s tory of h i s quarrels w i t h the st udi o s began w i t h h i s endless shooting of Greed necessarily m u t i l ated by t h e d i s tributors because it ran for n i ne h o urs a n d wou l d have been i mpossible for t hem to d i s tribute. H i s subsequent overshooting o f t h e orgy sequences i n The Merry Widow , w i t h ubian serva n t s i n chast i ty bel t s a n d a masked naked fema l e orchestra, was dup l i cated in The Wedding M arch , which i tsel f culmi nated by a n a t temp ted rape i n a slaughterhouse. Paramount cu t two suc­ cess fu l p i ct ures out o f enough footage for four fi l m s . S t roheim ' s l a s t ex travaga nza, Q_ueen KelLy w i t h G l oria Swanson, ended i ncomplete wi t h M i ss Swa nson ( act i ng as star and producer) firing S troheim a fter -

Hedy Lamarr in the woods and the water in Extase ( 1933).

35

Lamarr flo ats in The Love Goddesses .

The female o rchestra from The Merry Widow (1925), also censored.

The beginning of the rape sequence in the slaughterhouse in The Wedding March ( 1927).

This shot of ZaSu Pjtts getting into bed i n Greed ( 1 923), was m arked 'Suppressed' by Stroheim himself.

The outrageous Queen of the B rothels whipping Gloria Swanson in Queen Kelly ( 1 928).

The image of decadent Germany from The Testament of Dr. Mabuse ( 1932).

The beggars get ready to insult the Queen in The Threepenny Opera (193 1).

she l o u n c l t h a t she wa s m ea n t to end a� t h e madam of' a cha i n of' b ro t h e l s , om wd by a J )(TWTted q ueen 1d 1 0 l i ked t o we;tr o n h· a n a n gora coa t a n d t a ke l o n g b;t t l l s a n d ,,· h i p M i s� S\\·a mon o u t o l . her marbk ha l l s . S t ro h ei m ' s prod ucers sa \:a ged h i � l i ! J n � en·n bel'o re t h e cemors � h ort cncd t h et n t o s n i ppet s . I n L t ct , S t ro h e i m · � b rgl'�t � i n i n H o l h-m >od \\·;1 � h i � prol i x i t Y . n o t h i � pcr n T � i t Y . H e co� t t oo m uch a n d ,,·a � cl i t n i n;t t ed a s a d i rect or. That \1·a s a l so E i senst ei n ' s problem \1·hen h e ca me t o work i n H o l l v\1·ood . A t Erst h e fel l l o u ! o f t h e H a vs o i l i cc i n h i s c h o i ce o f a s ub j ect , D rei ser' s A n A merican Traged_r . A n d \1· h en he ro u n d a gro up of' pri \·a t e ba ckers t o s upport h i m , led by t he ra d i ca l n o\·cl i s t S i n cl a i r Le\1· i s , h e p l a yed S t ro h ei m , s h oo t i ng Q!1e Viva . \ 1 exico l endlessly so u t h o r t he border, a n d o f fend­ i ng t he mora l i t y o f h i s p u r i t a n American prod ucers by s h owi n g "·omen w i t h na ked b rea s t s a n d pseudo- rel i g i o u s b l a sp he­ mous scenes i ncl u d i n g a t raves t y o r a cruci fixi o n . H e was n o t a l l owed to ed i t t he fma l vers i o n o r h i s l i l m , a n d t hree vers i o ns have been i s s ued from h i s mater i a l , wi t h o t her vers i o n s poss i b l e to fol low from o t h e r ci neastes. The cu t t i ng

37

room I S t h e final censors h i p o r t h e director. The s t u d i o svs ' t em worl d - wi d e d i d , i ndeed , t r i umph over t he ob sess i o n s o r t h e d i rect ors, excep t where pervers i t y wa s enco ura ged , a s i n Wei mar Germa ny. There the a rt i s t i c s uccess o r The Cabinet of D r . Caliga ri l ed w a t h orough port raya l o r most h uman pervers i o n s a n d ral l i es a n d murders i n s u c h mast erp i eces a s t h e M abuse f i l m s ( ba n ned b y some Amer i ca n sta t e boards ror port rayi n g a na rchy) , Waxworks , Pandora '.s Box . The Th reejJenn;· Opera ( ban ned i n Fra n ce a s s u bvers i,·e) ,

and such m i nor p i eces a s t h e homo­ sex ual A .H a n \ Girlhood a n d the transves -

t i t e Prince Von Pappenheim . Lo u i se B rooks, w h o p layed the t ease 1n America n comed ies, was t ra n s rormed b y Pabst i n t o o n e o r t he most ero t i c crea t ures ever t o h a u nt t he scree n , w h i l e i n a c u r i o u s re­ versa l , t h e America n von S t ernberg wa s i mport ed t o d i rect a n d make M arl ene D i et rich i n t o the a rcherype o f " the ma n ­ degra d i n g woma n . W h i l e bot h B rooks a n d D i et r i c h never s t r i pped, t he i r s u g ­ ges t i o n o r e v i I wa s so t o t a l t ha t t h e fi I m s were u s ua l ly c u t o r b a n ned t o t he l i m i t ed screen i n g o r f i l m soci et ies. The only t ru l y ero r i c revo l t o r t h e ci nema l a y i n t h a t o u t b urst o r gen i us k n own a s t h e S u rrea l i st C i nema . Fol l ow-

Marlene Dietrich degrades Emil Jennings in The Blue A ngel ( 1930).

38

The razor slashes the eyeball i n Un Chien A ndalou ( 1928).

i ng Rene C l a i r ' s p i oneer i n g Entr 'acte , B u iiucl ' s Un Chien A n dalou a n d L'Age d 'O r showed sexual \'iole nce a n d sa\'agery o n screen t h a t w a s censored i n 1nost c o u n ­

t r i es um i l recent t i mes. The razor - s l a s h of an eyeba l l , t h e a n drogyne' s wa l k i ng­ st ick p i ck i ng a t t he se\'ered wri s t , t h e agony o f b l oody l o\'e a n d t he suck i ng o f hands, t h e succes s i o n o f raw images pro­ d uced by B ui'luel s t i l l d i s t urb and s hock a fter forty years, more t ha n any o f t h ose of his i m i tators i ncl ud i ng J a dorows k i . H e first showed t h e v i olence o f sex , t h e o u t rage of sex wi t h i n a bourgeo i s sociery. Surrea l i s t C i nema gave us t he n i gh t ma re i mages o f our era . The assa u l t o f the S u rrea l i s t f i l m - maker� wa s l i m i ted by sma l l d i s t r i b u t i o n , l ow budget s a n d mass i n d i fference. The ci nema a u d i ences preferred the con\'en ­ t ions of their t i me. I n Fra nce, t he bri l l i a n t

a n d i n\'enuw· Abel Ga nce, "·ho \\·a s ca pa b l e o r t h e ea rl y d i s t ort i o n s o r La Folie rle D r . Tuhf a n d or· t h e s p l i t screen o r lapoko n , \\·as reduced t o com-cn t i o n a l bare- brea s t ed orgy p i ct ures i n t h e I t a l i a n m o d e s u c h a s Lucrez.. i a Bmgia . Fa scism in I t a l y, i n deed , h a d brough t a p u r i t a n i n fl uence t o t h e ci nema o u t s i d e t he h i s t o r i ca l specta cl e, where s l a w · - g i r l s \\·ere s t i l l a l l owed t o fla u n t w h a t t hev h a d . The G rea t D epres s i o n , h o ;,-c\·er, b ro u g h t o t h er res u l t s i n t h e U n i t ed S t a t es, \\·here t he H ays Code t ook a bea t i ng r ·rom 1 he new sex goddesses a nc\ choreo­ gra p h ers . The ri se ol" Garbo and H a r l m,· i n t h e i r sa t i n s ugges t i o n s kep t t h e sma l l t O\\·n censors t o t h e i r ha cb,·ork, a s i n t h e massa ge seq uence i n H a r l < )\\· ' s Plalin u /11 Blon de ( 1 9 3 l ) . Yet t he i ncrea s i n g excesses of· t h e O t h er CTO\\·c \ - p u J J i ng genre, t he h o rror f i l m , bega n t o a t t ra ct a l a rger ·

39

The hands paw at the woman's breasts and she suddenly becomes naked in Un Chien A ndalou.

The lover sucks at his own hands, his beloved sucks at his hands . . . and at the toe of the marble statue in L'Age d'Or (1930).

40

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Orgy scenes from Abel Gance' s The End of the World (193 1) and Lucrezia Borg ia ( 1 935).

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Harlow telephones from the massage parlour in Platinum Blonde ( 1 9 3 1 ) . Garbo tempts the devil idol i n Jfata Hari (1 932).

Tod Browning with his friends, the circus performers, who perform in Freaks at the wedding-feast between the midget and the circus l ady.

Claudette Colbert in her bath and Elissa Landi at the stake in SiJ?n of the Cross.

44

Lina B asquette proves her atheism i n The Godless Girl (1929), while Marie Prevost goes behind bars for her delinquency.

depart i ng from t he smoke or b urned Rome. Perhaps the fun niest i nci dent of reverse censorsh i p was the R u s s i a n show i ng of anot her of de M i l le ' s films, t h e evangel i st tear-j erker, The Godless Girl ( l 929) . I n that, t he Russ i a n censors released t h e film; which was very pop u l ar among the B o l ­ sheviks, w i t h the last reel m i s s i ng, t h u s

l eavi ng t h e godl ess girl u n redeemed after a l l her s i n n i n g and showing a t h e i s m sprea d i ng fas t a m o n g t h e American young. Yet back a t home, de M i l le at least pa i d l i p - serv i ce to b i b l i cal and H ays Code e t h i cs . l t was t h e open contempt s h own for t h e Code by H arl ow a n d even more M a e West t h a t spurred o n a new bout o f mora l i ty t h rough a boycot t of ' Condemned F i l m s ' orga n i sed by t h e a t i o nal Legi o n of C a t h o l i c Decency. Th i s ca used such a d i p in the box - o ffice t a k i ngs t ha t t h e lea d i n g Amer i ca n d i st r i ­ butors d i d n o t s h ow a s i ngle Condemned film for the seven yea rs a ft er 1 9 3 6 , a n d even s e t up t h e B reen O ffice to p u t a seal o f approva l o n t hose fi l m s wh i ch s t uck by the H ays Code, t h us qual i fy i n g for na t i o na l d i s t r i b u t i o n . The League a l s o a t t acked fiercely t h e tease- posters o f u n ­ l i censed fil m s s u c h as M a rihuana (See Colou r Section ) a n d t r i ed to get t hem b an ned by S t a t e or ci ty fil m boards. O t her u n l i censed films made by s uch producers a s t h e S o n ney B rot hers for t h e sem i - b l ue film market occa s i ona l l y ach i eved a mea s ure o f cla s s . C h i ld Bride, for i ns t a nce, had seq uences t ha t echoed The Birth of a Nation a n d foretol d Baby Dol/, where t h e young schoo l m i s tress i s st r i pped a n d [Jogged by t h e K l a n for defend i ng t he nymp het , happ i l y i nci t i ng her co u s i n a t t he swi m - hole. The new publ i c pressure and sel f­ regu l a t i o n by H ol l ywood d i d lead to t h e decl i ne o f t h e fab u l o u s M a e W e s t w i t h her double ent endres, so l e t h a l in the new a ge o f sound fi l m s . She flou ted accep ted mora l i t y ; in the fa mous court room scene of M)' L i ll ie Chiclwdee , she was accused of showing con temp t o r court and rep l ied, ' l ' m t ry i n g to h i de i t ' . S h e did not h i de a nyt h i ng, a n d she was condemned for i t b y H ol lywood i n one o f i t s per i o d i c fits o r cl ea nsi ng. L i censed t o t i t i l la t e, h owever, ·was the legendary B usby Berkeley, who used the s tage t ra d i t i o n of the underdressed chorine to get away wi t h every breach of the Code poss i b l e a n d s t i l l get t he sea l of a p p rova l . H e used s i l h o ue t tes t o shmv

45

n u d i t y i n Gold Diggers nf 1 9 3 3 i n a way t ha t wa s not t o b e used a ga i n t i l l M a rt i n e Carol took a fa mous sh ower i n Natha lie in 1 95 7 . H i s S i gn of t h e Cross was a gro up o r ch orus g i r l s , show i ng t he i r l egs a n d hea ddresses . H e co u l d p u t naked g i r l s i n cha i ns i n Roman Scan dals ( 193 3 ) a n d spread t h ei r l egs about a g i a n t cherry i n D rune.1 ( 1 93 4 ) . H e e\'en g o r away wi t h t he

n o t o r i o u s g i a n t ba n a na a n d s t ra\\·bcrry seq uence i n The Gang 's A ll Here ( 194 3 ), a l t h o u.g h Braz i l ban ned t h e p i ct ure. I n t h i s , l i nes o r chorus gi r l s dressed i n t he Copacabana style wi t h b a re m i dr i ffs s upport ed yel l o w s i x - fo o t ba nanas o n t h e i r pelvi ses, m a k i n g t h ese droop i ng erect i o n s noel up a n d down l i ke a h eave n l y ga n g rape. The cl i max o f t h e

n u m ber \\'CI S a h i gh aeri a l s h o t , i n ,,· h i c h t h e ben d i n g b a n a n a s a l l formed i n a shape s u s p i c i o u s l y l i ke a ha i ry O\'a l , \\' h i ch s u d den l y opened up to IT\'Ca l a c i rcl e o r nea r - na ked chorus t;o·i r l s lvi n t'l(J' back \\'i t h t h e i r l egs a p a n e n f o l d i ng se,·era l gi a n t s t rawberries ; t hen came t he peck i n g b a n a n a s a ga i n a n d b u r i ed t h em from s i gh t . The n umber ended \\' i t h Car­ men M i ra n da bel t i ng o u t h er song u n der a sky Cu l l o f ' b u nches o r b a n a n a s , "·i t h .

gl isten i ng red strawberries mak i ng a On t he o ther hand, M , M aedchen in Un i ­ guard of honour for her i n a s l ow track ­ form, La MaterneLLe, and CarnivaL in Flanders back dm.vn the passageways of des ire. I f were hacked abo u t u m i l t h e i r p l o t s d i s ­ such n umbers cou l d pass t h e censors appeared i nt o t h e scissors o f American without a cut , more suggestive and vulgar decency. By t h e end o f t h e 1 9 30 s , t h e newest and than a ny nudi ty, it s howed that somehow the dance redeemed al l , because it was as worst form of pol i ti ca l censorsh i p was unreal a s a s tage show or a n i gh t out. r i s i n g in E urope. S ta l i n ' s Russia had cut

48

The patterns Leni Reifenstahl drew out o f Nazi formations and the Olympics of 1936 were the patterns of the coming war for the domination of the Third Reich.

up E i se n s t e i n ' s l a t e career, i mposed t h e i m a ge o l t he D i c t a t o r i n to a l l co n t empor­ a ry R u s s i a n films, and l i tera l l y k i l le d or sent to S i beri a a n y d i s s i d en t s in the a rt s . Nazi Germany h a d a l so i mp osed a r u t h ­ l ess censorsh i p on a nyt h i ng hel d to b e deca d en t , el i m i na t i ng a n d b u rn i n g a l l o l Wei mar G erma ny's ext raord i na ry cont r i ­ b u t i o n t o a n Expres s i o n i s t C i n em a . Leni R i clen s t a h l was t he B usby Berkeley o l t he azi M ovement , p h o t o grap h i ng the p a t t ern s and t he pomp o l t h e T h i rd Reich ' s spec t a cl es a s ex t ravaga n t l y a n d 101-ma l ly a s t h e mas ter o l da nce choreo­ graphy. The f i n a l h i l a r i o u s parody o l t he s ty l e was i n The Prnducer.s , o n ce t i t l ed Springtime for HitLer, where t h e chorus ­ g i r l s s to mp ro u n d i n a swa s t i ka pa t t ern . T h e Second Worl d War bega n a s t h e First Work! Wa r h a d ended, wi t h pol i ­ t i ca l censors h i p more i mport a nt t h a n o t her variet ies o l s u p press i o n . As Ernst and L i n d ey wro t e in 'The Censor M a rches O n ' i n 1 94 0 , ' Fear o l sex i s o n t h e wane.

B usby B erkeley drilled his performers in their version of patriotism too in Gold Diggers in Paris ( 1938), and Babes in A rms ( 1939).

49

The new spect re I S " s u bvers ive" idea s ' . The h i larious case o r t h e per i o d wa s t he Russ i a n film o n t he persecu t i o n o r t h e J ews b y t h e laz i s , Professor M a mloc!L Be­ rore t h e Sovi et - Tazi n o n - a ggres s i o n pact , i t was banned i n E n g l a n d a s ' wo p o l i ­ tica l ' , a \ t hough s h own i n t he SO\ ·ict Pavi l i on a t t h e e w Y o r k Worl d ' s Fa i r . Arter t h e pact , i t w a s a u t h ori sed i n Lon ­ don a n d ba n ned a t t he Soviet P;wi l i o n . The pro- Loya l i s t Sj;ain in Flame.1 wa s ban ned by many America n S t a t es a s de­ ren d i n g a ?;OVCrl11l1en t t ha t k i \ \ec\ p r i es t s ; i n N ew J ersey, a l t hough i t wa s a ga i ns t Fra nco, i t ,,·a s ba n ned u n der t h e An t i ­ Nazi Law. Y ct , a s Ernst a n d L i ndey p o i n t ed out , pol i t i ca l cen sorsh i p wa s m i nor com ­ pa rce l wi t h puhl i c i n c l i f f (:rence. G ood films such a s A b raham Linmln , The Informer . F.mj;eror J o11e ' . Creed a n c l I-f a//e/11jah had lost mone\' a t the box - o f lice a n d did not cnco ura?;C prod ucers t o make t he i r l i ke . At t h e l a s t resort , t h e ca s h recei p t s o f ' t he ca p i ta l i st f i l m \\TIT more p O\n.T I 'u l t h a n crea t or, d i � t ri b u t or o r censor. I I ' t h e p u b l i c d i d n o t a \w;J \'� get \\·h a t i t \\·a n t ed . i t got r i d o l ' "· h a t i t d i d n o t \\·a n ! . T h e l T 0\1·d \\'< l "> t h e Ia �t -,; t l >O t a ge .

Walter Huston fights for t h e right as the youn g reformer and awaits h i s assassination as the President in D . W. Griffith' s A braham Lincoln ( 1930).

50

As the Secon d Worl d Wa r l a rgely dest royed the et h i ca l code and a s s u m p ­ t i ons o r Europe a n d to a lesser degree o ! · t h e U n i ted S t ar es, so t he s l o,,· eros i o n o f t he H o l lywood Code bega n . There \\·a s a ba t t le about t he a d u l t ery a n d m u rder i n The Pn.llman A lway1 Ring1 Twice , b u t t h e fil m wa s made. A n d \\·hen H o\\'a rd H ughes put out a n u t ra geous p u b l ici t y

ca mpa i gn for J a ne R ussel l i n The O ut law a n d t he B reen o rfice revoked i t s sea l o f a p p rova l , H ughes s t i l l d i s t ri b u t ed t h e p i ct ure i n 1 9 4 6 a n d packed i n t h e a u d i ­ ences , especi a l l y w h e n a j udge decla red t ha t t h e brea s t s or J a n e ' h u n g over the p i ct u re l i ke a t h u nderstorm sp rea d over a l a n d scape . ' War h a d broken clown t h e o l d barr i ers a nt\ m o n ey cal led i n t he n ew c h a n ge. A rt er t h e s h o t s o f na ked g i r l s raped a n d ca rved t o p i eces by t h e Gennan army in A na t ol e L i tvak' s The Battle of R ussia, a n d t h e rea l i sm or t h e t ort ure sequences in t h e new I t a l i a n wave o r war f i l m s s uch as Paisan and Rome , Open C i t)' , t h e documen t a ry o r l i re seemed s t ronger t h a n t he et h i cs or escap i s m . T here wa s a l so t h e ma t t er o r m i l l i ons or Amer i ca n troops experiencing E u ropea n a n d As i a n ma n ners a n d women . The rea l i sm or the l ove scenes p l a yed by Gerard P h i l i pe in Le DiabLe a u Corps m i g h t s t i l l be sci ssored i n t he A n gl o - Saxon

Jane Russell lounges with a suggestive revolver i n this poster from The Outlaw ( 1946). It i s interesting to see the similar l ayout of the B ond poster in Thunderball (1965). In twenty years, male nudity had become possible.

The torture of Manfredi, from Rome, Open City ( 1945). Its sickening realism was to influence two other films of soldiers and partisans and torture sequences . . .

Godard' s Le Petit Soldat (1961) and Pontecorvo' s film, Battle of A lgiers ( 1966) - both of which were banned in France.

52

The beach kiss in From Here to Eternity (1953). There were two scenes scissored from the picture by studio chief Harry Cohn, but only of Montgomery C lift thinking the attackers at Pearl H arbour were Germans and composing a blues on his bugle.

count ries ; b u t r h ey wou l d i n fl uence t he ramous beach l ove scene t h a t was a l a n d ­ mark o r t h e America n ci nema i n 1 9 5 3 , Deborah Kerr ' s gra p p l e "·i t h t h e surr a n d B urt Lanca s t er i n From Here t n Eternity, appropri a t el y a war p i c t ure. Some Bri t i s h movies l i ke B righton Roell might be hacked by t h e America n censor

CHA R CHAPLI featuring M A R T H A R AV E lsobel Elsom· Marilyn Nash · Robert lewis ...

Written and Oireded

�

CHAR L E S C H A P LI N

b eca use or t h e col d sed uct i o n bv P i n k i e o r t h e girl w i t n ess o r t h e crime ; b u t i n genera l t h e largest o u t cry o r t h e i m ­ med i a t e postwar yea rs wa s a ga i n st t he ' u npa t r i o t i c' C h a r l es C h a p l i n . A pa ter­ n i t y s u i t and a M a nn Acr cha rge brought a ga i n s t him ca used r i p p l e s o r a n Arb u c k l e ­ ty p e w i t ch - h u nr , \\·h i l e h e c h o s e w s h a ke

53

H ollywood' s gol d d u s t off h i s feet a ft er mal\n'g", the b\ner ana nloc\:..\ ng; .\l o n .l i e m Verdnux "·i t h i ts i m p l i ca t i o n t h a t p r i , ·a t c m u rders were n o t h i n g b e s i d e \\·a r ma s ­ sacres , u s i n g t h e t errible l i ne. ' M i l l i ons sa nct i fy ! ' The refusal o f t he America n and B ri t i s h d i s t ri b u t ors t o s h o\\' t h i s f i l m ll'idely ca used i t s d fcct iYe suppres s i o n ou t s i de Fra nce. T h e I tal ian ci nema wa s as o u t spoken about sex a s about t o rt u re, and t he n ca r ­ ra pe o f ' S i !Y a n a M a gn a n o by Vi t t or i o Gassma n i n Billa Rice i n 19-+9 "·a s para 1 Sophia Loren first appeared i n a silly extravaganza called Era Lui, Si, Si.

Loren also played in such undistingui shed epics as Madame and Hollywood failures such as Boy on a Dolphin before reaching stardom and keeping herself covered for the censor.

54

M artine Carol did not bother about the asses' milk i n Sins of the Borg ias. l e l cc l i n s h ock bv t h e e l o p em e n t o l · t h e m a rr i ed

I ngri d

B er gm a n "·i t h R o b e r t o

R o s � c l l i n i , "· h o d i rec t ed h er , p re g n a n t 1 ) \· him.

in

a p p a l le d

S l ru mh o fi .

H ca v i h·

cut

A m er i ca n

b a c k er �

a nd diqri­

bv

It\

b u t o r s , i t p row·d m o re o r a da m p � q u i b t h a n a v o lc a n o . B er gm a n h er � c l r \,·a � c o l d ­ s h o u l derecl { ( ) r m a n v \Ta r� 1 ( ) 1 · h e r b e ­ haviour - and l()r t he flop o r t he f i l m ­ a n d i t t o o k h er ;1 d ec;H k o l · p la v i 1 1 g good \\·omen a ga i n to re - e\ t < t b l i \ h h t T\e l r i l l t h e a n n a b o r m o ra l i t Y a n d t h e l l l < l \ \ d i � t r i b u ­ l i O n C I I "C U ! l � . i\ l ore \\T I T

t r; t d i t i o n a l

t he

{ ( )! ·

l J< I I T - I J re;t � ! ed

l t ;d i ; m

1 n m· i e\

\eq u e n Ce\

Ill

h i � : o r i c; d ep i c\ , i n \\·h i c h \ O i l l l ' o l . t h e l < 1 t t T

Jeanne Moreau also began as a mere hi storical figure. t he

plot,

the

� i o n or· a

t rick

0 1 " t h e d o u b le \ e r ­

t a k e \\·a � dew·l o p ed a h cr t h e

1 9 -1- 8 ;

S t a r � o r t h e \\·o r l d C i l l e l l l < l \\·el T t O < l j ) j ) C< I I · ,

R o m a n c i rc u s seq u e n c e i n Foh i o la i n

� u c h a \ S o p h i a L o r e n . T h e h � h i o n \\.< 1 \

i n t h i s , t h e h o r d e s o r n a k e d g i r l � a ct i n g

! "o l l o \\H I i n Fra nce, \\· h er e :\ L m i n e C a r o l

a s fo d d e r {'o r t h e 1 i o n s o r da n g l i n g f i · o m c r o s s e s b e ca m e m ys t er i o u s l Y c l o t h ed o r

p l ; t \ T d L u c n ·1. i a B o r g i a < t n d l wc; u n e t h e ; t l .t er

i n \ ' i s i b lc

in

C l a u d e t t e C o l b er t ; l ' H ' I l . J ea n n e ;\ l o n ·; t u

\ Trs i o n s

o r t h e f i l m . W h e n r h c r i se o r

mo�t

l;tmou\

p l ; t yed

a

b ; u h er

l c c h ero u �

in

q u een

h i \ l o rv in

f.rt

Rl'i l l l'

. \ l a rgo/ . b c rorc h er \ C n \a t i o n a l O l l - � l H 'l ' l l

the

A m er i ca n

a nd

t el c \' i s i o n , i n deed , i m p o se d i t s

Bri t i sh

mm

cen ­

s o rs h i p o n o l d m o v i e m a t er i a l a n d d ec i c l e c l

< t p p ; u -c n t orga \ 1 1 1 i n /.1' 1 : l lllrl l / / 1 b u n c h ed

what

her

a l s o b eca m e c o m m e rc i a l l y i m p o rt a n t t o

to

i 1 l l e rn a t i 0 1 1 a l

� t a rd o m .

\\' h ere

nakt•l\ hi l o r i l:;t \ '>lTne\ \\TIT n el T \ � a n· 1 \ l r

\\· a s s u i t a b le

fo r h o m e v i e\,· i n g , i t

s h o o t a l e s s t o r r i d \ T rs i o n o r seq u e n ces

. . . but she remained a creature of her time who denied time, as can be seen in thi shower sequence from the recent de Broca film, Chere Louise. •

The American and the European version of the bed sequence from Cry Toug h.

for t h e a rea s of hean- cemors h i p , s uch as America n t elevi s i o n , S pa i n and S o u t h A fr i ca . H o l ] y,,·ood i t sel f a ccep ted t h e i dea of a d o u b l e wrs i o n a n d doub le ,·i s i o n ' t o get a l i t t le more m i l ea ge o u t o f " i t i n E urope . ' I n a fa mous seq uence i n Crr To ugh , a E l m a b o u t j uven i l e del i nq uency set i n t h e ea r l y E ft i es, t he Amer i ca n pro­ d ucers got L i n da C r i s t a ! t o s t r i p off lor t h e bed scene for E urop e, a n d t o p l a v i t cl o t hed lor home co n s u m p t i o n . W h a t \\'a s especi a l l y l ud i crous a b o u t t h e Ameri ­ ca n vers i o n o f t he scene \\'
57

B rando repel s Vivien Leigh, playing B l anche, before raping her in Streetcar Named Desire ( 1 9 5 1). i n n·n t n c"· ca t q�o r i c s of" a ccep t a b i l i t Y t o a l l o"· a d u l t Cl l h o l i cs a h er 1 9 :) 7 t o ' i c,,· � u ch f i l m � as !Jt D o lce I 'ita a n d L o li t a . The

eros i o n

of"

c e n s o rs h i p

in

t he

L ' n i t cd S t a t es a n c l t h e r i s e o r t h e i n d e p e n ­ d e n t prod u cer, l a rgel Y f i -c e f i ·om s t u d i o co n t ro l a n d H a ys C o d e ce n so r s h i p o r r h e � h o o t i n g scri p t , "·a s p a ra l l el ed cl se\\· h cr e . I n E n g l a n d , n u d i r v \\·a s a l l o\1-cd i n 1 9 5 3 111

a n i n o f l (·n s i ,·e a n d u n ero t i c l i t t l e f i h n

about

an

a gei n g m a n

co n H T t ed f i - o m

Carroll B aker began in her c r i b w i t h her husband as t h e voyeur in Baby Doll ( 1 9 5 6).

58

She soon grew u p and progressed t o indifferent movies such as Sylvia, and now plays i n such vehicles as Baba Yaga, an Italian film about a strip-cartoon witch, from which these stills come.

m i serl i ness to generosi ty by go i ng to a n u d i s t camp . I t was ca l led The Carden of Ede n and had fema l e n u des i n col our, a l l in t he name o f a seri o u s devo t i o n to bei ng bare. Th i s new perm i ss i veness led to a Oood o f nudist films, w h i c h i n ev i t ­ ably grew boring beca use o f t he i r arch­ ness, un t i l t he new k i ng o f t i t i l la t i o n a n d t he soft - core movies arose, R u s s M eyer, wi t h h i s successfu l The Immoral Mr. Teas .

made i n fo ur days, soon to be fol l owed by Not Ton ight, I-fell l)' , a merry romp t h rough h i s to ry where t he hero i ma g i ned h i msel f an a l l - conquer i n g rapoleo n and a n a morous J o h n S m i t h faced w i t h a c h o i ce o f I nd i a n m a i den s . These sex ­ p l o i t a t i on fi l ms were cut decrea s i ngly t h rough the s i x t i es, unt i l t hey became com m o n p l a ce a n d were yawned o f f t he scree n .

59

The rich wife does a bored strip-tease i n L a Dolce Vita (1959).

60

In

Fra n c e ,

h o we,·er,

t he

e"· WaYe

d i rect o r s led by G o d a rd a n d L o u i s M a l l e p u s h ed

back

Y i o l encc o n

J ea n n e

and

the

l i· o n t i ers

o r sex a n d

t h e scree n . I f A n na K a r i na M o rea u b eca m e t h e d a r l i n gs

o l ' t h e a rt h o u s e s , B r i g i t r e B a r d o t b eca me t h e i n t ern a t i o n a l s y m b o l o l . t h e sex k i t t e n , d i sp l a c i n g

C ar ro l l

Ba ker a n d

the

S ue

Lvo n o l ' Lolita fro m m a le Lm t a s i es bv h er

e � p l i c i t sex u a l i t Y . The Immoral Mr. Teas and Henry ' s choice in Not Tonight, Henry.

in

Lm •e

s h i rt

to

i.1

J ea n

sci ssors

I n one Lunous she

Pmfe , , i o n .

mr

� cene

l i l .t ed

her

C a b i n to t e m p t h i m - t h e

sa w·d

the

Anglo- Saxon

wo r l d

fro m see i n g t h e s ce n e . U s u a l l Y , t h o u g h , a u d i e n ces s a "· h e r i n t h e o l d t ea se - r o l es , as

i n t h e s h < l \d da n c e o f A

Sa/all .

ro t a l l y

o r·

t \\'C n t Y - S eH'l l

co n e ! em n e � l

lw

I Von1 a 1 1 Like

Fre n c h t he

films

L eg i o n

ol'

D ecencv, sc,·cn s t a rred B r i g i t t e B a rd o t . It up

"·a s

S \\Tc l e n ,

t h o u gh ,

"· h i ch l i ,·ecl

to i r s rep u t a t i o n as t h e s h oc k e r or

t h e Fa r N o r t h . I n t h e l i l .t i c � . t \\·o s t rea ms o f ' i n f l u e n ce t r i ck le d down i cebergs .

l i ke mel t i ng

� l md Y "·a s h i n g a \\·a y

t he IT­

scrYes o r t h e m o ra l i s t s o r t h e \\'Or l c l . T h e i n n ocence o f ' yo u n g l on · i n S w e d e n p r o ­ gressed f i· o m t h e c h a r m o l ' O n e S u m m e r oj ' 1 / ajJjl i n e l.\

in

Pa r i s

s t a t es ,

to

( 1 9 5 1 ) , "·h i c h p l a Ye d u n cut

a nd t he

en·n

111

outright

some Ameri cl l l sex u a l i t i es a n d

61

B ardot tempts Gabin - and plays with a shawl .

62

rro m a ]

n u d i t i cs o r l h e m o r e perm t S S I \T

a ge o r t h e l a t e s i x t i es , s h O\m i n Cmio11 1

and

brood i ng

t he

I

am

The o t h e r s t rea m lay i n

Vel/o w .

o b s cs S i \T

\\·o rk

of"

I n g m a r B e rgma n , s o o b , · i o u s l v a n ' a n ' d i rect o r

t ha t

h i s d o u b le

ra p e s c e n e i n

The l ·i ,gin Sjni ng co u l d l "o rce t h e c e n sor

to

a ccep t

it

uncut o u t s i de B ri t a i n a nd I t ,,·a s t h e s a m e

s o m e A m e r i ca n s t a t es .

! "o r K u rosa wa ' s ra p c sce n e i n Rrl.l !wmon . ,,· h i c h b ro u g h t t h e j a p a 1 1 e � c c i n em a i n t er ­ n a t i o n ;t l n o t i ce , a l t h o u g h i t \\·a � a ga i n a n I t rep rese n t ed i n a h i s t o r i ca l

' a rt '

film.

a nd

a ccep t a b le

c i n em a

of·

f o rm

a

J a pa n e � e

sa d o - m a �och i s t i c

l o ca l

Y i o lc n ce.

,,· h i c h \\·a s to beco m e t h e m o s t ex t t -ct ne a n d cc n s o r< t b lc

in t h e ,,·o r i e l . esca l a t i n g

t h ro u g h t h e ra p e - � c e n c i n O n i/)(Jba t o i t � p rescm exces � c s . T h e s c i s s o r s . i n deed , bec< t m c b l u n t ed 1 ) \' t h e a t ro c i t i c� � h m n 1 ] ) \· t h e \\·a r n e\\·� -

O ne Summer o{ Happiness (above) gives way to l am Curious- Yellow.

63

T h e wife i s raped by t h e bandit in Rashomon ( 1 950). T h e samurai-killer i s raped in Onibaba ( 1964) (below)

64

The circular pods open in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

An early American poster of moralism and violence.

A 1930's teaser American poster.

·

Flash Gordon, the hero of the 1930s (brilliantly drawn by Gogos and reproduced by permission of the Warren Publishing Company) i s now camped up in Flesh Gordon, the space-traveller to the planet Porno in 1975.

Sex, blasphemy and violence escal ate to the ultimate in these modern scissored sequences from The Devils and Death Walks in High-Heeled Shoes.

The custard pies fly in Dr. Strangelove ( 1963).' ree l s i n e\·crv h o m e t h a t h a d a t e l eY i s i o n

set . T h e h i s i ory o f ' c e n s o rs h i p a ft er t h e

ca m e a c u l t

f i l m fo r t h e F l o\1'Cr P O\\'(T

genera t i o n ( t h e b e s t ' t u r n - o n ' i n t o w n ) ,

l a t e f i f t ies i s o n e o r a s l O\\' ret rea t fo r t W O

i t \1·a s re- i s s u ed t o b ox - o f T i ce s u ccess i n

deca des . N o gro u nd l o s t i s e v e r rega i ne d .

i t s f 'u l l l e n g t h , h a Y i n g o n ce been c h o p p e d

N o perm i s s i o n g i Ye n i s eYer t a k e n b a c k .

t h ro u g h f i n a n c i a l p r es s u res t o t w o - t h i rd s

T h u s t h e u n seen c i n em a o f o n e yea r , t h e

o f · D i s n ev ' s i n t e n t i o n s .

seq uences c u t o u t by t h e o ffi c i a l ce n s o r s ,

I f . t h e u n o f T i c i a l c e n s o r s - t h e m a kers

\\Tt T l i k e l Y t o b e c l i s p la vec l b y a fu l le r

a n d s t a r s a n d d i s t r i b u t o r s a n d b a c kers o r

\'Crs i o n o r t h e f i l m s h 0\\' 1 1 o n i t s re- i s s u e

t h e f i l m s - s t i l l exerc i sed t h e i r \1·h i m s a n d

some yea rs l a t er . \!\Th a t \\·a s ne\Tr rep l a ced

b l a d e s o r s t eel , t h e o f l i c i a l h a ckers f o u g h t

,,·ere t h e seq u e n ces cut o u t b y t l t c egos

a

o r t h e s t a rs , d i rect ors o r s t u d i o b o s s e s ,

M a rc h l o o k l i k e a s p r i n t t o t h e N o rt h o r

s l m,· ret rea t M ost

that

ma kes M a o ' s Long

i n d i ca t i H ' o r t h e i r l o s s o r

such a s t h e B u s t er K ea to n seq uence i n

China.

Limelight w h i c h wa s t r u nca t ed beca u s e i t

p mq_T \\·a s t h e \1·a y i n \1· h i c h t h ev t rea t e d . Ya r i o u s t h em e � i n f i l m � t h ro u g i t o u t t h e

h a d co m p e t ed \l· i t h t h e m a s t er C h a r l e s C h a p l i n h i msel f, t h e h u m o u r i n Invasion of 1 /ze Bndr - Snatcher.1 . b eca u s e i t wa s m ea n t

s i x t i e s a n d seH· n t i es - i n p a r t i c u la r . ra p e .

t o co n O i c t \1· i t h t h e h o rr o r o f t h e peop l e ­

\1· h ere t h e ' a rt ' f i l m l ed t h e \\-� 1 \- , t h e ex ­

pods,

and

St range/nve .

t h e c u s t a rd - p i c f i g h t beca u s e

K u b r i ck

in Dr. h i msel f

t o r t u re . a n d perHTs i o n . A t ea ch p o i n t , p l o i t a t i o n f i l m \1·a s b o u n d t o f ( � l l m,· a n d t o a p p ea l t o a n � t u d i e ncc \1· h i c h d e m a n ­ m o re a n d

m o re ex p l i c i t

s a ya gen·

t h o u g h t i t s fa rce r oo k a w a y fro m t h e s i ck

ded

j o k e o f t h e d r o p p i n g o r t h e B o m b . O ne

o n - screen to get i t to l e a H ' t h e t cl e\·i s i o n

s t ra nge rep l a cemen t d i d , h owever, t a k e

� e ! � I t h o m e . I t \\'< I S n o l o n ger a ca se o r ' H m1· D o Y o u K e e p ' E m D mm O n T h e

p l a ce from a s t u d i o ,,·h i c h n ever w e n t back

on

a n y t h i n g - D i s n ey. W h e n t h e

commerc i a l O o p , Fan / a.1ia , s u d d e n l y b e -

Fa rm N o w T h a t T h ev \-c S e e n P a t -cc ' b u t a ca se o f · h m,· d o \'< ; u keeJ ) ' e m c o t l i n ,.., u-

;

Valentino eyes the audience before attending to Agnes Ayres in The Sheik (1921).

to t h e mm·i cs nm,· t h a t t h e box is !'o r l i -c e. Rape wa s the f i r s t a nswer. U n s h own i n The Birth of a Na ti o n , i m p l i ed by Va l en t i no i n The Sheik , exci sed fro m t h e O a s h backs in Carnival in Flanders , it wa s h a l f- dep i ct ed i n Of M i ce and M en i n 1 9 3 9 - a S t ei n beck n ovel on fi l m co u l d geL away w i t h t ha t sort o r t h i ng . I oll/111)' Be li nda i n 1 9 4 8 a ! s o was L O O exp l i c i t a b o u l t he ra pe o f L h e dea f- a n d - dumb J a ne Wyma n , a n d go t t he prod ucer sacked from J ack Warner' s s t ud i o . C l a i re B l oo m ' s ga ng- rape was a I so c u t from t h e Chajmzan Report, a ! t h o ugh seen in t he prev i ew in San Fra nci sco . I r s d i rector, C u kor, reca l l ed "·i t h n os t a l ­ g i a , ' A fa s t series o f C U L S o f p u s h i ng, s h ov i ng, gra b b i ng, fa l l i ng, ga s p i ng, arms, l egs . . . ' , b u r the s t u d i o ch i ef Za n uck cut i t a l l t he same - and t h e f i l m c l i c l not "·ork. Nor did M i ss B l oom ' s more ex p l i c i t ra pe b y P a u l Iewma n i n t h a t m i nor o u t ra gl· o f a remake of R.ashomon in 1 9 6 .J. , T!te O u trage . Rape i s now bo t h exp l i c i t a n d com m o n ­ p lace i n f i l m . T h e ga n g - rape by M oroc­ ca n so l d i ers of S o p h i a Loren a n d her t eenage d a u gh t er i n de S i ca ' s Two Women

In Marty Ritt's remake of Rashomon, Laurence Harvey i s the husband bound to the tree, while Paul Newman assaults his wife, Claire Bloom.

67

got by most o r t h e censors b eca use o r L he trad i t i on or I ta l i a n neo - rea l i sm , a n d t h e repu ta t i o n o r a u t hor M oravia a n d o r t h e d i rector h i m sel r. I n E n gl a n d , t o o , t he growt h o r t h e ' k i tchen s i n k ' Engl i s h ci nema l ed to more gra p h i c dep i c t i o n s or sex u a l en j oyment i n Rnnm al t h e Tnp and sexual viol ence rrom Peter Col l i nson i n Penthnuse a n d i n Fright . or the fl r s L film, t h e Bri t i sh censor wro t e t h a t he cou l d only ' hope that t h i s fllm ca used no harm to a nyone. ' Yet pass it he d i d . Cert a i n rapes, however, were t o o v i o ­ l e n t ror t h e screen . Popeye' s rape o r

S ophia Loren tries t o comfort her daughter after their r ape in Two Women ( 1 960).

Suzy Kendall gets raped imaginarily and visually in Penthouse, while Ian B armen is the psychotic murderer and rapist in Fright where Susan George is the sufferer (below ).

68

The girls play with the photographer i n Blow - Up ( 1966).

M alcolm McDowell at l ast gets his girl in If (1968).

.

.

.

Oliver Reed and Allan B ates have a naked wrestle in Women in Love ( 1969).

69

Tem p le bot h

D r a k e "·i t h a c o rn c o b p i p e i n

\'CTs i o n s

of'

Sanrl u n rr . t h a t o f '

William

1 933

a nd of'

Fa u l k n e r ' s

1 960,

were

Susannah York plays a lesbian love scene with Beryl Reid in The Killing of Sister George ( 1969).

b o t h g l o s sed OYer, a l t h o u g h essen t i a l t o t h e m ea n i n g o f ' t h e f i l m - a n d b o t h ver­ sions

Lt i lc d

as a

resu l t .

O n t he o t her

h a n d , t h e m o r e t h a t sex u a l p l a y a n d n ca r ­ ra pe beca m e a ccep t a b l e t h ro u g h t h e ' a n ' f i l m , t h e more i t b eca m e t h e c o m m o n j a rgon o r t h e seco n d - ra t e c i n e m a . 8 /n w ­

UjJ \\·a s a t re n d - s e t t i n g f i l m i n t h i s r e s p e c t 1n

1 966.

In

seq uence,

a

p h o t ogra p h e r ' s

Da\'i d

H em m i n g s

studio

romped

"· i t h t h e n a ked J a n e B i rk i n a n d G i l l i a n H i l l s , a n d t h e p u b i c h a i r o ! · t h e n ym p h e t s ,,·a s

a l l owed

to

a p p ea r

on

screen

in

E n g l a n d beca u s e o f ' t h e f i l m ' s q ua l i t y a n d I n t egri t y ' W h ere a rt goes , ex p l o i t a t i o n i s s u re t o fo l l ow , n a k ed

not

to m e n t i o n m o r e a rt . T h e

wres t l i n g

scene

beca m e a l m o s t

ob l i ga t ory for t h e ' go o d ' B r i t i s h m o v i e , from

the

s t ruggl i n g

l overs in

i n If t o

Ken

the two men

R ussel l ' s

Women In Love. W i d el y cen s o red i n S p a i n a n d o t h er u n perm i ss i ve

c o u n t r i es ,

t he

s u ccess o r

t h ese scenes l ed t o m o r e exp l i c i t n ess i n t h e c i nema t h a n e\'er, fro m t h e l e sb i a n i sm i n The Killing of Si�ler Geo rge t o t h e oYert

h o m osex u a l i t y o f Bnys in the B a n d a n d t h e ,

ma l e ra p e a n d d r a g o f Fort une and M en 's

Eyes. Proba b l y t h e m o s t exp l i c i t o f t h e

The prisoner in drag incites the other prisoners in Fortune and Men's Eyes ( 1 9 7 1 ) in a strip routine.

70

r a p e scenes to g e t by i n a ser i o u s fi l m o n genera l r e l e a s e i n A m er i ca w a s t h e a s sa u l t o n t h e d u m py v i rgi n C a t h y b y h er t ee n a ge lr i en d s i n Fra n k Perry' s

Las/

S u mmer.

A t a l ower l eve l , t h e s c h o o l b oy reb e l ­ l i o n s o l V i go ' s a na rc h i c Zero de Con duile degen era t ed to t h e a t t em p t ed ra p e o r t h e t ea c h er ' s w i le by a ga n g o l s c h o o l boys in

Unman ,

and

Wil l e ring and Zigo ,

t he

a ct u a l

ra p e o r t h e s c h o o l t ea c h er i n e l i

L eo ' s

S e \·

in

!he

and

Cla 1.1 room

Swed i s h

m o c k - d o c u m e m a ry

Sclwo lday .

The

same

wa s

in

t he

E n ge l l ' s

t rue

in

t he

Wes t e rn . T h e o f f- screen ra p e o r M a rl e n e

The bored girl-friend incite the t w o boys to rape C athy in Last Summer ( 1969).

D i e t r i ch

in

Lang's

R a n ch o

No! orio u .1

ol

1 9 5 2 beca m e t h e o n - screen r a p e o r l se l a

V a rga

by

Kris

Kri s t o rrer s o n

i n Peck i n ­

p a h ' s B u ng M e The Head of A lfredo Garcia o r 1 9 7 4 . T h e t ea ser p o s t er ca m e b a c k i n i r s f 'u l l g l o ry , a s i n a f i l m s i m p l y ca l l ed The RajJe , w h i c h wa s i s s u ed an X cert i f i ­

ca t e b y t h e c e n s o rs h i p

G rea t er L o n d o n C o u n c i l ' s c o m m i t t ee,

wit hout

b e i ng

p a ssed by t h e B r i t i s h B o a rd ol F i l m Cen-

The teacher is assaulted in Sex in the Classroom ( 1974) and in Schooldays (1975), both unshown in England. Kristofferson rape s the prostitute in Peckinpah's 1974 western (below).

72

10 WOM EN 7 MEN TRAPPED ON AN ISLAND NOWHERE TO H IDE NOWHERE TO RUN TURNING INTO A

HELL

OF

LUST AND VIOLENCE EAG L E F I L M S p re s e n t

More suffering i n The Rape. s o r s . Fa i r l v gra p h i c i t ,,·a s , t o o , a l t h o u g h C \ 'C l l t h e G reeks h e l d t o t h e c o n W ' I l l i o n t h a t w h i le ,,· o m e n co u l d s t r i p , m e n a l \\·a ,·� ra p ed ,,· i t h t h e i r t ro u sers o n .

The G reeks a l ways used azi s , Turks· o r band i t s i n t h e i r rape seq u ences, a s in t h i s most recent film o r the new Cypriot ci nema , HassambouLia of C)'p rus. B u i1 uel a nd t he S pa n i s h prererred m o re outre s u rro u n d i ngs, rro m t h e assa u l t by t he beggars on Viridiana t o t h e v i o l at i o n by t he i nmates o r each o t her in t h e Victorian asy l u m i n Alba's L e Condannat e . P u sh i ng t O t h e f ront i e r s o r t h e b izarre was, '

73

More assault in Hassamboulia of Cyprus (above) and Le Condannate (below). l l ;t t u ra l h· . H a m m e r pmt cr� a 1 1 d

F i l m s w i t h i t s t ea ser

a n ex t r a ord i na ry seq u e n ce

cut f i·om 1 11hen Dinosa u rs Ruled the in ,,·h ich V i ct o r i a Vet ri was t h rea t ­ ened \\'i t h m u l t i p l e Y i ol a t i o n b y a g i a nt crab. B u t i t t ook t h e I ta l i a ns to p u s h t he b i za rre d ocu me n t a ry - ty p e \'i o lences of , \ I ondo Cane t o t he i r u l t i ma te concl u s i o n i n Africa Erotica , where a you n g American gi r l is apparent ly penetra t ed by most of n a t u r e. Th i s f i l m , perhaps more appro ­ p riate to t he red - l i g h t d i s t r i ct o f H am ­ b urg o r t h e s t a g party , i n fact o n l y receiYed a Restri cted ra t i ng i n Amer i ca , so t hat any ch i l d cou l d see i t i f acco m l a t er

F.nrlh .

74

Victoria Vetri under threat i n a Hammer vehicle.

An unusual story of a young american girl and her exciting adventure

AFRICA IRUTICI

Africa Erotica was subtitled 'A H appening in Africa' to appeal to the youth m arket. Interestingly enough, the chimpanzee was filmed with the girl both half-dressed and not at all - the old double version.

75

panied by an adul t guard i a n . I t was a far ny from Tarza n and J ane, a l though shot

i n t h e gen u i ne Tanza n i a n w i l derness . B y t he 1 9 7 0s, t h e prob l em w a s rea l l y where the ' a n ' fil m ended a n d t h e soft ­ core or hard - core pornogra p h i c fi l m bega n . O ne actor, M a rl o n B randa, h a d begun the t rend towards more shock i ng rape sequences i n A St reetca r Named Desire .

I t w a , i ncidenta l ly, h i s dep i c t i o n o f a moto rb i ke ga ngleader i n The Wild One , wh i ch got t he f i l m t o t a l l y b a n ned i n England for many years. F i fteen years l a t er, a ft er somet h i ng of an ecl i p se i n t h e 1 960s, he aga i n led t h e w a y i n appearing as a star in a naked sado- masoch i s t i c l ove- scene w i t h S t ep h a n i e B eech a m i n M i chael Wi n ner' s The Nightcomers , wh ich

76

Brando and Stephanie B eecham i n The Nightcomers (197 1).

77

purported to show what took p lace between t he evi l Qu i nt and J esse! before the begi nning of H enry J ames ' s 'The Turn o f the Screw ' . I n the B randa version, i t -vvas both violen t and sexua l . The film proved to be, however, no great success except as a hot run for Branda before the notorious Last Tango in Pa ris , where h i s earthy d i a l ogue and sodomy scenes with M aria Sch nei der caused a rumpus and a scissoring o f the b u t ter sequence in most cou nt ries excep t America, al ready inured to more exp l i c i t sex on screen a n d on general release i n the D a m i a n i s k i n ­ R i cks.

Farley Granger gives up his clean-cut i mage (above) . . . and Jack Lemmon plays the lady with Marilyn Monroe.

The reason tor t h e cha nge I l l what co u l d be seen o n the genera l screen wa s tourto l d : t he i ncrea s i ng ta l l i n box - o ffice t a k i ngs beca use or televi s i o n , so t ha t t h e ci nema had t o o tter more t h a n t h e box; t h e new !ra n k ness and accep t a nce or n udi t-y by t he you t h genera t i o n ot Wood­ stock and a lter, w h i ch made up m o re t h a n h a l t t he ma rket; t h e need o r t h e a gei ng stars t o play t o t hat you t h market; a nd t he lacr t h a t most fi l m - ma kers a nd d i s t r i b u ­ tors w i l l a l ways g e t away w i t h a l l t h ey can wh ich is novel , ex t raordi nary and noto r i ­ o u s . The co l l a pse o t censors h ip o n t he mat ter o t screen sex i n most ca p i t a l i s t co u nt ries o u t s i de t h e Commu n i s t a n d Th i rd Worlds, w a s d u e to i ncrea s i ng p ressure p u t o n t h e censors by p u b l i c cri t i c i s m , w h i ch endl essly rei t era ted t he t h eme t h a t na ked ness a n d sex u a l p lay ha rmed lew by i t s exam p l e, wh i l e t he v i o l ence o r wa r, s h own da i ly on t he tele­ v i s i o n newsreels, about V i et nam and I reland was a worse i n O uence. H ow co uld a censor cut o u r a pa i r o r b rea s t s tor a n

79

Lemmon and Hayley Mills in A vanti. a d u l t a u d i e nce ,dwn a n v ch i l d co u l d sec pea sa n t s n a p a l med to a go n y on t h e S I X 0 ' cl OCk I H'\\'S ? The

ce n s o r s

E u rope,

t h ey

not

did

co n t i n u ed

all.

a l l o \\·

In

t o d i s t i n g u i s.h

be nn.·en t h e ex p l o i t a t i o n p i ct u re a n d t h e ser i o u s p i cr u re . T h a t i s ,,· h y t h e p re s e n ce o r t h e s t a rs \\'
J f i t \\·a s a

l o n g "·
l a t es t

I talian

p i ct u re "·i t h

R o s a l ba

N e r i a n d B a rba ra B o u c h e t , !-lot Bed of Sex .

a n u n fu n ny t a lc a b o u t a d o u b l e a d u l t ery .

he ,,·a s o n l Y l o l l o"· i n g a wel l - b l a zed t ra i l fo r t h e a ge i n g s t a r . B l l y W i l der, ,\' 1 10 h a d

a n d G l e n n F o r d red u ced t o e m b a rra s s e d

com i c

n a u gh t i ness i n The R o u n den , o r B c l m o n d o

made

t ra n S\'eS t i t i sm

i

fu n

in

his

m a s t er p i ece o f r h e f i ft i es, Some Lil?e

II

!-lot ,

I t \\·a s s a d t o sec t h e grea t H en ry F o n d a

i n t h e s a m e s i t ua t i o n w i t h L a u ra A m o n el l i U rs u l a

A n d re s s

has

a n d h a d m a d e M a r i l y n M o n ro e t h e sex

in

symbo l or t h e w o r l d w i t h a ba t h i n g s u i t

esca l a t ed

o n , fo l l o\\·ed t h e fa s h i o n o f t h e Se\'ent i es

a c h i eved s t a rd o m w i t h S ea n C o n nery i n

Docl o r

Pop a u l .

her

u n d ress

s i nce

she

first

i n h i s Aop w i t h J a ck Lem m o n , A va n t i , i n

t h e B o n d p i ct u res ; h e r l a t es t l ov e - scenes

w h i ch h e a s ked t h a t ex - sym b o l o r ch i l d i s h

a re a l so p a ra l l el e d by t h e m i d d l e - a ged

p u r i ty, H a y l ey M i l l s , to p u t o n we i g h t fo r

C o n ne ry ' s scenes or r a p e a n d d rea m - sex

t h e p a n a n d t h en t o s t r i p a n d s h o w i t i n

i n Zm·do: . A n d s o t h e ca t a l og u e com i n u e s

80

T h e girl from D r . No a n d ex-007 S e a n C onnery g o further t h a n t h e B ond fantasies, especially he i n Zardoz ( 1973) (below)

Belmondo looks embarrassed in Doctor Popoul.

81

Mick Jagger, Anita Pallenberg and M ichele Breton increase the pos!;ibilities of the traditional bath scene in Performance (1970).

Joe Dalessandro in W ar hol ' s Trash ( 1 9 70).

' :..

Despite heavy cutting of most of the offensive material and the fact that the film was m ade by Morrisey (not by Warhol), the English distributors could not resist a teaser poster for Fleshfor Frankenstein (1975).

82

w i t h ageing s tars and d i rectors revea l m g more a n d more i n a n a t tempt to hang on to a fickle p u b l i c, always seek i ng a lurther sensation. For the p u b l i c rema i n s the final censor. Those who defy age, such as M a rlene D ietrich, keep an audience of t h e old ( a n d the camp young) who rel i h her l ongevi ty or beauty and who dream o r ach i ev i n g hall as much . B u t more appropriate lor the young mass a u d i ence a re the f i l m s o f t h e i r new perverse s t a r s , such as M i ck J agger and J oe D a l l esandro. J agger' s b i - sexual role i n Performance was l argely censored by i n d i fle ren t d i s t ri b u t i o n ; i t s success cou l d probably come w i t h a re­ i ssue a fter The Rocky Horror Show, si nce its shocks have d i m i n i shed as the seven­ t ies lengt hen . Dal lesandro, on t h e other hand, i n his Warhol and M orri sey fil m s h a s r i sen !rom the casual fu l l lrontal hustler roles o l' Flesh and Trash ( passed almost wi t h o u t cu t s in E n gl a nd ) to t h e i nt erna tional camp classics s u c h a s Flesh for Frankenstein ( savaged to p i eces by t h e new Engl i s h censor lor i t s t h ree- d i men ­ sional confusion o f vagi na wi t h vi scera ) . Dallesandro ' s curi ous re emblance t o Valent ino, b o t h i n phys i q ue a n d m

wooden acti ng, may yet make h i m a cult among the young - a n d the censor's n i gh t mare. The trouble w i t h the Warhol fi l m s was that they began to cross the s t range borderl i ne between t h e accep table poof and the sexp l o i ta t i o n take - o f!, l i ke Kiss Me Quick . A curious and notorious send­ up made t h e na t i onal c i rcu i t s i n 1 9 7 5 , Flesh Gordon . (See Colour Section . ) I ts p l o t had t h e worl d r avaged by a sex ray wh ich i n d uced u nco n t rol l a b le orgies, so that Flesh had to embark wi t h D a l e Ardor o n D r . J erko fr s p ha l l i c rocket to combat i ts sou rce on the p l a net Porno. But t h e other sen d - ups o l maj or movies, s u c h a s t he absurd The Notorious Cleopatra , o r t he mock - West e rn s l i ke Lash of Lusl o r The Marauders were rea l l y more made lor t he b l ue- movie ci rcu i t t ha n lor mass relea se. T he k i ck s in t hem were bondage a n d sado - ma soch i sm a t t he s i l ly level t h a t d i s t i ng u i s h es m o s t pornogra phy. There had a lways been t h ree ma rker s lor t h e sex f i l m - t he ' a rr ' a n d genera l ma rket , t h e l i m i ted sexp l o i t a t i o n play­ h o u ses t h a t A o u r i s hed i n such neighbour­ hoods a s 4 2 ncl S t reet in e\\· York , a nd fina l ly t he hard - co re s t a g f i l m . Wh i l e t he

Taken from the visceral rape scenes cut from Flesh for Fra rikenstein.

Joe Dalessandro shows his Valentino aspect to Monique Van Vooren.

While the real Flash Gordon is threatened by phallic prongs, Flesh Gordon uses the joy-stick of Dr. J erkofr s rocket.

While the girls tie up the man in The Notorious Cleopatra, the threat of a gun makes them drop their Victorian dresses in Lash of Lush

f i rs t m a rk e t on i t s p o s t er s ,,·o u l d n o t ge t m u c h b eyo n d Ema n ue//e . t h e seco n d o n e m m n l fro m t h e coy n e s s o f ' t h e f o rt i es t o m o re ex p l i c i t a c h- e rt i s i n g a n d f i·o n t - o f '­ h o u s e t i t le s � u c h a s t h e s i x t i e s ' s u ccesses,

T he 1 /n //.le o n Bare . \ l o wt l a i n . Pa rdon , 1 / r Fm n l ic Fa l l l l l' . The To uch a b lf'l .

B m.'h .

Xa 11t im'f ,\'11 rle., , A:n ocl<er.'

U jJ .

Smn t r Pa n t ie.1 .

l t .ilrl fu r A'ick' . Bachelor Tom PeejJ i ng . a n d Satan

111

l ligh

f lee/, .

"·h i c h b ro u g h t

in

l <: t i � h i � m t o b o l s t er a f la gg i n g m a r k e t . T h e b rea k t h ro u g h o l · t h e p o rn ogra p h m o,· i c

i n t o m a s s rele a se i n t h e

n i t ed

S t a t es \\'< L S t h e p h e n o m e n o n o r t h e H 'a rs a rr e r

1 9 73.

I n L 1 ca rh· cw·ry s t a t e o u t s i d e .

.

t h e D eep S o u t h , t h e t h ree D a m i a n i p i c t u res , Deej; Th roat a n d Deej; T h m(// fJ(J r/ I I "·i t h

Li nda

Lo w ·l < t ce , a n d T h e !J f l •i / i n

. \ J i.'·' .Jone.l "·i t h G e o r g i n a S p e h- i n , g r o s sed

m i l l i o n s a n d o p e n h· s h c )\\Td l <: l l a t i o a n d s o d o m Y i n l i n ge r i n g c l o s e - u p . T h e o t h e r o r t h e p o rn o gra p h i c l l l O \ · i e s \\·h i c h \\'CI S "· i dch· s h mm "·a s t h e M i t ch e l l B ro t h e r s ' Beh i n d the Greet/ D oor . " · h e r e t h e go l de n

gi rl

M a r i l y n C h a m bers h a d

many men

s i m u l t a n eo u s l Y o n t ra pezes, t h u s ru l f i l l i n g . . . while the cowboy grovels before the bound Queen of the skin-flicks, Uschi Digart, in The Marauders.

an

old,

b a n ned

male

famaw.

out right

1n

Th i s E u ro p e

film

"·a s

o u t s i de

85

The P icture About

SJAOO,.IHO -MAONifiCfNf -IIUOHFT SlHSA110HAL MIASUitf/IUNU f43· 22·l61

,lAY' lOY -r•:

ALTOGETHERNESS! � NUDITY 1H All ITS IHNOCEHII !

./ '

TH E UDIS T T ORY

starring BRIAN COBBY, SHELLEY MARTIN Made in cooperation with The Sunlanders Youth Group An Art In Motion Pictures Release

elM' C., 4• Wnpoueat'•

"HOUSE OF PLEASURE"

I

GL0 BE o.:?:�!�.',,�·O'"LM.

.... � h i'II{ UIIIo) l 1 lt • """" "" loo • ..,_,�II(;

Early teaser posters for skin-flicks.

Sea nd i na\·i a , \,·here such t h i n gs \\'CIT t h ough t q ua i n t . I n most E u ropea n c o u o ­ t ri cs, t he l i ne bet \\Ten r h c perm i ss i b l e relea se a n d t h e s t a g f i l m \,·a s st i l l ch;d kec l i n bl ue, \\·h i lc i n t he U n i t ed S t et t c� . t h e Sa t urday Re\'i e\,. cri t i c cou l d p ra i �c t he f i l m a s ' sex a s ri t ua l , sex a s f a n t a sy, sex as ir co u l d be o n l y in t h e mo\'i es . . . ' . Dependen t o n cen sors h i p , o f course. Perh a p s t he most mock i n g \'i e\,. of censors h i p in t he fiel d of' sex wa s t a ke n by t he s e x f i l m s t h em sel \'cs. Axel ' s Dan ish Blue k i d ded censors h i p by showi n g h ow t o make pornogra p h i c mo\'i es t h rough t h e a ges - and h ow to censor t hem . T h e America n s k i n - f l i ck Wild O u l - l alie.1 s t a rred \'et era n fi l m - st ri pper B a m b i A l l e n a s Consta nce V i rt ue w i t h t he sci ssors, ch i p ­ p i ng o u t t h e censored sect i o n s f i · om o t her b l ue mo\'ies ( \,·h i ch n a t u ra l l y m a d e up t h i s f i l m ) . Yet , a s h e so o ft e n had, Lenny Bruce had t he last word about t he prob­ l em : ' I ne\'er d i d see o n e s t a g ftl m "·h ere a nybody got k i l l ed i n t he e n d . Or C\'Cn s l apped i n t he m o u t h . O r w here i t had a ny Commu n i s t prop a ganda . ' A drag queen from Satan in High Heels (1960).

86

From Deep Throat Part I.

Linda Lovelace has a blade to p.ut in her famous mouth in Deep Throat, Part I I , while Georgina Spelvin plays B athsheba (above), and Marilyn Chambers performs (below).

87

The old-fashioned censors enjoy themselves in Danish Blue.

A wild out-take from Wild-Out-takes .

88

cut on r�lolence The Cruci fix i o n was t h e worst b l a s ­ phemy. I t w a s t he v i o l en t dea t h o f t he Son o f God. The i ma ge o f t he cross insp i red and ha u n t ed t he m i nd s or t he M i dd le Ages . B o t h i t s po\\·er a n d i r s b lasp hemy were a l so b o u n d w h a u n t the i mages o r t h e new ma kers o r p i ct u res. I n it earl iest use, t he Cross s t ood {or bo t h redem p t i o n for M a ry P i ck ford a s The Lillie A merican ca ugh t by t he Fi rs t World Wa r, a l so for b l a s p hemy i n t h i s early f i l m o r a Oagel l a nt cul l i n I ew M ex i co, ca l l ed The Pen ilenle . Somet i mes i t \\·as used for t ort u re, a s i n t he S r . A n d re\,·'s Cross o r r he 1 9 2 3 \'ers i o n or t he ! l u n ch ­ back of Not re Dame . Some t i mes i t was used

for rel i g i o u s a n d sex u a l symbo l i sm ( a s wel l a s bondage) by Amer i ca n producers of t he sca le of de M i l l e, \vh i l e E i se n s t ei n used i t for a nt i - rei i gi o u s p ropaga nda i n t h e cause o f 'B o l shev i sm . I n V i sco n t i ' s Rocco a n d his B roth e rs , A n n i e G i ra d o t o f '­ fered hersel f as a n I t a l i a n sacr i fici a l v i ct i m for t he 1 960s, w h i l e a B raz i l ia n pa i nt er h a d a v i s i o n o f t he I n ferno even more ex t reme t ha n ea rl i er f i l m vers i o n s o f D a nr e' s . A t each s t a ge, t he symbol of t he Cross became more com m o n p l a ce a n d t herefore h a d w be present ed more o u t rageously, as i t l o s t i t s po\,·er to awe a n d sh ock by t h e repet i t i o n or t h e i ma ge. Thus by 1 9 7 5 , t h e C ross had to be res t ored

89

The early use of the C ross as blasphemy . . . and torture.

Annie Giradot in Rocco and his B rothers ( 1960).

Loretta Young gives the sword as Cross a religious and sexual significance in de Mille' s The Crusades (1935).

90

The Inferno scene from Jose Mojica Marins' Esta Nocte Encarnerei Seu Cadaver ( 1966).

A scene from Peter Flei schmann' s Dorethea about the way in which a seventeen-year-old girl looks at the world.

[rom i ts b l ack mark on a Censor's Cen i ­ fica t e - t he X fi l m - t o i t s ori gi nal mea n i ng o f b l oody v i o l en ce a n d b l a sphemy i n order t o a f l ecr i t viewers, a s i n t h e recent G erma n p o l i t i ca l fi lm Dorelhea ( success fu l i n Paris, b a n ned i n L o n do n ) or i n M a rcel H a n o u n ' s use of an o l d rel i g i o u s fa n ta sy, t ha t of a wom a n imagi n i ng her body as C h ri s t ' s . A l t h ough t he symbol o f ' t he cruci fiX i o n wa s u sed seri ously i n a l l t hese ca ses, i t has rem a i ned a s t a p l e i ma ge i n Ca t h o l i c c o u n t ries where b l a s p hemy exci tes sex u ­ a l ly. J ea n Rol l i n used i t s i ma ge when h e l a rgely i nven t ed t he French sex - va m p i re f i l m ; a n d i n I t aly, where t he s i g h t o f t he naked n u n i s s t i l l t he u l t i ma t e i n o u t rage, t he s h o t of t he cruci fied or v i o l a t ed or h u m i l i a t ed n u n is s t i l l t h e u l t i m a t e crowd ­ p l easer a t t h e box - o ffice beca use o f i t s a p pea l t o ero t i c fa n t a s i es . Very o f 'r e n , t h i s s i t ua t i o n i s p l ayed l i gh t l y, a s i n t he charm i ng B a rdo t f i l m w i t h A n n i e G i radot, The Novices , where i ndeed t he novice saves t h e s t reet -wal ker for t he c h u rch - a n d prays o n t he beach i n a b i k i n i i n between . Using the nun's fantasy about taking the place of C hrist, Hanoun literally substitutes the wounded body in La Verite sur L'Imaginaire d'un Inconnu.

91

A scene from a Jean Rollin sex-vampire film.

These shots from a recent Florinda Bolkan vehicle, Flavia and the Moslems, indulge Italian sexual fantasies as does this shot of humiliation from a recent Anne Heywood vehicle, Dominici' s The Nuns of Sant'A rcangelo.

B ardot tries to save Giradot on the beach in The Novices.

93

A medieval mouth of hell.

Yet i t was an obsessive E ngl i s h d i rector, Ken Russel l , who made the most vio lent and b lasphemous a n d censorable fi l m i n exi stence, The DeviLs ( 1 9 7 1 ) . I t del ibera t ely used t he outrage or t he cruci fixion a nd the sexual d reams o f n u n s t o assau l t com­ p lacency and mora l i ty . Russell h a s rece n t l y b e e n cal l ed the H ieronymous Bosch o r t h e m u s i ca l i n Tommy. H e cert a i n l y had al ready been t h e B osch or t he ch urch . o med i eval pa i nt i n g o f H e l l exceeded R u s ­ sel l ' s i mages o f sex u a l degrada t i o n - a n d t he cruci fi x i o n or t h e s u lleri n g O l iver Reed, p layi ng U rba i n G ra n d i er, b o t h i n t h e ra nta sies o r h i s m i st ress a n d t h e rea l i -

I n this scene of the nuns' exorcism i n The Devils ( 1 9 7 1 ) , scissored nearly everywhere, Ken Russell could not decide whether he was B osch or Busby Berkeley.

96

B ruce ' s excuse for sex o n fi l m : ' I wou l d ra t her m y ch i l d s e e a st ag fil m t h a n The Ten Commandments or King of Kings - be­ cause I don ' t vvan t my k i d s to k i l l C h r i s t w h e n he comes b a c k . Tha t ' s what t h ey see i n t hose f i l m s - t ha t v i o l ence . ' I n The DeviLs , t h e audience not o n l y saw a n esca l a t i o n o f de M i l le ' s t al en t for orgias t i c v i o l ence, b u t a l so t h e cruc i fix i o n , tor ture a n d b u rn i n g of O l iver Reed, a n d t h e w h i p p i n g a n d tort u re o f h ordes o f n u n s . I f t h ere w a s ever a case for t h e tot a l b a n o f a fi l m for rel igi9us a n d socia l reasons, The DeviLs was that fil m - a n d it passed even t he censors at Veni ce desp i t e t h e Vat i ca n . The DeviLs wen t o n mass release nearly everywhere in the cap i ta l i s t worl d . I ts sado- masoch i sm a ga i nst. women was wi dely i mi t a ted, even if it co u l d not be escalated. The barriers o f decency were down now and s tandards dropped w i t h t hem . T h e o fficial censors were bes i eged vvi t h sado- masoch i s m , w h i ch they passed i f the f il m was meant to have 'q ua l i ty ' or a mora l message l i ke SoLdier BLue, w h i ch bega n a n d ended i n a s i cken i ng massacre

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bastion Spa i n) were so b u l ly - ragged by popular demands for perm i s s iveness t ha t ni ne- tent hs of the f i l m s u rvived t h e chop­ pers, excused by Aldous H ux l ey ' s i n tent i n his origi na l novel The DeviLs of Loudon and by Russel l ' s equivoca l ser i ousnes s . Russel l ha d, a ft er a l l , eq uated sex w i t h sado - masoch i s t i c v i o lence, as i n a h o rr i fic scene where doctors b l i ster a woman to drive out devi l s or the p l ague. Thus he had put h i msel f beyond even Lenny

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98

The girls do not suffer too much in the F reudi an cinema such as the girl who enjoys daggers in America's Odd Tastes, Marijke Boonstra strapped to the shower in the Dutch Obsessions, C atherine Spaak chained to a chest in the Italian The Libertine, and Krista Nell also chained in the French Eros Thanatos.

99

Artists and models , modern Prague and Paris style.

Yet t hese fil m s cou l d have, or p retend have, a rea son for t h e i r sado - maso­ ch i s m . M os t o f such fi l m s m e r ely s howed t h e poor t a s t e o f p u b l ic and t h ei r ma kers, ,,·ho ca t ered for t h e m a rke t and t r i ed to s l i p t he films pa s t t h e o fficial cen sors wherever t h ey cou l d . Those who p a n d ered to t he i r spec i a l a u d i ence d i d not h i de t he i r p u rposes now, ca l l i ng t he f i l m s such names a s O dd Tastes and O bsessions a nd Ero.s Thanatos a nd The Libertine . I t wa s overt Freud i a n ci nema wi t h a vengea n ce, eYen when it wa s more s urrea l i s m t ha n ex ­ p l o i t a t i o n , such a s i n t he t wo charm i ng f i l m s o n scul p to rs, t h e Czech The M ost Beautiful Age a n d t he French De 1\ lle.\ ' A mou r.s Decomposies , wh i c h went back t o t he o l d dev i ce o l - a r: t i s t a n d model , a n d d i d n o t real�r u s c t he ca l i pers or t h e ch i sel o n t h e i r subj ect s . N o t so i n r he more sado - ero t i c sect i o n o l · t he m a rket , ,,·here t he o f ficia l censors s t i l l \\·a t chcd and cut . W h i le B unucl ' s B e lle de Jom, for i n s t a nce, d i d sec t h e rich · bourgeois h o u sew i fe w h i pped a n d spa t ­ t ered \\·i r h m u d a n d work i n g i n a b ro t h el to

Attack a Ia Bunuel and a Ia Pall ardy. (below 'right)

- i t s poster was t h e o l d teaser, now pas­ sab le o n mass release. The azis were a go o d ex c us e fo r s h ow i ng sad o - masoch i sm wi t h h i storical j us t i ficat i o n and a moral message. Catherine Deneuve p l ayed t h ei r victim i n Vad i m ' s Vice and Virtue, wh i l e Charlotte Ramp l i ng played t h e i r u n ­ wi l l i ng a n d wi l l i ng vict i m i n The Night Porter, perform i n g a cabaret dance sem i ­ naked i n u n i form that o u t d i d even M a r ­ lene D ietrich i n The Blue A ngel.

1 00

Catherine Deneuve dreams her fantasies in Belle de Jour ( 1967) . . .

product - i t wa s cut for t h e overseas market . After wa tch i n g t he assa u l t scenes in Ra l l i ' s Desperate M o me n ts or in Erco l i ' s Death Walks i n High - Heeled Shoes, one might ask what t h e I ta l i a n male was a frai d of, that he could only approach women with a k n i fe . (See Colour Section .) Tort ure had, i n deed , h a d a l o n g p ubl i c trad i t ion as a spectacle, a s w a s shown by the massive crowds at t he med i eval p i l lory and execu t i o n , and t he l a t er w i t ch - burn ­ i n g . The M u eums w i t h t h e i r i nstrument s from the M i ddle Ages provi ded much o f t h e i ns p i ra t ion for t h e a n d i rectors, who w i shed to sat i s fy t h e blood - l us t o f t h e mass a u d i ence. Tri a l s for w i tchcra ft were the most sa t i sfactory way of s h owi n g t h e tort ure o f women to a w i l l i n g market . From classics l i ke The Hunchback of Not re D a me to endless versi o n s o f naked virgi n s sufferi n g from Sata n i s ts , w h o t h en s u f­ fered from t h e hands of t h e I nq u i s i t i o n , t h e worl d o f film wi tchcra ft gave a n o u t let for the suppressed viol ence o f m i l l i o n s or men - where t h e cen sors a l l owed i t to be shown .

In a ana scissored sequence from a B arbara Steele film, The Curse of Crimson A ltar ( 1968), the Devil-worshippers flog the victim .

Gina Lollobrigida suffers the torture o f the boot in Delannoy' s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Olivera Vuco is examined for refusing the witchfinder in Austria, 1700, while Gaby Fuchs is put on the r ack for witchcraft and blasohemv in Armstrone:' s Mark of the Devil.

As t h e i r record in t he Seco n d Wor l d W a r seemed to dem o n s t rate, J a pa nese men had a part icular need for brea k i n g o u t of t h e i r excess ive o bedi ence b y o u t ­ bursts of v i o lence. The escape i n J ap a n fro m t h e extraord i nary d i sci p l i ne of t h e fa ctory a ppea rs to b e s t eam ba t h s i n t h e even i n g a n d t h e cat hars i s of films of i n ­ cred i bl e sex - a n d - vi o l ence t h a t n o censor

104

The tell-tale patch o f devil' s fur i s cut o fT the thigh of one of the witch maidens in Haggard' s Satan's Skin ( 1 972).

co u l d pass o u t s i de J a pa n . O cca s i o n a l l y , o n e o l t hese f i l m s rea ches P a r i s , such a s Waka m a t s u K o j i ' s The Embrro or K iy u ­ m o r i S u zu k i ' s Gale o f Flesh , s h own i n B e l gi u m . They a re d i s t i n gu i shed by a n overt p ka s u re i n sa d i sm t ha t f ew censors wo u l d perm i t in E urope. As K o j i says, ' Fo r me, v i o l ence, the body and sex a re a n i n t egra l p a rt o l l i te ' - a n d o r p ro fi r s i n t he c i nema . Th � rc a rc pract i ca l l y n o s t ra i g h t sex f i l m s i n J a pa n ; a l l co n t a i n a ggres s i o n , b l ood a nd pervers i o n . \1\ih a t i s s h m,·n o n t h e screen a n d ,,·here it is s ho\\·n depends on t he na t ure o l " ea c h co u n t ry . ! ! " J a pa n rcache·s t he o u t er l i m i t s o l · pcrm i s s i Ycness ( cl oscl v l o l l o\\-cd bv S ca n d i naYia a n d no\\· bv t h e U n i t ed £ r a t es) , t he Comm u n i s t \IV orl d a n d S o u t h A l "r i ca a n d S pa i n a n d E i re rema i n o n g-ua rd f"o r \\·h a t e\"CT i s t h o u g h t f i l t h y or s u b,·ers i \'C in t he mm· i c s . A t t h e l a st resort , i n deed , t he f i l m s made i n ea ch co u t H n· depend more o n t he ma kers t i t a n o n t h e o l "l i c i a l censors, "·h o mav o n h· see t h e final p rod uct . I n G reece, lor exam p l e, u n der t he p u r i t a n reg i m e o r t he C o l o n e l s , a sex - f i l m i n d u s t ry f l o u r i s hed, en t i re l v f o r

Scenes from Suzuki' s Gate of Flesh ( 1968).

1 05

S cenes from Koji's The Embryo (1 966).

106

This scene was cut from Double Indemnity . . And from Can-Can o n general release. .

The Hell's Angels fight in the banned Corman film.

export . I t wa. t h e financiers of t h ese films who had t hem made a n d h a d t h em shO\m el sewhere. W i t ho u t t h e money, no f i l m s . A n d w ith out t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n , no money back for more fil m s . So t he rea l censors of t h e cinema re­ main the financiers and t he d i s t ri butors, o ften the same peo p l e . Theirs i s t h e i n i t i a l a n d final sabo t a ge of wha t w e see. I n Double !ndemnil)' , for i ns t ance, t h e last scene of E dward G . Robi nson wa tch i n g Fred M acM urray d i e i n t h e gas chamber was cut by the d i st r i butors o n general release, as was the famous Apache dance from Can - Can wi t h S h i rl ey M aclaine even Krushchev on h i s only v i s i t to H ol ly ­ wood h a d t h o u g h t the fi l m i n decent .

The gentlemen try a kiss in the shelved Kotcheff movie.

M a ny f i l m s were never shown at a l l i n various countries, e i t her beca use t h ey were t h o u gh t to be soci a l l y u n des irable or financia l l y unprofitable. In t h e days when moto r - bike gan gs terrori sed t h e i m a gi na t i o n even m o r e t h an the sea - coast resorts o f E n gl a n d , B randa' s The Wild O n e a n d Corma n ' s The Wi ld A n gels were com p l etely ban n ed from B r i ta i n . Yet for every s i n gle fil m ban ned by the o ffici a l censor, the d i stri b u tors i n ex p l i cably banned or shelved two more. The reasons are obscure, from apparen t racial squea m i s h ness in the case of K otcheff' s Two Gentlemen Sharing to a s t u d i o shake­ up a n d apparent pol i t i ca l squea m i s h ness in the case of S i nc l a i r' s upda ted The

A waxwork of Winston Churchill gets his face burned in revenge for the Dresden raid (seen in Slaughterhouse Five ) and the Guards confront the skinheads in The Breakinf! of Bumbo ( 1 970).

108

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The priest puts the devil in hell in Pasolirti's The Decameron (1970). of B u mbo . The d i s t ri butors' reasons for shelvi n g a fil m that has cost a sma l l fortune are always financial - d i s t r i ­ b u t i o n costs may m a k e the release o f a film worth l ess, or else a total tax - loss wri te - off may suit t h e cas h - Row o f t h e d istribution company. Yet t h i s a r gument i s often a cloak for censorsh i p on moral or pol i t i ca l grounds - or because of sheer ego . B reaking

Y e t o ften t h e d i st r i b u to r s a r e proved r i gh t . Where t h ere is an o u t cry from a l i t era te m i nori ty to s h ow such a v i o l en t a nt i -war movie as Trumbo ' s vers i o n o f Johnny Col His Gun , i n wh i ch t h e sol d i er hero i s left t o t a l l y bl i n d , dea f, d u m b a n d l i m bless to reco l l ect h i s l i fe, t h e publ i c w i l l s i m p l y n o t go a n d s u pport t h e fil m . Wh i l e mo ney rules what i s made a n d what i s s h o w n , t h e money pa i d b y the ci nema a u d i en ce i s t h e fi nal arbi ter. And t h e censors wi t h t h e i r choppers sit a s u neasy j ud ges between t h e pressures o f t h e f i l m financiers a n d pro t es t s o f t h e mora l i s ts , tryi n g l i ke pol i t i c i a n s t o keep o u t of trouble and t r i m o n l y e n o u gh to keep the v i c t i m a l ive at t h e box - o ffice a n d t h e censor i n h i s sa l aried j ob . Recen t ly i n London t h ere h a s been a move - narrowly defea ted - to a bo l i sh the need for censors h i p i n t h e films s h own in the London area . The a r gument s on both s i des were mono tonously the same, wi t h the purveyors of soft pornography back i ng the mora l i st s i n w i s h i ng to keep

In Kubrick' s shattering The Clockwork Orange, the droogs attack the tramps, the tramps have their revenge on the brainwashed Malcolm McDowell, and finally he has an orgiastic vision of sex and shocking society, when restored to his anarchic nature.

110

The body of the shepherdess menaced by the beast in Immoral Tales (1974). In this, the raped girl wears out her bestial attacker through her lust. The phallic arrow is fired by Ninetto D avoli at Luigeana Rocchi in The A rabian Nights. (below)

their product s a fe ( a n d sci ssored ) from t h e compet i t i o n o f the p u rveyors o f h a rd p ornogra p hy back i n g t he l i bera l s i n l et t i ng t h e peop l e choose w h a t t h ey wanted t o p a t ro n i se . B o t h si des over - u sed the word ' freedom ' , e i t her t he freedom fro m bei n g swa mped in a f lood of" s k i n a n d v i o l ence, or t he f "r ecdom t o be swa m ped i f. one w i s h ed . L i ke t h e ba t t le s o f " t he priest a n d t h e dev i l , t h i s \\·a s t o be an u n resol ved co n t es t ( i gnori n g t he Df'camerrJII t a le wh ere t he priest m a n a ges to com·i n ce t he pea sa n t ' s ,,·i f {_· t ha t t h e dev i l ca n b e p u t a\\'a y i n hel l l ( )r e\'lT, by a very o l e \ met hod ) . The rea l crux o f t h e ques t i o n o f censor­ s h i p l i es in whet h er t he gTa p h i c port raya l o f v i o l ence a n d sex u a l perver s i o n i nci t es i t s a u d i en ce to perform t h e same a c t s i n rea l l i f"e . For every psych i a t r i s t o r soci a l worker w h o says t h a t f d m s corr u p t a n d provoke o n one si de, a n o t her psych i a t r i s t or socia l worker w i l l say t ha t f t l m s release a t'ld a s s u a ge o n t he o t her s i de . l r i s rare t ha t t here are a c t u a l h appen i n gs , a s a ft er t h e mass release o f A Clockwork O range, where ga ngs o f boys do set o l d t ra mp s a l i gh t dressed i n t he bO\d er h a t s o f t he droogs . Yet for every s i n gl e case o f such

Count Z aroff assembles h i s hunters t o hunt the two lovers in The Mos t Dangerous Game ( 1 9 3 1 ) .

1 1 1

a n t i - socia l horror, t here were m i l l i o n s w h o were moved b y the fi l m i n i t s u n ­ spar i n g presenta t i o n o f t h e o ldest d i l em m a i n the world - shou l d m e n b e l eft to b e free and somet i mes evi l , or s h o u l d t h ey be progTammed to be goo d and slavi h ? So the censorsh i p o f fil m s has revert ed by 1 9 7 5 to i t s pos i t i on before t h e First Worl d War. 'Th i s i sn' t a b u s i ness , ' a s t h e d i stri butor sa i d , ' i t' s a d i ss i p a t i o n . ' H ow ­ ever h i gh l y orga n i sed modern d i st r i b u ­ tors were, the col la pse of t h e o l d H o l ly­ wood studio system l i nked to d i s t r i b u t i o n and t h e supremacy of telev i s i o n l e ft t h e fiel d open for t he o utrageo us a n d t h e novel . O utside J apan, cou l d a fi l m o n gl u ttony go further t h a n BLow O u t , a fil m on viol ence exceed Weekend or Poin t BLan k , a film o n l ust a n d best i a l i ty show more t h a n The A rabian Nights or B orowczyk ' s ImrhoraL TaLes , o r a fil m blaspheme more verba l l y t h a n Lasl Tango in Paris or v i s u a l l y than D o relhea ? Presumably t h ere a r e new excesses to p l umb, new h uman o bses­ s i o ns to dep i c t , but t he search for t h e weird i n glenooks o f h uman n a t ure seems to be reach i n g i t s l i m i t s . Arra bal h a s taken over from B unuel a s the lead i n g spear- carrier o f surr ea l i s m , a n d th e urge to shock a t i me beyon d shock . H e a p p ear s a s a n actor i n Piege, a recent fil m by J acques Bara t i er , i n s p i r e d by that gTa n d - daddy of t h e sad i s t i c ci nem a , t h e manhunt of the l overs b y C o u n t Zaroff i n The M osl D angero u s Gam e . I n t h e fil m , a t h ief played b y B u l le O gi er i s p u t i n a trap b y another t h ief, B ernadet te Lafont , who plays the evi l Zaro ff role o f the tort urer i n black to O gi er' s v i c t i m i n wh i te. Arra bal h i msel f plays the sel ler o f man - traps and a n i mal - t raps , a n d he provi des the p h i l osophy of sad i sm a n d masoch i sm i n the ci nema, refu s i n g t h e des i gnations and sta t i n g t h a t a l l dep i c ­ t ions of outrage and v i o lence a r e o nly t h e fi g h t of good aga i ns t evi l i n the human personal i ty, w h i ch i s born aggressive and ero t i c and sufferi n g. As for t h ose who · choose to censor such mater i a l by u s i n g the sci ssors on i t , b y n o t d i st r i but i n g i t , o r b y n o t payi n g t h e i r money t o see i t , t h e

maker J acq ues Bara t i er has t h e fi n a l words on a l l censorsh i p : ' A t t h e l a s t co u n t , t h i s fil m i s a trap ­ i t s o n l y vict i m s are t h ose who f i n d i t fil t hy. All pornogra phy i s i m a gi nary. I t i s t h e fol k l ore o f m a s och i sm V i c i o u s i s he who i s o f fe n d e d by i t . H a ppy i s he who del i g h t s i n i t . ' .

Arrabal plays with a trap in B aratier' s Piege, while Bulle Ogier is the victim.