British Censorship Question...

[Eric Grayson]

OK, film folks:

I'm finishing up a long article on the history of he film Life Returns (1934), which is one of those films with a goofy history that no one has reported correctly.

So much has been misrepresented about this film that I want to find primary sources to verify things if/when I can.

One of the frequent claims I've seen about Life Returns is that is was banned outright by the British Board of Film Censors. It would have either been in late 1934, early 1935 or mid-1938 based on the film's release record.

Question: can anyone point me to British records of this actually happening?

Eric

[markfp]

I can't answer your question, but there's a large and active forum in Britain called Britmovie [url]htpp://britmovie.co.uk[/url] and I'd bet you'll find somebody there who can help you. Good luck!

[markfp]

Strange. For some reason my first post (literally) came out blank. I shall try again.

I can't answer your question, but you might try the large and very active forum in Britain called Britmovie. (britmovie.co.uk) most likely somebody can help you over there.

[Penfold]

FWIW, the film was never mentioned or reviewed in The Guardian or The Times (I have access to the digital archive) - not the most comprehensive papers for film reviews - though equally, there was no mention of it being banned.

[David Pierce]

[snip]
One of the frequent claims I've seen about Life Returns is that is was banned outright by the British Board of Film Censors. It would have either been in late 1934, early 1935 or mid-1938 based on the film's release record.

Question: can anyone point me to British records of this actually happening?

Eric

A check of the database of the British Board of Film Classification
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/search
finds no entry for that title.

The database goes back that far; for example
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF046518
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF060993

If a film was banned then it wouldn't have received a certificate
and (I believe) wouldn't appear in the database.

David Pierce

[Harold Aherne]

What a helpful and informative site, especially for narrowing down British release dates (many of which are nowhere to be found in the IMDB). It's interesting to see which films required cuts and which ratings were assigned--Red-Headed Woman was rejected in October 1933 but finally accepted with no cuts in 1965. Baby Face and The Story of Temple Drake, on the other hand, were accepted with cuts during their original releases and classified A.

I'm not sure how complete their files are; Hitchcock's Lodger is there, but I didn't find Elstree Calling, Lily Christine or the 1930 School for Scandal and I'd certainly assume that all were shown in public.

-Harold

[Eric Grayson]

The problem is that it's an open question whether Life Returns got enough horsepower behind it ever to have merited a British distribution. It may not appear in the database simply because it never made it across the ocean.

Denis Gifford implies in one of his books that there was some stink made over the film in the UK; I have seen no evidence of this anywhere.

It was not released by Universal to the UK; that's for certain (although there may have been censor copies sent). Whether a low-budget Grand National release from that era would have made it to the UK is questionable (Life Returns was eventually picked up by Grand National, which is a long story.)

[Penfold]

A friend of mine is currently working on a BBC documentary on the BBFC; he enquired for you; unfortunately the BBFC archive was all but wiped out during a 1940 bombing raid; they have no record of your film whatsoever....
short of going through the British trade papers for the period, on the off-chance that they covered the story -- if there was a story - your best chance to uncover any information is through studio/distributor paperwork on your side of the Atlantic.

[Michael O'Regan]

A friend of mine is currently working on a BBC documentary on the BBFC;

That sounds interesting. Any more info on it at the moment?

[Penfold]

A friend of mine is currently working on a BBC documentary on the BBFC;

That sounds interesting. Any more info on it at the moment?

Not really, still in the research stage. I'll flag it up when it's imminent.

[Harold Aherne]

(Life Returns was eventually picked up by Grand National, which is a long story.)

I wouldn't mind hearing it--I always like stories about these films with odd release patterns. The LA Times was giving Life Returns quite a bit of publicity in late 1934 and early 1935; it premiered in that city's Criterion on 24 January 1935 with a number of celebrities reportedly planning to attend, including Rouben Mamoulian and Anna Sten (who was married to the film's director Eugene Frenke). Oddly, the AFI catalogue reports only 10 June 1938 as the release date which must be when Grand National picked it up. The catalogue entry also doesn't show any copyright registration, unusual for a Universal picture.

-Harold

[Eric Grayson]

OK, I'm working on a long article about this, and don't want to give away too much before (if) it's published, but Life Returns is not a Universal picture. It's an indie shot at Universal for States' Rights release.

There was a hassle about ownership and various things that tied it up. I'm beginning to doubt the story that it was banned in England because I don't think that there was ever even an attempt to release it there.

Thanks to all who have looked this up. I really want to put this one to bed because the place I'm looking to publish this is based in England and I'll look foolish if I don't cover this base.

Eric