UK BBFC cinema cuts of spaghetti westerns

The BFI library in the South Bank in London has all of these trade papers.

Screen International didn’t exist until the late 1970s I think and was created as an amalgam of Today’s Cinema (previously Daily Cinema) and Kine Weekly.

UK box office information is also rubbish. None of the companies were willing to publish anything until the 1980s. So there is nothing on grosses like in Variety and also the Italian information put on this database.

It must be another magazine I was thinking of … I have so many bits n’ pieces of film related stuff - I’ll dig it out to clarify … the edition I was thinking of had a full page portrait photo of Giuliano Gemma on the cover.

Will get back to you on that.

Here we go … Can’t locate my own copy at the moment, but this was the mag I had in mind. Quite a bit of detailed info, as I recall .

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BUFFALO BILL HERO OF THE FAR WEST (1964)

Classified ‘U’ for theatrical release in 1965 after the following cuts:

R4 - Remove the scene in a cave in which a man manhandles an Indian girl, knocks her down and ties her up.

No subsequent UK release but version on UK Amazon Prime has this scene intact.

I believe Staig and Williams took their Appendix from going through copies of the Monthly Film Bulletin (the appendix lists some ‘original’ running times such as the 135m from A Bullet for the General which were all in the MFB) - I have MFBs complete from 1966 to 1975. The MFB was supposed to be an ‘journal of record’ but was never 100% complete. And God Said to Cain was never reviewed by the MFB which explains why they missed it. I picked it up through going through the BBFC Register of Exceptions.

A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL (aka: VENGEANCE IS MINE) (1971 release)

A Bullet for Sandoval was released under the title Vengeance is Mine in 1971. The MFB and BBFC running time is 94m (so not the full length version). However, the MFB have it an X whilst the BBFC entry on the website (where it has been incorrectly linked to the Gianni Garko Vengeance is Mine released by Arrow) is an AA as is the entry on the Register of Exceptions.

Register of Exceptions indicates the following cuts for an AA (note that the MFB review refers to the milk drowning scene so possibly it was given an X and later re-rated AA).

I can’t find any UK quads to check.

BULLET FOR SANDOVAL (aka: VENGEANCE IS MINE) (1969)

Classified ‘AA’ for theatrical release in 1971, as Vengeance Is Mine (abridged print 94m) , after the following cuts:

Remove whole episode of man being drowned in a bucket of milk.
Remove from commentary “A sex maniac convicted of raping two little girls.”
Remove close shot of knife in man’s chest.
Remove whole episode of the carrying and goring of a man by a bull.

Where’s the fun in that! :wink:

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Hi - And God Said to Cain got its Italian censors certificate on 15 November 1969.
Released in Italy in February 1970.
Presumably filmed no later than August/Sept 1969 and probably a bit earlier.

This is from the Italian equivalent of the AFI database.

…E Dio disse a Caino… (1969)

Regia/Director: Antonio Margheriti [Anthony M. Dawson]
Soggetto/Subject: Giovanni Addessi, Giovanni Addessi
Sceneggiatura/Screenplay: Antonio Margheriti, Giovanni Addessi, Antonio Margheriti, Giovanni Addessi
Interpreti/Actors: Klaus Kinski (Cary Hamilton), Peter Carsten(Acombar), Antonio Cantafora (Dick), Marcella Michelangeli(Maria), Guido Lollobrigida [Lee Burton] (fratelli Santamaria), Maria Luisa Sala (Rosy), Giuliano Raffaelli, Lucio De Santis, Joaquin Blanco, Giacomo Furia, Furio Meniconi, Luigi Bonos [Gigi Bonos], Marco Morelli, Franco Gulà, Luciano Pigozzi [Alan Collins] (fratello Santamaria)
Fotografia/Photography: Luciano Trasatti, Riccardo Pallottini, Luciano Trasatti, Riccardo Pallottini
Musica/Music: Carlo Savina, Carlo Savina
Costumi/Costume Design: Mario Giorsi, Mario Giorsi
Scene/Scene Design: Mario Giorsi
Montaggio/Editing: Nella Nannuzzi, Nella Nannuzzi
Produzione/Production: Produzione D.C.7, Peter Carsten Produktion, München
Distribuzione/Distribution: Panta Cinematografica
censura: 55009 del 15-11-1969
Altri titoli: Et le vent apporta la violence, Satan der Rache
Trama: Una provvidenziale amnistia tira fuori il tenente Gary Hamilton dalla cava di pietra ove sconta i lavori forzati. E, siccome siamo nel West, Gary si mette in marcia verso il suo villaggio con un pensiero fisso: vendicarsi dell’uomo che gli ha fatto subire l’ingiusta condanna, della donna che lo ha tradito, di chiunque sia loro complice. La galera ha reso Gary cinico e spietato. Ecco perché annuncia addirittura il suo arrivo al rivale, tramite il figlio, seminando nel “clan” nemico l’angoscia, resa più misteriosa dal “tornado” che soffia furiosamente nella notte.

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I seem to have deleted my own post by accident, in case anyone was wondering! :man_facepalming:

Wobble was replying to my comments that Staig and Williams don’t mention And God Said to Cain in their filmography, and that the film is dated 1970 in the SWDB entry but other sources have it as 1969, and if it was classified by the BBFC in August 1970, that’s a very short time for it to get to the UK.

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (aka: QUIEN SABE?) (1969 release)

Another confusing one here with the BBFC recording 115m and an X rating in September 1968. However their Register of Exceptions records cuts for an A rating.

The actual UK cinema release was not until Spring 1969 by which time the movie had been scissored by the distributor to a ridiculous 77m. I’ve not seen this print.

Can’t find a UK Quad either to work out the correct certification.

The movie was passed uncut with an 18 for video in 1986 although it was re-rated 15 for DVD in 2004.

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAl (1966)

Classified ‘A’ for theatrical release in 1968 after the following cuts:

R1 - There must be a general reduction of violence and killing in the incident in which bandits attack a train; in particular remove shot of two soldiers being executed in background by bandits.

R3 - In the scenes which follow the incident in which Adelita blows up part of a barracks remove scene where soldiers enter bedrooms of three whores and seize them; shots of man kicking another into a water trough and drowning him and shots of three soldiers being executed.

R5 - Remove Adelita’s words “I was only 15 when someone like Don Philippe raped me”.

The cinema print was also subject to heavy distributor cuts and ran only 77m.

DVD releases are uncut (112m Pal) and ‘15’rated.

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BURY THEM DEEP (1968)

Classified ‘X’ uncut for theatrical release in 1970.

Subsequently reclassified ‘AA’ for theatrical release in 1971 after the following cuts:

DR3 - Reduce the beating-up of Hunter when he is held and the shot of him being hit in the stomach with a rifle butt.

DR5 - Reduce the knife fight, and the rest of the fight between Hunter and Gun, in particularly removing kicks and reducing close-ups and heavy blows.

DR6 - Reduce the fight between Hunter and Gun, in particular removing low blows and knee-kick and reducing number of violent blows.

UK theatrical release - the AA version - reduced to 91m - I imagine distributor cuts in addition to censor cuts for the lower rating. Uncut version 98-99m I believe.

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DAY OF ANGER (aka: GUN LAW) (1970 release)

A nearly uncut version running 108m was passed X after several cuts in 1970 (cuts included a reduction of Wild Jack’s attack on Scott which is reduced to a single punch in the abridged version). However, a heavily abridged version running 78m (even shorter than the 86m abridged version on the Blu Ray) was released to cinemas.

In 1975 the film was re-rated A after even more cuts. I assume this would have been the 78m version cut further but the BBFC don’t have a running time and periodicals don’t tend to look at re-releases.

In 1986 there was an 81m Pal bootleg video release with new computer generated credits titled Gun Law (I used to own this) which was passed 15. This is no longer on the revamped BBFC site.

Full length version passed ‘15’ uncut for Arrow Blu Ray in 2015. Abridged 86m version also passed ‘15’ uncut (note this is longer than abridged versions released in 1970 and 1986).

DAY OF ANGER (aka: GUN LAW) (1967)

Classified ‘X’ for theatrical release in 1970 (108m version submitted) after the following cuts:

R2 - Shorten the attack on Scott by Wild Jack.

R3 - Reduce dragging of Talby behind a horse.

R5 - Reduce the shots and accompanying screams of the burning of Murray.

UK theatrical release cut further by distributor and released print only 78m! per June 1970 MFB.

Classified ‘A’ for theatrical re-release in 1975 (assume this was the 78m version released in 1970) after the following cuts:

R1 - Remove shot of hanging man’s head and neck.

Reduce to establishing shot only the dragging of Frank behind horses (NB: presumably in addition to 1970 cuts to reduce scene further).

R3 - Remove close shot of Owen, shot in face and bloody about the eye.

R4 - Remove impact shot of man shot in chest.

Abridged version (81m Pal), titled Gun Law, classified ‘15’ uncut for video in 1986.

Full length version (114m) and abridged version (86m) classified ‘15’ uncut for Blu Ray in 2015.

DEAD MEN RIDE (1970)

Classified ‘X’ for theatrical release in 1972 after the following cuts:

R3 - Reduce second shot of Lawrence making love on his bed to bare breasted girl.

Remove shot of peasant being shot again and again in the scene where Mexican peasants are massacred.

Remove the sequence where peasant pretends to be dead, but is shot by the leader of the gang.

Considerably reduce the fight between Allan and Lawrence, in particular removing kicks to the face and low body blows.

In the scene where Roy shoots Lawrence, remove second shooting as he lies on the ground.

R4 - Reduce the beating up of Roy by the gang, specifically removing the shots where he is pushed round the arena, and removing the second beating after Raphael speaks to him.

Considerably reduce the shots of Roy being beaten in the stomach. He can be shown hanging by his hands, but the beating may only be heard and seen through reaction shots on other characters’ faces.

Cut the first shot of Joe as he hangs in the river and reduce second dunking.

R5 - Remove close shots of man being garotted.

Lots of cuts here. UK theatrical release ran 94m and was English language. The uncut version is 100m - not seen the film so unclear whether the censor cuts make up the 6m difference.

It’s kind of weird that a film like this gets an X cert plus all these cuts … it never struck me as a particularly graphically violent film, and yet it’s from the same year as ‘Chato’s Land’, which is extremely nasty with scenes of gang rape, nudity and violent torture etc … it suggests that the BBFC maybe had an agenda regarding ‘Spags’, which have for a long time had a reputation for extreme violence, which I never found warranted … not by comparison with some Peckinpah films, for instance.

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Chato’s Land had quite a few cuts to it as well - I didn’t post those as I regard it as an American western made in Spain - and the video release was cut as well.

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid had at least half a dozen censor cuts too and at least one BBFC staff member wanted it rejected (but I agree The Wild Bunch got off very lightly with only 10s if cuts).

But yes the BBFC didn’t like these films and felt that since most critics didn’t like them either they could cut whatever they liked and no-one would complain and if they were a little harsh on them that didn’t matter because they deserved it (and that was their view - they didn’t like cutting Kubrick because the metropolitan critics would be up in arms).

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‘Chato’s Land’, of course was actually filmed with censorship already in mind, as 2 versions were produced … the ‘soft cut’, was released in the USA, and the 1980s Warner brothers big box VHS released in the UK was that version too. The soft version played on UK TV several times in the 1980s … I however saw the uncut version in the south of Ireland when I was 8 years old and the cinemas didn’t pay any attention to age restrictions, especially in small country towns.

PS: Technically it’s a British film, as it’s produced by Michael Winner’s production company, Scimitar films.

Here you are then:

CHATO’S LAND (1972)

Classified ‘X’ for theatrical release in 1972 (‘International’ version submitted) after the following cuts:

R3 - Considerably reduce the rape scene.

Considerably reduce the scene in which a wounded man is hung upside down and burnt. All other shots of his body being consumed by fire must be removed.

R4 - Reduce the incident in which it is apparent that Earl has been killed by having his genitals burnt.

R5 - Reduce the scene in which Jubal is hit on the head and killed with a rock.

Director Michael Winner complained publicly that Chato’s Land had scenes cut which were passed for children of any age in America. However, Winner’s accusation was untrue since the scenes above and more besides had all been cut in America for a ‘PG’ rating (see below). Winner had shot alternate clothed takes for the rape sequence which he must have known were intended for the American market. Winner has a habit of making untrue statements about the censorship of his films.

Classified ‘18’ for video in 1986 (‘International’ version submitted) after the following cuts (41s):

At 30m - Sight of single horse in line of horses which suddenly collapses was removed.

At 32m - Sight of horse nose diving throwing rider was removed. Also removed was sight of pack horse being shot and riderless horse being shot.

At 52m - Reduce rape and humiliation of woman’s naked body by removing all sight of her fully nude when carried struggling into house and of her carried naked out of the house after rape; also remove full-frontal shot of her tied down.

At 69m - Sight of horse with rider being brought down head first was removed.

The 1986 video was also missing the mercy killing of the Indian set on fire (R3 theatrical cut above), a shot of Jubal (Simon Oakland) removing a blanket from the naked Indian woman and the killing of Jubal with a rock was reduced to remove the final blows (R5 theatrical cut above). It is not known whether these were additional BBFC cuts or distributor pre-cuts.

Classified ‘18’ for DVD in 2004 (uncut ‘International’ version submitted) after the following cuts (14s):

At 30m, 31½m, 32m, 32½m and 69m - Remove all sight of horses falling in prohibitive manner (TCR 01.30.15.23, 01.31.47.19, 01.32.06.14, 01.32.34.08, 02.09.15.09).

Cuts for violence waived for 2004 submission.

USA ‘PG’ rated version, released on DVD in USA and Spain, is a censored and re-edited print with the following differences compared to the International Version:

  • shot of the group of men stripping the Indian woman is truncated before any nudity (cutaway to Indian boy on top of ridge observing);

  • when the film later cuts back to the rape the woman is still clothed in the ‘PG’ version and she is carried away clothed into the shack (she is nude in the International version);

  • when the woman is carried out of the shack after the rape she is wrapped in a blanket in the ‘PG’ version (she is nude in the International version);

  • the shots of Jack Palance putting a blanket on the woman and then of Simon Oakland ripping it off her body are both missing from the ‘PG’ version to maintain continuity (as she is always clothed in the blanket in the ‘PG’ print);

  • all subsequent shots of the Indian woman lying on the ground show her wrapped in a blanket rather than nude;

  • after the Indian man is set on fire, the ‘PG’ version cuts to various, awkwardly edited, reaction shots of the on-lookers before showing a back shot of Palancewalking away. The entire scene in which Palanceapproaches the burning man and shoots him in a mercy killing has been cut;

  • the shot of a mutilated Richard Jordan appears to have been ‘blurred’ around his genital area to disguise the injury;

  • the close-up shot of Ralph Waite’s hand with a bullet wound is missing;
    and

  • the killing of Oakland is abridged. After Oakland is hit with a rock the second time, there is a cut to a shot of his dead face. In the International version, after the second rock hit, there is a close-up of Oakland raisinghis bloody head and then Roddy McMillan picks up andthrows a third rock in Oakland’s face and it bounces off. Oakland then slumps down (the shot of Oakland dead face shown in the ‘PG’ version is missing from the International version).

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I’ve still got my BBC recording of Chato’s Land, which was the second time I saw the film. It’s the PG version. The international cut appeared on ITV4 years later.

One UK VHS of Day of Anger runs for only 59 minutes under the title ‘Blood and Grit,’ which is the shortest version I’ve ever come across.

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Re- ‘Chato’s Land’ … thanks for the info on this, @Wobble

One item that isn’t mentioned in the list of cuts, is the difference between the cinema print and subsequent VHS/DVD TV broadcasts etc, which then were in the hands of MGM, who had bought out United Artists, the original distributor.

After the rape of ‘Chato’s’ wife, when she is placed on the ground naked, hands and feet bound, … in the MGM DVD there is a post production shadow of a tree or some branches superimposed over the body to minimize the leering camera effect … I can’t be 100% certain, but let’s say 90% … that this was added much later, and the cinema print shows a lengthy shot of the fully naked woman - I bring this up, because when I watched the DVD version so many years later, this scene really stood out as having been tampered with.

I suspect this effect was added before submission to the censors, as it firmly puts the film in the ‘Exploitation’ zone, rather than the more comfortable for viewers, ‘Revisionist’ western category.

We the audience are in effect leering at the naked young woman, as the rapists would have been - it’s there for titillation ! … and Michael Winner would have been perfectly aware of what he was doing.

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Aldo - you are not the only person to suggest that. Unfortunately I can’t remember. I think the UK VHS may have had the shots without the shadow (although that was cut elsewhere). The shadow seems to be on all MGM DVD/Blu Ray releases worldwide.