Banned Australian Horror Films.
I would like to hear from members regarding when they think three 1950's horror films, that were originally banned, were finally classified and released in Australia.
The titles are --The Werewolf, Creature With The Atom Brain & The Man Who Turned To Stone that are all Columbia Pictures releases.
I'm not the best at attaching images so when someone replies and feel inclined they may wish to attach images of the daybills produced for this films.
Hondo
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Creature with an Atom Brain
David said
Poster may have been printed prior to the banning
Consider the lack of the 1955 and 1956 Columbia lady logos ,the wrong printer for 1955 & 1956, The Werewolf logo incorrect era plus the style of the censorship classification is not in keeping with this period.With three films that were banned. one would think it unlikely the posters would have been printed in advance with the chief censor hating horror films you would be taking a big risk.
Think much later.
Hondo.
Hard to see but have a look at the design of the Columbia Pictures logo on The Werewolf Logo.
Hondo.
Lets include The Revenge Of Frankenstein ( 1958 ) with the other three titles. Originally banned in Australia also but later than the other three.Trust me this poster wasn't printed prior to the banning.
Hondo
Let's put The Revenge Of Frankenstein to bed. It had its first Australian release in Sydney as top of the bill with Devil Doll in 1969, at I believe was at the Capitol. The posted daybill was printed for that release. For those following my Wonder Man Quiz I just have to mention another printers possible error in which the original title in the U.K. and the U.S.A. was titled The Revenge Of Frankenstein but only called Revenge Of Frankenstein here. I'm thinking it was the printers error but it is possible Columbia Pictures were responsible.
Hondo
David I have in the past researched Columbia Pictures logos and some of my findings will come into play with the three remaining banned horror films releases. I will divulge my information after we have exhausted this discussion.Good work though.
Hondo
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when The Werewolf, The Man Who Turned To Stone & Creature With The Atom Brain were released in Australia.The N.R.C certificate was introduced in November 1971 so the release dates would have most likely been before this but even into 1972 as the posters have the previous censorship ratings on them but releasing the films may have taken some time to happen.The Revenge Of Frankenstein was released in Sydney in 1969 as it was a more marketable film and in colour. Somebody that saw it in Sydney said he attended a packed session. The Werewolf, The Man Who Turned To Stone & Creature With The Atom Brain would have been a completely different proposition. The three films were in black and white and black and white films were almost like dinosaurs by 1966.They were also minor B films and not particularly good films from Sam Katzman with short running times.The logos are a clue as the Columbia lady holding the torch appears to have finished by around1968. The C logo appears then to have been used until around 1971 when no new logo was used until 1975. I can not find any record of the three films in question securing a Sydney city release. I estimate the daybills were printed between 1969 and 1971. As newspaper classifieds are not available in most cases from most newspapers after 1954 including Sydney. David mentioned previously The Man Who Turned To Stone & Creature With The Atom Brain were released in 1972. He most likely sourced this from Trove as I did, so if you didn't David let me know if the venue is different. The two films played at the Sundown Drive In in Canberra at a midnight Friday screening horror screening on Friday 30 June, 1972. The Werewolf was the second feature to The Brotherhood Of Satan with The Werewolf being advertised as Bloodlust Of ''The Werewolf '' was also screened at the Sundown Drive In from Friday the 15th ( possibly the 14th ) to Wednesday the 20th October,1971.As these are the only dates we have to go by it is impossible to say that the films were not released in other venues earlier than this .Drive in releases often followed well after hard top cinema releases but we don't know if any hard top cinema release happened and that the films went straight to the drive in circuit
To sum up we know the three films were originally banned with the reason given as being for horror and I believe the films were first released in Australia sometime between 1969 and 1972 for the reasons given earlier.
Hondo.
Possibly although it did well at the State theatre, probably only for a week, it may have not received many bookings elsewhere therefore having a lot of daybills and one sheets left over in Columbia's warehouse which have been sold off at some stage unused.
I know of someone who has 49 copies of the RKO Australian released film of the 1950's titled Guilty? starring John Justin.It most likely received very few bookings so when a huge sale of MGM posters which included some RKO titles the person who bought a bulk lot received a lot of titles including ''Guilty?'' apparently in unused condition. Funny thing is I have never seen an image appear on Google so if anyone has one would they mind posting it?
Hondo