MovieChat Forums > Vera Cruz (1954) Discussion > Censor

Censor

posted 17 years ago by yawnoc13
10 replies | jump to latest

How did Lancaster get away with calling Cooper "A SON OF A BITCH" during the ball sequence, especially with the censor watchdogs hovering over most major movies made during the 50's?

[–] wtl471629 17 years ago

He didn't say it out loud. As he said it the emporer started to come in and the band drowned it out. Even though it was obvious what he said I guess the censors didn't care because I would have thought they would have got onto it too yawnnoc13!
The same thing happened when Arthur Kennedy said it about Burt Lancaster in the 1960 movie Elmer Gantry when Burt had disappeared and showed up everyone was happy and mainly in affection Kennedy said it but when he got to the last word the band started it drowned him out.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] wtl471629 17 years ago

Yes indeed mfan0825! :)

[–] nick7dawg 16 years ago

Stupid censor?? It is you that is stupid for that remark!

[–] wtl471629 16 years ago

SPOILER WARNING IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" WITH CLINT EASTWOOD, LEE VAN CLEEF AND ELI WALACK

Hey mfan0825 did you notice how they cut off Eli Wallach's words at the end of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. This movie was made in the 60s so censors were more lenient. At the end of the movie Wallach thinks Eastwood is going to leave him to hang with his share of the gold right by him. Before he rides away Clint stops and shoots the rope saving Wallach's life and leaving him there rich with his share of the gold. As Clint rides away Wallach says "You're just a son of a _______!" It is obvious what he says but the music drowns out the last word. This in a movie that had used that word much often as well as other words throughout the whole movie but they chose to cut off this last one. lol

[–] montrossboc-1 11 years ago

It's funny, because I always thought of this move as The Good (Cooper), The Bad (Burt) and The Beautiful (The Lady)

Short Cut, Draw Blood

[–] melnar1 8 years ago

He didn't say it out loud.

Well, I've just watched it, and I heard it quite clearly, even though my hearing's not what it used to be.

[–] wtl471629 16 years ago

Another movie that drowned it out was the 1964 movie Wild and Wonderful with Tony Curtis and his former wife Christine Kaufmann. The censors were more lenient but it was amusing how the movie cut out the B word. In the movie Christine owns a spoiled and pampered French poodle. Tony becomes interested romantically in Christine's dog on purpose gets in the way of the romance. It is a very funnny movie. In one scene Christine leaves the dog alone with Tony for a while and when she comes to get him the dog acts like he was harmed by Tony (of course he wasn't). She picks up the dog and says "What has he done to you." Tony is disgusted and says "I didn't lay a hand on the son of a ____." At the time Tony talks Christine's father comes in and before Tony can say the b word he yells at Tony "Beast!" :)

[–] toshguy 14 years ago

I have to disagree with whoever thinks that it's a good way to get around censorhip by just drowning out the curse word. It's like saying heck instead of hell - you can just tell it's very forced upon.

I'm here, Mr. Man, I can not tell no lie and I'll be right here 'till the day I die

[–] pjwoodall1 12 years ago

Reminds me of Semi-Tough which was R rated. Michael Ritchie said the audiences were laughing so hard at the biggest joke during the wedding scene, nobody could hear what Burt Reynolds and Jill Clayburgh saying as they walked down the beach. So the dialogue was cut out of the film. When the film was shown on tv,
that joke was cut out and the dialogue was restored.

There is also the story about James Whale who took his friends to see The Bride of Frankenstein which he had directed. Apparently he started laughing at how much he had gotten past the censors. Finally a woman turned to him and "If you don't like the movie, why don't you get up and leave?"

Garson Kanin said at the AFI it was better under the old Production Code because it forced filmakers to be more creative in getting around the censors.