Censored on TCM?


I saw this movie as it aired on Turner Classic Movies and was surprised to find that parts of the dialogue had been "bleeped out." They were very odd choices too--the "god" in "goddamn" was bleeped out, as was the "b***h" in "son of a b***h" but both "horses**t" and "ass" were left untouched.

I've been watching TCM for a while and never noticed them censoring a film before. Granted, not a lot of TCM's films have cursing in them, but this is hardly a film where the language was so bad that it needed censoring. Does anyone know what's going on with that?

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Hate it, hate it, hate it. And I don't use that word often. They ruin the entire show for me, not to mention abridging the author's words.

Last year, I happened to catch some recent movie on LOGO, the gay-themed network, and they, too, had censored some minor curse words. WTF? Aren't they, as a group, more open-minded than most?

My credo - if it is on a station that censors, I don't watch it. If I inadvertently come across it and it is bleeped - on to another show.



"Why do things that happen to stupid people keep happening to me?"

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I totally agree. I stop watching a channel that censors. I stopped watching AMC when they started adding commercials-followed by editing of shows and films that previously weren't edited. So no more AMC for me. Then the same thing happened with IFC which WAS my very favorite TV station/channel of all. I only tuned in long enough to see the notice prior to airing of a film that it had been edited for "content" AND to "run in the time allotted" (in other words, editing to make room for the ads). I never watched IFC again and could care less if the entire thing goes under. Matter of fact I wish they would and maybe make room for someone better. I doubt that will happen though.
I have a DVD of a foreign (Spanish) film subtitled in English. It has quite a bit of nudity vut is very well done. I was a bit shocked to see TCM airing this film (since I didn't think it was even a big hit, even for a foreign film). It even aired in a very late-night slot. So I recorded it on TIVO and sure, enough, much (but not all) of the nudity was edited out. I am SURE this was done by TCM since I doubt that TCM obtained a print from a foreign studio to air on American TV. I believe it's TCM doing the editing, at least in this case since I don't believe there even was an American studio involved in supplying the print. Only the unedited DVD was issued in the USA by an American distributor with no alternate (edited) version of the film otherwise available.

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I'm watching it now on TCM, and all of the language is in it. I'm not sure when I DVR'd it.

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Don't blame TCM for the editing. That was the print that was sent to them from the studio! TCM never edits anything but if the studio sends them a censored print--what can they do? I heard the same thing happened years ago when they showed "Rosemary's Baby". The studio gave them the heavily edited for TV print. My suggestion is u email or call TCM and complain. They're showing it again tonight (at 10:00) so maybe THIS time it will be unedited.

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It's on right now on TCM and nothing has been censored. All curse words are intact!

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Rent the DVD

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Language isn't bad.
Censorship is.

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It's interesting how so many complain about the films being
censored. Either way they are available complete on DVD, and most cable
stations. The old TV versions of movies had many wonderful surprises, and
"The Prisoner Of Second Avenue" is even a funnier film in the original TV
version. Instead of cursing when he goes out onto the balcony, and then
gets hit with the water, he says "It's a rip off! You heard me!". It is
one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a film, and it only belongs
to the TV version which was given on NBC, syndication, and AMC.
Censorship isn't bad, if it makes the filmmakers think it
more thoroughly. That same footage was shot by Melvin Frank, acted by Jack
Lemmon, and is a precious moment in film history.
I may be in the minority, but I think these versions have
a reason to exist. Admittedly though, the beeped out, or silenced censored
versions serve no purpose.

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Well it was on today and it was all there.
I don't recall TCM ever cutting except once when they did cut PELHAM 1, 2, 3

on location with SUPERMAN I,& OTHER STARS
http://www.vbphoto.biz/

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[deleted]

I just saw it, and nothing was censored. Perhaps the OP saw it on AMC who is notorious for cutting and editing films. That's why I call AMC American Mutilated Classics.

One odd thing - the aspect ratio was weird. It was letterboxed, but the picture didn't completely fill out the left and right sides of the screen.

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Just watching a TCM showing I DVR'd a few months ago and Jack Lemon screamed from the apartment terrace: Sons of bitches; dirty rotten bastards! I'd say they didn't censor it.

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