Censored Screams: The British Ban on Hollywood Horror in the Thirties
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As Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931) ushered in the golden age of horror films in the United States, studios and distributors were faced with a major problem in their number one overseas market: the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) were demanding extensive cuts, enforcing age restrictions, and banning outright many of Hollywood's horror movies. The issue most often used to limit the showing of horror films was their "unsuitability" to children. With that in mind, the BBFC developed specific film codes-the "A" (for adults) and the "H" (for horrific), both of which restricted viewing to those 16 or older-and then applied them liberally. This work examines how and why horror films were censored or banned in the United Kingdom, and the part these actions played in ending Hollywood's golden age of horror. Tom Johnson is a teacher in Shillington, Pennsylvania. He is also the coauthor of Hammer Films (1996) and Peter Cushing (1992). Booknews Explores how the golden age of horror films in the US was haunted by restriction and sometimes outright ban in the biggest overseas market. Describes how the British Board of Film Censors, claiming to protect children, created restrictive categories and applied them widely to keep viewers under 16 out of the theaters. Also discusses the role of the ban in the collapse of the first golden age of Hollywood horror. Indexed only by title and name. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
AcknowledgmentsForewordForewordIntroduction1A Brief History of British Film Censorship9Children and Horror Films in the U.K.15How British Films Were Exhibited in the Thirties18A Brief History of American Film Censorship20Dracula - "The Strangest Passion the World Has Ever Known"22Frankenstein - The Movie That Made a Monster32The Sons of Frankenstein - "I'll Show You What Horror Means"461933-34 - Breathing Spell771935 - Steps Must Be Taken1001936 - Steps Have Been Taken1261937 - Banned in Britain1411938 - Signs of Life1481939 - Back from the Dead151Afterword161Epilogue181Filmography187Bibliography199Index201
