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[eurocultfan1964]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post here.I'm a big eurocult fan especially Giallo/Horror from the 60's/70's golden age.
However,I also have a soft spot for British cinema from around the same period,and this film is one of my favourites.
Set in the then New Town of Stevenage and starring Barry Evans and Judy Geeson among other up and coming young actors of the period,I'm sure it is familiar to many on this board,due to it's being shown on British TV a number of times.
Unfortunately it does not seem to have ever received a video or DVD release anywhere,which is a great shame.
I recorded a BBC transmission back in the 80's,and so when Channel 4 repeated it (in the early 90's ?) I did not record it.
Big mistake on my part  .I watched part of the transmission and noticed that Judy Geeson's skinny dipping scene included nudity that was not in the BBC version.
I have often wondered what else was missing from the BBC version,which I have kept and transfered to dvd-r.Also I don't think Channel 4 repeated their version.I would love to see the more complete version sometime !

I have recently read that the UK cinema version was cut,and that a number of different versions of the film have surfaced over the years.Does anyone know the situation regarding this,and it's failure to get a proper DVD release.

thanks

[Jonny]

I have often wondered what else was missing from the BBC version, which I have kept and transferred to DVD-r. Also I don't think Channel 4 repeated their version. I would love to see the more complete version sometime!

What's the running time of your BBC copy mate? I know someone who has a copy from Australian TV that runs for 93m 49s.

Can't seem to find any info on the BBFC website about the UK theatrical version though.

Welcome to the forum btw 

[MarcMorris]

I have the skinny dipping version.

[Jonny]

I have the skinny dipping version.

Aussie TV version Marc?

[eurocultfan1964]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the welcome.Not sure about the running time,will have to dig out the disc and check.
The BBC version does contain the skinny dipping scene,but the channel 4 print had a full frontal shot of Judy Geeson that I'm sure is not in the version I taped.I only caught part of the channel 4 transmission,and it was quite some years ago so I'm going by memory.As I only started watching towards the end of film,I have no idea what other shots/sequences were edited or cut,or indeed whether the BBC made the cuts (they did tend to censor even late night films back then).
A poster on another board mentioned that TCM Canada had shown a nice widesceen print recently,though I don't know how complete it was,so perhaps a DVD release could happen sometime in the future.

[eurocultfan1964]

Pulled out my copy from the BBC transmission last night and it runs 90 mins 39 secs at PAL speed.If the Australian version is also from a PAL source that indicates quite significant cuts.If it was converted from NTSC the running times would be pretty close.
Watching it I did not notice any obvious cuts ,ie choppy music,but the only nudity in my version is a brief shot of Judy Geeson,nude from behind, during the skinny dipping scene.

[MarcMorris]

Here's a comparison of the two versions I had - I now have a letterboxed version from TNT which I am yet to compare.


HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH.

The Australian version is complete, though with advert breaks every 10-15 minutes (involving music being faded in as the ad break begins, and the title being superimposed over the image as the film begins again), it's something of a mess.

The BBC print runs 90m 40s. Like the Australian print, it is cropped to full-screen (from an original ratio of 1.85), with letterboxed opening credits.

The BBC print is cut in the following places:

1- 4m 37s in. Some dialogue has been cut: "No hard feelings", "That's what you think".

2- 43m 36s in. Shots of a man removing a condom from a drawer: "Not to be used after November the 5th 1969. Fireworks night, eh? Better put it in my pocket before it burns a hole in the drawer".

3- 71m 6s. 16 seconds have been cut during the scene in which the man and the woman make love on a bed - shots of the boy moving his hand down the woman's body and caressing her leg.

4- 79m 36s to 80m 20s. The scene in which the woman strips and goes skinny dipping (followed by the man) appears here in a censored form that removes all nudity, partly through cutting, partly through the use of alternate takes. The scene runs 1m 6s longer in the Australian print.

5- 80m 20s to 82m 12s. Immediately following the above scene is a scene in which the man and the woman talk on the river bank. In the Australian print they are naked. The BBC print uses alternate clothed takes. The scene runs 24 seconds longer in the Australian print.

[eurocultfan1964]

Thanks for the comparison Marc.Very notable differences,and the shooting of clothed/unclothed takes would seem to indicate that Director/Producer Clive Donner prepared at least two versions of the film,maybe the clothed one for domestic UK distribution and the unclothed for foreign territories.

[eurocultfan1964]

Recently received a copy of this which includes the location documentary.Appears to be from a different source/transmission as it is letterboxed ,whereas my BBC copy is full screen.Not sure where this one originated,but it is identical in content to the BBC version,and does not include any of the cuts you mention Marc.

[MarcMorris]

I've just received a DVD from the US TCM broadcast which is widescreen.

I'd love a copy of that location doc you have.

[eurocultfan1964]

Have you had a chance to check out the quality of the TCM transmission ?.How complete is it ?

I've sent you a PM, Marc.

[MarcMorris]

I'll post details as soon as it's been checked.

[babybreese]

TCM print seemed complete to me, and looked very nice taboot.
I have seen that doc on some bootleg site...

[eurocultfan1964]

Sounds promising thanks