Censors Reject Word in Picture

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 962, 3 May 1930, Page 27

Censors Reject Word in Picture

HARMLESS, BUT MIGHT BE MISCONSTRUED TITTERS FROM AUDIENCE The Board of Film Censors in London recently took the unusual course of sending their examiners to recensor an American talking film, “Untamed.” The action was taken on the representation that a word offensive to English ears had crept into the dialogue. As a result o£ the examiners’ visit the exhibitors were requested to blot out the offending passage forthwith. A visit to the cinema before the blot-out was effected left no doubt as to the word which, in some parts o£ the house, was greeted with ribald titters. At the offices of the Film Censors, however, it was maintained that the actual word was “buzzard,” and the script of the film submitted when the first censorship was made was produced in support. Whatever the written word may be, there can be no doubt as to what at least 95 per cent, of the audience believed it to be.

Mr. Brooke Wilkinson, secretary to the Board of Film Censors, explained that when “Untamed” was submitted for censorship early in January the board had no talking film apparatus and had to examine the picture as a silent film, checking it with the written script provided. “That means,” be continued, “we never ‘heard’ the film, and when it was represented to me that the word used began with a “b,” but was not ‘buzzard.’ as printed in the script, I sent examiners to see and hear the film. . . “I have received their report and although the word buzzard’ is used twice in the film, they agree that on the first occasion it might be mistaken for something else. “Frankly, I do not know what the word ‘buzzard’ is supposed to mean; it seems a harmless sort of word in itself, hilt many words are now coming over from America of which X do not know the meaning.”