Original classification rating certificate for each Bond film query
opal
Posts: 35MI6 Agent
Can anyone tell me what original British Board of Film Classification rating certificate each Bond film had from Dr No till View to a Kill?
Comments
Dr. No: A with cuts
From Russia With Love: A with cuts to sexual innuendo
Goldfinger: A with cuts to nudity and violence
Thunderball: A with a cut to a sexy massage scene
You Only Live Twice: A
On Her Majesty's Secret Service: A
Diamonds Are Forever: A
Live and Let Die: A
The Man with the Golden Gun: A
The Spy Who Loved Me: A
Moonraker: A
For Your Eyes Only: A
Octopussy: PG
A View to a Kill: PG
https://bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/bbfc-history/1960s
https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/content/bond-film-classifications-compared.htm
Was it just the version released in Britain, or were the same cuts made to all versions of the film?
If the cuts were made to all versions, were they ever restored or is the footage lost?
Dr. No: For the UK cinema version the BBFC made cuts to reduce the number of gunshots fired by Bond at Dent from 6 to 2, to remove blows and a knee kick during Bond's fight with the chauffeur, and to replace Dr No's line "I'm sure she will amuse the guards" with "The guards will amuse her". All releases feature this version and the footage may no longer exist.
From Russia With Love: The original cinema release was cut by the BBFC to receive an "A" rating:
Uses of the words "lovers" and "physical enjoyment" were cut.
The gypsy dance was edited, including a shot of her bending backwards.
The subsequent fight was reduced.
A shot of Tatiana walking to the bed nude was cut. (This was later reinstated in video releases)
Bond's reference to searching Tatiana was cut, and the kissing is reduced.
Tatiana's line "I hope I came up to expectations" was cut.
The scene where agents are shown filming Bond and Tatiana in the bed was shortened and darkened.
"Was I" in the line "Was I as exciting as all those Western girls?" was changed to "Am I".
Bond's line "two hours should straighten this out" as he lowers the blind on the Orient Express was removed.
In the train compartment, Grant's line "What a performance!" when referring to the reel of film was cut.
The Bond-Grant fight was reduced.
When Bond shoots Klebb, her expressions of pain were reduced and the latter part of her moaning was muted.
Bond's repeat of the line "What a performance!" on the boat was cut.
Goldfinger: They remove a shot of Bonita getting out of the bath,shortened the bath electrocution scene and a bed scene between Bond & Jill Masterson. An uncut version does not exist.
Thunderball: Removed a shot of Bond stroking Patricia with a mink glove. All video releases are restored and uncut.
By coincidence, I just rewatched FRWL the other week, and at least two of those details I just noticed for the first time, despite having watched the film dozens of times over the years. Don't know if its because i now have a bigger flatscreen, if it's because I actually watched a different dvd this time (the Connery volume 1 three-fer), or just that I tend to remember it as I first saw it on primetime broadcast television back in the 80s...
The near subliminal shot of Tatiana sneaking naked into the bed, and the fact it is Klebb herself supervising the filming behind the mirror, I had genuinely never noticed those two details before ... so its interesting to learn those were two of the shots that were originally cut. Klebb is so cool and creepy in that shot, it's so much more disturbing to see it's her on the other side of the mirror rather than just some random minion.