First X rated British film?

[Tom Bancroft]

I have ordered a DVD of the 1953 film "The Yellow Balloon". The seller describes this as the first British X rated film. The Time Out website describes it as the second.



Got me wondering which actually was the first - did a quick search through the forums, but couldn't find if this has been covered before.



Can any of our resident experts provide the answer?

[batman]

I tought the first X film was The Quatermass Xperiment, hence the spelling in the title.

[phil]

As far as I know COSH BOY was the first.

[batman]

As far as I know COSH BOY was the first.

Now that you have said it, I think you might be right.

[phil]

Sid James appearing in YELLOW BALLOON, COSH BOY and, getting more vague all the time, QUATERMASS 2.

[Steve Crook]

Note that the "X" certificate only lasted for a while, between 1951 and 1982.



There were other films before Cosh Boy that probably would have been awarded the "X" certificate if it had been available. But it wasn't, so they weren't.



From 1951 - 1970, it meant "Suitable for those aged 16 and over", and from 1970 to 1982 it was redefined as meaning "Suitable for those aged 18 and over." The X certificate was replaced in 1982 by the "18" certificate



Steve

[Simon Coward]

According to the BBFC's website the earliest films to be rated 'X' were all classified on 15th January 1951. The films were "Traffic In Souls", "Occupe-Toi D'Amelia", "Passionnelle", "La Vie Commence Demain", "Manon", "The Miracle" and "Clochemerle". Both "Passionnelle" and "Clochemerle" required cuts.



By contrast, according to the same site, "The Yellow Balloon" was passed 'A' on 25th November 1952 though again, this work was cut. I suppose it is possible that if the cuts had not been made it would only have been passed as an 'X'.



Again, from the same source, "Cosh Boy" was classified 'X' on 12th November 1952 - with no cuts required.

[batman]

Perhaps Cosh Boy was the first UK film to be 'X'-d.

[orpheum]

The demise of the X certificate was partly due to the fact that double bills were sold to the public on the basis of their being X certificates.You cannot imagine distributors thesedays trying to sell a film on the basis of an 18 certificate

[kelp]

Dealt with a long time ago. James Kenney in Cosh Boy WAS the very first "X" certificated film. Trivia: James co-starred in the film with Joan Collins (debut) and the Birmingham Watch Committee banned the film from its cinemas, the Coventry Council allowed it to be played and it played to packed houses.

[Steve Crook]

According to the BBFC's website the earliest films to be rated 'X' were all classified on 15th January 1951. The films were "Traffic In Souls", "Occupe-Toi D'Amelia", "Passionnelle", "La Vie Commence Demain", "Manon", "The Miracle" and "Clochemerle". Both "Passionnelle" and "Clochemerle" required cuts.

All those naughty French films



Steve

[m35541]

The demise of the X certificate was nothing to do with double-bills but everything to do with the BBFC wanting to change the rating systems to remove the X stigma and making it clear what AA and X meant (and it allowed them to raise the AA level by 1 year).



In 1970 the X rating was raised to 18 from 16 when AA was introduced. Trevelyan says in his autobiog this was because more than 50% of films were now being rated X and he wanted to create some mezzanine category rather than a black and white divide between films suitable for children and adults. However, the real problem for the BBFC was that by this time the US ratings system had got ahead of the UK system and many US PG rated films were being rated X by the BBFC (in some cases after cuts).

[Joe Fraguela]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Britain's first X rated film was Women of Twilight from 1952?

[howard 65]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Britain's first X rated film was Women of Twilight from 1952?

I thought it was WOMEN OF TWILIGHT too

[Steve Crook]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Britain's first X rated film was Women of Twilight from 1952?

That was certified before Cosh Boy but I can't see any indication that it was released until 1953 which was after Cosh Boy. Maybe they couldn't find anywhere that would show it



Steve

[Tom Bancroft]

I have just watched "They Made Me A Fugitive" (1947) with Trevor Howard in the title role. I have no doubt that this would have been X-rated had it been released a few years later. Quite a violent film for the era.



I've always wondered how Vida Hope secured so many roles. Her performances always seemed drab and unconvincing (in my opinion). Her husband was involved in the industry - was it his influence that helped her?



Interesting how my initial query has prompted so many different suggestions!



Just to stress - I was talking about British films.

[Mark O]

I've always wondered how Vida Hope secured so many roles. Her performances always seemed drab and unconvincing (in my opinion). Her husband was involved in the industry - was it his influence that helped her?

I've read that 'Women of twilight' was the first X also, I recall seeing it yonks ago but don't remember anything X-rated in it!



As well as being an Actress I believe Vida Hope was in the industry also, I've not read it but Julie Andrew's biography mentions that it was Vida Hope that got her started as an Actress



Sadly Vida was killed in a Car accident in the Essex town of Chelmsford in 1963.....

[Joe Fraguela]

I've read that 'Women of twilight' was the first X also, I recall seeing it yonks ago but don't remember anything X-rated in it!



As well as being an Actress I believe Vida Hope was in the industry also, I've not read it but Julie Andrew's biography mentions that it was Vida Hope that got her started as an Actress



Sadly Vida was killed in a Car accident in the Essex town of Chelmsford in 1963.....

I think it was more to do with the story line of 'Baby Farming'. Freda Jackson playing Nellie Alistair, a ruthless woman who provides room and board for unmarried mothers with an ulterior motive of selling children for adoption illegally. Also there is the suggestion of child creulty.

[darrenburnfan]

According to the 1952 / 1953 Film Review annual, The Yellow Balloon was the first British film to be passed with an "X" certificate (although Cosh Boy may have been a close second...probably classified in the same week). It was later re-classified as an "A" certificate and unfortunately, the date given on the BBFC website seems to be for the initial classification, but with the later "A" certificate instead of the original "X" certificate. There are plenty of old film magazines of the period, such as ABC Film Review and Picturegoer, that have posters and reviews of The Yellow Balloon carrying an "X" certificate. As for The Quatermass Xperiment, that wasn't released until 1955, two years after the BBC Television serial was transmitted.

[darrenburnfan]

Well, according to the BBFC website, Cosh Boy was classified on November 12th, 1952 and The Yellow Balloon two weeks later on November 25th, 1952. So that makes Cosh Boy the first British X film. But...The Yellow Balloon was released first, on April 20th, 1953 and Cosh Boy was released two weeks later on May 4th, 1953. I think this is the reason why there's confusion about which was the first British X film. Dates of BBFC classification were not publicised at that time, while release dates were. So as far as the public were concerned, The Yellow Balloon was the first British X film simply because it was released first.