Description
Book Synopsis In 1948, the Australian government banned the production, importation and exhibition of horror films in a move to appease religious communities and entertainment watchdogs. Drawing upon previously unseen government documents, private letters and contemporary newspaper accounts, this book is the first to extensively cover the history of censorship and the early production of horror movies in Australia. Beginning its examination in the late 19th century, the book documents the earliest horror films like Georges Melies'' The Haunted Castle (1896), and how Australians enjoyed such films before the ban.
The book then explains how certain imports, like 1954''s Creature from the Black Lagoon, were able to circumvent the ban while others were not. It also reveals how Australian television, though similarly impacted by government censorship, was occasionally able to broadcast films technically banned from cinematic release. The work concludes with a look at the fir
Trade Review
Best explores Australian cinema through the lens of horror, a genre targeted by government censors in 1948 to appease religious groups and entertainment watchdogs. As a result, horror was ultimately banned for 20 years. The author spotlights what happened during and after the 1948 horror embargo. ... This title ably conveys the fickle nature of censorship and skillfully details the history and significance of horror films in Australia."—Library Journal
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. Early Cinema: 1894–1900
- 2. The Silent Era: 1909–1929
- 3. The Golden Age: 1930–1948
- Intermission: The Fall of the Cinema, the Rise of the Drive-In
- 4. The Ban Years: 1949–1969
- 5. Television: 1956–1973
- 6. Rebirth: The '70s and Beyond
- Epilogue
- Filmography, 1897–1973
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
