Private Property (1960)

Private Property: Directed by Leslie Stevens. With Kate Manx, Corey Allen, Warren Oates, Jerome Cowan. An arrogant criminal offers to seduce a woman for his dim, sexually inexperienced partner.

“When I caught up with this film in Nottingham in 1965 it was being proudly advertised as u0026quot;The Film with Only Two Certificates in England!u0026quot; True, at that time only Leeds and Liverpool had passed the film with a u0026quot;local X.u0026quot; The British Board of Film Censors had rejected the film on 30 March 1960, leaving small British distributor Cross-Channel (who also released Blackjackets) with the task of persuading as many local authorities as possible to pass the film for exhibition. Cross- Channel had an initial break-through when the film was chosen for the opening run at the new Compton cinema in Londonu0026#39;s West End. As a cinema club for members only the Compton did not need certificates and duly premiered the film on 16 November 1960. Personally, I found the film fairly harmless viewing even in 1965, although the story of two drifters ogling the bored housewife next door eventually became a bit creepy. Most of the local watch committees said no, but a fair few said yes:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLondon Compton – Wednesday, 16 November 1960 (British premiere); LEEDS Plaza – Sunday, 20 December 1964 and week; LIVERPOOL Essoldo (London Road) – Sunday, 4 July 1965 and week; LEEDS Gainsborough – Thursday, 2 September 1965 (three days); NOTTINGHAM Moulin Rouge – Sunday, 14 November 1965 and week; LIVERPOOL Jacey Film Theatre – Sunday, 19 December 1965 and week; LIVERPOOL ABC (Walton) – Monday, 16 May 1966 (three days); WAKEFIELD ABC – Monday, 27 June 1966 (three days); WEST BROMWICH ABC – Thursday, 29 September 1966 (three days);u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe mini-release must have made a good bit of income since the distributor deemed a re-issue in 1969 more than worthwhile:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBIRMINGHAM Cinephone – Sunday, 24 August 1969 for two weeks; NOTTINGHAM ABC Elite – Sunday, 5 October 1969 and week; LIVERPOOL Jacey Film Theatre – Sunday, 7 December 1969 and week;”