Fantasia banned in Ireland on release

Dennis the Stone · 23-11-2006 2:04pm #1

Hi,

Does anyone know why Fantasia was banned in Ireland on release?

However, many movies have been banned in Ireland in the past, including Life Of Brian, Disney's Fantasia and A Clockwork Orange. A review in 2000 has meant that many of these have since been un-banned and rated anywhere from PG to 18. During that review process it was decided that no more films would be banned for either theatre or video release, but some bans are still in place[citation needed].

From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland

humanji · 23-11-2006 4:24pm

Not sure, but it could be because of this:

Chronology Of Censorship wrote:

By Disney Films. A minor character in the 1940 release of Fantasia, this centaur was cut from the 1960 re-release. Sunflower was a negro centaur depicted in a prejudicial Aunt Jemima stereotype, and shown acting as a maid-servant to a white female centaur. Whereas the three scenes with Sunflower were no doubt removed because this depiction was patently racist, in subsequent years Disney was to deny the scenes ever existed at all. The one screen shot available through the link above was eventually recovered by The Memory Hole website.

constitutionus · 23-11-2006 6:32pm

think its patently obvious its the pandering to the dark arts that scuttled it. far to dodgy for good ol catholic ireland back then:D

monkeyfudge · 23-11-2006 6:34pm

Yep. That's right. It was probably Night on Bare Mountain that did it alright.

J.R.HARTLEY · 23-11-2006 6:35pm

i wouldn't be surprised if Fantasia was banned because the Church didn't want us watching a sorcerors apprenctice dabbling in magic

23-11-2006 6:39pm

http://www.thememoryhole.org/arts/sunflower.htm

monkeyfudge · 23-11-2006 6:47pm

Chernabog! Too badass for the Irish censors!

RE*AC*TOR · 23-11-2006 6:58pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AKwCMmvI_U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzT5-PD5S7s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bek8ECIgkMc

seems like the most likely reason, although, I would've thought the scene could just have been cut.

Piste · 23-11-2006 7:00pm

You can't buy a copy on Fantasia anywhere in Ireland anymore, it's out of production because Disney are supposedly "remastering" it

(i.e ****ing the whole thing up with "new technology")

monkeyfudge · 23-11-2006 7:05pm

Piste wrote:

You can't buy a copy on Fantasia anywhere in Ireland anymore, it's out of production because Disney are supposedly "remastering" it (i.e ****ing the whole thing up with "new technology")

It's what Disney does with all it's films to increase their value. It only ever has a few of it's films on the market at any one time. They also very rarely allow their films to be screened on TV.

I really can't see Fantasia being banned here for the sunflower scenes, it wouldn't have any relevance here, but it would be a big deal in the US. It's most likely the demonic sequence put to Night on Bare Mountain, there was even some nudity in that sequence as well if I remember correctly and this is 1940's Ireland remember?

RE*AC*TOR · 24-11-2006 1:35pm

i sent an email to the IFCO, this is part of the reply I got:

ICFO wrote:

Our records here only go back as far as the 1970s, anything further back than that is held in the National Archives.

However, in his book 'Irish Film Censorship' (p. 120), Dr. Kevin Rockett, refers to the cut made to Fantasia by Dr. Richard Hayes (who was Film Censor from October 1940 to January 1954). Hayes cut the scientific talk which introduces the section depicting Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, stating that it 'gave an entirely materialistic view of the origin of life'.

24-11-2006 1:44pm

Kevin Rockett? He's a lecturer of Film Studies here in Trinity. Might pop him an e-mail...

J.R.HARTLEY · 24-11-2006 2:11pm

monkeyfudge wrote:

It's what Disney does with all it's films to increase their value. It only ever has a few of it's films on the market at any one time. They also very rarely allow their films to be screened on TV.

is it just me or does each movie make one limited appearance on each format (vhs/dvd) and then disappear waiting for the next format.

monkeyfudge · 24-11-2006 2:23pm

That was cool of IFCO to get back to you like that.

Sheesh... I never would have thought that something that makes so much common sense to me could have been an issue for the censor back then.

c - 13 · 24-11-2006 2:31pm

Disney release one of their films every few years "digitally remastered" its left on the market for a year or so and then pulled by disney for the next digitally remastered release to come out.
This drives parents mad when their kid is looking for a Disney movie thats been off the shelves for a bit, they're nearly impossible to find.

monkeyfudge · 24-11-2006 2:39pm

Took me a while to track down a copy of Song of the South earlier this year. That's another one of their dirty little secrets that they don't want to bring back out either.

It's a shame as the Briar Rabbit stuff is very good in it.

c - 13 · 24-11-2006 2:43pm

monkeyfudge wrote:

That's another one of their dirty little secrets that they don't want to bring back out either.

Dont forget the stereotypical negro crows in Dumbo either. I wonder if they'll be cut if/when its re-released ?

monkeyfudge · 24-11-2006 2:55pm

I was actually watching the beginning of Fantasia last night as this thread made me dig it out and the second sequence has some mushrooms dancing around in a very stereotypical Chinese manner with slanty eyes... too be honest the look more like cocks at times too.

I then flicked over to TCM who were showing a film called Battle Beneath the Earth which I figured was a lot worse. In it the evil Chinese dig tunnels to the US so they can plant bombs underneath the cities. They didn't actually seem to have any asian cast in the film just people made up to look Chinese Charle Chan style.

Fantasia banned in Ireland on release

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