The Beach Censor

Series

Series Name
Eve And Everybody’s Film Review

Issue

Issue No.
196
Date Released
5 Mar 1925
Length of issue (in feet)
880
Stories in this Issue:
  1. 1The Beach Censor
  2. 2Mixed Dance Steps from "By the way" the Musical Comedy at the Apollo Theatre, London
  3. 3"Young" Frocks. In Pathécolor.
  4. 4Ice Eves
  5. 5The Adventures of Felix the Cat, by Pat Sullivan -: Felix Gets Fired

Story

Story No. within this Issue
1 / 5
Summary
NoS synopsis: Introductory intertitle reads: "Any Adam like a nice easy job - like this American Policeman’s in sunny California - ? He’s the Bathing Costume Censor..." Policeman lifts up a striped canopy to reveal five women inside a little tent. The first woman steps out. She is wearing a very old fashioned bathing costume. Long baggy skirt and short sleeved top with a spotty trim. The policeman has a good look at her and sends her off with his approval. The second woman steps out. She also wears an old fashioned swimsuit which covers most of her body apart from her lower arms. Thick stockings and little boots are worn as well as the big skirt and blouse. The policeman takes her arm and writes something on her sleeve - marking that he has checked and approved of her swimwear. He nods and sends her off. The third woman is showing more arm but the rest of her body is covered. The Beach Censor puts a mark on her upper arm. Intertitle reads: "Miss 1925 - passed by the Government!" The fourth woman is showing much more flesh. Her swimsuit is much more modern with cut away armholes and fairly low back. She wears little shorts underneath the skirt part of her swimsuit. The policeman gets out his tape measure and we see a C/U of her legs as he measures the gap between her knee and her swimsuit. He stands up and the camera slowly tilts upwards, giving us a long lingering look of this rather snug fitting swimsuit. C/U of the policeman writing a mark of approval on her shoulder. She turns to face the camera - it reads: "OK" They both smile. Panning shot of several bathing belles - C/U of their faces. The girl at the end of the queue is having her "OK" written on her upper arm. Intertitle reads: "But, what will 1950 say?" C/U of a woman who is draped in a black piece of fabric with a large white question mark on the front and "1950" underneath it. Camera tilts down. The fabric stops quite high on the thighs. Camera pans right down to her legs - she is wearing rolled down stockings which look a bit like pop socks.
Keywords
Censorship; Fashion and costume
Written sources
Pathe Inventory File   Tin No.45
British Pathe Database 1997   Reference No.EP045
Pathe Eve 170-210 Boxfile   Issue sheet
Credits:
Production Co.
British Pathe Ltd.
Length of story (in feet)
150

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name
British Film Institute (BFI)
Email
For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk
Web
http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7580 7503
Address
21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Notes
The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
Series held
View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)
Name
British Pathe Ltd
Email
info@britishpathe.com
Web
https://www.britishpathe.com/
Phone
0207 665 8340
Address
3.29 Canterbury Court
1-3 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6DE
Notes
Pathe now also handles the Reuters Historical Collection, which includes the British Paramount, Empire British, Gaumont Graphic and Gaumont British newsreels.
Series held
View all series held by British Pathe Ltd

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