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:

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

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Record Stats