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This is a list of films that are or have been at one time or another banned in the United States; including films banned in some American cities or states.

List

Film Release
date 		Date(s)
banned 		Reason
The Birth of a Nation 1915 1915–1916 Banned in several American cities for its racist content and portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan, including Chicago, Las Vegas, Denver, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, and the states of Ohio, Kansas, and West Virginia,[1] as well as "dozens" of other jurisdictions.[2] Unbanned in 1916 outside of Kansas.[3]
Purity 1916 1916 Banned in the state of Kansas, and several other cities across America including Dallas, Kansas City, Jackson (MS) and Washington, D.C. among others due to the use of nudity.[2]
Birth Control 1917 1917 Produced by and starring Margaret Sanger; banned, with the New York Court of Appeals holding that a film on family planning work may be censored "in the interest of morality, decency, and public safety and welfare".[2][4]
Häxan 1922 1922–1929 Banned until 1929 due to the use of torture and nudity. Its themes of witchcraft and Satanism may also have been a factor in the ban.[5]
Babe Comes Home 1927 1927 Briefly banned in portions of the Chicago Metropolitan Area due to scenes of Babe Ruth chewing tobacco and spitting in the film. Mrs. Albert L. Stevenson, a film censor member, later recommended that "the censors do not believe that there is an inherent virtue in chewing tobacco and don't wish the children in Highland Park to believe that one must chew to achieve fame." The ban was later lifted.[2]
The Road to Ruin 1928 1928 Banned in Stockton, California due to its content.[6]
Party Girl 1930 1930 Though passed[by whom?] for theatrical screening, several cities banned the film due to its depiction of prostitution, namely Birmingham, Alabama.[7]
No Limit 1931 1931 Banned in Riverside, California by the city's censor boards due to "notoriety", as its star, Clara Bow, was at that time present in the trial of Daisy DeBoe, a former secretary of hers who had been charged with grand theft auto in Los Angeles.[8]
Scarface 1932 1932 Banned in five states and five other cities due to "glorification of crime."[2]
Ecstasy 1933 1933–1937 Banned in the US from 1933 to 1937 due to its erotic content.[9][10]
G Men 1935 1935 The State of Illinois Board of Censors banned one of the top-grossing films of 1935 in Chicago due to its depiction of the trapping of John Dillinger, which the censor felt might've made children "too excited".[11]
Spain in Flames 1937 1937 The compilation film/newsreel was banned in a few states including Ohio and Pennsylvania, and multiple cities across the country including New Brunswick, New Jersey, Waterbury, Connecticut, and Provincetown, Massachusetts, due to the film's plot being reported as "harmful and tortured."[12][13]
The Birth of a Baby 1938 1938 Banned in New York City by the state's Motion Picture Censors, and in Cincinnati, Ohio by the city's manager Clarence Sherrill due to the film being reported as "non-educational" and as it lacked certification by the state's Board of Motion Pictures Censors. The Cincinnati Police Department's chief Eugene T. Weatherly later viewed the film and described the picture as "positively terrible."[14]
The Ramparts We Watch 1940 1940 The March Of Time documentary was briefly banned all across Pennsylvania due to portions of the film being termed as "part of the fear propaganda being disseminated by Germany", which demonstrates scenes on the German invasion of Poland and clips from the German film "Baptism of Fire".[2]
Strange Cargo 1940 1940 Banned in Detroit by Frank D. Eaman and Charles W. Snyder of the Detroit Police Department because it was said to have "a general spirit that is contrary to certain religious ideas."[15]
Two-Faced Woman 1941 1941 This film's theme (adultery) caused it to be banned in New York City, among other places.[2]
Ossessione 1943 1943–1976 Banned for 33 years because the plot was based on James M. Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice to which MGM owned the rights. It took until 1976 before copyright issues were resolved.[2]
We Accuse 1945 1945 A documentary story about the Kharkiv war criminal trials, banned by the Hays Code due to many concerns and complaints about pictures of Nazi atrocities, as well as the word "damned" being used.
Brewster's Millions 1945 1945 Banned in Memphis, Tennessee, because Brewster's African-American servant was treated too well.[16][17][18][19]
Dillinger & Dead End 1945/1937 1945 Both films (including the 1945 reissue of Dead End) were banned in Memphis by Lloyd T. Binford and his censors due to both features being conducive to crime.[18][19]
The Southerner 1945 1945 Banned in Memphis by censors due to the film being reported as "giving the nation the wrong idea about the South".[18][20][19]
Scarlet Street 1945 1945 On January 4, 1946, the New York State Censor Board banned Scarlet Street, relying on the statute that gave it the power to censor films that were "obscene, indecent, immoral, inhuman, sacrilegious" or whose exhibition "would tend to corrupt morals or incite to crime." One week later the Motion Picture Commission for the city of Milwaukee also banned the film as part of a new policy encouraged by police for "stricter regulation of undesirable films." On February 3 Christina Smith, the city censor of Atlanta, argued that because of "the sordid life it portrayed, the treatment of illicit love, the failure of the characters to receive orthodox punishment from the police, and because the picture would tend to weaken a respect for the law," Scarlet Street was "licentious, profane, obscure and contrary to the good order of the community." ... Universal was discouraged from challenging the constitutionality of the censors by the protests of the national religious groups that arose as the Atlanta case went to court.[21]
Duel in the Sun 1946 1947 Banned in Memphis due to the film's plot being reported as "mature throughout the film". Lloyd T. Binford said in a statement that it started with "two murders, then a rape, then a train wreck, and ended with two murders".[22]
Curley 1947 1947 Banned in Memphis by Lloyd T. Binford. He wrote a letter to distributor United Artists saying that "'[the board] was unable to approve your 'Curley' picture with the little Negroes as the south does not permit Negroes in white schools nor recognize social equality between the races, even in children.'".[22][23]
Bicycle Thieves 1948 1950 The Italian prize-winning movie was banned all over the United States by MPAA in March 1950 due to the use of urination by a little boy and disturbing culture including scenes from inside of a bordello.[24]
Drug Addict 1948 1948 The 34-minute National Film Board of Canada documentary by Robert Anderson was banned by Federal Bureau of Narcotics commissioner Harry J. Anslinger because its clear illustration of drug addiction as an illness was diametrically opposed to his policies. Anslinger went as far as to formally request that the Canadian government ban the film within its own borders; the request was refused. Technically, 'Drug Addict' remains banned.[25]
The Miracle 1948 1950–1952 The second part of the Italian film "L'Amore" (or "Love" in English) was banned all over the United States, as it was condemned by the National Legion of Decency, which termed the part as "anti-Catholic" and "sacrilegious". Shortly afterward in the middle of February 1951, the State of New York revoked the license to show the film from the state's Board of Regents. The ban led to the law's Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson which led to a decision by Supreme Court in 1952 that the film was a form of artistic expression and was protected by the First Amendment.[26]
Lost Boundaries 1949 1949 Banned in Atlanta and Memphis; liable to "create dissension and strife between members of the white and colored races, and would be likely to cause disorders, disturbances, and clashes between the races."[27]
Bitter Rice 1949 1951 Exactly 11 months after the ban of Bicycle Thieves and The Miracle, police crackdowns and bitter Catholic oppositions led the state of New York censors to ban a third Italian film, Bitter Rice.[28]
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 1950 1950 The film was banned in Ohio as "a sordid, sadistic presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission."[29]
Cease Fire 1953 1953 The Korean War film was banned all over the United States for a brief time due to the terms "hell" and "damn" being heard in the dialogue.[30]
The Moon Is Blue 1953 1953 Banned in Jersey City, New Jersey as "indecent and obscene."[31]
The Vanishing Prairie 1954 1954 The Walt Disney documentary was banned in New York on August 10, 1954 due to a clip where it demonstrated a buffalo giving birth. The ban was lifted after a complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union.[32][33]
The Bamboo Prison 1954 1955 The Korean War film was banned in Memphis due to its "inimical" content.[34]
Baby Doll 1956 1956–1957 Banned in Memphis, Nashville, and Atlanta due to the film plot's culture, which a member of the Memphis Board determines the film as "immoral." It was the first picture to be banned after the death of Memphis censor chief Lloyd T. Binford. Binford died at the age of 89 on August 27, 1956, and his death became national headlines. The film was intended to be demonstrated in Nashville (via the Tennessee Theatre) in January 1957, but was banned by its local censor from being shown within the city; as such, the film ended up being booked for three drive-in theaters within Davidson County.[35]
Portland Exposé 1957 1957 The film was banned regionally by local agencies in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Portland, Oregon—its setting—due to its depiction of crimes inspired by those committed by crime boss Jim Elkins.[36][37]
The Immoral Mr. Teas 1959 1962–1963 Banned in Baltimore (along with two other films) for a 12-month hiatus by Maryland's State Of Board Censors on November 8, 1962 due to its sexually explicit content.[38]
Hideout in the Sun 1960 1960 Banned in Memphis by the Board of Censors shortly after the film's release in February 1960 due to nudity.[39]
Victim 1961 1961 Banned in many American cities due to language.[40]
Naughty New Orleans 1962 1963 An exploitation film on downtown New Orleans was banned in Memphis by the Board of Censors in May 1963. The censor, Minter Somerville Hooker, did not view the film as obscene but said she banned it anyway.[41]
Flaming Creatures 1963 1964 Banned in New York City because of sexual content.[42]
Promises! Promises! 1963 1963 Banned in Cleveland by the Cleveland Division Of Police, Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Police, and several other cities due to explicit nude scenes, though later the Cleveland court decided the nude scenes in the film were not lewd after all. The ban took place a few weeks prior to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.[43][44]
My Bare Lady 1963 1963 The 64-minute British exploitation film (along with one other exploitation film) was banned in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Police due to its content shortly days after Pittsburgh's ban on Promises! Promises! The ban came before the arrest of two Cameraphone Theatre (East Liberty) owners after complaints from showing the film three days prior to Kennedy's assassination.[45]
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! 1964 1964–1965 The Notre Dame-based film (along with the book from which it was adapted) was banned in New York by a judge due to the main characters depicted as "drunken party boys" before the film premiered around Christmas 1964 in selected 200+ theaters. Supreme Court Justice Henry Clay Greenburg called the situation "ugly, vulgar, and tawdry."[46]
Viva Maria! 1965 1966–1968 Banned in Dallas for sexual and anti-Catholic content, prior to the United States Supreme Court striking down the ban and limiting the ability of municipalities to ban films for adults in Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of Dallas.[47]
Titicut Follies 1967 1968–1991 Banned from distribution in Massachusetts to the general public by court order because the film was considered a violation of the privacy of the prison inmates it filmed.[2]
I Am Curious (Yellow) 1967 1969 Banned as pornography. After three court cases, the ban was lifted when the anti-obscenity laws concerning films were overturned.[2][48]
Death of a Legend 1971 1973 The 49-minute Audubon Society-sponsored Canadian documentary about the remaining wolves in North America was banned in Florida by the Broward County Public Schools due to scenes of mating sequences as was reported by parents from two students who complained about the scenes.[49]
Pink Flamingos 1972 1972–1997 Banned in Orange County, Florida, for 25 years because of explicit sexual content, animal cruelty, and depiction of its lead character, Divine, eating dog feces in the end.[50]
The Thorn 1974, 1984 1974, 1984 Closed days after opening in New York City for misleading marketing exploiting the fame of one of its co-stars, Bette Midler. It was blocked from opening on re-release in 1980. The film was briefly distributed on home video under a new title before Midler threatened legal action.[51][52]
Monty Python's Life of Brian 1979 1979 Banned in several towns for showing controversial themes about Christianity.[2]
If You Love This Planet 1982 1982 Designated as "foreign political propaganda" by the Department of Justice and suppressed in the United States.[53][54] Despite this, it went on to win the 1982 Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.[55]
Return to Oz 1985 1985 The Disney live-action film was banned for a very short period of time in the Ingham County Library near Lansing. At the time, the library had scheduled it and Beverly Hills Cop for a free film program, which was cancelled because of non-compliance with a recommendation by the school board that insisted on only films that the MPAA had rated G be shown at the library. The ban was lifted soon afterward.[56]
The Last Temptation of Christ 1988 1988 Banned in Savannah, Georgia when city leaders sent a petition to Universal Pictures requesting a ban. However, it opened in Savannah on September 23, 1988, six weeks after its national and worldwide debut.[57]
The Tin Drum 1979 1997 Briefly banned in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, when a district court judge deemed the film child pornography. The shot in question depicted a child embracing a naked woman. The verdict was overturned on appeal.[58]
The Profit 2001 2002–2007 A film that borrows elements of the life of L. Ron Hubbard, it was prevented from release when the Church of Scientology claimed the film could taint the jury pool in the wrongful death trial of former member Lisa McPherson. While the injunction has since been lifted a few years after the suit was settled and the film is no longer banned per se, a legal dispute with investor Robert S. Minton continues to hold up the release. The Disinformation Book of Lists and The Times have characterized The Profit as a "banned film" in the United States.[2][59]
Hillary: The Movie 2008 2008 A political documentary about presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, it was prevented by the Federal Election Commission from being aired on video-on-demand on cable TV shortly before the 2008 Democratic primaries as an "electioneering communication" mentioning a candidate within 30 days of a primary, an apparent violation of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (aka "McCain-Feingold"). The ban and much of the BCRA was then overturned by the Supreme Court in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.[60]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Birth of a Nation (1915)". Filmsite.org. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kick, Russ (2004). The Disinformation Book Of Lists. The Disinformation Company. List 68: "16 Movies Banned in the U.S.", Pages 236–238. ISBN 0-9729529-4-2.
  3. ^ "Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media » The Birth of a Nation and Black Protest". Chnm.gmu.edu. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  4. ^ Message Photo-Play v. George H. Bell, 179 A.D. 13 (1917).
  5. ^ "Haxan (1922) - Articles". TCM.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  6. ^ "FILM BANNED". Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. June 21, 1928. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Party Girl Banned in B'Ham; Coming Strand". Dothan Eagle. Dothan, Alabama. July 19, 1930. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "CLARA BOW FILM BANNED BY RIVERSIDE CENSORS". Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga, Tennessee. January 22, 1931. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Dane S. Claussen (2002). Sex, Religion, Media. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 26. ISBN 9780742515581. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  10. ^ Gerald R. Butters (2007). Banned in Kansas: Motion Picture Censorship, 1915-1966. University of Missouri Press. p. 240. ISBN 9780826266033. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  11. ^ "'G. Men' Film Banned in Chicago". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. April 25, 1935. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "FILM ON SPAIN BANNED; New Brunswick Bars Showing as Red Propaganda". New York Times. March 25, 1937. p. 27.
  13. ^ "Waterbury Bars 'Spain in Flames'". New York Times. July 21, 1937. p. 12.
  14. ^ "BABY FILM BANNED". May 14, 1938. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  15. ^ ""Strange Cargo" banned in Detroit for "obscenity"". March 28, 1940. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "Notes for Brewster's Millions (1945)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  17. ^ On-air comment by Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies
  18. ^ a b c Terry, Dick (September 23, 1945). "He 'Binfordizes' The Movies". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c "Higher Criticism in Memphis". Time. August 13, 1945. Retrieved January 2, 2008. Lloyd Tilgham Binford, dour, dogmatic chairman of the Memphis Board of Censors, has long prided himself on being able to whiff a movie innuendo or spot a suggestive line even before it is suggested. Since 1928, 76-year-old Mr. Binford has kept the Lower Chickasaw Bluff pure by dooming or doctoring many a movie.
  20. ^ "U D C Indorsed 'Southerner' But Memphis Censors Ban It". The Commercial Appeal. July 25, 1945. p. 11.
  21. ^ Bernstein, Matthew (Autumn 1995). "A Tale of Three Cities: The Banning of Scarlet Street". Cinema Journal. 35 (1): 27–52. doi:10.2307/1225806. JSTOR 1225806., pp. 27-52.
  22. ^ a b "Memphis Censor Hollywood Target; Slices Films With 'Too Much Negro'". Associated Press. October 17, 1947. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  23. ^ "Memphis Bars Negro Children at Play in Film". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 20, 1947. p. 12.
  24. ^ "Italian Film Banned From US Theaters". United Press International. March 2, 1950. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  25. ^ Galliher, John F; Keys, David P; Elsner, Michael. "Lindesmith v. Anslinger: An early government victory in the failed war on drugs". druglibrary.net. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  26. ^ "Rossellini's Film Is Banned By N.Y. State". Associated Press. February 16, 1951. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  27. ^ Hobbs, Allyson (2014). A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life. Harvard University Press. pp. 254–8.
  28. ^ "Another Italian Film Banned in New York". Associated Press. February 11, 1951. p. 12. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  29. ^ Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye at the American Film Institute Catalog
  30. ^ "Film banned". Evening Despatch. Birmingham, England. November 13, 1953. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "JERSEY JUDGE SEES 'THE MOON IS BLUE'; Superior Court Jurist Says He Will Give Decision Today on Film Seized as 'Indecent'". The New York Times. October 16, 1953. p. 33.
  32. ^ Crowther, Bosley (2016). "The-Vanishing-Prairie - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  33. ^ "The Vanishing Prairie (1954)". Retrieved January 9, 2016.[dead link]
  34. ^ "Korean War Film Banned In Memphis". Associated Press. January 28, 1955. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  35. ^ "Drive-ins Confer On 'Baby Doll'". January 16, 1957. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  36. ^ "'Portland Expose' Film Not To Be Shown In NW". The News-Review. Roseburg, Oregon. Associated Press. August 7, 1957. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Booker Cancels 'Portland Expose'". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. Associated Press. August 4, 1957. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Three Films Banned By Censor Board". Associated Press. November 9, 1962. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  39. ^ Howard, Edwin (November 6, 1962). "Censor Board is Examining 'Nudie' Film". The Memphis-Press Scimitar. Memphis, Tennessee. p. 15. Retrieved February 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "European Film". glbtq. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  41. ^ "'New Orleans' Film Banned". The Memphis-Press Scimitar. Memphis, Tennessee. May 10, 1963. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Hoberman, J. (2008). On Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures. Granary Books. ISBN 978-1-887123-52-5.
  43. ^ Dirks, Tim. "Sex in Cinema: The Greatest and Most Influential Erotic / Sexual Films and Scenes". Film Site. Archived from the original on November 23, 2006. Retrieved November 23, 2006.
  44. ^ Strait, Raymond (1992). Here They Are Jayne Mansfield. SP Books. p. 209. ISBN 1-56171-146-2.
  45. ^ "Police Charge Two Showing Obscene Films in Movies". Daily Courier. Connellsville, Pennsylvania. United Press International. November 20, 1963. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Notre Dame Film Banned After Hearing". Anderson Herald. Anderson, Indiana. United Press International. December 18, 1964. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ Jonathon Green; Nicholas J. Karolides (May 14, 2014). Encyclopedia of Censorship. Infobase. p. 697. ISBN 9781438110011. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  48. ^ Wheeler Winston Dixon & Gwendolyn Audrey Foster (March 1, 2008). A Short History of Film. Rutgers University Press. p. 492. ISBN 978-0-813-54475-5.
  49. ^ "Audubon Film Banned in Florida". United Press International. February 8, 1973. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  50. ^ "No Pink Flamingos Here!". Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  51. ^ Mair, George (1995). Bette: An Intimate Biography of Bette Midler. Secaucus, NJ: Birch Lane Press/Carol Publishing Group. pp. 96–98. ISBN 9781559722728.
  52. ^ "Movie Review - The Divine Mr. J at Festival Theater". movies.nytimes.com. May 25, 1974. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  53. ^ "CENSORED: Wielding the Red Pen (Online Exhibit)". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  54. ^ Verbinski, Jane (April 1983). "If You Love This Planet Gov't censors pick best short". Jump Cut (28): 64. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  55. ^ "If You Love This Planet". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
  56. ^ "Disney film too racy for school". The Danville News. Danville, Pennsylvania. United Press International. October 19, 1985. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ Francis G. Couvares (2006). Movie Censorship and American Culture. Univ of Massachusetts Press. p. 308. ISBN 1558495754. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  58. ^ Zimmerman, Janet (June 30, 1997). "Video sparks free-speech debate in Oklahoma". USA Today.
  59. ^ Purves, Libby (October 26, 2007). "The Blasphemy Collection". The Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2007.
  60. ^ Liptak, Adam (January 21, 2010). "Justices, 5–4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
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