MovieChat Forums > Performance (1970) Discussion > Previously Deleted Expletives.........

Previously Deleted Expletives.........

posted 20 years ago by Ambiance35
5 replies | jump to latest

Am I right in believing that this was the first mainstream film to use the Anglo Saxon f-word which was passed uncut at the time by the censors?

[–] TheBrothersCarruthers 20 years ago

I think that 'Performance' is pre-dated by at least two others films in its use of the f-word. 1967 saw the release of 'Ulysses' and also Michael Winner's 'I'll Never Forget What's'isname'. I read somewhere that it was the lovely Marianne Faithfull who said the word in Winner's film but I don't know anything about the 'Ulysses' film.
By the way, if you're brave enough, do try to watch Winner's 1990 "classic" 'Bullseye'. A film so shockingly awful, so offensive, that it is one long "expletive" in itself.

[–] vincenzo66 19 years ago

I have both 'Ulysses' and 'Whatsisname' on video - and yes the F word is used in both. Barbara Jefford says it (once) during the closing 20 minute monologue in 'Ulysses' and Faithfull calls Oliver Reed a f-ing b-d in 'Whatsisname' (though it is partly obscured out by a car horn in the background).

So which film should go down in history as using the F word first? That's tricky. Both films were released in 1967 but which one appeared first I can't find out as yet.......

[–] bosully_ie 19 years ago

As far as I recall, it's 'Ulysses' that is taken as the first use of the F word. I have read this but can't remember where. I'll provide a link or reference at a later stage if I come across one.

[–] vincenzo66 19 years ago

Yes I think it's 'Ulysses' too. From what I can dig out, the film was released about 2 months before 'Whatsisname' in mid-1967.

[–] TheBrothersCarruthers 19 years ago

According to our hosts here at imdb.com, "Ulysses" is the winner; having been released 14th March 1967 in the USA. "I'll Never Forget What's 'isname" came out in December 1967, in the UK, but it was released on 14th April 1968 in the USA.
My reason for posting again is that I read a feature in the Sunday papers that mentioned that film about Dylan: "Don't Look Back". It came out in the USA 17th May 1967 - so it beats "I'll Never Forget What's 'isname" but not "Ulysses" - and is probably the first mainstream film to contain TWO f-words. Of course, "Don't Look Back" is a documentary, rather than non-fiction, - so I'm guessing that there could be another documentary that pre-dates it in its use of f-words - but I think that "Don't Look Back" would have gained a widespread (mainstream) theatre release.