James Ferman
Encyclopedia
James Alan Ferman was an American
television
and theatre
director. He was the Secretary (later termed Director) of the British Board of Film Classification
from 1975 to 1999.
Ferman originally came to the United Kingdom while in the United States Air Force
, following an English degree from Cornell
, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi
fraternity. He subsequently studied at King's College, Cambridge
. Before his time at the BBFC, Ferman worked on TV series such as Armchair Theatre
, and after moving from ABC
to ATV
, Emergency Ward 10
and many documentaries. He also wrote the libretto
for the musical Zuleika.
Ferman gained, amongst some, reputation as an overzealous censor as result of his refusal to allow several films from the 1970s to be released following the introduction of video censorship under the Video Recordings Act 1984
and the media outcry over "video nasties". It was felt by many cultural commentators that these films, including works such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
, were not without cultural value.
Ferman was also well known for his keenness to remove references to certain weapons, with the result that sequences involving nunchuks
, no matter how innocuous, were removed. A prime casualty of the ruling were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
films which were aggressively pruned.
However the other side of Ferman's tenure was that under his management cuts to films, once comparatively routine, became exceedingly scarce. While liberal commentators complained about his dogged refusal to release certain films, others (such as Mary Whitehouse
) saw him as excessively lenient. This dichotomy was clear right up to the end of his tenure when he was criticised both for refusing to allow the release of The Exorcist
on video and for permitting the uncut release of David Cronenberg
's Crash
(1996) in cinemas.
On his retirement from the BBFC, Ferman called for a relaxation of the restrictions applied to hardcore pornography
in the UK, suggesting that this would discourage illegal material.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
director. He was the Secretary (later termed Director) of the British Board of Film Classification
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
from 1975 to 1999.
Ferman originally came to the United Kingdom while in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, following an English degree from Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi
Pi Lambda Phi
Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternity Inc. is a college social fraternity with 35 active chapters and four colonies in the United States and Canada....
fraternity. He subsequently studied at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. Before his time at the BBFC, Ferman worked on TV series such as Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
, and after moving from ABC
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
to ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
, Emergency Ward 10
Emergency Ward 10
Emergency – Ward 10 is a British television series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like The Grove Family, a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, Emergency – Ward 10 is considered to be one of British television's first major soap operas.-Overview:The series was made by the ITV...
and many documentaries. He also wrote the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
for the musical Zuleika.
Ferman gained, amongst some, reputation as an overzealous censor as result of his refusal to allow several films from the 1970s to be released following the introduction of video censorship under the Video Recordings Act 1984
Video Recordings Act 1984
The Video Recordings Act 1984 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was passed in 1984. It states that commercial video recordings offered for sale or for hire within the UK must carry a classification that has been agreed upon by an authority designated by the Home Office...
and the media outcry over "video nasties". It was felt by many cultural commentators that these films, including works such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
, were not without cultural value.
Ferman was also well known for his keenness to remove references to certain weapons, with the result that sequences involving nunchuks
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
, no matter how innocuous, were removed. A prime casualty of the ruling were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
films which were aggressively pruned.
However the other side of Ferman's tenure was that under his management cuts to films, once comparatively routine, became exceedingly scarce. While liberal commentators complained about his dogged refusal to release certain films, others (such as Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse, CBE was a British campaigner against the permissive society particularly as the media portrayed and reflected it...
) saw him as excessively lenient. This dichotomy was clear right up to the end of his tenure when he was criticised both for refusing to allow the release of The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
on video and for permitting the uncut release of David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
's Crash
Crash (1996 film)
Crash is a 1996 Canadian/British drama thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on the J. G. Ballard 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car accidents, a notable form of paraphilia. The film generated considerable...
(1996) in cinemas.
On his retirement from the BBFC, Ferman called for a relaxation of the restrictions applied to hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
in the UK, suggesting that this would discourage illegal material.