James Ferman

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

James Ferman
Born
James Alan Ferman

(1930-04-11)April 11, 1930
New York, United States
Died24 December 2002(2002-12-24) (aged 72)
Hampstead, London, UK
OccupationDirector of the BBFC
Years active1959-2002
SpouseMonica Robinson
Children2

James Alan Ferman (11 April 1930 – 24 December 2002) 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.[1]

Career

Ferman started at

ATV,[2] Emergency Ward 10 and many documentaries. He also wrote the libretto for the musical Zuleika
.

At the BBFC, Ferman oversaw extensive liberalization of censorship standards and fronted a successful campaign for the

video nasties" (a collection of low-budget horror and exploitation films, often containing violence against women and said to be too violent and gory for UK release).[citation needed] These films, including works such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, were not without cultural value, said many cultural commentators.[citation needed
]

Ferman was also well known for his policies on illegal weapons, which resulted in sequences involving

The Exorcist on video and for permitting the uncut release of David Cronenberg's Crash (1996) in cinemas.[8]

In 1997, Ferman clashed with new home secretary Jack Straw over policy on pornographic videos.[5] Ferman released several hardcore pornographic films uncut after liberalizing the guidelines in 1996, suggesting that relaxation of restrictions would discourage illegal material.[9] After Straw was appointed, Ferman failed to prevent him from forcing the BBFC to use the old, stricter guidelines on pornography, and from imposing a new president on the Board.[5][9] In 1998, after these events, Ferman retired.[5]

Death

On 24 December 2002, Ferman was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, with acute pneumonia. He died later that day.[10]

Personal life

Ferman was married to Monica Robinson and had two children, a son and a daughter

References

  1. ^ Michael Brooke "Ferman, James (1930-2002)", BFI screenonline page
  2. ^ a b c d e Dennis Barker Obituary: James Ferman, The Guardian, 27 December 2009
  3. ^ "Pi Lambda Phi 2010 Membership Directory"
  4. ^ Obituary; James Ferman, Daily Telegraph, 26 December 2002
  5. ^ a b c d e f Robertson, James. "Ferman, James Alan (1930–2002), film censor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  6. ^ "James Ferman: The British Film Censor Who Hated Nunchucks". Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  7. ^ Matt Edwards (February 2017). "Why sausages were cut out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2". Den of Geek.
  8. ^ "'Tough act' for film watchdog". BBC News. 11 November 1998.
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84457-476-6
    .
  10. ^ "Film censor Ferman dies". BBC News. 25 December 2002. Retrieved 25 December 2002.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Ferman&oldid=1194991800"