In 1967, the BBFC (then the “British Board of Film Censors”, now the “British Board of Film Classification”) had a number of concerns about the movie in terms of its suitability for a “U” (Universal) film classification. Below is a letter written by John Trevelyan of the BBFC in December 1967 to Tony (Havelock-Allan), the co-producer, setting out concerns in relation to the three following scenes:
- The first appearance of Tybalt (on a bed with a girl) and as to whether he was almost naked. The scene was later deleted, although still photos of the scene show that Tybalt was only naked above the waist.
- The bedroom scene of Romeo and Juliet, which was the principal concern of the BBFC.
- The crypt scene at the end and the shots of corpses of the Capulet family, including Tybalt.
In the end, the movie was given an “A” (Advisory) classification. It is interesting that none of the BBFC’s concerns as to whether the movie was suitable for a “U” classification related to the levels of violence or to the two suicides occurring in the movie.
Below is a podcast in which the BBFC discusses these issues, together with a PDF of John Trevelyan’s letter (December 1967):
