Following some deep thought after my last post I realised that trying to write three papers at the same time was more than any sane mind could handle, so reluctantly I dropped the Hammer conference. It will undoubtably be a fantastic event, but I just couldn't do it. Plus it was really straying from my current areas of research so it was purely an indulgence even to consider it.
However, I am going to Lincoln next week to give this paper on the fascinating world of E.J. Fancey. At least, I hope it's fascinating. I've been researching this for a long time, and writing the paper itself has taken me the best part of two weeks.
I have delved into the Fancey family history to unravel some of the complicated relationships behind his companies, which included S.F. Film Distributors, D.U.K. Films and New Realm Pictures. I have also uncovered original marketing materials and BBFC documentation which highlights the sometimes friendly, sometimes fractious relationship they had with the censors.
I am mainly focusing on the films they distributed rather then their own productions, although they did make several of their own. Largely forgettable is the kindest way of describing them. They did however give Michael Winner his first break as a feature film director, although if you have ever seen Parting Shots (1998) you may not be able to thank them for that.
Karamoja - Land of the Naked People (1965) has to be one of the best exploitation titles of all time. This was actually one of Kroger Babb's films, the American exploitation king who gave the world Mom and Dad (1945) and "She Shoulda Said 'No'!" (1949).
The Fancey's empire, which was eventually run by E.J. himself, his wife, his common-law wife, and his children by both wives, was a major player in the world of independent film distribution in the 1960s.
Edwin's son Malcolm had great success in the 1970s by acquiring the rights to Emmanuelle (1975), and he invested the money into making sex films of his own. In the 1980s he gained notoriety for this little publicity stunt to promote Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (1981). This backfired when he and partner David Hamilton-Grant were prosecuted for obscenity because they "accidentally" distributed the version refused a certificate by the BBFC. He got off with a suspended sentence whilst his partner went to prison.
The Fancey's are a fascinating and slightly elusive family that I hope to continue to find more on. I have contacted some living members of the family but have had no success in persuading any of them to speak to me. But I will not give up!
Now that this paper is finished I have to start my giallo one for the Rome conference in three weeks. Oh dear...
