Oct. 9, 1981: Controversial movie Caligula seized during Towne Cinema screening
City police seized the movie Caligula during its evening debut at Towne Cinema, 118th Avenue and 124th Street.
The film about a sadistic Roman emperor — which featured beheadings, stabbings and necrophilia — was confiscated by two plainclothes officers as it was being shown to a sold-out audience.
Seizure of the controversial film was anticipated to cost the theatre up to $80,000.
“It’s going to be a sizable amount of money,” said Neil Campbell, district supervisor for Landmark Cinemas, which operated Towne Cinema.
“I’m not sure when we’ll be able to reopen,” Campbell said. “It depends on what the bookers can do for us.”
The film was passed by the Alberta censor board after cuts were made by the distributor.
Police said they received a complaint after an afternoon showing of the $17-million film, produced by Penthouse Magazine.
“From the call it seemed possible the film violated obscenity laws,” a police spokesman told the Journal.
The film was seized one week later in Calgary.
A Court of Queen’s Bench ruling two months later determined the film was not obscene, freeing distributors to arrange to screen it again.
Justice Clarence Yanosik said while the film exploited sex, horror and cruelty, the exploitation was not undue.
“Grotesque as it may be, I feel Caligula has a serious artistic and philosophical purpose. It is not a skin flick or a smut movie.”
Universally panned, the 1979 film was written by the late Gore Vidal and starred Malcolm McDowell, Peter O’Toole, John Gielgud and Helen Mirren.