Roller A-Z: Anglo Continental

Anglo Continental featured heavily in the Watford Blue Movie Trial, a major obscenity case in 1973 that drew public attention to Britain’s illicit pornography trade. Police documentation relating to the trial names Anthony Collingbourne and distributor John Darby as the people behind this label and at least five others: Academy, Apollo, Double XX, Look and Viking Films. However, it seems likely that John Jesner Lindsay had some involvement, as Kinky Vicar was previously issued on his Excelsior label, and other titles reappeared on Taboo & Phoenix and Orchid Films, hinting at a working relationship between Collingbourne, Darby and Lindsay. Films were presented in either blue ( for black and white prints) and purple (for colour prints) boxes.

The three Anglo Continental rollers I have examined did not have a label identification card at the beginning, opening with a title card. The list below is mainly taken from police files. Many of the films were shot in a Watford house occupied by Collingbourne that served as a studio and production facility. Some of the performers lived at the property. House of Mirrors and Traveller’s Rest featured heavily in the Watford Blue Movie Trial. Both of these films were indicted under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Sexual Offences Act 1956 as they contained instances of anal sex. Dog Lovers is one of the few rollers that featured beastiality. It was also named in the trial as an obscene article for gain and was cited in press coverage. Today, ownership of such content in the United Kingdom would constitute a criminal offence under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. 

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