Roller A-Z: Blue Scene Films

Out of all the 40+ roller labels, I find Blue Scene Films to be the most fascinating. Unlike other brands, Blue Scene Films re-released older rollers alongside new content that appears to have been produced in Sweden. Some of these older titles date back to the early/mid 1960s, suggesting that the person behind Blue Scene Films had a longstanding involvement in Britain’s pornography trade. For instance, A Natural Break (aka TV Man), The Part Time Job and Unexpected Guests look to have been made between 1962 and 1965. The impressive quality of Blue Scene Films’ prints suggests that these rereleases were processed in actual film laboratories rather than the usual informal garage labs that were usually used for the initial releases, pointing to a more professional means of production, perhaps in Denmark and the smuggled back into Britain. Then there’s the mystery of the Victorian-style flat, which features in numerous unbranded rollers between 1967 and 1969 and also appears in a Color Climax magazine titled Seduction Susan from 1970. ‘Big’ John English, Britain’s own John Holmes, appears in many of these, including Fisherman’s Luck. In Under the Counter, I suggest that Ivor Cook to the likely person behind this label, given that he was actively producing films from around 1962 onwards and had strong transnational links with Denmark and Sweden.

Blue Scene Films appear to have started issuing titles around 1969. Some of the latterly shot films are printed in colour, and at least two titles – Free Sample and Pussy Lovers – were released on both standard 8mm and Super 8. Blue Scene Films appears to have been well distributed, as the titles still occasionally appear in online auctions. The label seems to have existed until 1973 when, like many other roller labels, imports from Denmark and Germany began to dominate the British market. Film stock confirms this, with the majority of titles being printed on Agfa Gevaert 1S and 2S stock, which is typical for rollers of this period. Two colour prints – The Hunter and Manhunt – are on Kodak Safety Film, which can be dated to 1973. The Kinsey Institute suggests that both films were first released in 1969. Sex Pets is likely another bestiality themed roller.

A later incarnation of Blue Scene Films appeared, presenting films in a jewel cassette style case. These are hardcore Super 8 films and look to be shot in Sweden or Denmark. Three of these titles – Caught in the Act, Office Orgy and Office Girls – are included here.

The titles below have been taken from a Blue Scene Films mail-order catalogue, of which I include scans of below. In this catalogue, the letters ‘KTC’ are handwritten below some of the titles. A roller collector I met owns several Blue Scene Films titles that are presented in plastic cases with the text ‘KTC’ printed on the spine. KTC likely refers to a shop named Kentish Town Cine who sold 8mm films on Kentish Town main street and distributed glamour films. Other collectors claimed to have no knowledge of Kentish Town Cine dealing in rollers or hardcore pornography. One, who regularly frequented the shop, believed that KTC could have distributed Blue Scene Films titles under the counter, but doubted that the company had any involvement in their making. If readers can shed any further light on this relationship with KTC, or offer any further information on Blue Scene Films please do leave a message.

Title card taken from Manhunt.

Box variants:

Some boxes include the titles of other rollers released by Blue Scene Films:

One page of a mail-order catalogue selling Blue Scene Films: