A news item published in the November 1909 issue of Nordisk Filmtidning, the very first Swedish film journal, illustrates in a humorous way the apprehension and critiques provoked by film censorship at the time of its establishment.1 This news item, or rather this anecdote, from Kristiania, Norway’s capital (now known as Oslo), concerns a censorship decision that had an astonishing outcome. The (supposedly quite beautiful) film discussed in the news item showed a festival in Tyrol held in memory of the Austrian war of liberation of 1809. The festival closed with a reenactment of the execution of Andreas Hofer, which was naturally included in the film. However, the censor in charge, a policeman, found this final scene too barbaric and prohibited its public exhibition. The scene was removed. However, according to the reporter, the manager of the moving picture theater that was about to screen the film decided to make fun of the policeman’s mild and sensitive mind. Thus, when the film reached the point where the soldiers presented their weapons and aimed, a newly inserted intertitle appeared. It stated: “The execution of the death sentence of Andreas Hofer has been canceled by decision of the Kristiania police.”2 This rather drastic course of action by the theater manager brought about much laughter in Kristiania and later on in Sweden as well.