Todo Concostrina — Acontece que no es poco

Episode: 5 de noviembre de 1938: Nace la Junta de Censura Cinematográfica con el Franco censor que se censuró

Host: Nieves Concostrina (C), with Carla (B)
Date: November 5, 2025
Podcast: SER Podcast

Overview

In this lively and incisive episode, Nieves Concostrina delves into the origins and legacy of Francoist censorship in Spanish cinema. Marking the anniversary of the establishment of the Junta de Censura Cinematográfica on November 5, 1938, she examines Franco’s obsession with controlling culture, focusing especially on how he not only censored the arts but ended up censoring his own work. With her trademark irony, Nieves exposes the hypocrisy and absurdities of Spain’s dictatorial era.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Franco, Censorship, and Spanish “Libertad”

• Franco’s many roles: Beyond his notorious deeds (persecuting opponents, enriching his family, inaugurating dams), Franco is described with biting sarcasm as a “journalist and cineaste” (00:25).
• Origins of the Junta de Censura Cinematográfica: On November 5, 1938, Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer (Franco’s brother-in-law) established the board to control and censor films:

  “Aún no había tomado el control total del país, pero Franco ya andaba haciendo lo mismo que hacía su admirado Hitler...” – Nieves (01:02)

• Purpose: The board aimed to prevent Spanish directors from showing whatever they wished—modeled directly on Nazi Germany’s methods.
• Effect: Only lighthearted films and musicals were permitted, those that promoted Francoist values. Foreign movies faced swift bans if they challenged moral or religious conservatism.
• Notable example: “Lo que el viento se llevó” (“Gone with the Wind”) premiered in 1939 but was banned in Spain until 1950. Franco, however, watched it privately (03:30).

Film “Raza”: Franco’s Self-Censorship Masterpiece

• Author and Concealment: Franco wrote the propagandistic novel “Raza” under the pen name Jaime de Andrade; it was adapted to film in 1941 by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia (05:16).
• Censorship of “Raza”:
  • Post-WWII, as Franco distanced himself from former Axis sympathies, “Raza” was censored by order of Franco himself in 1949; all original copies were to be destroyed, and the film re-edited for re-release in 1950.
  • Changes included the title (to “Espíritu de una raza”), removal of anti-American and fascist content, and deletion of Falangist references and fascist salutes (07:09).
• Reason for self-censorship: To erase traces of Franco’s Nazi/Fascist admiration when Spain realigned with Western powers.
• Revelation: For decades, the censorship of the original “Raza” went unnoticed until film historians discovered surviving original copies—one in Berlin, another in Madrid’s flea market via a local gitano (08:05–09:29).

Hypocrisy and Irony of Franco’s Cultural “Freedom”

• Quote: “Este era un ejemplo más de las muchas libertades que pudimos disfrutar con Franco. ¿No será que eres un poco idiota? Yo juraré a que sí. ¿No será que eres un cabezón?” – Nieves (04:38)
• Critical review from the era:
  • A period critic extolled “Raza” in absurd, grandiose terms, revealing the regime’s warped narrative:

    “La Raza, en fin, en pie para explicar por qué nuestra tierra descubrió mundos, implantó normas, creó pueblos, convirtió infieles, ganó batallas y las perdió para ejemplo de héroes y espejo de mártires...” (09:56)

• Contemporary perspective: Nieves insists that if any critic at the time had called out “Raza” for what it was, “estaría ahora buscando en alguna cuneta…” (10:47)
• Absurd consequences of censorship: As evidence of the reach and effectiveness of the system, the “remastered” version was reissued as merely a technical improvement, hiding significant ideological changes (07:09–08:05).

Franco’s Inflated Self-Image

• Not limited to cinema: Franco appointed himself as Spain’s first official journalist, gaining entry into the journalist registry with number one, lauding his polemics (often under the pseudonym “Jakim,” “Bohr” or “Bor”) (13:05).
• Concostrina’s satire:

  “Franco también se podría haber declarado primer ingeniero de caminos, canales y puertos o primer neurocirujano español. Franco podía nombrarse lo que quisiera porque en este país había libertad para ser lo que quisiera uno.” – Nieves (13:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the purpose of censorship:

  “Se trataba de que las películas contuvieran, abro comillas, muestras inequívocas de exaltación de valores raciales o enseñanzas de nuestros principios morales y políticos.” – Nieves (03:47)

• On foreign films:

  “Lo que el viento se llevó estuvo prohibida porque la peli se estrenó en 1939. Pero en España no se pudo ver hasta 1950... Franco sí la vio. Porque a él le gustaba mucho el cine... prohibían a los ciudadanos que sufrían sus dictaduras películas que ellos sí veían en privado.” – Nieves (03:44)

• On self-censorship and cowardice:

  “El censor Franco censurando su propia película.” – Nieves (07:57) “...el guionista, Franco, resultó ser un gallín.” – Nieves (09:29)

• Wry humor on “Raza’s” excessive praise:

  “No en vano nuestra raza es fe católica, cruz en la espada, timón en los mares, llama en la sombra, sol perpetuo y oración constante.” – Boyero de la época, quoted by Nieves (10:19)

• Spoiler on “Raza’s” ending:

  “Ese valiente patriota fascista pide a los canallas republicanos que lo fusilen de frente. Se abre la camisa y dice Arriba España. Pues ese, al menos en la peli, tenía los perendengues mejor puestos que Franco, que se arrugó y se censuró a sí mismo porque era un patriota cobarde.” – Nieves (12:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Origins of film censorship in Spain: 01:02–03:30
• Ideals and absurdities of Franco-era “safe” cinema: 03:30–04:58
• Discussion of “Raza” and its first censorship: 05:13–08:01
• Discovery of the original “Raza” films and historical research: 08:01–09:29
• Regime-driven critical acclaim and consequences for dissent: 09:56–10:47
• Passage from “Raza” film finale: 11:04–12:18
• Comparison of Franco’s self-glorification in other fields: 13:05–13:39

Tone, Style, and Takeaways

• Tone: Irreverent, ironic, and sharply critical — classic Concostrina.
• Message: Francoist censorship was both oppressively thorough and ludicrously hypocritical, as epitomized by Franco’s meddling with his own propaganda tools.
• Legacy: The episode lays bare the myth of Franco-era “freedom” and demonstrates how manipulation of memory and culture, even in cinema, plays a crucial role in the construction of authoritarian regimes.

For anyone interested in the twisted relationship between dictatorship and art, or seeking a witty—if biting—take on recent Spanish history, this episode both entertains and enlightens.