certain films, others (such as Mary Whitehouse) saw him as excessively lenient. This dichotomy was clear right up to the end of his tenure when he was criticized both for refusing to allow the release of The Exorcist on video and for permitting the uncut release of David Cronenberg's Crash (1996) in cinemas. In 1997, Ferman clashed with new home secretary Jack Straw over policy on pornographic videos. Ferman released several hardcore pornographic films uncut after liberalizing the guidelines in 1996, suggesting that relaxation of restrictions would discourage illegal material. After Straw was appointed, Ferman failed to prevent him from forcing the BBFC to use the old, stricter guidelines on pornography, and from imposing a new president on the Board. In 1998, after these events, Ferman retired. Death On 24 December 2002, Ferman was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, with acute pneumonia. He died later that day. Personal life Ferman was married to Monica Robinson and had two children, a son and a daughter References External links 1930 births 2002 deaths Alumni of King's College, Cambridge American emigrants to England American television directors American theatre directors Artists from New York City British censors Cornell University alumni Great Neck North High School alumni United States Air Force airmen