The porn seen by Jackie O to Grandma.
History
The history of the Golden Age of Pornography would be incomplete without, potentially the highest grossing film, Deep Throat. (The actual profits are unknown due to questionable businessmen.) In 1973 Deep Throat was the 11th highest grossing film in the United States, which put an adult film in the same league as The Exorcist and Disney’s Robin Hood. The film was one of the first of its kind to legitimize porn in mainstream culture. Quickly after its release the government attacked the film in the war against smut. The added publicity catapulted the film into infamy.
Plot
One of the hallmarks of a Golden Age film was the pretense of story, largely abandoned by more modern works such as Kung Fu Nurses A Go- Go and the entire genre of Gonzo. The plot of Deep Throat follows the journey of a sexually frustrated Linda Lovelace, who through the help of a doctor, realizes her clitoris is located in the back of her throat. Once Linda discovers her pleasure center she enjoys the joys of orgasms through fellatio.
Film Production and Distribution
The film was produced and distributed by Plymouth Distribution & Bryanston Distribution. The film cost about $25,000 to make and $25,000 for the soundtrack. (Money well spent.) When the film was being made it was illegal to film pornography so the scenes were filmed on the down low at a motel in Miami. The film was released in June of 1972 in adult theaters. The government quickly intervened and labeled the film as obscene and removed the film from most theaters. The Pussycat Theater in Los Angeles ran the film for an entire decade. Most of the distribution was done illegally through the mob, which had strong ties to the pornography business. Many of the alleged distributors and filmmakers were arrested for their relation to organized crime. The copyright for Deep Throat is owned by Arrow Productions. The film was released on VHS and DVD. Most adult stores carry Deep Throat under their "Classics" section.
Profits and Prices
The known profits of Deep Throat are a bit of a controversy. Inside Deep Throat claims the film made $600 million dollars while others estimate significantly less. The price is also unknown for the tickets at the theater. Some say five dollars while others think slightly over two. The DVD costs $36.95 new. (Used for $15, what a deal!)
Advertising
Deep Throat gained publicity and notoriety from the government trying to remove it from theaters. The New York Times wrote an article about the film labeling it as ‘porn chic’ when it first debuted. Screw Magazine gave a great review of the film as well. There was an advertisement in the New York Times calling the film “Throat.” Another source of awareness came from celebrities being spotted leaving the film such as Jackie O, Truman Capote, and Johnny Carson.
The Manifestations of Deep Throat
· The 1970s porno had many manifestations the most well known would be that of the Watergate informant who was dubbed “Deep Throat.”
· The sexual act of deep throat became popular after the film and has created a sub genre in pornography.
· There have been sequels and remakes.
· There was a documentary made about the film called Inside Deep Throat.
· Linda Lovelace has five biographies written about her.
· The film also has a soundtrack.
· More adult movies were created in the wake of Deep Throat such as Debbie Does Dallas.
Deep Throat, what does it mean?
Similar to the 1970s, pornography has a stigma attached. Deep Throat sought to legitimize pornographic films by making it accessible to more than just "perverts." The film was seen by grandmas and grandsons. The ideology that porn is only seen by those who are sexually perverse was changed by Deep Throat. The idea of porn chic and the Golden Age of Pornography brought some credibility to the genre. The film was not only seen by men but by women too. Oddly enough it became a date movie. It also brought fellatio into the forefront of sexual acts.
Deep Throat made a statement about the culture of the 1970s and the sexual revolution. Sex is supposed to be enjoyable and not shameful. The film created a culture war between those extremely against smut and those who were not opposed to some nudity. It divided a nation while seeking validation as entertainment.
Like most pornography there is controversy in regards to the actors involved with the film. The labor exploitation of women in particular was prevalent in Deep Throat. Linda Lovelace started out by saying Deep Throat was a positive liberating experience but as time went by Linda changed her story of that of rape and extortion. Her change of mind is evident in her many biographies. The actors, director, and crew were only paid during the making of the film and saw no extra profits when the film exploded into infamy.
Despite or because of all the controversy surrounding the film Deep Throat is one of the few household names when it comes to pornography.
Questioning the truth of Deep Throat
No comments:
Post a Comment