| Deep Throat | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jerry Gerard |
| Written by | Jerry Gerard |
| Produced by | Louis "Butchie" Peraino |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Harry Flecks |
| Edited by | Jerry Gerard |
| Distributed by | Bryanston Distributing Company |
Release date |
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Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $47,500 |
| Box office | $30–50 million[1] |
Deep Throat is a 1972 Americanpornographic film written and directed byGerard Damiano, listed in the credits as "Jerry Gerard", and starringLinda Lovelace (Linda Susan Boreman). It is considered the forefront of theGolden Age of Porn (1969–1984).
One of the first pornographic films to feature a plot,character development, and relatively high production values,Deep Throat earned mainstream attention and launched the "porno chic" trend, although the film was the subject ofobscenity trials and banned in some jurisdictions. Lovelace later wrote that she was coerced andsexually assaulted during the production, and that the film is genuinerape pornography.[2]
Linda Lovelace, asexually frustrated woman, seeks advice from her friend Helen on how to achieve anorgasm. After attending asex party that proves unhelpful, Helen suggests that Linda visit a psychiatrist named Dr. Young. During their sessions, the doctor discovers that Linda'sclitoris is located in her throat, instead of its normal location. Because stimulation of the clitoris is usually required for a woman to achieve orgasm, Linda would need to develop anoral sex technique that would stimulate her unusually located clitoris.
Dr. Young assists Linda in developing this technique. During this process, Linda becomes infatuated with Dr. Young and proposes marriage. Dr. Young responds that Linda should instead become his therapist, utilizing her particular oral technique—henceforth known as "deep-throating"—on various men until she finds a suitable husband. Simultaneously, the doctor documents her exploits in repeated sexual encounters with his nurse. Eventually, Linda meets a man who brings her happiness and sexual fulfilment, and she agrees to marry him. The movie concludes with the line, "The End. And Deep Throat to you all."
The scenes involving Lovelace were shot inNorth Miami, Florida over six days in January 1972.[3] The interior scenes were shot at a hotel between 123rd and 124th Streets on Biscayne Boulevard, then known as the Voyager Inn. The building was subsequently converted to a dormitory forJohnson & Wales University.[citation needed] The scenes involving Carol Connors were shot inNew York City.
The movie was produced by Louis "Butchie" Peraino, who was listed in the credits as "Lou Perry". Peraino was the owner of Plymouth Distributing, which he later renamed Arrow Film and Video. The entire production cost of $22,500 (equivalent to $169,000 today), and an additional $25,000 ($188,000 today) for music, was provided by Peraino's father,Anthony Peraino, a member of theColombo crime family. Gerard Damiano, who had rights to one-third of the profits, was reportedly paid a lump sum of $25,000 once the film became popular and was forced out of the partnership.[4]John Franzese also had a financial stake in the film.[5]
In a March 1973 column, criticRoger Ebert wrote: "It is all very well and good for Linda Lovelace, the star of the movie, to advocate sexual freedom; but the energy she brings to her role is less awesome than discouraging. If you have to work this hard at sexual freedom, maybe it isn't worth the effort."[6] A review inVariety stated that although the film "doesn't quite live up to its reputation as theBen-Hur of porno pix, it is a superior piece which stands a head above the competition."[7]Al Goldstein wrote a rave review in hisScrew magazine, saying "I was never so moved by any theatrical performance since stuttering through my ownbar mitzvah."[8][9]
Deep Throat officially premiered at the World Theater in New York on June 12, 1972, and was advertised inThe New York Times under thebowdlerized titleThroat.[10]
The film's popularity helped launch a brief period ofupper-middle class interest in explicit pornography referred to by Ralph Blumenthal ofThe New York Times as "porno chic". Several mainstream celebrities admitted to having seenDeep Throat, includingMartin Scorsese,Brian De Palma,[11]Truman Capote,Jack Nicholson,Johnny Carson,[4]Spiro Agnew,Frank Sinatra, Philip Dresmann and Louis Derfert.[9]Barbara Walters mentions having seen the film in her autobiography,Audition: A Memoir.[12]Jimmy McMillan considers it to be his favorite film.[13]
The film's title soon became a pop culture reference, most notably whenHoward Simons, the then-managing editor ofThe Washington Post, chose it as thecode name for assistantFBI directorW. Mark Felt, a well-guarded secret inside informant during theWatergate scandal that plagued the administration of PresidentRichard M. Nixon.[14]
Deep Throat grossed $1 million (equivalent to $7.5 million today) in its first seven weeks of release in 1972, including a then-porn film single-screen record of $30,033 ($225,761 today) in its opening week at New York City's New World Theatre. The film made a then-record $3 million ($22.6 million today) in its first six months of release and was still ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing films, as ranked byVariety, 48 weeks after its release.[15]
Estimates of the film's total revenues have varied widely: numbers as high as $600 million (equivalent to $4.5 billion today) have been cited, which would makeDeep Throat one of the highest-grossing films of all time. With an average ticket price of $5 ($37.59 today), box-office takings of $600 million would imply 120 million admissions, an unrealistic figure.[4] Although subsequent sales of the film on home video certainly brought additional revenue, the FBI's estimate that the film produced an income of approximately $100 million ($752 million today) may be closer to the truth. Michael Hiltzik of theLos Angeles Times also argues for a lower figure in a February 2005 article, pointing out thatDeep Throat was banned outright in large parts of the US (as well as many other countries), and only tended to find screenings in a small network of adult theaters in larger urban centers.[1] The directors ofInside Deep Throat responded to the article, suggesting that actual revenues from the film were possibly even higher than the $600 million figure.[16] Hiltzik was unsatisfied with the directors' response, writing that their method was to "construct a seemingly solid box office figure out of layers and layers of speculation piled upon a foundation of sand".[17]
Roger Ebert noted as well in his review ofInside Deep Throat, a 2005 documentary about the film's cultural legacy, that many theaters that screened the film were mob-connected enterprises, which probably also "inflated box office receipts as a way oflaundering income from drugs and prostitution" and other illegal activities.[18]
In 2006, a censored edition of the film was released on DVD for fans of pop culture and those wishing to own a non-X-rated copy of the infamous movie.Deep Throat was the first film to be inducted into theXRCO Hall of Fame.[19]
In her first two biographies, Linda Boreman characterized having made the film as a liberating experience; in her third and fourth biographies, both of which were written after she had come out with her stories ofsexual abuse,rape, and forced prostitution in the porn business,[20] she charged that she had not consented to many of the depicted sexual acts and that she had been coerced to perform by herabusive then-husbandChuck Traynor, who received $1,250 (equivalent to $9,000 today)[citation needed] for her acting.[citation needed] She also claimed that Traynor threatened to kill her, brandishing handguns and rifles to control her.[21]
In 1986, she testified before theMeese Commission, "Virtually every time someone watches that movie, they're watching me being raped."[22] In theToronto Sun on March 20, 1981, she said, "It is a crime that movie is still showing; there was a gun to my head the entire time."[23] While the other people present on the set did not support the gun charge, both Traynor and Damiano confirmed in interviews that Traynor was extremely controlling towards Boreman and also hit her on occasion. In the documentaryInside Deep Throat, it is claimed that bruises are visible on Boreman's body in the movie.
These allegations were cited in the UK Government's Rapid Evidence Assessment on "The evidence of harm to adults relating to exposure to extreme pornographic material"[24] as part of its plans to criminalize possession of what it termed "extreme pornography".
In various United States communities, the movie was shown to juries to determine whether it wasobscene; the outcomes varied widely and the movie was banned in numerous locations.
In August 1972, after a jury in New York City had found the movie not to be obscene,[25] prosecutors decided to charge Mature Enterprises, the company that owned the World Theater, for promotion of obscene material, taking them to trial in December.[26][4][27] During the trial, a psychiatrist testified that the film portrayed acts that were "well within the bounds of normal behavior".[27] A film critic testified the movie had social value because it showed sympathy for female desires, because the script contained humor and because it was filmed "with clarity and lack of grain".[27] Conversely, in response to a claim the film was a spoof of sexual behavior, aNew York University professor said, "I do not see how you can spoof fellatio by showing continuous performance of fellatio."[27] On March 1, 1973, Judge Joel J. Tyler ruledDeep Throat to be obscene, issuing his opinion on the film as "this feast of carrion and squalor", "a nadir of decadence" and "a Sodom and Gomorrah gone wild before the fire".[27] Judge Tyler fined Mature Enterprises $100,000 (equivalent to $710,000 today), which was later reduced on appeal.[27] The ruling inadvertently contributed to the film's becoming perhaps the most popular X-rated movie of all time.[27]
In 1976, there was a series of federal cases inMemphis, Tennessee, where over 60 individuals and companies, including the Perainos and actor Harry Reems, were indicted forconspiracy to distribute obscenity across state lines. Damiano and Lovelace were granted immunity in exchange for testimony. Federal District Court judgeHarry W. Wellford heard the case, and the trial ended with a conviction. This was the first time that an actor had been prosecuted by the federal government on obscenity charges. (Lenny Bruce had been prosecuted in the 1960s by local authorities.) Reems became acause célèbre and received considerable support from Hollywood circles. On appeal, he was represented byAlan Dershowitz, and his conviction was overturned: theMiller test (the three-pronged standard from theU.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision inMiller v. California[28] that determines what constitutes obscenity)[29] was applied in his case. TheFederal Bureau of Investigation case known as "Miporn" convicted and sentenced, on April 30, 1977, Michael Cherubino to five months' imprisonment and a fine of $4,000, Anthony Novello to six months' imprisonment, Joseph Peraino to one year's imprisonment and a fine of $10,000 (including a $10,000 fine to his company, Plymouth Distributors Inc.), Louis Peraino to one year's imprisonment and a fine of $10,000 (including a $10,000 fine to each of his two companies, Bryanston Distributors Inc. and Gerard Damiano Productions Inc.), Anthony Battista to four months' imprisonment and a fine of $4,000, Carl Carter to six months' imprisonment and a fine of $6,500, Mel Friedman to nine months' imprisonment and a fine of $7,500, and Mario Desalvo to three months' imprisonment and a fine of $3,500.[30]
In 1975, aSioux Falls, South Dakota jury found the film not obscene.[31]
In San Antonio, police seized the movie and its movie projector from a theater several times in the space of two weeks.[32]
Herman Hausman, manager of Franklin Art Theater on South Avenue, Syracuse, New York, was charged with second degree obscenity.[33]
In the UK, the movie was banned upon release, and the ban was upheld by the courts 10 years later. The uncut DVD and VHS Video of the movie was finally given anR18 rating in 2000, which allowed it to be sold in licensedsex shops in the UK.[34]
Deep Throat was released without acopyright notice. Because Peraino had usedfour wall distribution for all ofDeep Throat's releases, that left the potential for the film to be classified as an unpublished work, preventing it from falling into thepublic domain. Peraino sold the rights to the film to Arrow Productions for home video release (including a copyright notice) at some point prior to 2009. Despite Arrow holding the rights, rival pornography distributor VCX began distributingDeep Throat as retaliation for Arrow's distribution ofDebbie Does Dallas andThe Devil in Miss Jones, two films VCX asserted were under their copyright. (In the former case,Debbie Does Dallas was determined to be public domain in a 1987 court ruling.) In order to prevent VCX from challenging the copyright onDeep Throat, Arrow Productions agreed in 2011 to voluntarily stop distributingDebbie Does Dallas andThe Devil in Miss Jones, thus leaving their copyright status unresolved.[35]
In April 1978, pirate stationLucky 7 inSyracuse, New York illegally airedDeep Throat (and alsoBehind the Green Door, as well as non-pornographic fare such as episodes ofStar Trek). The pirates have never been identified.
On February 23, 2008, theNetherlands Public Broadcasting corporationsVPRO andBNN screenedDeep Throat on national television as part of a themed night on the history of pornographic films, and the influence of pornography in youth culture in theNetherlands. Although the film aired after 10 p.m., following a guideline for adult television, and was embedded in a discussion program, several political parties (especially Dutch cabinet member partyChristian Union) were clamoring for steps to be taken to prevent airing. The Minister of Education and Media,Ronald Plasterk, declared that he could not and did not want to forbid the airing of the film.[36] The movie was seen by 907,000 viewers.[37]
In December 2014,The Rialto Report, a web site devoted to the history of the so-calledGolden Age of Porn, made the surprise announcement that the supporting actress billed as Dolly Sharp, who had vanished into obscurity shortly after the release ofDeep Throat, was in fact Helen Wood (1935–1998), a former Broadway performer who, as a teenager, had a major role in the 1953 Hollywood musicalGive a Girl a Break.[38]
| Deep Throat | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by unknown artists | |
| Released | 1972 |
| Recorded | 1972 |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Length | 60 minutes |
| Producer | Louis Peraino |
An original soundtrack album for the film was released in 1972. Few copies remain and when on the market, they have sold for as much asUS$300. The album contains both instrumental and vocals tracks as well as short snippets of dialog from the film (indicated with quotations in the list below). All artists are unknown. A remixed and remastered CD and LP version is available fromLight in the Attic Records (see links). DirectorGerard Damiano reportedly edited the sex scenes to conform to different musical cues.[39] The film opens with an instrumental track that echoes the hook of the 1968 easy listening hit, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose".
The originalsequel toDeep Throat—Deep Throat Part II—was written and directed byJoseph W. Sarno and featured the original starsLinda Lovelace andHarry Reems. Shot in New York City in early 1973, it was released in New York in February 1974 with anMPAA "R" rating. Although attributed to Damiano Films,Deep Throat directorGerard Damiano was not involved with its production. The film was produced byDeep Throat producer Louis Peraino, who had in the meantime founded the mainstream distribution companyBryanston Films. The version ofDeep Throat Part II available on DVD isbowdlerized to the point where the film contains virtually no sexual content of any sort, probably a byproduct of its efforts to receive an MPAA R rating at the time of its release. AnItalian DVD release of the film, however, contains its originalsoftcore sex scenes. It has long been claimed thatDeep Throat Part II was originally shot with the intention of releasing it as ahardcore feature and that hardcore sequences shot for the film were stolen while the film was in post-production. Director Joe Sarno, however, has insisted in interviews that this is not the case.[citation needed]
Vivid Entertainment ownerSteven Hirsch told XFANZ reporters at theFAME Awards in June 2008 that the company is producing a remake ofDeep Throat.[40] The making of this film was the subject of theShowtime original seriesDeeper Throat.
Vivid had planned to release its remake but Arrow Productions, the copyright owner, did not like the deviation from the original storyline or the manner in which the film was directed and cast. They then withdrew permission to remakeDeep Throat, and forced Steve Hirsch to remarket and edit his movie forcopyright purposes.
Hirsch changed the name of the title toThroat: A Cautionary Tale, and it was released in March 2009.[41]
In 2022, which marked the 50th anniversary of the film, the film was restored and re-released and several screenings were held.[20] Since all of the principals and the director Damiano have since died, the movie's restoration was overseen by Damiano's children, Christar and Gerard Damiano Jr., in collaboration with Robin Leonardi, the surviving daughter of another adult industry trailblazer, and a contemporary of the originalDeep Throat trio,Gloria Leonard.[20]
Gerard Damiano edited the film to its music, so the actions would match and the beat would match ... like up and down strokes on the old shaft ... it was pretty clever.
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