This week we travel down memory lane to 1975. It was the mid 70’s and a time when many things were happening in our world, both good and bad, that would have a major effect on our future. It was a decade of change.
As always, we’ll first take a look at the cost of living in 1975. The average income in the U.S. was a whopping $14,000. a year, the average rent was $200 a month for an apartment. You could buy a brand new 3 bedroom home for an average price of just $40,000. When came to automobiles, the average price was around $4,200, but you could go expensive with something like the Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale for $5,625. A gallon of gas was only 44 cents. You could get a Hershey chocolate bar for 15 cents and a Big Mac for 70 cents. Men’s leisure suits were popular and cost only $39 (I had 2 of them!).
Some of the news headlines from 1975…The Vietnam War ends as Communist forces take Saigon and South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally…….The US carries out the Vietnam “Operation Babylift” that brings Vietnamese orphans to the US. …….Jimmy Hoffa, ex Teamsters boss, disappears never to be seen again……Patti Hearst becomes America’s Most Wanted and then arrested for armed robbery……. New York City avoids bankruptcy when President Gerald R. Ford signs a $2.3 billion loan……The U.S. Apollo and Soviet Soyuz 9 spacecraft link up in space as Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts shake hands.
Two young men, Bill Gates and Paul Allen create a new company called Microsoft. As for new products, new computers are starting to appear including the Altair 8800 and a new, modern way of communication begins. Motorola obtains a patent for the first portable mobile phones. The battle for video recorder standards of VHS and Betamax begin. The first digital camera is introduced by Kodak.
In the world of entertainment among the year’s big films were “Jaws”, “Young Frankenstein”, “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” and “The Godfather II”. In the music world LaBelle, the Eagles, Black Sabbath, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Wings and Chicago are the big record sellers. On TV the popular shows were The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Waltons, All in the Family, M*A*S*H and Happy Days. We lost a number of celebrities in 1975 that included blues performer T-Bone Walker, actress Susan Hayward, baseball manager Casey Stengel, TV writer and host Rod Serling and comedienne Moms Mabley.
In the world of porn, New York is the prime area for filming and a few productions are done on the west coast. New stars and new camera techniques all play into the growing popularity of porn and some regular theaters begin to screen porn on select dates. Despite protests from morality groups, government threats and new laws, porn is creating a new entertainment niche for consenting adults. One of the top adult films in 1975, is the one we look back at today, “The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann”.
The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann – Hudson Valley Films – Director Henry Paris – Cast – Barbara Bourbon, Darby Lloyd Rains, Georgina Spelvin, Alan Marlow, Eric Edwards, Jamie Gillis, Marc Stevens, Sonny Landham, others
This was a landmark film on many fronts in the early stages of porn’s golden age. To begin with director Radley Metzger, had a good mainstream background and took the Henry Paris name when he did porn. In addition, the star of this film, Barbara Bourbon, was also an excellent mainstream actress with quite a resume. The only reason she agreed to “bare it all” was because of Metzger, his reputation, the writing, the on location shooting, the professional crew and the mainstream feel the film had. Once this film was completed Ms. Bourbon disappeared from porn and went back to her mainstream career for a number of years under her mainstream name, which to this day no one has ever been able to discover.
This was the beginning of porn movies with story lines, plots, above par acting, music, on location productions that would have appeal to couples of all ages. The story line for this film centers on a married couple who seem to be very happy and in love. However, the husband (Alan Marlow) suspects his wife (Barbara Bourbon), who is a psychotherapist, is having outside affairs. So he hires a private detective (Eric Edwards) to follow her and secretly film her having these affairs. He then makes sure that the PI turns over the evidence to him, so he can confront his wife. We get to see the wife and her dalliances taking place. There is a scene where she is kidnapped by two radicals and while the male (Jamie Gillis) forces her to give him a total blowjob, the female recites the Supreme Court’s ruling on pornography. A strange scene but it works and Ms. Bourbon’s oral talents are tremendous. That is shown when she meets a guy in the park and gives him head right then and there. We also see her meeting with a patient of hers, a prostitute (Georgina Spelvin) and they indulge in a steamy lesbian liaison. Of course the PI is hot on her trail and gets everything on film and turns it over to the husband. He gets paid for his work and is on his way. He is sure that a divorce is in the making with all the evidence he gave the husband.
The film’s ending is totally not what you might expect. It shows Pamela getting into bed with her husband and the two of them watching the film that the detective shot. The fact is these two get off on the voyeuristic idea of sex and all of the “affairs” were set up by the couple and the PI had no clue. They watch the films and then indulge in their own private sexual time as the film comes to an end.
Filmed on location the exterior shots of New York City, Central Park, 5th Ave. etc, in the 70’s is quite a throwback. The cinematography is sharp, the visuals are excellent and the sex is extremely steamy. The writing and how it is all set up is very well done and the entire production has a true mainstream feel to it in every way. It is truly one of the great classics in porn history and should definitely be on the “must see” list. There is a DVD 2 disc set of this film available with a lot of extras added. Check out “The Afternoons of Pamela Mann” a true classic.
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN