Deep Throat (film)
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''Deep Throat'' is a 1972 American
pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...
that was at the forefront of the
Golden Age of Porn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_talk:Spam-whitelist/Archives/2018/01#Another_Worthy_Journal_Article_on_Wordpress ---> The term "Golden Age of Porn", or "porno chic", refers to a 15-year period (1969–1984) in commercial American porno ...
(1969–1984). The film was written and directed by
Gerard Damiano Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano (August 4, 1928 – October 25, 2008 ) was an American director of adult films. He wrote and directed the 1972 cult classic '' Deep Throat,'' which starred Linda Susan Boreman ''aka'' Linda Lovelace. He also dir ...
, who was listed in the credits as "Jerry Gerard"; produced by Louis Peraino, credited as "Lou Perry"; and starring Linda Lovelace, the pseudonym given to Linda Susan Boreman. 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, even though the film was banned in some jurisdictions and was the subject of obscenity trials. Lovelace later wrote that she was coerced and
sexually assaulted Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
during the production, and that the film is genuine
rape pornography Rape pornography is a subgenre of pornography involving the description or depiction of rape. Such pornography either involves simulated rape, wherein sexually consenting adults feign rape, or it involves actual rape. Victims of actual rape may ...
.


Plot

Linda Lovelace, a sexually frustrated woman, asks her friend Helen for advice on how to achieve an
orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region charac ...
. After a sex party provides no help, Helen recommends that Linda visit a psychiatrist, Dr. Young. The doctor discovers that Linda's
clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...
is located in her throat, and after he helps her to develop her
oral sex Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex per ...
skills, the infatuated Linda asks him to marry her. He informs her that she can settle for a job as his therapist, performing her particular oral technique—thereafter known as " deep throat"—on various men, until she finds the one to marry. Meanwhile, the doctor documents her exploits while repeatedly having sex with his nurse. Linda finally meets a man who can make her happy, agreeing to marry him. The movie ends with the line "The End. And Deep Throat to you all."


Cast


Production

The scenes involving Lovelace were shot in
North Miami, Florida North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, and the North Miami camp ...
, over six days in January 1972. 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 for
Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its campuses in the fa ...
. The scenes involving Carol Connors were shot in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. 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 $ today), and an additional $25,000 ($ today) for music, was provided by Peraino's father,
Anthony Peraino Bryanston Distributing Company (formerly known as Bryanston Distributors and also traded as Bryanston Pictures) was an American film distribution company that was active during the 1970s. The company was founded by Louis Peraino and Philip Parisi ...
, a member of the
Colombo crime family The Colombo crime family (, ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was du ...
. 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. John Franzese also had a financial stake in the film.


Reception

In a March 1973 column, critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
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." A review in ''Variety'' stated that although the film "doesn't quite live up to its reputation as the '' Ben-Hur'' of porno pix, it is a superior piece which stands a head above the competition."
Al Goldstein Alvin "Al" Goldstein (January 10, 1936December 19, 2013) was an American pornographer. He is known for helping normalize hardcore pornography in the United States. Background Goldstein was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to a Jewish family. He ...
wrote a rave review in his ''
Screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...
'' magazine, saying "I was never so moved by any theatrical performance since stuttering through my own bar mitzvah."


Porno chic and pop culture influence

''Deep Throat'' officially premiered at the World Theater in New York on June 12, 1972, and was advertised in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' under the
bowdlerized Expurgation, also known as bowdlerization, is a form of censorship that involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work or other type of writing or media. The term ''bowdlerization'' is a pejorative term for the practi ...
title ''Throat''. The film's popularity helped launch a period of
upper-middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...
interest in explicit pornography referred to by Ralph Blumenthal of ''The New York Times'' as "
porno chic Porno may refer to: * Pornography, explicit depiction of sexual subject matter with principal intention of sexually exciting a viewer **Pornographic magazine **Pornographic film * ''Porno'' (film), a 2019 American film * ''Porno'' (novel), a 2 ...
". Several mainstream celebrities admitted to having seen ''Deep Throat'', including
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
,
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
,
Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...
,
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
,
Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
,
Spiro Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...
,
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
, Philip Dresmann and Louis Derfert. Barbara Walters mentions having seen the film in her autobiography, '' Audition: A Memoir''.
Jimmy McMillan James McMillan III (born December 1, 1946) is an American political activist, perennial candidate, and Vietnam War veteran. McMillan is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based political party. McMillan ha ...
considers it to be his favorite film. The film's title soon became a pop culture reference, most notably when
Howard Simons Howard Simons (June 3, 1929 – June 13, 1989) was the managing editor of ''The Washington Post'' at the time of the Watergate scandal, and later curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Early life and education Si ...
, the then-managing editor of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', chose it as the
code name A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...
for a well-guarded secret inside informant during the
Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
scandal that plagued the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, who many years later was revealed to be assistant
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
director
W. Mark Felt William Mark Felt Sr. (August 17, 1913 – December 18, 2008) was an American law enforcement officer who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1942 to 1973 and was known for his role in the Watergate scandal. Felt wa ...
.


Revenue

''Deep Throat'' grossed $1 million (equivalent to $ million today) in its first seven weeks of release in 1972, including a then-porn film single-screen record of $30,033 ($ today) in its opening week at New York City's New World Theatre. The film made a then-record $3 million ($ million today) in its first six months of release and was still ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing films, as ranked by ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', 48 weeks after its release. Estimates of the film's total revenues have varied widely: numbers as high as $600 million (equivalent to $ billion today) have been cited, which would make ''Deep Throat'' one of the highest-grossing films of all time. With an average ticket price of $5 ($ today), box-office takings of $600 million would imply 120 million admissions, an unrealistic figure. 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 $100 million ($ million today) may be closer to the truth. Michael Hiltzik of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' also argues for a lower figure in a February 2005 article, pointing out that ''Deep 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. The directors of ''
Inside Deep Throat ''Inside Deep Throat'' is a 2005 American documentary film about the 1972 pornographic film '' Deep Throat'', at the forefront of the Golden Age of Porn, and its effects on American society. Content The film discusses how ''Deep Throat'' was d ...
'' responded to the article, suggesting that actual revenues from the film were possibly even higher than the $600 million figure. 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".
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
noted as well in his review of ''Inside 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 of laundering income from drugs and prostitution" and other illegal activities. 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 An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...
copy of the infamous movie. ''Deep Throat'' was the first film to be inducted into the
XRCO Hall of Fame The XRCO Hall of Fame lists well-known adult entertainment works and workers. The list is managed by X-Rated Critics Organization and inducted annually during the XRCO Award The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organizat ...
.


Controversies


Linda Boreman's allegations

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 of
sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...
,
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...
, and forced prostitution in the porn business, she charged that she had not consented to many of the depicted sexual acts and that she had been coerced to perform by her abusive then-husband Chuck Traynor, who received $1,250 (equivalent to $ today) for her acting. She also claimed that Traynor threatened to kill her, brandishing handguns and rifles to control her. In 1986, she testified before the
Meese Commission The Meese Report (named for Edwin Meese), officially the ''Final Report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography'', is the result of an investigation into pornography ordered by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. It was published in July 1 ...
, "Virtually every time someone watches that movie, they're watching me being raped." In the ''
Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
'' 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." 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 documentary ''Inside 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" as part of its plans to criminalize possession of what it termed "
extreme pornography Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is a law in the United Kingdom criminalising possession of what it refers to as "extreme pornographic images". The law came into force on 26 January 2009. The legislation was brought in ...
".


Obscenity litigation

In various United States communities, the movie was shown to juries to determine whether it was
obscene An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be use ...
; the outcomes varied widely and the movie was banned in numerous locations. In August 1972, after a jury in New York had found the movie not to be obscene, prosecutors decided to charge Mature Enterprises, the company that owned the World Theater, for promotion of obscene material, taking them to trial in December. During the trial, a psychiatrist testified that the film portrayed acts that were "well within the bounds of normal behavior". 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". Conversely, in response to a claim the film was a spoof of sexual behavior, a
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
professor said, "I do not see how you can spoof fellatio by showing continuous performance of fellatio." On March 1, 1973, Judge Joel J. Tyler ruled ''Deep 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". Judge Tyler fined Mature Enterprises $100,000 (equivalent to $ today), which was later reduced on appeal. The ruling would inadvertently contribute to the film's becoming perhaps the most popular X-rated movie of all time. In 1976, there was a series of federal cases in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, where over 60 individuals and companies, including the Perainos and actor Harry Reems, were indicted for
conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...
to distribute obscenity across state lines. Damiano and Lovelace were granted immunity in exchange for testimony. Federal District Court judge
Harry W. Wellford Harry Walker Wellford (August 6, 1924 – April 17, 2021) was a Senior status, senior United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and a United States district judge of the U ...
heard the case with the trial ending with a conviction. This was the first time that an actor had been prosecuted by the federal government on obscenity charges (
Lenny Bruce Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), known professionally as Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of comedy which ...
had been prosecuted in the 1960s by local authorities). Reems became a ''
cause célèbre A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...
'' and received considerable support from Hollywood circles. On appeal, he was represented by
Alan Dershowitz Alan Morton Dershowitz ( ; born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer and former law professor known for his work in U.S. constitutional law and American criminal law. From 1964 to 2013, he taught at Harvard Law School, where he was appoin ...
, and his conviction was overturned: the
Miller test The Miller test, also called the three-prong obscenity test, is the United States Supreme Court's test for determining whether speech or expression can be labeled obscene, in which case it is not protected by the First Amendment to the United St ...
(the three-pronged standard from the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
's 1973 decision in ''
Miller v. California ''Miller v. California'', 413 U.S. 15 (1973), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court modifying its definition of obscenity from that of "utterly without socially redeeming value" to that which lacks "serious literary, artistic, polit ...
'' that determines what constitutes obscenity) had been applied in his case. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
case known as "Miporn" convicted and sentenced, on April 30, 1977, Michael Cherubino to five months' imprisonment and fined $4,000, Anthony Novello to six months' imprisonment, Joseph Peraino to one year's imprisonment and fined $10,000 (including a $10,000 fine to his company, Plymouth Distributors Inc.), Louis Peraino to one year's imprisonment and fined $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 fined $4,000, Carl Carter to six months' imprisonment and fined $6,500, Mel Friedman to nine months' imprisonment and fined $7,500, and Mario Desalvo to three months' imprisonment and fined $3,500. In the UK, the movie was banned upon release, and the ban was upheld by the courts 10 years later. The uncut DVD of the movie was finally given an R18 rating in 2000, which allowed it to be sold in licensed
sex shop A sex shop is a retailer that sells products related to adult sexual or erotic entertainment, such as sex toys, lingerie, pornography, and other related products. An early precursor of the modern sex shop was a chain of stores set up in t ...
s in the UK.


Copyright

''Deep Throat'' was released without a
copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
notice. Because Peraino had used
four wall distribution In the film industry, four wall distribution (also known as four-walling) is a process through which a studio or distributor rents movie theaters for a period of time and receives all of the box office revenue. The four walls of a movie theater giv ...
for all of ''Deep Throat''s releases, that left the potential for the film to be classified as an unpublished work, preventing it from falling into the
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
. 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 distributing ''Deep Throat'' as retaliation for Arrow's distribution of ''
Debbie Does Dallas ''Debbie Does Dallas'' is a 1978 pornographic film starring Bambi Woods. The plot of the film focuses on a team of cheerleaders attempting to earn enough money to send the title character to Dallas, Texas to try out for the famous "Texas Cowgirl ...
'' and ''
The Devil in Miss Jones ''The Devil in Miss Jones'' is a 1973 pornographic film, written, directed and produced by Gerard Damiano and starring Georgina Spelvin and Harry Reems. It is widely regarded as a classic adult film, released during the Golden Age of Porn (19 ...
'', 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 on ''Deep Throat'', Arrow Productions agreed in 2011 to voluntarily stop distributing ''Debbie Does Dallas'' and ''The Devil in Miss Jones'', thus leaving their copyright status unresolved.


Broadcasting

In April 1978, pirate station Lucky 7 in
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
illegally aired ''Deep Throat'' (and also ''
Behind the Green Door ''Behind the Green Door'' is a 1972 American feature-length pornographic film, widely considered one of the genre's "classic" pictures and one of the films that ushered in The Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984).Williams, p. 299 Featuring Marilyn ...
'', as well as non-pornographic fare such as episodes of ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
''). The pirates have never been identified. On February 23, 2008, the
Netherlands Public Broadcasting (; abbreviated to NPO ; literally "Dutch Public Broadcaster") or Dutch Foundation for Public Broadcasting () is a Dutch public broadcasting organisation that administers public broadcasting services in the Netherlands. The NPO is also the owner ...
corporations
VPRO The VPRO (stylized vpro; originally an acronym for , ) is a Dutch public broadcaster, which forms a part of the Dutch public broadcasting system. Founded in 1926 as a liberal Protestant broadcasting organization, it gradually became more ...
and BNN screened ''Deep 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 the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. 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 party Christian Union) were clamoring for steps to be taken to prevent airing. The Minister of Education and Media,
Ronald Plasterk Ronald Hans Anton Plasterk (; born 12 April 1957) is a Dutch scientist, entrepreneur and retired politician of the Labour Party (PvdA). He has earned a PhD degree in biology, specialised in molecular genetics. Being a former Minister of the Du ...
, declared that he could not and did not want to forbid the airing of the film. The movie was seen by 907,000 viewers.


Identity of "Dolly Sharp"

In December 2014, ''
The Rialto Report ''The Rialto Report'' is a podcast and article series documenting the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984). It consists of oral history, audio, photo, and documentary archives. It is hosted by Ashley West and April Hall as well as guest contributors ...
'', a web site devoted to the history of the so-called
Golden Age of Porn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_talk:Spam-whitelist/Archives/2018/01#Another_Worthy_Journal_Article_on_Wordpress ---> The term "Golden Age of Porn", or "porno chic", refers to a 15-year period (1969–1984) in commercial American porno ...
, made the surprise announcement that the supporting actress billed as Dolly Sharp, who had vanished into obscurity shortly after the release of ''Deep Throat'', was in fact Helen Wood (1935–1998), a former Broadway performer who, as a teenager, had a major role in the 1953 Hollywood musical ''
Give a Girl a Break ''Give a Girl a Break'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, starring Debbie Reynolds and the dance team of Marge and Gower Champion. A young Bob Fosse has a featured role. As Martin Gottfried wrote in his b ...
''.


Soundtrack

An original soundtrack album for the film was released in 1972. Few copies exist today and when on the market, they have sold for as much as
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
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 from
Light in the Attic Records Light in the Attic Records is an independent record label that was established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington by Matt Sullivan. The label is known for its roster of reissue projects and for its distribution catalog. Light in the Attic has re-rel ...
(see links). Director
Gerard Damiano Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano (August 4, 1928 – October 25, 2008 ) was an American director of adult films. He wrote and directed the 1972 cult classic '' Deep Throat,'' which starred Linda Susan Boreman ''aka'' Linda Lovelace. He also dir ...
reportedly edited the sex scenes to conform to different musical cues. 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 "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" is a 1968 popular song written and composed for singer Dionne Warwick by Burt Bacharach. Hal David wrote the lyrics. The song was Warwick's biggest international hit to that point, selling several million copies ...
". * Introducing Linda Lovelace * "Mind if I smoke while you're eating?" * Blowing' Bubbles * "A Lot of little tingles" *
Love Is Strange "Love Is Strange" is a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label. The song was based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams and was written by Bo Diddley un ...
* "A joint like you ..." * "You have no tinkler!" * Deep Throat * "I wanna be your slave" * "My love is like a big blonde afro (Jah-ron-o-mo)" * Nurse Lovelace * I'd Like To Teach You All To Screw (It's The Real Thing) * Nurse About the House * "I got Blue Cross" * Old Dr. Young * Masked Marvel


Sequels and remakes

The original
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to ''Deep Throat''—''Deep Throat Part II''—was written and directed by Joseph W. Sarno and featured the original stars Linda Lovelace and
Harry Reems Herbert John Streicher (August 27, 1947 – March 19, 2013), better known by his professional pseudonym Harry Reems, was an American pornographic actor and later a successful real estate agent. His most famous roles were as Doctor Young in ...
. Shot in New York City in early 1973, it was released in New York in February 1974 with an
MPAA The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
"R" rating. Although attributed to Damiano Films, ''Deep Throat'' director
Gerard Damiano Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano (August 4, 1928 – October 25, 2008 ) was an American director of adult films. He wrote and directed the 1972 cult classic '' Deep Throat,'' which starred Linda Susan Boreman ''aka'' Linda Lovelace. He also dir ...
was not involved with its production. The film was produced, however, by ''Deep Throat'' producer Louis Peraino, who had in the meantime founded the mainstream distribution company Bryanston Films. The version of ''Deep Throat Part II'' currently available on DVD is
bowdlerized Expurgation, also known as bowdlerization, is a form of censorship that involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work or other type of writing or media. The term ''bowdlerization'' is a pejorative term for the practi ...
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. An
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
DVD release of the film, however, contains its original softcore sex scenes. It has long been claimed that ''Deep Throat Part II'' was originally shot with the intention of releasing it as a
hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
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.
Vivid Entertainment Vivid Entertainment Group is an American pornographic film production company,
owner Steven Hirsch told XFANZ reporters at the FAME Awards in June 2008 that the company is producing a remake of ''Deep Throat''. The making of this film was the subject of the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
original series '' Deeper 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 make the remake to ''Deep Throat'', and forced Steve Hirsch to remarket and edit his movie for
copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
purposes. Hirsch changed the name of the title to ''Throat: A Cautionary Tale'', and it was released in March 2009. * ''Deep Throat II'' (1987, and not related to the earlier film of the same name) and the subsequent ''DT'' sequels, have different actors and directors and, despite the title, are not continuations of the story of ''Deep Throat''. ''Deep Throat II'' won the 1988
AVN Award The AVN Awards are List of movie awards, film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine ''AVN (magazine), AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and m ...
for 'Best Couples Sex Scene – Film' and 1988
XRCO Award The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organization annually to people working in adult entertainment and it is the only adult industry awards show reserved exclusively for industry members. Once every calendar year, XRCO ...
s for best screenplay (Michael Evans), best actor (
Jamie Gillis Jamie Gillis (born Jamey Ira Gurman; April 20, 1943 – February 19, 2010) was an American pornographic actor, director and member of the AVN Hall of Fame. He was married to the porn actress Serena. Early life Gillis was born Jamey Ira Gurman ...
) and best actress (Krista Lane). * ''Deep Throat 3'' (1989) starred Peter North * ''Deep Throat 4'' (1990) directed by
Ron Jeremy Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953) is an American former pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by AVN at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list. Jeremy has also made a number of non-pornographic ...
* ''Deep Throat 5'' (1991) directed by Ron Jeremy and starring Victoria Paris,
Debi Diamond Debi Diamond (born May 1, 1965 in San Fernando Valley, California) is an American adult actress and nude model. Biography She appeared in her first pornographic film in 1983 under the alias of Shelly Rey. The high point of her career was arg ...
, Cameo * ''Deep Throat 6'' (1992) directed by Ron Jeremy.


50th Anniversary Re-release

In 2022, which marked the 50th anniversary of the film, the film was restored and re-released and several screenings were held. Since all of the principals and the director Damiano have since died, the movies restoration was overseen by Damiano children Christar and Gerard Damiano Jr., in collaboration with Robin Leonardi, the surviving daughter of another adult industry trailblazer, and a contemporary of the original ''Deep Throat'' trio, Gloria Leonard.


See also

*
List of American films of 1972 This is a list of American films released in 1972. ''Cabaret'' won 8 Academy Awards including Best Director and Best Actress. ''The Godfather'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. __TOC__ A–C D–G H–M N–S T–Z See also * ...


References

;Further reading *


External links

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deep Throat (Film) 1972 films 1972 controversies 1970s sex comedy films 1970s pornographic films American pornographic films American sex comedy films 1970s English-language films Fellatio Films directed by Gerard Damiano Films set in Miami Films set in New York City Films shot in Miami Films shot in New York City Obscenity controversies in film Pornography in Florida Sexual revolution Works subject to a lawsuit 1972 comedy films 1970s American films