Ep #90 - Russ Meyer in the 60s

One a basic level, ‘60s cinema is the story of the complete breakdown of censorship rules about what could and could not be shown on American theater screens. Hollywood’s Production Code was already falling apart in the ‘50s when competition with television forced movies to offer kinds of entertainment that were not available on the small screen. Films from countries with fewer restrictions on content were being shown more frequently and naturist documentaries were getting around rules about nudity – though you had to go to “art” cinemas or less reputable theaters to see these things. While the studios still had strict guidelines on what was acceptable for release in mainstream theaters, smaller theaters were pushing boundaries on what they were willing to show audiences. As a result, Hollywood, in order to keep up, threw all their old self-censorship rules by the end of the ‘60s.

One of the major figures on the grindhouse circuit who continued to push the amount of sex and nudity that could be shown in films throughout the decade – and made enough money doing it for the studios to really take notice – was Russ Meyer. His goofy, satirical, surprisingly well-made exploitation films were cutting-edge smut that gained popularity over the course of the ‘60s because they delivered the sleaze they promised and dis it with skill and style. Eventually he gained a cult reputation among cineastes and reputable film critics that continues to this day, even though many of his films are more shocking by modern standards than they were when they first hit screens.

In this episode, Bart and Jenna discuss all things boobs, sexual desperation and boobs. Bart takes on the brunt of the burden, getting through the entire decade and finding there’s more to Meyer than pure titillation. Jenna, however, is less than enthused with Meyer’s ‘comedic’ sensibilities, finding Bart’s cherry-picked selections mostly intolerable. But even both agree that at least a little bit of Meyer is essential viewing for anybody who want to understand the what the decade in cinema was all about.

The following films are discussed:

• Lorna (1964)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Lorna Maitland, Mark Bradley, James Rucker

• Mudhoney (1965)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Hal Hopper, Antoinette Cristiani, John Furlong

• Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Tura Satana, Haji, Lori Williams

• Good Morning and... Goodbye! (1967)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Alaina Capri, Stuart Lancaster, Haji

• Vixen! (1968)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Erica Gavin, Garth Pillsbury, Harrison Page

• Harry, Cherry and Raquel (1969)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Linda Ashton, Charles Napier, Larissa Ely

Also mentioned:

• The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Bill Teas, Ann Peters, Enrico Banducci

• Eve and the Handyman (1961)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Eve Meyer, Anthony-James Ryan, Frank Bolger

• Erotica (1961)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Denise Daniels, Kathy Lee, Candis McKay

• Wild Gals of the Naked West (1962)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Sammy Gilbert, Anthony-James Ryan, Jackie Moran

• Europe in the Raw (1963)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Veronique Gabriel, Gigi La Touche, Abundavita

• Fanny Hill (1964)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Miriam Hopkins, Letícia Román, Ulli Lommel

• Motorpsycho (1965)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Haji, Alex Rocco, Steve Oliver

• Mondo Topless (1966)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Babette Bardot, Darlene Grey, Pat Barringtonn

• Common Law Cabin (1967)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Jackie Moran, Babette Bardot, Adele Rein

• Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (1968)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Anne Chapman, Paul Lockwood, Gordon Wescourt

• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom

• Supervixens (1975)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Charles Pitt, Shari Eubank, Charles Napier

• Up! (1976)
Directed by Russ Meyer
Starring Edward Schaaf, Robert McLane, Elaine Collins