DEEP THROAT PREMIERED TODAY IN 1972!

On Monday June 12, 1972, an ominous newspaper advertisement for the World Theatre noted “Call theater for sensational title of our new film.” Located (and since demolished) at 153 West 49^th Street in New York, New York, the small 299 seat theater would be credited for the “World Premiere” of what would become the most well-known adult film of all-time, director Gerard Damiano’s DEEP THROAT . (Note: our research shows the film played at least two days prior in Stamford, Connecticut at the Plaza Theatre.)

The theater originally opened its doors in 1914 and operated under several different names throughout its existence. As the times changed, the surrounding area theaters began showing adult films with the World following suit. The theater was closing out a five-week run of the 1971 occult themed adult film, DARK DREAMS , starring Tina Russell, Darby Lloyd Rains and Harry Reems (credited as “Tim Long” – Reems would also appear in DEEP THROAT ). The theater always ran newspaper advertisements featuring film titles, but what exactly was this mysterious film? Why couldn’t the name be printed?

Al Goldstein of SCREW magazine would declare DEEP THROAT as “The very best porno film ever made” and give it a score of 100% in the magazine’s erection based “Peter-Meter” ratings scale. (It stands to note that Al was generous with this declaration for many other films throughout the years.) As word of mouth spread, the World began to advertise the title and the story of a girl trying to “untangle her tingle” through the discovery that her clitoris was in her throat, would kick off what would become known as the “Porno Chic” era, bringing millions of viewers (the vast majority of which had never seen an adult film previously) into theaters they likely would have avoided.

DEEP THROAT ’s breakout success inspired public dialogue about sex, freedom of expression and what constituted “obscenity.” It was the spark that ignited hundreds of legal battles throughout the country, becoming a legal target that only helped to increase its reputation and box office.

DEEP THROAT is a film with a great gimmick and Damiano understood that he hadn’t produced a masterpiece. “As long as it’s being harassed the way it is, the film will last forever. If they had left it alone, by this time it probably would have died its own natural death. For it to become one of the all-time top grossing motion pictures in history is ridiculous!” At a time when the average movie ticket was $1.50, patrons were paying $4-6 a ticket to see DEEP THROAT .

The discovery of its funding by Mob money and the attempts to prosecute everyone from ticket takers and patrons, to theater managers, distributors and even the film’s co-star, Harry Reems, made DEEP THROAT a part of constant discussion for many years. There was rarely a week where you didn’t see some type of newspaper article relating to the film or its “overnight sensation” of a star, Linda Lovelace, for several years after its release.

Damiano recalled, “The first time we filmed Linda Lovelace doing deep throat (a term Damiano himself coined) was an incredible turn-on. At one point [Linda’s] nurse’s cap fell off… she reached out, put it back on her head without missing a stroke, and when she was finished smiled the most beautiful smile. Everybody fell on the floor. Linda’s the most sexual person I’ve ever known.”

Lovelace was basking in her newfound fame, while husband and manager, Chuck Traynor, worked behind the scenes to capitalize on the worldwide attention she was receiving. Linda was an ardent supporter of the film and sexual freedom at that time. “I think sex is beautiful. I think love is beautiful, and I don’t think people should get uptight about it. When I have children, I plan to tell them everything about sex because it’s a part of nature. It’s beautiful. I don’t understand why our society has made it horrible. It’s how we got here. If two people enjoy doing something, it’s up to them to do it. I don’t believe in censorship at all in any way, shape or form. We’re supposed to be living in a free society and I don’t think one person should decide what others can do.”

By 1973, the film was subject to seizures and legal battles ensued. Many theater owners and managers felt they were being harassed by their local law enforcement, citing bogus or unrelated charges, intent on disrupting their daily operations. But the money was coming in so fast, theaters were not only able to pay their fines (sometimes in the thousands), but fund their own defenses, something prosecutors and district attorneys likely didn’t count on. Theaters were ordered to stop screening DEEP THROAT and police even raided locations to confiscate the film, only for it to be back up and running in days when another film print was obtained.

Could it be that the idea of a woman experiencing pleasure through the act of fellatio was a driving factor behind the attempts to shut the film down? Of course (and we say this with sarcasm), oral sex is an abomination. It wasn’t that explicit adult films weren’t being show before DEEP THROAT . In fact, the first known nationally distributed explicit adult film, 1970’s MONA: THE VIRGIN NYMPH , featured almost exclusively oral sex throughout its runtime (the film was pushing boundaries, but still attempting to ‘play it safe’ from possible prosecution).

As the box office millions rolled in, everyone from housewives, couples and high-profile celebrities were waiting in long lines across the country as seeing the film became the “it” thing to do. A “stigma” had been removed to a degree and a 1973 survey of over 2,000 viewers of the film found that almost half were between the ages of 20 and 29 years old. It was also discovered that more than half were married and that over 30% of those viewing the film were accompanied by their spouse, while nearly the entire remaining viewers were joined by dates or friends.

The media was on the attack and commentary around the film was often filled with puns, sarcasm and damning criticism. It’s difficult to find positive commentary on the film in the “mainstream” media of the period. One unknown writer on January 1, 1973 didn’t hold back when commenting, “The film is often confused generically with other cinematic productions due to the fact that it is projected on a screen and does have some semblance of plot. It is really merely artless entertainment of the three-ring variety, however, and, as such, can be accepted intellectually, but becomes unpalatable when witnessed in person. DEEP THROAT essentially manipulates an economic system unable to meet the needs of its people, and furthermore, exploits those needs for enormous profit which seems to only perpetuate the situation.”

Writer James Kilpatrick visited the Presidio Centre Theatre in San Francisco to discuss the film with the manager. Not only was he not impressed, but he felt compelled to condemn pornography as a whole stating, “To say that pornography is a cancer in the body politic is to say too much. Pornography is more like an abscess. High on the Top of the Mark, one sees this infection in perspective, an ugly blemish on a tolerably healthy society. Up close, pornography is something else. Up close, it looks like pus.” Yet, no matter how hard its opponents tried, nothing could stop DEEP THROAT .

DEEP THROAT remains one of the most well known and controversial films of all time. It’s the subject of books, plays, films and documentaries and is ripe for rediscovery and discussion as we celebrate it’s 50^th anniversary.

Visit the OFFICIAL DEEP THROAT WEBSITE for news and
information on theatrical screenings happening this year!

Gerard Damiano Jr. and Christar Damiano discuss DEEP THROAT

BY MID 1973 DEEP THROAT WAS PLAYING IN OVER 200 THEATERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY:
Here’s a few newspaper ads for various theaters-