| Maraschino Cherry | |
|---|---|
DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris") |
| Written by | Radley Metzger (as "Jake Barnes") |
| Produced by | Morton Berman |
| Starring | Annette Haven C. J. Laing Constance Money Eric Edwards Gloria Leonard Lesllie Bovee Michael Gaunt Susan McBain Wade Nichols |
| Cinematography | Chico Carter Larry Revene (uncredited) |
| Edited by | Harvey Katz |
| Music by | Music Sound Track Service |
| Distributed by | Mature Pictures Corporation (as Maturpix) Video-X-Pix (USA) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Maraschino Cherry is an American hardcore pornographic film and comedy released in 1978. The film was directed by Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris") [1] [2] and filmed in several locations in New York City; [3] [4] [5] [6] it was his fifth and final hardcore film. [4]
Maraschino Cherry (Gloria Leonard), the owner of a high-class escort service in New York City, teaches her younger sister, Penny Cherry (Jenny Baxter), about the business. [3] [4] The two sisters reflect on a series of erotic episodes related to the service and its clients, [4] replete with humorous puns and innuendos.
Maraschino Cherry was released during the Golden Age of Porn (inaugurated by the 1969 release of Andy Warhol 's Blue Movie ) in the United States, at a time of "porno chic", [7] [8] in which adult erotic films were just beginning to be widely released, publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope) [9] and taken seriously by film critics (like Roger Ebert). [10] [11]
One film reviewer notes that "[Maraschino Cherry] may not be [Metzger's] finest moment", but that it is "... still a beautifully shot film ... the dialogue is well written, the humor genuinely funny ...". [4] Another reviewer writes, "Most of Metzger’s films are known for their offbeat humor and witty dialog. Maraschino Cherry is filled [with] many amusing comedy set pieces ...". [3]
According to one film reviewer, Radley Metzger's films, including those made during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984), are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle". [12] Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic — and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography". [13] Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. [14] [15] [16] [17]
In 2009, DistribPix released a complete remastering of the film, with the full cooperation of the director. [18] The result had a limited exhibition in theaters, but the main outcome of the project was the first-ever official remastered DVD version. [18] A listing of the music on the film soundtrack was released earlier. [19] [20]
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Man Alone [19] [20] " | Alan Hawkshaw | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Disco King" | Keith Mansfield | 3:01 |
| 3. | "Get Ready, Get Set, Fly!" | Alan Hawkshaw | 1:58 |
| 4. | "Hombre Solo" | Simon Munting | 2:08 |
| 5. | "Man Of Means" | Alan Hawkshaw | 3:16 |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Midnight Blue" | Simon Benson | 3:17 |
| 7. | "Night Drive" | Simon Benson | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Private Thoughts" | Steve Gray | 2:16 |
| 9. | "Take It Steady" | Brian Bennett | 2:18 |
| 10. | "Theme Maraschino Cherry" | Nick Ingman | 1:59 |