Maraschino Cherry (film)

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Maraschino Cherry
MarschinoCherry-1978Film-RadleyMetzger.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Radley Metzger
(as "Henry Paris")
Written by Radley Metzger
(as "Jake Barnes")
Produced byMorton Berman
Starring Annette Haven
C. J. Laing
Constance Money
Eric Edwards
Gloria Leonard
Lesllie Bovee
Michael Gaunt
Susan McBain
Wade Nichols
CinematographyChico Carter
Larry Revene (uncredited)
Edited byHarvey Katz
Music byMusic Sound Track Service
Distributed byMature Pictures Corporation (as Maturpix)
Video-X-Pix (USA)
Release date
  • October 20, 1978 (1978-10-20)(USA)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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]

Contents

Plot

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.

Cast

Background

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]

Reception

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]

Notes

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]

Remastered version

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]

Music soundtrack

No.TitleArtistLength
1."A Man Alone [19] [20] " Alan Hawkshaw 4:23
2."Disco King" Keith Mansfield 3:01
3."Get Ready, Get Set, Fly!"Alan Hawkshaw1:58
4."Hombre Solo"Simon Munting2:08
5."Man Of Means"Alan Hawkshaw3:16
No.TitleArtistLength
6."Midnight Blue"Simon Benson3:17
7."Night Drive"Simon Benson3:00
8."Private Thoughts" Steve Gray 2:16
9."Take It Steady" Brian Bennett 2:18
10."Theme Maraschino Cherry" Nick Ingman 1:59

See also

Related Research Articles

Radley Metzger was an American pioneering filmmaker and film distributor, most noted for popular artistic, adult-oriented films, including Thérèse and Isabelle (1968), Camille 2000 (1969), The Lickerish Quartet (1970), Score (1974), The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann (1974), The Image (1975), The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976) and Barbara Broadcast (1977). According to one film reviewer, 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". Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic — and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography". Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.

<i>The Opening of Misty Beethoven</i> 1976 pornographic film directed by Radley Metzger

The Opening of Misty Beethoven is an American pornographic comedy film released in 1976. It was produced with a relatively high budget and filmed on elaborate locations in Paris, New York City and Rome with a musical score, and owes much to its director Radley Metzger. According to author Toni Bentley, The Opening of Misty Beethoven is considered the "crown jewel" of the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984).

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<i>The Lickerish Quartet</i> 1970 film

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<i>Camille 2000</i> 1969 film by Radley Metzger

Camille 2000 is a 1969 film based on the 1848 novel and 1852 play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils. It was adapted by Michael DeForrest and directed by Radley Metzger. It stars Danièle Gaubert and Nino Castelnuovo with Eleonora Rossi Drago and Massimo Serato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Age of Porn</span> Era of mainstream success for sexually explicit films (1969–1984)

The term "Golden Age of Porn", or "porno chic", refers to a 15-year period (1969–1984) in commercial American pornography, in which sexually explicit films experienced positive attention from mainstream cinemas, movie critics, and the general public. This American period, which had subsequently spread internationally, and that began before the legalization of pornography in Denmark on July 1, 1969, started on June 12, 1969, with the theatrical release of the film Blue Movie directed by Andy Warhol, and, somewhat later, with the release of the 1970 film Mona produced by Bill Osco. These films were the first adult erotic films depicting explicit sex to receive wide theatrical release in the United States. Both influenced the making of films such as 1972's Deep Throat starring Linda Lovelace and directed by Gerard Damiano, Behind the Green Door starring Marilyn Chambers and directed by the Mitchell brothers, 1973's The Devil in Miss Jones also by Damiano, and 1976's The Opening of Misty Beethoven by Radley Metzger, the "crown jewel" of the Golden Age, according to award-winning author Toni Bentley. According to Andy Warhol, his Blue Movie film was a major influence in the making of Last Tango in Paris, an internationally controversial erotic drama film, starring Marlon Brando, and released in 1972, three years after Blue Movie was shown in theaters.

<i>The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann</i> 1974 American hardcore adult film by Radley Metzger

The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann is a 1974 American hardcore adult film starring Barbara Bourbon and directed by Radley Metzger that is considered one of the classics of the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984). It was a step forward in the development of the genre, as it had a plot and good acting. The movie can be seen as a meditation on voyeurism, due to the trope of Mann being spied on by a private detective hired by her husband, and the production of pornography itself, as the detective films her sexual encounters.

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<i>Therese and Isabelle</i> 1968 film by Radley Metzger

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<i>The Sins of Ilsa</i> 1985 American film

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References

  1. Bentley, Toni (June 2014). "The Legend of Henry Paris". Playboy . Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  2. Bentley, Toni (June 2014). "The Legend of Henry Paris" (PDF). ToniBentley.com. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Wood, Cliff (February 7, 2010). "Maraschino Cherry (Platinum Elite Collection)". 10kBullets. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 The Mooninite (February 25, 2016). "Maraschino Cherry (Platinum Elite Collection 2-Disc Set)". XCritic. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  5. Houston, Don (November 24, 2010). "Maraschino Cherry (Platinum Elite Collection 2-Disc Set)". XCritic. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  6. Staff (2016). "Maraschino Cherry (1978)". IMDb . Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  7. Blumenthal, Ralph (January 21, 1973). "Porno chic; 'Hard-core' grows fashionable-and very profitable". The New York Times Magazine . Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  8. Porno Chic (Jahsonic.com)
  9. Corliss, Richard (March 29, 2005). "That Old Feeling: When Porno Was Chic". Time . Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  10. Ebert, Roger (June 13, 1973). "The Devil In Miss Jones - Film Review". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  11. Ebert, Roger (November 24, 1976). "Alice in Wonderland:An X-Rated Musical Fantasy". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  12. Gallagher, Steve (August 7, 2014). ""This is Softcore": The History of Radley Metzger". Filmmaker Magazine . Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  13. Simpson, Claire (October 2, 2013). "Adults Only: 5 Films By Radley Metzger". WhatCulture.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  14. Rist, Ray C. (January 4, 1974). Book - The Pornography Controversy: Changing Moral Standards in American Life. Transaction Publishers. p. 124. ISBN   9781412838467 . Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  15. Lehman, Peter (2006). Book - Pornography: Film and Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 9. ISBN   9780813538716 . Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  16. Staff (2016). "Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) - DadaBase Search Results - Radley Metzger". Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) . Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  17. Staff (March 4, 2017). "Obituary Of The Righteous - The Porn Of The Fabulous 60s And 70s Loses One Of Its Pioneers And Masters: Radley Metzger - Photographer Of War, The MOMA Presents A Retrospective: His Erotic Films Made History - Video: 'Score', On The Relationships Of Couples Of The 70s, In An Uncensored Version". DagoSpia.com. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  18. 1 2 Staff (2009). "Maraschino Cherry: Platinum Elite Collection 2 Disc Set (2009)". Distribpix.com. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  19. 1 2 Staff (2016). "Maraschino Cherry - Original Soundtrack Music listing". IMDb . Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  20. 1 2 Staff (1978). "Maraschino Cherry (1978) - OST Music Soundtrack". Ringostrack.com. Retrieved February 23, 2016.

Further reading