The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976) - full transcript
Pornography meets Pygmalion. Misty, the hooker, meets the sexologist who thinks he can transform her from "the nadir of passion" into someone who inspires passion. While Misty is trained for her big test, seducing a homosexual artist, the relationship between the doctor and Misty remains unsettled.
These street scenes were shot on
location near Place Pigalle in Paris.
Place Pigalle is Paris' Red Light District.
The opening theme, "Mighty Atom“ by
Steve Gray, is used
repeatedly in the film.
The street footage is 35mm, but most
of the film was shot in Super-16mm.
This “porn scene" in the opener was
shot in the assistant editor's
apartment in NYC.
The main actor seen here is Jamie
Gillis, playing the character of Dr.
Seymour Love.
Gillis was born Jamie Ira Gurman. He
got his start acting Off-Broadway.
It was constantly raining in Paris
during filming, which delayed and
complicated the shoot.
Metzger: "We spent many hours waiting
for the rain to ease up
between shots."
The interior of the porno theater in
Paris is actually a small
theater in downtown NYC.
Now the Lucille Lortel Theater, it is
located on Christopher Street.
The porno actress appreciating her own
on-screen performance is a
typical Metzger flourish.
Many of these extras appear later as
high-brow patrons at the ballet.
The actress in the white t-shirt is
Susan Jensen, AKA Constance Money.
Misty Beethoven was Susan's
breakthrough role,
catapulting her to stardom.
Conflicting stories exist for the
origin of her "Constance Money"
stage-name.
A common claim is that Metzger coined
it as commentary on her constant
demands for payment.
Metzger disputes this account,
insisting that the name was
mutually agreed-upon.
Constance Money performed in only a
handful of adult films in the
70's and early 80's.
She got along well with Gillis in
person, adding to their
on-screen chemistry.
Sex scenes involving mirrors or
cameras/projectors are a staple of
Metzger's adult film work.
Misty's credit-card t-shirt is one of
Metzger's many nods to sly
social commentary.
Misty Beethoven' is an adult-film
adaptation of Bernard Shaw's
play "Pygmalion."
Metzger acknowledges “My Fair Lady,"
another Pygmalion adaptation, as
an influence as well.
The film actually follows the
traditional structure and
cadence of a Musical.
The “brothel" was one of several sets
created at RKO studios by art
director Anton Stone.
The film's working title, "Society,“
again points to Metzger's fondness
for social commentary.
Metzger frequently fashioned his
screenplays around wealthy elites to
remove job and money concerns.
Metzger coined the "Misty Beethoven"
name, hoping it would be memorable.
Assistant editor Bonnie Karrin came up
with "The Opening of“ part of the
title late in post-production.
Earlier titles included "The Tale Of
Misty Beethoven“ and "The Coming
of Misty Beethoven."
The latter title was in use so late in
the process that the title
screen had to be re-shot.
Jacquelin Beaudant plays Dr. Love's
sidekick, Gerladine Rich, in her only
known adult-film role.
The extra in a t-shirt and beret is
adult film legend Michael Datorre.
Dattore went on to appear in Metzger's
next film, Barbara Broadcast.
Dattore is considered one of the
funniest character actors
of the golden age.
Metzger frequently allowed actresses
in his sex scenes to remain
partially clothed.
He also enjoyed reversing gender
roles, as here with Geraldine as the
female client and Dattore as
a male prostitute.
The music here is "Bourbon" by Brian
Bennett, from KPM 1163: Rock Spectrum.
100 Francs in late 1975 is,
coincidentally, roughly equivalent
to $100 USD in 2012.
As 100 francs clearly means nothing to
Dr Love, his bargaining with Misty was
for purposes of his research.
Auto rebates were introduced in the
19705 to counter low demand due to
the Arab Oil Embargo.
"Nadir" refers to the absolute lowest
position something can take.
"Annals" in synonymous with chronicle
or history, but puns nicely with
“anals” in context.
Metzger's love of wordplay often
features in his dialog-- here a pun on
(giving) head vs "get ahead."
The Goldenrod Girl would be equivalent
to a Penthouse Pet or Playboy
Playmate of the Year.
The “bet" here parallels the one in
"Pygmalion" and "My Fair Lady,"
forming the backbone of the story.
This track is "Teorema" by Italian
composer Bruno Nicolai.
All of Metzger's adult films are
scored with production library music,
a sort of musical stock footage.
Metzger collaborated with Music
Director George Craig to select
music for his films.
Craig's "Music Soundtrack Service" was
located in the same building as
Metzger's cutting room.
Outdoor scenes in Paris and Rome
feature stand-ins for Misty, as Money
did not fly to Europe.
Metzger counts Misty's "Dolores
Beethoven" line among his
all-time favorites.
Jamie Gillis was terrified of flying,
but was the only cast member
who flew to Europe.
This airplane scenes were all shot in
an airline mock-up used for
training flight staff.
The stewardess seen here is played by
well known porn actress, Jenny Baxter.
In the script, Misty replies to "First
trip?" with "I tripped with my brother
when I was 16. It was at a dance. I
learned a lot from that trip."
This music is “Giovane Flirt“ by
Italian composer
Alessandro Alessandroni.
This is footage of the UN building,
FDR Drive, and Sutton Place
in New York City.
The iconic set of Dr Love's apartment
was built in the machine shop at the
RKO studio at 106 and Park in NYC.
Set construction on this scale was
essentially unheard of in the
adult film industry.
This music is “Going Great",
composed by Franco Bonfanti.
The track is from Conroy Eurobeat 11:
Colla Voce, a rare LP of Italian
sublicenses which can fetch $150-200.
It was titled "Ippica" on its initial
release LP: "REBUS n. 7" by Pinciana
Records. This extreme rarity can
demand four figures.
Although the script was perfect for
Gillis, Metzger originally intended
the role for Tyler Horne.
Metzger wanted to avoid using
recognizable porn stars like Gillis,
hoping 'Misty' could be a
crossover mainstream hit.
While footage of Home as Dr Love was
shot, Metzger eventually relented and
gave the role to Gillis.
Constance Money was a relative
unknown, having had only small parts
in two minor adult films
and one stag loop.
The ejaculate in this sequence was
actually egg-whites thrown by the
director, off camera.
An extraordinary number of takes were
shot, prompting complaints
from the leading lady.
The “cool" / softcore version of this
scene features a dildo
instead of a penis.
"Cool" or softcore versions of adult
films were created for use in more
restrictive markets.
The inconsistent patchwork of
indecency laws made creating a legally
'safe' cut challenging.
Metzger put unusual effort into his
'soft' cuts, correctly anticipating a
future market on cable televsion.
Metzger shot additional dialog
sequences for the softcore version of
Misty to make up for lost
running time due to cuts.
This set is at the same RKO Studio at
which Metzger got his start cutting
trailers for Janus films.
The neighborhood around the studio had
gotten so dangerous that it was
desperate for business.
At $200 per day, including the machine
shop, the studio fit even within
Metzger's shoestring budget.
However, the cast and crew had to
employ dozens of pre-arranged taxis in
order to arrive and leave safely.
Fearing potential lawsuits for
obscenity, Metzger made use of a
sequence of aliases.
He used "Jake Barnes" as his writing
credit-- a reference to the
protagonist of Hemmingway's
"The Sun Also Rises."
Other crew-members used aliases to
avoid running afoul of union rules.
This line is a reference to Hamlet:
"The play's the thing wherein I'll
catch the conscience of the king."
Magazine mogul Lawrence Layman is
played by Ras Kean, credited
here as Ras King.
His name is a reference to having
lived for a time among
Rastafarians in Jamaica.
His wife, Barbara, is played by adult
industry legend Gloria Leonard
in her first role.
She was working as a make-up artist
before Metzger cast her in the role to
fill an unexpected vacancy.
"Naughty Marietta" was a 1935 musical
starring Jeanette Macdonald
and Nelson Eddie.
One of its songs, "Oh Sweet Mystery of
Life," is referenced memorably in
"Young Frankenstein."
Metzger: "Having trained actors on the
set, like Gillis and Baxter, made
it a joy to direct."
Leasing an airplane for filming would
have cost thousands of dollars per
day, well beyond the film's budget.
Instead Metzger secured an airline
flight-training shell, which
much cheaper to rent.
“Cascade Flight 111" references a real
(if tiny) airline which Operated hop
flights out of Spokane, WA
from 1969-1986.
The stewardess here is Mary Stuart,
who had a major role in Metzger's
previous film, "Naked
Came the Stranger."
This passenger is played by American
actor, Mark Margolis who appeared in
Brian De Palma's "Scarface."
He also appeared as Tio Salamanca in
"Breaking Bad" and had prominent roles
in Darren Aronofsky's films.
The actress seen here seducing Misty
Beethoven is Tia von Davis.
She worked in a handful of adult films
from 1975-78, sometimes credited as
Gayle Peters or Gayle Schafer.
She worked with directors Carter
Stevens, Joe Davian, and
Roberta Findlay.
To make a "cool" version of the scene,
cinematographer Paul Glickman simply
re-filmed with the camera at a
less revealing angle.
The music currently playing is
“Bourbon," composed by KPM
regular Brian Bennett.
It appeared on KPM 1163: Rock
Spectrum, the source of several
tracks used in 'Misty'.
Bennett was drummer for British
chart-toppers "The Shadows"
from 1961 onwards.
He also played in "Marty Wilde and the
Wildecats" as well as"Wasp," a quintet
which included KPM
saxophonist Duncan Lamont.
He is still active, completing a 2009
tour with The Shadows at
the age of 69.
Establishing footage was shot in Rome
using the same crew Metzger utilized
for “Lickerish Quartet...
Part of the driveway scene is shot in
35mm and part in Super 16mm.
Although in the film Geraldine's
“shack in the country" is near Rome,
the mansion used for filming
was in Deal, NJ.
The Mercedes Benz in this scene
belonged to Metzger himself, equipped
for the film with foreign
license plates.
Interiors of Geraldine's house were
also shot at the same Deal NJ mansion.
The lavish estate was reportedly built
using materials and workmen
brought over from Italy.
This scene was shot on location at the
Piazza Venezia in Rome.
This is not Constance Money, but yet
another body double, hired in Italy.
This track is the finale of the
"William Tell Overture", composed
by Gioachino Rossini.
The actor in the tux is Ian Morley,
who is only credited in 3 adult films.
The footage of the passenger stepping
into the car was shot on the
Spanish Steps in Rome.
His white straw hat is used to connect
the exterior footage shot in Rome to
the car-interior footage
filmed in New York.
The William Tell Overture may be best
known for its use as the theme song
to "The Lone Ranger."
Dr Love refers to “the ballet" and
Barbara Layman refers to Misty's
exploits at "The Firebird," but the
William Tell Overture is
part of an Opera.
The opera house is actually a set,
constructed and assembled
at RKO studios.
To allow proper camera angles, the set
was constructed on an
elevated platform.
This is the bathroom of the original
Theater de Lys, in Greenwich Village,
NYC.
It is in the same building which
stands in for the interior of the
adult theater in Paris.
Besides the 2 main actors, there were
4 crew members crowded
into the bathroom.
Metzger had to hold up the coat tail
of Alfredo's jacket to keep it
out of the frame.
Metzger's Henry Paris films often make
use of pieces of classical music
for humorous effect.
"The Private Afternoons of Pamela
Mann" featured oral sex set
to "Swan Lake."
“Naked Came the Stranger" featured
"Flight of the Bumblebee" each time
the lovers rushed to an
adulterous tryst.
Metzger excelled at incorporating
large numbers of talented
extras in non-sex roles.
The filming in Paris was done with a
borrowed crew provided by
director Max Pecas.
Metzger had collaborated previously
with Pecas on "The Image.“
Metzger also shot inserts for Pecas'
1964 "La Baie du Désir."
Metzger insists that the names of
Barbara's gossipy friends are random
and aren't intended to evoke
anyone specific.
The calliope music used here is one of
two pieces of still-unidentified
music in the film.
The “Gossips" provide roughly the same
function in the film as
a Greek Chorus.
They where positioned adjacent to
recognizable landmarks to give the
film a more obviously
international feel.
It is rumored that the role of Barbara
Opened for Gloria Leonard due to
Gillis' live-in girlfriend backing
out at the last minute.
The three great pieces of Italian
music were sublicensed via
London-based Conroy's Eurobeat label.
Distribpix was unable to locate this
mansion in Deal, NJ. It is rumored
that it was torn down and replaced.
Cinematographer Paul Glickman shot
this scene using a
shoulder-mounted 16mm rig.
"Misty" predates the industry adoption
of Steadicam, making steady handheld
shots exceptionally difficult.
Gloria Leonard, who plays Barbara
Layman, was editor of "High Society"
magazine.
In this scene we get to see the NYC
Gossips, with Queens, NY in
the background.
The owners of the Deal, NJ estate were
in attendance at the world
premiere of "Misty" in NYC.
The lawn area filmed here is adjacent
to the estate's
remarkable 13-car garage.
This piece of music, used at several
points in the film, is one of only two
tracks that remain unidentified.
Library music does not require a
credit, so tracks must be
identified by ear.
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and
military leader in China for much
of the 20th century.
"A box of poppers" refers to amyl or
alkyl nitrites, used recreationally to
enhance sexual response.
This outdoor scene was shot at an
unidentified location in Rome.
Tanya is played by legendary adult
film star Terri Hall, who was a key
figure in the NYC adult scene.
The make up girl in the background is
Bonnie Karrin, one of the film's
assistant editors.
This was an original make-up/dressing
room at RKO studios at 106 and Park,
in NYC.
The make-up room has since been
replaced with a hallway.
Terri Hall was a trained ballerina and
worked at American Ballet Theater.
This street shot, meant to be Geneva,
is Minetta St, located in
Greenwhich Village, NYC.
In a deleted scene for which we only
have slides, Tanya provides a scale
model of the studio to
aid in planning.
In one interview, Gillis insists that
this suit is the same one he wore in
"The Story of Joanna“.
It was a bespoke suit commissioned by
Damiano for use in the film.
Cinematographer Paul Glickman insisted
on lighting sets to mainstream film
standards, even with his
bare-bones crew.
This often delayed filming, to the
consternation of the cast. This scene
finally started filming at 2am.
This track is "Heat Haze," by John
Cameron from KPM's
legendary "Afro-Rock" LP.
Cameron wrote multiple number 1 hits
for Donovan, including
"Sunshine Superman."
He received an Oscar nomination for
his score for "A Touch of Class" and
an NBT award for arranging and
conducting "Les Miserables".
Cameron co-founded Collective
Consciousness Society, which created
the theme-song for "Top of the Pops."
This scene incorporates several of
Metzger's trademark twists on the
standard sex scene.
The acts are being recorded and will
be played back and mimicked later.
A main character observes the action
but does not participate.
Gender roles are subverted, with
Geraldine standing in for a male
partner and Tanya referring to
performing acts on Geraldine's "cock."
Dr. Linda Williams analyzes the gender
dynamics in this scene in great detail
in her seminal book "Hard Core."
"Misty Beethoven" was one of the most
important films in prompting the
creation of the "Porn Studies" field.
35 years later, the film is still
screened and discussed as part of the
curriculum in many Porn
Studies programs.
Terri Hall was from the East Coast and
was born in Elmira, NY.
She began her career in the adult film
business in the early-to-mid 1970's.
Hall starred in many Distribpix films,
including "Seduction" and
"Once Over Nightly."
She was a solid actress and worked
with the best directors, including
Metzger and Damiano.
One of her most memorable roles was
co-starring with Jamie Gillis in
Gerard Damiano's "The
Story of Joanna".
Hall was a prolific performer in the
late 19705 adult film scene.
This track is "Confunktion", composed
by Dave Richmond, from KPM's
"Rock Spectrum" LP.
Richmond is best known for his work
with jazzy Brit-pop band
"Manfred Mann."
Like many KPM regulars, he was, for a
time, a member of "The Shadows."
KPM stands for the Keith Prowse Music
Group, a London-based music library
label dating back to the 19605.
KPM's famous 1100 series provided
music for many well-known films,
commercials, and TV shows
in the US and UK.
A notable example: the classic
Spider-Man cartoon was scored almost
exclusively from the KPM
1100-series library.
Library Music is used and re-used in
many contexts, meaning today's porn
music can be tomorrow's toothpaste
jingle. And vice-versa.
“The Big One," featured prominently in
Metzger's "Barbara Broadcast," later
became the theme song to
"The People's Court.'
Library Music is almost never sold
directly to consumers, as it is
reserved for use as incidental music.
The only way for consumers to obtain
recordings is to buy or trade the LPs
provided to music directors
to audition tracks.
These were pressed in small numbers
for audition purposes only but can and
do leak into the used record market.
“Misty Beethoven“ is considered the
high water mark for what has come to
be called "Porno Chic."
Following the improbable success of
"Deep Throat," adult film briefly
achieved a degree of
mainstream popularity.
This led mainstream films to
incorporate more explicit sexuality,
e.g. the x-rated "Last Tango in Paris"
later that year.
“Caligula," a mainstream film starring
Malcolm McDowell, incorporated
hardcore sex footage shot after the
fact and spliced in.
Other notable mainstream films to
receive an 'X' rating: "Midnight
Cowboy," "A Clockwork Orange,"
and "Fritz the Cat."
Porno Chic' also led adult-film
producers to try to rise to meet
mainstream standards.
Gerard Damiano's “Devil in Miss Jones"
and “The Story of Joanna" are
often noted as examples.
For a time, mainstream critics
attended and reviewed major
adult releases.
Misty was screened for critics at a
lavish event at The Four Seasons.
While mainstream reviews of "Misty"
were mixed, the film was
a huge success.
One theater screened “Misty"
nightly for over 99 weeks.
Despite Misty's wild success, the
protracted shooting schedule and
endless post-production took
its toll on Metzger.
He deliberately chose to make his next
project, "Barbara Broadcast," less
technically and
artistically ambitious.
This piece of music is “The Fuzz",
composed and performed by
Duncan Lamont.
It is from KPM 1163: Rock Spectrum.
Lamont is one of the most celebrated
jazz sax players in the world.
He has worked with Frank Sinatra, Paul
McCartney, Count Basie, Mel Torme,
Henry Mancini, and more.
The Associated Board of Music uses
Lamont's saxophone compositions as
part of their exam process.
Lamont is currently music editor for
Crescendo & Jazz Magazine.
Terri Hall and Jamie Gillis had great
chemistry off-screen, something which
comes through in their
performances in the film.
They also worked together in Jonas
Middleton's 1976 "Through
The Looking Glass.“
Jamie Gillis was sometimes referred to
as the "Hebrew Hammer“.
"Agincourt" refers to the Battle of
Agincourt, a hard-fought English
victory over a much
larger French army.
It is also central to Shakespeare's
"Henry V," which Gillis quotes in an
extended scene in the film's soft cut.
In some scenes, Misty's lips do not
sync well with the dialog.
Reportedly, this is because much of
Money's dialog was later overdubbed
by a different actress.
Money's relationship with the film and
its director were tumultuous.
Two major deleted scenes from Misty
were incorporated into
Metzger's subsequent films.
Money's S&M scene from this film
appears in "Barbara Broadcast" and her
'matador' scene appears in
"Maraschino Cherry."
This resulted in a lawsuit brought by
the actress to obtain additional
compensation for her work.
Once again, this is Teorema by Italian
composer Bruno Nicolai.
Nicolai composed scores for many
famous Italian films, including “Land
Raiders" and the giallo "All the
Colors of the Dark."
While the Deal Historical Society was
unable to provide details, it is
believed the mansion was located not
far from the Deal casino.
Misty and Geraldine share this bathtub
in a scene appearing only in the
softcore version of the film.
In the additional scene, Geraldine
asks Misty if she is ready
for Lawrence Layman.
Misty replies, "As the Duke of
Welligton said to Queen Victoria, and
I quote: 'The motherfucker
doesn't stand a chance.' "
It was the first scene shot on the
first day of filming.
Mixing b&w footage into his
vividly-colored films is a technique
Metzger had used before.
He filmed an extended b&w sequence in
the style of a silent film for his
previous release, "Naked
Came The Stranger."
The art/textile dealer is played by
legendary gay porn star,
Casey Donovan.
Donovan was a veteran of the adult
industry, and performed in
many historic films.
Again, we hear the iconic "Heat Haze",
by John Cameron, one of our favorites.
Cameron also composed the music for
U.S. mini-series "Little
House on the Prairie.“
His instrumental version of Led
Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" was a hit
for his band "Collective
Consciousness Society."
This art studio in Geneva is yet
another set built at RKO
studios by Anton Stone.
Donovan starred in a very important
gay film, "The Boys In The Sand.
It was the first gay film to be shot
in color and with a soundtrack.
Donovan appeared in Metzger's prior
non-adult film "Score" under his real
name [John] Calvin Culver.
Metzger: "Casey was an amazing
performer and we had a wonderful
working relationship...“
"In 1973, we were the only 2 Americans
in the former Yugoslavia, for 8 weeks,
on a shoot.“
Although Donvan was gay, he also
appeared in a handful of
straight porn films.
This piece of music is "Glass Tubes,"
composed by Brian Bennett.
It is from KPM 1162: Industry, Volume 2.
While the visuals were typically
edited to match the music, in this
case the music was altered to
match the visuals.
Music Director George Craig recalls
mechanically speeding up the music to
better fit the pace of the scene.
Over a period of years, Distribpix
identified the rights-holders for each
piece of music in the film.
The tracks have been licensed and
“Misty Beethoven" will finally receive
a proper soundtrack album 36 years
after its premiere.
Culver's alias, "Casey Donovan,"
combines a character he played "Casey"
(in a film of the same name) with
popular musician Donovan.
Culver was successful as a model, but
his fame as a porn performer
eventually cost him that career.
He also acted on-stage in both on and
off-Broadway performances.
He shared the stage with Ingrid
Bergman in a Broadway production of
"Captain Brassbound's Conversion“
Once again, this is a portion of
"Confunktion", by Dave Richmond.
A respected double-bass player,
Richmond has backed many
great singers.
He played the bass for “Your Song" and
"Border Song" on Elton
John's Black Album.
He was also the bass guitar player on
Serge Gainsbourg's legendary
"Historie de Melody Nelson."
Like many of his KPM contemporaries,
he played for a time with British
sensations "The Shadows."
His bass can also be heard in the
beginning and ending themes to long
running British sit-com
"Only Fools & Horses."
The music now transitions again to
"Teorema," composed by Bruno Nicolai.
This hallway is part of the Deal
mansion that is Geraldine's "little
shack in the country."
Along with the adjacent pool room, it
served as the filming location for the
infamous deleted scene in which Dr.
Love gets rough with Misty.
The scene was deleted for being
grotesquely out of character for Dr.
Love.
Outtake footage shows one of the giant
vases getting shattered
during the fight.
Cinematographer Paul Glickman recalls
a cast member sitting nude on another
giant vase. It shattered, cutting
his bare posterior.
No one we interviewed remembered how
the homeowners responded to having two
of their giant vases broken.
Giving Misty a massage is Peter
Andrews, who also appears in Metzger's
next film, “Barbara Broadcast."
"Barbara Broadcast" would be the
second-to-last of Metzger's
hardcore features.
Metzger's final hardcore film,
Maraschino Cherry, was constructed
primarily from footage cut from
his earlier films.
Metzger would continue on to film
three more non-explicit films
before retiring in 1984.
This scene goes on longer in the
softcore version, with Geraldine
noting that "I should think Jack
Palance would show up for
the next scene."
Dr Love also quotes Shakespeare's
Henry V in a naughty pun on "Once
more unto the breach."
The immediately subsequent scene
(which appears only in the soft cut)
features Lawrence Layman and
Barbara watching Kojak.
Barbara insists Kojak is gay: "They
don't fool me with that lollipop
bullshit. I know what that's
supposed to mean."
She also asserts that no straight NYC
cop would have his suit
pressed all the time.
Lawrence counters this by insisting
that Kojak is a California cop (as the
show was filmed, though not set,
in California).
Susan Jensen (credited here as
Constance Money) appeared in a few
adult films prior to playing Misty.
Her first appearance, shot while
attending Mills College, was in
a short stag loop.
The loop is untitled but is frequently
anthologized as “Panty Raid."
She also appears in Zachary Strong's
"Confessions of a Teenage
Peanutbutter Freak."
In that film, she is credited as "Christina Hoover.“
Briefly, the music again clips into
"Bourbon" by Brian Bennett.
Bennett, along with other 705-era KPM
musicians, occasionally plays live
shows as part of the "KPM All Stars.“
This track was titled “Teorema” in its
first release, the soundtrack to
Italian film “Geminus”
It was later retitled "Thin Ice B"
when released as a sublicense on
Conroy's Eurobeat line.
The vocals are provided by Edda
Del'Orso, famous for her work on Ennio
Morricone's Spaghetti Western scores.
Dr. Love's blonde maid is played by
adult-film actress Nancy Dare.
She also appears in Metzger's genre
swan-song, "Maraschino Cherry."
Metzger credits cinematographer Paul
Glickman with the idea to film their
entrance from the RKO studio
freight elevator.
The tiny sign in the elevator reads
"Do Not Open Doors While 'Silence'
Light Is On."
The elevator and studio, now called
Metropolis Studios, still exist and
appear remarkably unchanged.
Setting a scene at a wrap party
allowed the studio itself to
become an impressive set.
Many famous productions have made use
of the studio, including "Emeril
Live," "Chapelle's Show"...
..."106 & Park," "Between the Lions,"
and "Carmen Sandiego.“
Footage of the studio in 2012 can be
seen in the "Cinetta Studios
Revisited" extra.
The catwalk they are on is intact and
has changed little in almost 40 years.
To set the studio in Italy, "Vietato
Fumare" and "Silencio"
signs were added.
The use of cigarette smoke for
humorous effect in front of the
"Vietato Fumare" sign broke Metzger's
longstanding ban on on-screen smoking.
Ras Kean insisted on doing his own
stunts, as seen here in his
entrance to his party.
The number of extras employed for the
party scene was exceptional
for an adult film.
Many party-goers were friends of the cast and crew.
A&P Supermarket heir Huntington
Hartford, worth half a billion dollars
in 1969, was among the extras
filmed in this scene.
Metzger deliberately avoided using
footage in which Hartford
was recognizable.
He felt that if Hartford was visible
in the film, it would become "that
porn film Huntington Hartford was in.“
Hartford later became a Howard Hughes-like recluse.
This piece of music is “Rebel,"
credited to John Moran on KPM 1135:
Discotheque.
This was long assumed to be the
Scottish rocker John Moran of "The
Johnny Hudson Hi-Four" and
"The Lost Souls."
Contacted by Distribpix in 2011, Moran
insists that he neither composed this
track nor performed on it.
ASCAP's royalty payment records
suggest that it was actually composed
by Norman Newell, ex-head of
Columbia Records.
Newell was a sought-after composer and
lyricist, winning a Grammy, an Emmy, a
Golden Globe, 3 Ivor Novello
and 6 BMI awards.
Ironically, Newell famously fought to
keep rock music off the Columbia
label for many years.
Radley found Constance through West
Coast talent agent, Harold Adler.
Gloria Leonard wanted to work in
production, but ended up in front
of the camera instead.
During this scene, a mark called a
"cigarette burn" or "cue mark" flashes
in the upper right corner.
A pair of these marks signaled to
theater projectionists that it was
time to switch to the next film reel.
The cue marks in the film were left
intact during restoration as part of
the historical
preservation of the film.
Metzger's habit of creating unusually
long reels actually presented
challenges during the film
scanning process.
The film scanner estimates the length
of film on a reel by its weight, so as
to properly adjust
tension on the film.
The first reel of Misty Beethoven
incorporated so many feet of film that
the scanner declared it an error
and refused to load it.
Emergency calls to the scanner's
creators in Sweden yielded a hastily
built firmware patch to bypass
the safety check.
The Golden Eye III film scanner was
the first of its kind in North America
and one of only a
handful in the world.
“The Opening of Misty Beethoven" had
the honor of being the first film ever
transferred on a Golden Eye
III in North America.
The scan was done at 2K resolution--
well beyond HD levels of detail.
Each transfer was over 1.5 terabytes of raw data.
Color correction and dust and scratch
removal was done at this resolution so
the restored film could be
projected theatrically.
Erotic art from Asia depicts the use
of strap-on dildos dating
back to the 1600s.
The use of a strap-on dildo by a woman
to anally penetrate a man has come
to be called "pegging."
The term was coined by columnist Dan
Savage and his readers in a 2001
online vote to name the act in
"Bend Over Boyfriend."
Prior to 2001, the act had no widely agreed-upon name.
While Dr. Carol Queen's 1998 "Bend
Over Boyfriend" videos popularized the
act, it had occasionally
appeared on film before.
Simulated pegging was depicted in the
mainstream 1970 film
"Myra Breckenridge.“
Aside from a few rare loops, Misty is
generally credited with being the
first unsimulated depiction
of pegging on film.
Shaun Costello's “Midnight Desires,"
released later the same month, also
depicted pegging but had been
filmed well after Misty.
It featured Metzger alum Eric Edwards
getting pegged, though a "stunt ass"
was used for the actual
penetration shot.
Likewise, Ras Kean declined to be
penetrated on the set of Misty.
The “art dealer," Casey Donovan, was
brought in to stand-in for Kean in the
penetration close-ups.
At the last moment, Kean relented and
agreed to be penetrated.
However, Metzger insisted on using
Donovan instead as he had already been
brought in for that purpose.
Metzger included one transgressive or
controversial sex act in each of
his Henry Paris films.
This generated buzz and increased
word-of-mouth for the films.
In "The Private Afternoons of Pamela
Mann," the controversial act
was staged rape-play.
In "Naked Came the Stranger," it was implied age-play.
In "Barbara Broadcast," it was urination.
And in "Maraschino Cherry," it was
the S&M dungeon scene.
While Glickman's protracted lighting
setups sometimes frustrated the cast,
the resulting shots could
be spectacular.
A short subject he photographed,
"Angel and Big Joe," won an
Academy Award in 1976.
Paul Glickman is credited under an
alias in Metzger's films -- either
"Robert Rochester“ or "Marcel Hall."
Aside from his cinematic magic,
Glickman was known for his
abilities as a magician.
He recognized the parallels between
the illusions of film and the
illusions of stage magic.
Metzger insists that filmmakers fall
into 2 camps: those who were magicians
and those who did impressions.
Dr. Love calls himself "the Erotic
Diaghilev," a reference to the
notoriously demanding Russian
ballet impresario.
He also calls himself "the Svengali of
Sex," a reference to the manipulative
hypnotist in George du Maurier's
1894 novel "Trilby."
Metzger credits cinematographer Paul
Glickman with the idea of setting up
this scene to play out
through shadows.
Glickman and Metzger worked together
on all 5 of his adult "Henry Paris"
films.
The two sometimes clashed, as both had
strong opinions and Metzger liked to
frame his own shots and operate
the camera himself.
Metzger refers to Glickman as "a
cinematographer who wanted to be a
director" but admits that he was "a
magician" with film.
Glickman's ability to shoot steady
handheld footage made his skills
particularly valuable in the
pre-Steadicam era.
He can be see on-screen in "Naked Came
the Stranger" lunging for a payphone
coin-return a heartbeat too slow.
These are the stairs leading to the
Araceoli on Capitol Hill in Rome.
An erotic boutique in Rome is named
"Misty Beethoven" in unauthorized
tribute to the film.
Gillis is generally credited with
creating the "gonzo" porn genre
with "On the Prowl.“
The fictionalized depiction of "On the
Prowl" in "Boogie Nights“
angered Gillis greatly.
Gillis was bisexual in his personal
life, though he rarely
performed as such on film.
A notable exception is in Gerard
Damiano's "Story of Joanna.“
Gillis was active as both a performer
and director in hundreds of films,
from 1971- 2005.
His final film role was as Stavros in
non-sex film "Die You
Zombie Bastards!"
Mary Stuart, playing a stewardess,
gives us a very memorable performance.
It is Cuban cigars which are
prohibited from import into
the United States.
The male passenger is adult performer David Williams.
In an extended scene in the soft cut,
the female passenger asks Dr Love if
he is the Goldenrod Girl's friend and
says "pretty girls get
all the breaks."
A typical Metzger NYC establishing
shot brings us back to Dr.
Love's apartment.
This unidentified music is very likely
a piece by Italian
composer Bruno Nicolai.
While this track has yet to be
identified, an extremely similar but
distinct piece by Nicolai is known.
It is "Con Affeto" from the 1973 album
"Cartoline," recorded under
Nicolai's "Leo Flag“ alias.
This maid is adult performer, Marlene
Willoughby, who is credited
under an alias.
Gillis also had fond memories of
working with her. He said
she was "Willowy".
Misty, like "My Fair Lady" is based on
the George Bernard Shaw
play “Pygmalion.”
"Pygmalion," in turn, draws
inspiration from Ovid's tale of
"Pygmalion and Galatea."
Pygmalion, a sculptor, falls in love
with his creation: an ivory
sculpture of a woman.
The archetype of a creator sculpting
the perfect woman only to fall in love
with her himself became a staple of
the Victorian stage.
Shaw's play did not end with the
creator and his creation
becoming a couple.
This angered audiences, and within a
year the play was being performed with
a happy ending uniting
Higgins and Doolittle.
Director Herbert Beerbohm Tree told
Shaw, "My ending makes money, you
ought to be grateful."
Shaw, infuriated, replied, “Your
ending is damnable; you
ought to be shot."
The music now transitions to
Allesandro Allesandroni's
"Giovane Flirt."
Allesandroni collaborated closely with
famous Italian film score composers
Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai.
He managed the legendary "I Cantori
Moderni" choir used in so many
Spaghetti Westerns.
His whistling and vocalizations were
highlights of Morricone's scores for
“The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly,“ "A
Fistful of Dollars," and more.
The music transitions now to Steve
Gray's "Mighty Atom," the piece
which opened the film.
Gray was keyboardist for John
Williams' band "Sky" from 1981 until
the band dispersed in 1995.
Gillis was greatly enamored with
Constance Money and
remembered her very fondly.
While they fell out of contact for
decades, they spoke via phone shortly
before Gillis' death.
He succumbed to cancer in February of
2010 at the age of 66.
Susan Jensen (as Constance Money)
appeared in only a few films
after "Misty Beethoven."
She had leading roles in "Mary, Mary!“
and in porn-noir "Anna Obsessed."
While a frequent guest at the Playboy
Mansion, Hugh Hefner counseled her to
attempt to cross over into
mainstream film.
She aggressively pursued the role of
Francis Farmer in the 1982
film "Frances."
She met with the film's director
Graeme Clifford, but producers
forbade her involvement.
She did land an uncredited role as one
of Dudley Moore's naughty neighbor's
house-guests in "10."
In the early 80s she gave birth to a
son and lived platonically with adult
film legend John Leslie.
After her farewell film, 1984's "A
Taste of Money," Leslie helped her
transition out of the adult industry.
From 1985 onward, she vanished
entirely from the public eye.
Eager to avoid the hurtful treatment
she received from friends and
neighbors for being a 'porn star' she
lives in relative anonymity on the
U.S. Pacific Coast.
Contacted by Distribpix in in 2011,
she offered enthusiastic support and
copious information, though she
declined to appear on-camera.
Despite some challenging health
issues, she is currently hard at
work writing her memoirs.
The actress who played Geraldine, now
living in California, was also located
but declined to participate
in the release.
Gloria Leonard (who appeared in the
film as Barbara Layman) is now
retired in Hawaii.
Long an industry icon, she generously
provided commentary for the soft cut
and a lengthy on-camera interview.
Despite extensive efforts, Ras Kean's
real name and whereabouts
remain unknown.
Calvin Culver (credited as Casey
Donovan for his role as the Art
Dealer) went on to star in
many more films.
His work as a gay porn star and
high-priced prostitute cost him his
lucrative modeling career.
He wrote an advice column, "Ask Casey"
for Stallion Magazine for many years.
He also managed a Bed & Breakfast,
"Casa Donovan" in Key West, Florida.
Culver died of AIDS-related
pulmonary infection in 1987.
The film's music director, George
Craig, provided library music and
commissioned scores for hundreds
of films and shows.
He is now retired, but we had the
privilege of interviewing him
on-camera for this release.
Paul Glickman served as
cinematographer on many more films,
most of them mainstream.
His short animated film, "The Calypso
Singer," is still widely
viewed and loved.
Glickman's latest film collaboration,
"El Salon México" appeared in many
film festivals in 2011.
Radley Metzger directed three more
mainstream films before retiring.
They were "The Cat and the Canary"
(1978), "The Tale of Tiffany Lust"
(1981), and "The Princess and
the Call Girl" (1984).
While retired in New York, Metzger
continues to actively collaborate in
the release of his films.
His memories of filming Misty are
available as a commentary track for the
hardcore cut of the film.
In a final bizarre note, in this
scene, Gillis is reading a
manual on enemas.
Gillis would go on to play Burt, the
Enema Bandit, in the following
year's "Water Power."
location near Place Pigalle in Paris.
Place Pigalle is Paris' Red Light District.
The opening theme, "Mighty Atom“ by
Steve Gray, is used
repeatedly in the film.
The street footage is 35mm, but most
of the film was shot in Super-16mm.
This “porn scene" in the opener was
shot in the assistant editor's
apartment in NYC.
The main actor seen here is Jamie
Gillis, playing the character of Dr.
Seymour Love.
Gillis was born Jamie Ira Gurman. He
got his start acting Off-Broadway.
It was constantly raining in Paris
during filming, which delayed and
complicated the shoot.
Metzger: "We spent many hours waiting
for the rain to ease up
between shots."
The interior of the porno theater in
Paris is actually a small
theater in downtown NYC.
Now the Lucille Lortel Theater, it is
located on Christopher Street.
The porno actress appreciating her own
on-screen performance is a
typical Metzger flourish.
Many of these extras appear later as
high-brow patrons at the ballet.
The actress in the white t-shirt is
Susan Jensen, AKA Constance Money.
Misty Beethoven was Susan's
breakthrough role,
catapulting her to stardom.
Conflicting stories exist for the
origin of her "Constance Money"
stage-name.
A common claim is that Metzger coined
it as commentary on her constant
demands for payment.
Metzger disputes this account,
insisting that the name was
mutually agreed-upon.
Constance Money performed in only a
handful of adult films in the
70's and early 80's.
She got along well with Gillis in
person, adding to their
on-screen chemistry.
Sex scenes involving mirrors or
cameras/projectors are a staple of
Metzger's adult film work.
Misty's credit-card t-shirt is one of
Metzger's many nods to sly
social commentary.
Misty Beethoven' is an adult-film
adaptation of Bernard Shaw's
play "Pygmalion."
Metzger acknowledges “My Fair Lady,"
another Pygmalion adaptation, as
an influence as well.
The film actually follows the
traditional structure and
cadence of a Musical.
The “brothel" was one of several sets
created at RKO studios by art
director Anton Stone.
The film's working title, "Society,“
again points to Metzger's fondness
for social commentary.
Metzger frequently fashioned his
screenplays around wealthy elites to
remove job and money concerns.
Metzger coined the "Misty Beethoven"
name, hoping it would be memorable.
Assistant editor Bonnie Karrin came up
with "The Opening of“ part of the
title late in post-production.
Earlier titles included "The Tale Of
Misty Beethoven“ and "The Coming
of Misty Beethoven."
The latter title was in use so late in
the process that the title
screen had to be re-shot.
Jacquelin Beaudant plays Dr. Love's
sidekick, Gerladine Rich, in her only
known adult-film role.
The extra in a t-shirt and beret is
adult film legend Michael Datorre.
Dattore went on to appear in Metzger's
next film, Barbara Broadcast.
Dattore is considered one of the
funniest character actors
of the golden age.
Metzger frequently allowed actresses
in his sex scenes to remain
partially clothed.
He also enjoyed reversing gender
roles, as here with Geraldine as the
female client and Dattore as
a male prostitute.
The music here is "Bourbon" by Brian
Bennett, from KPM 1163: Rock Spectrum.
100 Francs in late 1975 is,
coincidentally, roughly equivalent
to $100 USD in 2012.
As 100 francs clearly means nothing to
Dr Love, his bargaining with Misty was
for purposes of his research.
Auto rebates were introduced in the
19705 to counter low demand due to
the Arab Oil Embargo.
"Nadir" refers to the absolute lowest
position something can take.
"Annals" in synonymous with chronicle
or history, but puns nicely with
“anals” in context.
Metzger's love of wordplay often
features in his dialog-- here a pun on
(giving) head vs "get ahead."
The Goldenrod Girl would be equivalent
to a Penthouse Pet or Playboy
Playmate of the Year.
The “bet" here parallels the one in
"Pygmalion" and "My Fair Lady,"
forming the backbone of the story.
This track is "Teorema" by Italian
composer Bruno Nicolai.
All of Metzger's adult films are
scored with production library music,
a sort of musical stock footage.
Metzger collaborated with Music
Director George Craig to select
music for his films.
Craig's "Music Soundtrack Service" was
located in the same building as
Metzger's cutting room.
Outdoor scenes in Paris and Rome
feature stand-ins for Misty, as Money
did not fly to Europe.
Metzger counts Misty's "Dolores
Beethoven" line among his
all-time favorites.
Jamie Gillis was terrified of flying,
but was the only cast member
who flew to Europe.
This airplane scenes were all shot in
an airline mock-up used for
training flight staff.
The stewardess seen here is played by
well known porn actress, Jenny Baxter.
In the script, Misty replies to "First
trip?" with "I tripped with my brother
when I was 16. It was at a dance. I
learned a lot from that trip."
This music is “Giovane Flirt“ by
Italian composer
Alessandro Alessandroni.
This is footage of the UN building,
FDR Drive, and Sutton Place
in New York City.
The iconic set of Dr Love's apartment
was built in the machine shop at the
RKO studio at 106 and Park in NYC.
Set construction on this scale was
essentially unheard of in the
adult film industry.
This music is “Going Great",
composed by Franco Bonfanti.
The track is from Conroy Eurobeat 11:
Colla Voce, a rare LP of Italian
sublicenses which can fetch $150-200.
It was titled "Ippica" on its initial
release LP: "REBUS n. 7" by Pinciana
Records. This extreme rarity can
demand four figures.
Although the script was perfect for
Gillis, Metzger originally intended
the role for Tyler Horne.
Metzger wanted to avoid using
recognizable porn stars like Gillis,
hoping 'Misty' could be a
crossover mainstream hit.
While footage of Home as Dr Love was
shot, Metzger eventually relented and
gave the role to Gillis.
Constance Money was a relative
unknown, having had only small parts
in two minor adult films
and one stag loop.
The ejaculate in this sequence was
actually egg-whites thrown by the
director, off camera.
An extraordinary number of takes were
shot, prompting complaints
from the leading lady.
The “cool" / softcore version of this
scene features a dildo
instead of a penis.
"Cool" or softcore versions of adult
films were created for use in more
restrictive markets.
The inconsistent patchwork of
indecency laws made creating a legally
'safe' cut challenging.
Metzger put unusual effort into his
'soft' cuts, correctly anticipating a
future market on cable televsion.
Metzger shot additional dialog
sequences for the softcore version of
Misty to make up for lost
running time due to cuts.
This set is at the same RKO Studio at
which Metzger got his start cutting
trailers for Janus films.
The neighborhood around the studio had
gotten so dangerous that it was
desperate for business.
At $200 per day, including the machine
shop, the studio fit even within
Metzger's shoestring budget.
However, the cast and crew had to
employ dozens of pre-arranged taxis in
order to arrive and leave safely.
Fearing potential lawsuits for
obscenity, Metzger made use of a
sequence of aliases.
He used "Jake Barnes" as his writing
credit-- a reference to the
protagonist of Hemmingway's
"The Sun Also Rises."
Other crew-members used aliases to
avoid running afoul of union rules.
This line is a reference to Hamlet:
"The play's the thing wherein I'll
catch the conscience of the king."
Magazine mogul Lawrence Layman is
played by Ras Kean, credited
here as Ras King.
His name is a reference to having
lived for a time among
Rastafarians in Jamaica.
His wife, Barbara, is played by adult
industry legend Gloria Leonard
in her first role.
She was working as a make-up artist
before Metzger cast her in the role to
fill an unexpected vacancy.
"Naughty Marietta" was a 1935 musical
starring Jeanette Macdonald
and Nelson Eddie.
One of its songs, "Oh Sweet Mystery of
Life," is referenced memorably in
"Young Frankenstein."
Metzger: "Having trained actors on the
set, like Gillis and Baxter, made
it a joy to direct."
Leasing an airplane for filming would
have cost thousands of dollars per
day, well beyond the film's budget.
Instead Metzger secured an airline
flight-training shell, which
much cheaper to rent.
“Cascade Flight 111" references a real
(if tiny) airline which Operated hop
flights out of Spokane, WA
from 1969-1986.
The stewardess here is Mary Stuart,
who had a major role in Metzger's
previous film, "Naked
Came the Stranger."
This passenger is played by American
actor, Mark Margolis who appeared in
Brian De Palma's "Scarface."
He also appeared as Tio Salamanca in
"Breaking Bad" and had prominent roles
in Darren Aronofsky's films.
The actress seen here seducing Misty
Beethoven is Tia von Davis.
She worked in a handful of adult films
from 1975-78, sometimes credited as
Gayle Peters or Gayle Schafer.
She worked with directors Carter
Stevens, Joe Davian, and
Roberta Findlay.
To make a "cool" version of the scene,
cinematographer Paul Glickman simply
re-filmed with the camera at a
less revealing angle.
The music currently playing is
“Bourbon," composed by KPM
regular Brian Bennett.
It appeared on KPM 1163: Rock
Spectrum, the source of several
tracks used in 'Misty'.
Bennett was drummer for British
chart-toppers "The Shadows"
from 1961 onwards.
He also played in "Marty Wilde and the
Wildecats" as well as"Wasp," a quintet
which included KPM
saxophonist Duncan Lamont.
He is still active, completing a 2009
tour with The Shadows at
the age of 69.
Establishing footage was shot in Rome
using the same crew Metzger utilized
for “Lickerish Quartet...
Part of the driveway scene is shot in
35mm and part in Super 16mm.
Although in the film Geraldine's
“shack in the country" is near Rome,
the mansion used for filming
was in Deal, NJ.
The Mercedes Benz in this scene
belonged to Metzger himself, equipped
for the film with foreign
license plates.
Interiors of Geraldine's house were
also shot at the same Deal NJ mansion.
The lavish estate was reportedly built
using materials and workmen
brought over from Italy.
This scene was shot on location at the
Piazza Venezia in Rome.
This is not Constance Money, but yet
another body double, hired in Italy.
This track is the finale of the
"William Tell Overture", composed
by Gioachino Rossini.
The actor in the tux is Ian Morley,
who is only credited in 3 adult films.
The footage of the passenger stepping
into the car was shot on the
Spanish Steps in Rome.
His white straw hat is used to connect
the exterior footage shot in Rome to
the car-interior footage
filmed in New York.
The William Tell Overture may be best
known for its use as the theme song
to "The Lone Ranger."
Dr Love refers to “the ballet" and
Barbara Layman refers to Misty's
exploits at "The Firebird," but the
William Tell Overture is
part of an Opera.
The opera house is actually a set,
constructed and assembled
at RKO studios.
To allow proper camera angles, the set
was constructed on an
elevated platform.
This is the bathroom of the original
Theater de Lys, in Greenwich Village,
NYC.
It is in the same building which
stands in for the interior of the
adult theater in Paris.
Besides the 2 main actors, there were
4 crew members crowded
into the bathroom.
Metzger had to hold up the coat tail
of Alfredo's jacket to keep it
out of the frame.
Metzger's Henry Paris films often make
use of pieces of classical music
for humorous effect.
"The Private Afternoons of Pamela
Mann" featured oral sex set
to "Swan Lake."
“Naked Came the Stranger" featured
"Flight of the Bumblebee" each time
the lovers rushed to an
adulterous tryst.
Metzger excelled at incorporating
large numbers of talented
extras in non-sex roles.
The filming in Paris was done with a
borrowed crew provided by
director Max Pecas.
Metzger had collaborated previously
with Pecas on "The Image.“
Metzger also shot inserts for Pecas'
1964 "La Baie du Désir."
Metzger insists that the names of
Barbara's gossipy friends are random
and aren't intended to evoke
anyone specific.
The calliope music used here is one of
two pieces of still-unidentified
music in the film.
The “Gossips" provide roughly the same
function in the film as
a Greek Chorus.
They where positioned adjacent to
recognizable landmarks to give the
film a more obviously
international feel.
It is rumored that the role of Barbara
Opened for Gloria Leonard due to
Gillis' live-in girlfriend backing
out at the last minute.
The three great pieces of Italian
music were sublicensed via
London-based Conroy's Eurobeat label.
Distribpix was unable to locate this
mansion in Deal, NJ. It is rumored
that it was torn down and replaced.
Cinematographer Paul Glickman shot
this scene using a
shoulder-mounted 16mm rig.
"Misty" predates the industry adoption
of Steadicam, making steady handheld
shots exceptionally difficult.
Gloria Leonard, who plays Barbara
Layman, was editor of "High Society"
magazine.
In this scene we get to see the NYC
Gossips, with Queens, NY in
the background.
The owners of the Deal, NJ estate were
in attendance at the world
premiere of "Misty" in NYC.
The lawn area filmed here is adjacent
to the estate's
remarkable 13-car garage.
This piece of music, used at several
points in the film, is one of only two
tracks that remain unidentified.
Library music does not require a
credit, so tracks must be
identified by ear.
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and
military leader in China for much
of the 20th century.
"A box of poppers" refers to amyl or
alkyl nitrites, used recreationally to
enhance sexual response.
This outdoor scene was shot at an
unidentified location in Rome.
Tanya is played by legendary adult
film star Terri Hall, who was a key
figure in the NYC adult scene.
The make up girl in the background is
Bonnie Karrin, one of the film's
assistant editors.
This was an original make-up/dressing
room at RKO studios at 106 and Park,
in NYC.
The make-up room has since been
replaced with a hallway.
Terri Hall was a trained ballerina and
worked at American Ballet Theater.
This street shot, meant to be Geneva,
is Minetta St, located in
Greenwhich Village, NYC.
In a deleted scene for which we only
have slides, Tanya provides a scale
model of the studio to
aid in planning.
In one interview, Gillis insists that
this suit is the same one he wore in
"The Story of Joanna“.
It was a bespoke suit commissioned by
Damiano for use in the film.
Cinematographer Paul Glickman insisted
on lighting sets to mainstream film
standards, even with his
bare-bones crew.
This often delayed filming, to the
consternation of the cast. This scene
finally started filming at 2am.
This track is "Heat Haze," by John
Cameron from KPM's
legendary "Afro-Rock" LP.
Cameron wrote multiple number 1 hits
for Donovan, including
"Sunshine Superman."
He received an Oscar nomination for
his score for "A Touch of Class" and
an NBT award for arranging and
conducting "Les Miserables".
Cameron co-founded Collective
Consciousness Society, which created
the theme-song for "Top of the Pops."
This scene incorporates several of
Metzger's trademark twists on the
standard sex scene.
The acts are being recorded and will
be played back and mimicked later.
A main character observes the action
but does not participate.
Gender roles are subverted, with
Geraldine standing in for a male
partner and Tanya referring to
performing acts on Geraldine's "cock."
Dr. Linda Williams analyzes the gender
dynamics in this scene in great detail
in her seminal book "Hard Core."
"Misty Beethoven" was one of the most
important films in prompting the
creation of the "Porn Studies" field.
35 years later, the film is still
screened and discussed as part of the
curriculum in many Porn
Studies programs.
Terri Hall was from the East Coast and
was born in Elmira, NY.
She began her career in the adult film
business in the early-to-mid 1970's.
Hall starred in many Distribpix films,
including "Seduction" and
"Once Over Nightly."
She was a solid actress and worked
with the best directors, including
Metzger and Damiano.
One of her most memorable roles was
co-starring with Jamie Gillis in
Gerard Damiano's "The
Story of Joanna".
Hall was a prolific performer in the
late 19705 adult film scene.
This track is "Confunktion", composed
by Dave Richmond, from KPM's
"Rock Spectrum" LP.
Richmond is best known for his work
with jazzy Brit-pop band
"Manfred Mann."
Like many KPM regulars, he was, for a
time, a member of "The Shadows."
KPM stands for the Keith Prowse Music
Group, a London-based music library
label dating back to the 19605.
KPM's famous 1100 series provided
music for many well-known films,
commercials, and TV shows
in the US and UK.
A notable example: the classic
Spider-Man cartoon was scored almost
exclusively from the KPM
1100-series library.
Library Music is used and re-used in
many contexts, meaning today's porn
music can be tomorrow's toothpaste
jingle. And vice-versa.
“The Big One," featured prominently in
Metzger's "Barbara Broadcast," later
became the theme song to
"The People's Court.'
Library Music is almost never sold
directly to consumers, as it is
reserved for use as incidental music.
The only way for consumers to obtain
recordings is to buy or trade the LPs
provided to music directors
to audition tracks.
These were pressed in small numbers
for audition purposes only but can and
do leak into the used record market.
“Misty Beethoven“ is considered the
high water mark for what has come to
be called "Porno Chic."
Following the improbable success of
"Deep Throat," adult film briefly
achieved a degree of
mainstream popularity.
This led mainstream films to
incorporate more explicit sexuality,
e.g. the x-rated "Last Tango in Paris"
later that year.
“Caligula," a mainstream film starring
Malcolm McDowell, incorporated
hardcore sex footage shot after the
fact and spliced in.
Other notable mainstream films to
receive an 'X' rating: "Midnight
Cowboy," "A Clockwork Orange,"
and "Fritz the Cat."
Porno Chic' also led adult-film
producers to try to rise to meet
mainstream standards.
Gerard Damiano's “Devil in Miss Jones"
and “The Story of Joanna" are
often noted as examples.
For a time, mainstream critics
attended and reviewed major
adult releases.
Misty was screened for critics at a
lavish event at The Four Seasons.
While mainstream reviews of "Misty"
were mixed, the film was
a huge success.
One theater screened “Misty"
nightly for over 99 weeks.
Despite Misty's wild success, the
protracted shooting schedule and
endless post-production took
its toll on Metzger.
He deliberately chose to make his next
project, "Barbara Broadcast," less
technically and
artistically ambitious.
This piece of music is “The Fuzz",
composed and performed by
Duncan Lamont.
It is from KPM 1163: Rock Spectrum.
Lamont is one of the most celebrated
jazz sax players in the world.
He has worked with Frank Sinatra, Paul
McCartney, Count Basie, Mel Torme,
Henry Mancini, and more.
The Associated Board of Music uses
Lamont's saxophone compositions as
part of their exam process.
Lamont is currently music editor for
Crescendo & Jazz Magazine.
Terri Hall and Jamie Gillis had great
chemistry off-screen, something which
comes through in their
performances in the film.
They also worked together in Jonas
Middleton's 1976 "Through
The Looking Glass.“
Jamie Gillis was sometimes referred to
as the "Hebrew Hammer“.
"Agincourt" refers to the Battle of
Agincourt, a hard-fought English
victory over a much
larger French army.
It is also central to Shakespeare's
"Henry V," which Gillis quotes in an
extended scene in the film's soft cut.
In some scenes, Misty's lips do not
sync well with the dialog.
Reportedly, this is because much of
Money's dialog was later overdubbed
by a different actress.
Money's relationship with the film and
its director were tumultuous.
Two major deleted scenes from Misty
were incorporated into
Metzger's subsequent films.
Money's S&M scene from this film
appears in "Barbara Broadcast" and her
'matador' scene appears in
"Maraschino Cherry."
This resulted in a lawsuit brought by
the actress to obtain additional
compensation for her work.
Once again, this is Teorema by Italian
composer Bruno Nicolai.
Nicolai composed scores for many
famous Italian films, including “Land
Raiders" and the giallo "All the
Colors of the Dark."
While the Deal Historical Society was
unable to provide details, it is
believed the mansion was located not
far from the Deal casino.
Misty and Geraldine share this bathtub
in a scene appearing only in the
softcore version of the film.
In the additional scene, Geraldine
asks Misty if she is ready
for Lawrence Layman.
Misty replies, "As the Duke of
Welligton said to Queen Victoria, and
I quote: 'The motherfucker
doesn't stand a chance.' "
It was the first scene shot on the
first day of filming.
Mixing b&w footage into his
vividly-colored films is a technique
Metzger had used before.
He filmed an extended b&w sequence in
the style of a silent film for his
previous release, "Naked
Came The Stranger."
The art/textile dealer is played by
legendary gay porn star,
Casey Donovan.
Donovan was a veteran of the adult
industry, and performed in
many historic films.
Again, we hear the iconic "Heat Haze",
by John Cameron, one of our favorites.
Cameron also composed the music for
U.S. mini-series "Little
House on the Prairie.“
His instrumental version of Led
Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" was a hit
for his band "Collective
Consciousness Society."
This art studio in Geneva is yet
another set built at RKO
studios by Anton Stone.
Donovan starred in a very important
gay film, "The Boys In The Sand.
It was the first gay film to be shot
in color and with a soundtrack.
Donovan appeared in Metzger's prior
non-adult film "Score" under his real
name [John] Calvin Culver.
Metzger: "Casey was an amazing
performer and we had a wonderful
working relationship...“
"In 1973, we were the only 2 Americans
in the former Yugoslavia, for 8 weeks,
on a shoot.“
Although Donvan was gay, he also
appeared in a handful of
straight porn films.
This piece of music is "Glass Tubes,"
composed by Brian Bennett.
It is from KPM 1162: Industry, Volume 2.
While the visuals were typically
edited to match the music, in this
case the music was altered to
match the visuals.
Music Director George Craig recalls
mechanically speeding up the music to
better fit the pace of the scene.
Over a period of years, Distribpix
identified the rights-holders for each
piece of music in the film.
The tracks have been licensed and
“Misty Beethoven" will finally receive
a proper soundtrack album 36 years
after its premiere.
Culver's alias, "Casey Donovan,"
combines a character he played "Casey"
(in a film of the same name) with
popular musician Donovan.
Culver was successful as a model, but
his fame as a porn performer
eventually cost him that career.
He also acted on-stage in both on and
off-Broadway performances.
He shared the stage with Ingrid
Bergman in a Broadway production of
"Captain Brassbound's Conversion“
Once again, this is a portion of
"Confunktion", by Dave Richmond.
A respected double-bass player,
Richmond has backed many
great singers.
He played the bass for “Your Song" and
"Border Song" on Elton
John's Black Album.
He was also the bass guitar player on
Serge Gainsbourg's legendary
"Historie de Melody Nelson."
Like many of his KPM contemporaries,
he played for a time with British
sensations "The Shadows."
His bass can also be heard in the
beginning and ending themes to long
running British sit-com
"Only Fools & Horses."
The music now transitions again to
"Teorema," composed by Bruno Nicolai.
This hallway is part of the Deal
mansion that is Geraldine's "little
shack in the country."
Along with the adjacent pool room, it
served as the filming location for the
infamous deleted scene in which Dr.
Love gets rough with Misty.
The scene was deleted for being
grotesquely out of character for Dr.
Love.
Outtake footage shows one of the giant
vases getting shattered
during the fight.
Cinematographer Paul Glickman recalls
a cast member sitting nude on another
giant vase. It shattered, cutting
his bare posterior.
No one we interviewed remembered how
the homeowners responded to having two
of their giant vases broken.
Giving Misty a massage is Peter
Andrews, who also appears in Metzger's
next film, “Barbara Broadcast."
"Barbara Broadcast" would be the
second-to-last of Metzger's
hardcore features.
Metzger's final hardcore film,
Maraschino Cherry, was constructed
primarily from footage cut from
his earlier films.
Metzger would continue on to film
three more non-explicit films
before retiring in 1984.
This scene goes on longer in the
softcore version, with Geraldine
noting that "I should think Jack
Palance would show up for
the next scene."
Dr Love also quotes Shakespeare's
Henry V in a naughty pun on "Once
more unto the breach."
The immediately subsequent scene
(which appears only in the soft cut)
features Lawrence Layman and
Barbara watching Kojak.
Barbara insists Kojak is gay: "They
don't fool me with that lollipop
bullshit. I know what that's
supposed to mean."
She also asserts that no straight NYC
cop would have his suit
pressed all the time.
Lawrence counters this by insisting
that Kojak is a California cop (as the
show was filmed, though not set,
in California).
Susan Jensen (credited here as
Constance Money) appeared in a few
adult films prior to playing Misty.
Her first appearance, shot while
attending Mills College, was in
a short stag loop.
The loop is untitled but is frequently
anthologized as “Panty Raid."
She also appears in Zachary Strong's
"Confessions of a Teenage
Peanutbutter Freak."
In that film, she is credited as "Christina Hoover.“
Briefly, the music again clips into
"Bourbon" by Brian Bennett.
Bennett, along with other 705-era KPM
musicians, occasionally plays live
shows as part of the "KPM All Stars.“
This track was titled “Teorema” in its
first release, the soundtrack to
Italian film “Geminus”
It was later retitled "Thin Ice B"
when released as a sublicense on
Conroy's Eurobeat line.
The vocals are provided by Edda
Del'Orso, famous for her work on Ennio
Morricone's Spaghetti Western scores.
Dr. Love's blonde maid is played by
adult-film actress Nancy Dare.
She also appears in Metzger's genre
swan-song, "Maraschino Cherry."
Metzger credits cinematographer Paul
Glickman with the idea to film their
entrance from the RKO studio
freight elevator.
The tiny sign in the elevator reads
"Do Not Open Doors While 'Silence'
Light Is On."
The elevator and studio, now called
Metropolis Studios, still exist and
appear remarkably unchanged.
Setting a scene at a wrap party
allowed the studio itself to
become an impressive set.
Many famous productions have made use
of the studio, including "Emeril
Live," "Chapelle's Show"...
..."106 & Park," "Between the Lions,"
and "Carmen Sandiego.“
Footage of the studio in 2012 can be
seen in the "Cinetta Studios
Revisited" extra.
The catwalk they are on is intact and
has changed little in almost 40 years.
To set the studio in Italy, "Vietato
Fumare" and "Silencio"
signs were added.
The use of cigarette smoke for
humorous effect in front of the
"Vietato Fumare" sign broke Metzger's
longstanding ban on on-screen smoking.
Ras Kean insisted on doing his own
stunts, as seen here in his
entrance to his party.
The number of extras employed for the
party scene was exceptional
for an adult film.
Many party-goers were friends of the cast and crew.
A&P Supermarket heir Huntington
Hartford, worth half a billion dollars
in 1969, was among the extras
filmed in this scene.
Metzger deliberately avoided using
footage in which Hartford
was recognizable.
He felt that if Hartford was visible
in the film, it would become "that
porn film Huntington Hartford was in.“
Hartford later became a Howard Hughes-like recluse.
This piece of music is “Rebel,"
credited to John Moran on KPM 1135:
Discotheque.
This was long assumed to be the
Scottish rocker John Moran of "The
Johnny Hudson Hi-Four" and
"The Lost Souls."
Contacted by Distribpix in 2011, Moran
insists that he neither composed this
track nor performed on it.
ASCAP's royalty payment records
suggest that it was actually composed
by Norman Newell, ex-head of
Columbia Records.
Newell was a sought-after composer and
lyricist, winning a Grammy, an Emmy, a
Golden Globe, 3 Ivor Novello
and 6 BMI awards.
Ironically, Newell famously fought to
keep rock music off the Columbia
label for many years.
Radley found Constance through West
Coast talent agent, Harold Adler.
Gloria Leonard wanted to work in
production, but ended up in front
of the camera instead.
During this scene, a mark called a
"cigarette burn" or "cue mark" flashes
in the upper right corner.
A pair of these marks signaled to
theater projectionists that it was
time to switch to the next film reel.
The cue marks in the film were left
intact during restoration as part of
the historical
preservation of the film.
Metzger's habit of creating unusually
long reels actually presented
challenges during the film
scanning process.
The film scanner estimates the length
of film on a reel by its weight, so as
to properly adjust
tension on the film.
The first reel of Misty Beethoven
incorporated so many feet of film that
the scanner declared it an error
and refused to load it.
Emergency calls to the scanner's
creators in Sweden yielded a hastily
built firmware patch to bypass
the safety check.
The Golden Eye III film scanner was
the first of its kind in North America
and one of only a
handful in the world.
“The Opening of Misty Beethoven" had
the honor of being the first film ever
transferred on a Golden Eye
III in North America.
The scan was done at 2K resolution--
well beyond HD levels of detail.
Each transfer was over 1.5 terabytes of raw data.
Color correction and dust and scratch
removal was done at this resolution so
the restored film could be
projected theatrically.
Erotic art from Asia depicts the use
of strap-on dildos dating
back to the 1600s.
The use of a strap-on dildo by a woman
to anally penetrate a man has come
to be called "pegging."
The term was coined by columnist Dan
Savage and his readers in a 2001
online vote to name the act in
"Bend Over Boyfriend."
Prior to 2001, the act had no widely agreed-upon name.
While Dr. Carol Queen's 1998 "Bend
Over Boyfriend" videos popularized the
act, it had occasionally
appeared on film before.
Simulated pegging was depicted in the
mainstream 1970 film
"Myra Breckenridge.“
Aside from a few rare loops, Misty is
generally credited with being the
first unsimulated depiction
of pegging on film.
Shaun Costello's “Midnight Desires,"
released later the same month, also
depicted pegging but had been
filmed well after Misty.
It featured Metzger alum Eric Edwards
getting pegged, though a "stunt ass"
was used for the actual
penetration shot.
Likewise, Ras Kean declined to be
penetrated on the set of Misty.
The “art dealer," Casey Donovan, was
brought in to stand-in for Kean in the
penetration close-ups.
At the last moment, Kean relented and
agreed to be penetrated.
However, Metzger insisted on using
Donovan instead as he had already been
brought in for that purpose.
Metzger included one transgressive or
controversial sex act in each of
his Henry Paris films.
This generated buzz and increased
word-of-mouth for the films.
In "The Private Afternoons of Pamela
Mann," the controversial act
was staged rape-play.
In "Naked Came the Stranger," it was implied age-play.
In "Barbara Broadcast," it was urination.
And in "Maraschino Cherry," it was
the S&M dungeon scene.
While Glickman's protracted lighting
setups sometimes frustrated the cast,
the resulting shots could
be spectacular.
A short subject he photographed,
"Angel and Big Joe," won an
Academy Award in 1976.
Paul Glickman is credited under an
alias in Metzger's films -- either
"Robert Rochester“ or "Marcel Hall."
Aside from his cinematic magic,
Glickman was known for his
abilities as a magician.
He recognized the parallels between
the illusions of film and the
illusions of stage magic.
Metzger insists that filmmakers fall
into 2 camps: those who were magicians
and those who did impressions.
Dr. Love calls himself "the Erotic
Diaghilev," a reference to the
notoriously demanding Russian
ballet impresario.
He also calls himself "the Svengali of
Sex," a reference to the manipulative
hypnotist in George du Maurier's
1894 novel "Trilby."
Metzger credits cinematographer Paul
Glickman with the idea of setting up
this scene to play out
through shadows.
Glickman and Metzger worked together
on all 5 of his adult "Henry Paris"
films.
The two sometimes clashed, as both had
strong opinions and Metzger liked to
frame his own shots and operate
the camera himself.
Metzger refers to Glickman as "a
cinematographer who wanted to be a
director" but admits that he was "a
magician" with film.
Glickman's ability to shoot steady
handheld footage made his skills
particularly valuable in the
pre-Steadicam era.
He can be see on-screen in "Naked Came
the Stranger" lunging for a payphone
coin-return a heartbeat too slow.
These are the stairs leading to the
Araceoli on Capitol Hill in Rome.
An erotic boutique in Rome is named
"Misty Beethoven" in unauthorized
tribute to the film.
Gillis is generally credited with
creating the "gonzo" porn genre
with "On the Prowl.“
The fictionalized depiction of "On the
Prowl" in "Boogie Nights“
angered Gillis greatly.
Gillis was bisexual in his personal
life, though he rarely
performed as such on film.
A notable exception is in Gerard
Damiano's "Story of Joanna.“
Gillis was active as both a performer
and director in hundreds of films,
from 1971- 2005.
His final film role was as Stavros in
non-sex film "Die You
Zombie Bastards!"
Mary Stuart, playing a stewardess,
gives us a very memorable performance.
It is Cuban cigars which are
prohibited from import into
the United States.
The male passenger is adult performer David Williams.
In an extended scene in the soft cut,
the female passenger asks Dr Love if
he is the Goldenrod Girl's friend and
says "pretty girls get
all the breaks."
A typical Metzger NYC establishing
shot brings us back to Dr.
Love's apartment.
This unidentified music is very likely
a piece by Italian
composer Bruno Nicolai.
While this track has yet to be
identified, an extremely similar but
distinct piece by Nicolai is known.
It is "Con Affeto" from the 1973 album
"Cartoline," recorded under
Nicolai's "Leo Flag“ alias.
This maid is adult performer, Marlene
Willoughby, who is credited
under an alias.
Gillis also had fond memories of
working with her. He said
she was "Willowy".
Misty, like "My Fair Lady" is based on
the George Bernard Shaw
play “Pygmalion.”
"Pygmalion," in turn, draws
inspiration from Ovid's tale of
"Pygmalion and Galatea."
Pygmalion, a sculptor, falls in love
with his creation: an ivory
sculpture of a woman.
The archetype of a creator sculpting
the perfect woman only to fall in love
with her himself became a staple of
the Victorian stage.
Shaw's play did not end with the
creator and his creation
becoming a couple.
This angered audiences, and within a
year the play was being performed with
a happy ending uniting
Higgins and Doolittle.
Director Herbert Beerbohm Tree told
Shaw, "My ending makes money, you
ought to be grateful."
Shaw, infuriated, replied, “Your
ending is damnable; you
ought to be shot."
The music now transitions to
Allesandro Allesandroni's
"Giovane Flirt."
Allesandroni collaborated closely with
famous Italian film score composers
Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai.
He managed the legendary "I Cantori
Moderni" choir used in so many
Spaghetti Westerns.
His whistling and vocalizations were
highlights of Morricone's scores for
“The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly,“ "A
Fistful of Dollars," and more.
The music transitions now to Steve
Gray's "Mighty Atom," the piece
which opened the film.
Gray was keyboardist for John
Williams' band "Sky" from 1981 until
the band dispersed in 1995.
Gillis was greatly enamored with
Constance Money and
remembered her very fondly.
While they fell out of contact for
decades, they spoke via phone shortly
before Gillis' death.
He succumbed to cancer in February of
2010 at the age of 66.
Susan Jensen (as Constance Money)
appeared in only a few films
after "Misty Beethoven."
She had leading roles in "Mary, Mary!“
and in porn-noir "Anna Obsessed."
While a frequent guest at the Playboy
Mansion, Hugh Hefner counseled her to
attempt to cross over into
mainstream film.
She aggressively pursued the role of
Francis Farmer in the 1982
film "Frances."
She met with the film's director
Graeme Clifford, but producers
forbade her involvement.
She did land an uncredited role as one
of Dudley Moore's naughty neighbor's
house-guests in "10."
In the early 80s she gave birth to a
son and lived platonically with adult
film legend John Leslie.
After her farewell film, 1984's "A
Taste of Money," Leslie helped her
transition out of the adult industry.
From 1985 onward, she vanished
entirely from the public eye.
Eager to avoid the hurtful treatment
she received from friends and
neighbors for being a 'porn star' she
lives in relative anonymity on the
U.S. Pacific Coast.
Contacted by Distribpix in in 2011,
she offered enthusiastic support and
copious information, though she
declined to appear on-camera.
Despite some challenging health
issues, she is currently hard at
work writing her memoirs.
The actress who played Geraldine, now
living in California, was also located
but declined to participate
in the release.
Gloria Leonard (who appeared in the
film as Barbara Layman) is now
retired in Hawaii.
Long an industry icon, she generously
provided commentary for the soft cut
and a lengthy on-camera interview.
Despite extensive efforts, Ras Kean's
real name and whereabouts
remain unknown.
Calvin Culver (credited as Casey
Donovan for his role as the Art
Dealer) went on to star in
many more films.
His work as a gay porn star and
high-priced prostitute cost him his
lucrative modeling career.
He wrote an advice column, "Ask Casey"
for Stallion Magazine for many years.
He also managed a Bed & Breakfast,
"Casa Donovan" in Key West, Florida.
Culver died of AIDS-related
pulmonary infection in 1987.
The film's music director, George
Craig, provided library music and
commissioned scores for hundreds
of films and shows.
He is now retired, but we had the
privilege of interviewing him
on-camera for this release.
Paul Glickman served as
cinematographer on many more films,
most of them mainstream.
His short animated film, "The Calypso
Singer," is still widely
viewed and loved.
Glickman's latest film collaboration,
"El Salon México" appeared in many
film festivals in 2011.
Radley Metzger directed three more
mainstream films before retiring.
They were "The Cat and the Canary"
(1978), "The Tale of Tiffany Lust"
(1981), and "The Princess and
the Call Girl" (1984).
While retired in New York, Metzger
continues to actively collaborate in
the release of his films.
His memories of filming Misty are
available as a commentary track for the
hardcore cut of the film.
In a final bizarre note, in this
scene, Gillis is reading a
manual on enemas.
Gillis would go on to play Burt, the
Enema Bandit, in the following
year's "Water Power."