Sex comedy
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| '''Sex comedy''' is a vague term for comedies with [[sexual content]]. They may range from comic [[pornographic film]]s to relatively innocent [[romantic comedy|romantic comedies]] that include jokes about sex and other sexual related humor. They are indebted to [[ribaldry]], the [[burlesque]] and the [[picaresque]]. They are most readily associated with [[British film]]s of the mid 1970s. The best-known sex comedy movies of the 1970s are ''[[Confessions of...]]'' films starring [[Robin Askwith]], ''[[Adventures of...]]'' films and the [[Carry On films]]. | '''Sex comedy''' is a vague term for comedies with [[sexual content]]. They may range from comic [[pornographic film]]s to relatively innocent [[romantic comedy|romantic comedies]] that include jokes about sex and other sexual related humor. They are indebted to [[ribaldry]], the [[burlesque]] and the [[picaresque]]. They are most readily associated with [[British film]]s of the mid 1970s. The best-known sex comedy movies of the 1970s are ''[[Confessions of...]]'' films starring [[Robin Askwith]], ''[[Adventures of...]]'' films and the [[Carry On films]]. | ||
| ==Great Britain== | ==Great Britain== | ||
| + | ==Origins== | ||
| + | The precursor to British sex comedies was Norman Wisdom's last starring role to date, ''[[What's Good for the Goose]]'', made in 1969 by [[Tony Tenser]]. He specialised in producing [[exploitation film]]s and founded his own production company [[Tigon British Film Productions]] in [[1966 in film|1966]]. In the movie, he leaves his wife and kids to go off on a business trip and has an affair with a young girl played by [[Sally Geeson]] | ||
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| + | There apparently are two versions of the film, one being an uncensored version (105 minutes versus the cut 98 minute version), which shows nudity from Sally Geeson; this version has never been available commercially. | ||
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| + | ''[[Percy (1971 film)|Percy]]'' stars [[Elke Sommer]] and [[Britt Ekland]]. The film was followed by a sequel, ''[[Percy's Progress]]''. The film is about a successful [[penis transplantation|penis transplant]]. An innocent and shy young man (Bennett), whose penis is mutilated in an accident and has to be amputated, wakes up after an operation to find out that it has been replaced by that of a womanizer, which is very large. The rest of the movie is about its new owner following in his predecessor's footsteps and meeting all the women who are able to recognize it. | ||
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| + | To move with the times, the [[Carry On films|Carry On]] series added [[nudity]] to its saucy [[Seaside postcard#British seaside postcards|seaside postcard]] [[innuendo]]. Series producer [[Peter Rogers]] saw the [[George Segal]] movie ''[[Loving (film)|Loving]]'' and added his two favourite words to the title, making ''[[Carry On Loving]]'' the twentieth in the series. Starring "countess of cleavage" [[Imogen Hassall]], the story of a dating agency service is still very innocent stuff. It was followed by ''[[Carry On Girls]]'', based around a [[Miss World]]-style [[beauty contest]]. Next in the series was ''[[Carry On Dick]]'', with more [[risque]] humour and [[Sid James]] and [[Barbara Windsor]]'s on and off screen lovemaking. | ||
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| ==Pink neorealism == | ==Pink neorealism == | ||
| :''[[Pink neorealism]]'' | :''[[Pink neorealism]]'' | ||
Revision as of 19:54, 15 April 2009
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Related e |
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Featured: |
- farce, comedy of manners, burlesque, bawdy, sexual humor, bedroom farce
- British sex comedy films, commedia erotica all'italiana, screwball comedy
Sex comedy is a vague term for comedies with sexual content. They may range from comic pornographic films to relatively innocent romantic comedies that include jokes about sex and other sexual related humor. They are indebted to ribaldry, the burlesque and the picaresque. They are most readily associated with British films of the mid 1970s. The best-known sex comedy movies of the 1970s are Confessions of... films starring Robin Askwith, Adventures of... films and the Carry On films.
Contents |
Great Britain
Origins
The precursor to British sex comedies was Norman Wisdom's last starring role to date, What's Good for the Goose, made in 1969 by Tony Tenser. He specialised in producing exploitation films and founded his own production company Tigon British Film Productions in 1966. In the movie, he leaves his wife and kids to go off on a business trip and has an affair with a young girl played by Sally Geeson
There apparently are two versions of the film, one being an uncensored version (105 minutes versus the cut 98 minute version), which shows nudity from Sally Geeson; this version has never been available commercially.
Percy stars Elke Sommer and Britt Ekland. The film was followed by a sequel, Percy's Progress. The film is about a successful penis transplant. An innocent and shy young man (Bennett), whose penis is mutilated in an accident and has to be amputated, wakes up after an operation to find out that it has been replaced by that of a womanizer, which is very large. The rest of the movie is about its new owner following in his predecessor's footsteps and meeting all the women who are able to recognize it.
To move with the times, the Carry On series added nudity to its saucy seaside postcard innuendo. Series producer Peter Rogers saw the George Segal movie Loving and added his two favourite words to the title, making Carry On Loving the twentieth in the series. Starring "countess of cleavage" Imogen Hassall, the story of a dating agency service is still very innocent stuff. It was followed by Carry On Girls, based around a Miss World-style beauty contest. Next in the series was Carry On Dick, with more risque humour and Sid James and Barbara Windsor's on and off screen lovemaking.
Pink neorealism
It has been said that after Umberto D. nothing more could be added to neorealism. Whether because of this, or for other reasons, neorealism effectively ended with this film. Following works turned toward lighter atmospheres, perhaps more coherent with the improving conditions of the country, and this genre has been called pink neorealism. It was this filone that allowed better "equipped" actresses to become real celebrities: the encouraging figures of Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Silvana Pampanini, Lucia Bosé, Barbara Bouchet, together with other beauties like Eleonora Rossi Drago, Silvana Mangano, Claudia Cardinale, and Stefania Sandrelli populated the imaginations of Italians just before the so-called "boom" of the 1960s. Soon pink neorealism was replaced by the Commedia all'italiana (Italian Comedy Style), a unique genre that, born on an ideally humouristic line, talked instead very seriously about important social themes.
Latin America: The films of Armando Bo and Isabel Sarli
Towards the mid to late 1960s, directors such as Armando Bo produces a high number of sex comedies many of which shocked the audience as they were a from of soft porn and displayed a controversial degree of nudity and sex not seen in the industry before. This preference continued into the 1970s, with Jorge Porcel's suggestive comedies. Self-deprecating and unflappable, Porcel's well-meaning, weak-willed "everyman" played the perfect foil to Alberto Olmedo's fastidious tee-totaller, spinning this time-honored comic formula into a string of hits between 1973 and 1988.
Titles
- Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)
- The Libertine (1969)
- Cry Uncle! (1971) - John G. Avildsen
- Sex-shop (1972) - Claude Berri
- Tarzoon, shame of the jungle (1975)
- Sex is Comedy (2002) - Catherine Breillat
