Maraschino Cherry (film)

Maraschino Cherry is an American hardcore pornographic film and comedy released in 1978. The film was directed by Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris")[1][2] and filmed in several locations in New York City;[3][4][5][6] it was his fifth and final hardcore film.[4]

Maraschino Cherry
DVD cover
Directed byRadley Metzger
(as "Henry Paris")
Written byRadley Metzger
(as "Jake Barnes")
Produced byMorton Berman
StarringAnnette 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

Plot

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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

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Background

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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

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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

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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

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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

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No.TitleArtistLength
1."A Man Alone[19][20]"Alan Hawkshaw4:23
2."Disco King"Keith Mansfield3:01
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 Gray2:16
9."Take It Steady"Brian Bennett2:18
10."Theme Maraschino Cherry"Nick Ingman1:59

See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b c Wood, Cliff (February 7, 2010). "Maraschino Cherry (Platinum Elite Collection)". 10kBullets. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b Staff (2009). "Maraschino Cherry: Platinum Elite Collection 2 Disc Set (2009)". Distribpix.com. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  19. ^ a b Staff (2016). "Maraschino Cherry - Original Soundtrack Music listing". IMDb. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Staff (1978). "Maraschino Cherry (1978) - OST Music Soundtrack". Ringostrack.com. Retrieved February 23, 2016.

Further reading

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