Adultery For Fun and Profit (1971)

Legendary NY-based exploitation cinema behemoth Sherpix – founded by the late Lou Sher who produced and distributed works by filmmakers as diverse as Paul Morrissey (Lonesome Cowboys) and Alex de Renzy (A History of the Blue Movie) in the late ’60s and early ’70s – inadvertently assisted the jump start of the shortlived “Porno Chic” trend with Adultery For Fun and Profit. Grand prize winner at the second (and last !) Wet Dream Film Festival in Amsterdam (a possibly fictitious win concocted for publicitary purposes, as Sher would auto-award $5,000 to any entry with box office potential which he could subsequently self-distribute on native soil, thanks to Thomas Wood for the info, check out the comments below, as well as Jack Stevenson’s endlessly enlightening Scandinavian Blue from McFarland Publishing), sponsored by alternative sex periodical Suck Magazine which counted no less than first generation feminist Germaine Greer amongst its editorial staff, it was the first narrative feature by Richard Robinson and a considerable step up from his “white coater” The ABC’s of Marriage. Apparently, Robinson (a/k/a “Rick Jr.”) had a thing about wedlock if his 1974 masterpiece Marriage and Other Four Letter Words is anything to go by. With a happy go lucky script by E.E. Patchen, who would delve into far darker territory for Chris Warfield’s 1973 sexploitation classic Little Miss Innocence (which received a surprisingly solid shot on video remake by “David McCabe” a/k/a shlock auteur David DeCoteau of Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama notoriety, with Sheri St. Claire and Eric Edwards in lieu of Sandy Dempsey and John Alderman), he seems more intent however on blowing this cornerstone of society to smithereens on this occasion.

Chunky California Casanova Richard (alleged one shot Frank Harris), with adorably chubby cheeks and massive Bay City Rollers hair, has a lucrative sideline going, seducing married women on the brink of separation so their husbands won’t have to put up alimony. His employer, a devious divorce lawyer (like there’s any other kind !), is played by character actor John Dunn who supplemented his “respectable” work in movies like Andy Warhol’s Bad with non-sex appearances in skin flicks like Little Girls (now wittily changed to ‘Women‘ by Something Weird to avoid legal hassles !) Getting Ahead ! This premise provides opportunities for successive sexual encounters with some of the genre’s earliest and unjustly forgotten starlets. The classy platinum blonde with the great gams in scene two is Susan Westcott, also in Walt Davis’ astonishing Sex Psycho and Blonde in Black Lace, an early Johnny Wadd entry by Bob Chinn. Richard charms her with possibly the best pick up line ever, convincing her he makes “the most persuasive Martinis in town”, adding “two olives for a pretty lady” – pausing a beat – “three for you !” How could she resist ? Lynn Holmes is the giggly blonde who was paired with namesake John in both Superstud and Four Women in Trouble and Casey Lorraine recycles her Brit bitch routine from Joe “Adele Robbins” Robertson’s riotous romp Lord Farthingay’s Holiday as the story’s catalyst, the dissatisfied wife who blackmails Rick into making it with her gay husband ! As envelope-pushing as early erotica may have been, this scene is suggested rather than shown…

Absolute best of show is an extended sequence that has Richard and a recent divorcée and former client (George Peters, who was in Coming West with nudie cutie royalty Maria Arnold and Sandy Carey) laying pipe with busty brunette Starlyn Simone from Dominic Bolla’s memorably warped Angel Above, the Devil Below and delectable, fairhaired Rainbow Robbins, star of Robinson’s subsequent Marriage, of course, as well as Gerard Damiano’s extremely obscure Evil Ways of Love. They move from fireplace to shower and bedroom, exhibiting sustained erotic enthusiasm throughout, accompanied by several awesome tracks that sound suspiciously like library music even though a composer, Mario Litwin, is credited. This is also the most interesting scene visually as it allows the cinematographers, Sven Conrad and Robinson himself (as “David Worth”), to throw in a couple of clever compositions like both men back to back as they receive oral pleasure from their girlfriends in a nifty mirror image effect. Conrad remained to hone his skills within the industry, graduating to directing with some of the most eyepopping adult movies of the ’80s such as lavish Pink Champagne, delightful sleeper Body Magic and wall to wall skin travelogue Doing It!  Robinson himself went on to helm Poor Pretty Eddie, one of the most notorious and hard to shake blaxploitation efforts ever.

Directed by Richard Robinson. Written by E.E. Patchen. Produced by Robinson for Modern Art Productions. Photographed by Sven Conrad (uncredited) and Robinson (as David Worth). Music by Mario Litwin. Starring Frank Harris (Richard), Rainbow Robbins (as Marsha Roberts) (June), Susan Westcott (Sylvia), Starlyn Simone (as Kathy Knobloch) (Violet), Casey Lorraine (Vivian), Lynn Holmes (Christine), Donna Jones (Janet), George Peters (David), Frank Harris (Richard), Jim Panama (Sydney) & John Dunn (Lawyer). Running time : 67 minutes.

By Dries Vermeulen