Okay so normally when I do spotlights or reviews of films, performers or studios I include some pictures. For this one, I will not be including any pictures for the simple reason that Candy Barr, the lead actress was only 16 when she was in the film and I really don't want to have to register as a sex offender or get tried for child pornography. I actually debated doing a post on this film and decided to since it is iconic and a very important part of the history of the industry. The thing I find fascinating is the film has been distributed, I'll talk more on that in a bit, and by Googling the name you can find the complete film online and stills from the movie which, frankly, is a little disturbing and sickening to me as it is very wildly known that Barr was under age when she did the film; and then you find out the alleged reasons why she did the film and, well, only the most perverted of perverts would scope this one out and watch it to get off.
Okay here, we go.
Smart Alec was filmed in 1951. It's a short 20 minute silent black and white film. It was also one of the most famous and wildly circulated films of that era of early underground porn.
The film has been called "iconographic", the "best known of all American stag films" and an "apogee of the American stag tradition."
It was shot in a Dallas hotel where apparently several other porn films of the time were shot although some sources list the shooting location as San Antonio.
As I said in the beginning the film has been included in numerous historic porn compilations as well as featured in 1970s A History Of The Blue Movie and it was available on video under the title Smokers Of The Past Volume 1; side note: am I the only one who thinks Smokers Of The Past sounds like the title of a really cool noir mystery? Anyway, back on topic....
The plot is fairly basic and thanks to Wikipedia I didn't have to watch the film to tell you about it:
A traveling salesman meets Candy Barr by the pool of a motel and they go up to his room for drinks and some dot dot dot. Since this is porn, they of course fuck and he performs oral sex on her. However when he asks her for a blow job she refuses. He then tries to force her to suck his dick but Barr fights back. The salesman then gets off the bed and sulks and Barr comforts him and calls another female friend of hers to join them. Barr's friend arrives at sucks off the traveling salesman. They then get into the 69 position but Barr joins them and sits on the traveling salesman's face before riding him.
Now let's talk a little about Candy and I promise I'll do a more thorough spotlight on her in the future because she is really fascinating.
As I said she was only 16 years old at the time and working as a prostitute and stripper at the time; she apparently looked much older than she was. When she did the film she used the name Juanita Slusher which I think is the best name ever and I'm totally naming my first daughter Juanita Slusher Candy Barr Filippone. Anyway....
The story goes that Barr was forced to do the film by one of her clients and, here's where it gets juicy, that client was allegedly Bing Crosby's son, Gary. Her appearance in this film has led to her being called The First Porn Star, even though this was her only role.
In an interview Barr said that she did the film because she was broke and hungry and had this to say about it, warning, this quote will break your heart: "“I went to the address a friend gave me. The man behind the desk looked me over. He told me I had a great figure. Then he explained he wanted me to act in a risqué film. Then he opened his wallet and counted a bunch of ten-dollar bills. He counted them out on the desk before me, one by one. The purse I clutched in my hands contained exactly seven cents. I made the film. Only when my hunger was gone could I think straight. But I was still too young to understand fully just what I had done. I’m still sick with shame over what I did, but when you’re (young) and all alone and your insides are crying for food, you can’t always figure out right from wrong.” Makes me want to hold her and comfort her and tell her everything is gonna be okay. That's why my young gays call me Big Mama and Mama Joe. Anyway...
Barr did help the FBI prosecute the producer of the film and he was charged with the exploitation of a minor. (Good!) She also sued PlayBoy when the magazine printed a still from the film in one of its issues; which I'm surprised they did. I'd like to think that they weren't aware she was underage.
Gossip columnist Luke Ford who wrote A History Of X: 100 Years Of Sex in Film, which I highly recommend, had this to say about Barr; again prepare yourself for heartbreak: "It ruined her life. She regretted it all her days." So sad. I just pray she's resting peacefully now.
XOXO
-JOE-
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