Our latest find in the vault is this classic from 1975, yes 50 years ago!. It’s the “Story of Joanna” The theme is S &M, but it is a true love story featuring Terri Hall and one of porn’s great actors in the golden age, Jamie Gillis and directed by the great Gerard Damiano. . So here is our original review way back in the day during NightMoves Magazines early years.

The Story of Joanna – AVC Films –  Director – Gerard Damiano – Cast – Terri Hall, Juliet Graham, Jamie Gillis, Zebedy Colt, John Busch, Steven Lark, John Koven, Roy Carlton.

While the theme of this film revolves around S&M, it is a true love story, and one of the very best from porn’s golden age. Directed and written by Gerard Damiano who gave the world “Deep Throat” and “The Devil and Miss Jones”, this masterpiece gives Damiano three of the very best to come out of the early golden age. The story line is one that will keep you watching every little move, listen to every word, watch every second of the sex scenes and keep you totally mesmerized right until the very end.

The film centers on Jason (Jamie Gillis) a very wealthy, womanizer who gets what he wants. He meets a debutante, Joanna (Terri Hall) and convinces her to come and be his maid in his castle like home. She is reluctant but something tells her to go ahead and accept his offer. It doesn’t take long after she becomes his maid that she is beginning to fall in love with him. She also sees the other side of him and is subjected to his every sexual whim which she gives into because of her love for him, However Jason tells Joanna that no matter what he cannot, and will not, love her back. She is convinced that she can change him. He also wants her to have sex with others and she complies with his wishes. For some women this would be degradation, but for Joanna it is now a way of life, her love for him is too strong and she is convinced that she can, and will, change him.

The sex scenes in the film have a lot of S&M attached and Ms. Hall handles the role and the sexual scenes extremely well. Her looks and body are the perfect fit for the role of Joanna. There is some tenderness in the sex scenes but they are quickly overtaken by the S&M acts that are performed. There is also one beautifully filmed scene where Jason is being serviced orally by his man servant Griffin (Zebedy Colt). It is done and filmed in such a way that it doesn’t come off as a shocking gay scene at all. The scene where Joanna takes on three men is another that has the lust and love factor as she does it to prove her undying love for Jason. Sexually there is nothing she won’t subject herself to trying to prove her love for him is real even though he continues to tell her he will never return the favor of true love. As the film comes to the end there is a very surprising, and not expected, twist to this story that I will not divulge, that explains the entire reasons for Jason’s control of Joanna. It is extremely well done.

The cinematography and lighting are exceptional. The performances by Gillis and Hall are extremely realistic, the dialogue delivered convincingly. Ms. Hall, a former premier ballet dancer with the Stuttgart Ballet Company, handles her role as Joanna to perfection, while Gillis turns in another masterful performance. The rest of the cast handle their brief roles well making the characters come to life. An excellent addition to the overall, film is the use of some great classical music pieces to highlight many scenes that add to the overall eroticism.

This is out on DVD and still looks terrific for a film done more than forty years ago. I definitely recommend “The Story of Joanna” an exceptional piece of adult film making and a true classic from porn’s golden age.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN