This week we travel down memory lane back to 1975. Wow, 50 years ago! It was the mid 70’s and a time when many things were happening in our world, both good and bad, that would have a major effect on our future. It was a decade of change. Here is our original review we did back in 1995 for NightMoves magazine of this classic film.

The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann – Hudson Valley Films – Director Henry Paris – Cast – Barbara Bourbon, Darby Lloyd Rains, Georgina Spelvin, Alan Marlow, Eric Edwards, Jamie Gillis, Marc Stevens, Sonny Landham, others

This was a landmark film on many fronts in the early stages of porn’s golden age. To begin with director Radley Metzger, had a good mainstream background and took the Henry Paris name when he did porn. In addition, the star of this film, Barbara Bourbon, was also an excellent mainstream actress with quite a resume. The only reason she agreed to “bare it all” was because of Metzger, his reputation, the writing, the on location shooting, the professional crew and the mainstream feel the film had. Once this film was completed Ms. Bourbon disappeared from porn and went back to her mainstream career for a number of years under her mainstream name, which to this day no one has ever been able to discover.

This was the beginning of porn movies with story lines, plots, above par acting, music, on location productions that would have appeal to couples of all ages. The story line for this film centers on a married couple who seem to be very happy and in love. However, the husband (Alan Marlow) suspects his wife (Barbara Bourbon), who is a psychotherapist, is having outside affairs. So he hires a private detective (Eric Edwards) to follow her and secretly film her having these affairs. He then makes sure that the PI turns over the evidence to him, so he can confront his wife. We get to see the wife and her dalliances taking place. There is a scene where she is kidnapped by two radicals and while the male (Jamie Gillis) forces her to give him a total blowjob, the female recites the Supreme Court’s ruling on pornography. A strange scene but it works and Ms. Bourbon’s oral talents are tremendous. That is shown when she meets a guy in the park and gives him head right then and there. We also see her meeting with a patient of hers, a prostitute (Georgina Spelvin) and they indulge in a steamy lesbian liaison. Of course the PI is hot on her trail and gets everything on film and turns it over to the husband. He gets paid for his work and is on his way. He is sure that a divorce is in the making with all the evidence he gave the husband.

The film’s ending is totally not what you might expect. It shows Pamela getting into bed with her husband and the two of them watching the film that the detective shot. The fact is these two get off on the voyeuristic idea of sex and all of the  “affairs” were set up by the couple and the PI had no clue. They watch the films and then indulge in their own private sexual time as the film comes to an end.

Filmed on location the exterior shots of New York City, Central Park, 5^th Ave. etc, in the 70’s is quite a throwback. The cinematography is sharp, the visuals are excellent and the sex is extremely steamy. The writing and how it is all set up is very well done and the entire production has a true mainstream feel to it in every way. It is truly one of the great classics in porn history and should definitely be on the “must see” list. There is a DVD 2 disc set of this film available with a lot of extras added. Check out “The Afternoons of Pamela Mann” a true classic.

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