Barbara Broadcast

Barbara Broadcast is an American adult erotic film released in 1977. The film was directed by Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris")[1][2] and filmed in several elaborate locations in New York City, including the Olympia ballroom and restaurant in the Royal Manhattan Hotel.[3][4]

Barbara Broadcast
Original film DVD cover
Directed byRadley Metzger
(as "Henry Paris")
Produced byAva Leighton
Written byRadley Metzger
(as "Jake Barnes")
StarringAnnette Haven
Bobby Astyr
C. J. Laing
Constance Money
Jamie Gillis
Michael Gaunt
Sharon Mitchell
Suzanne McBain
Wade Nichols
Zebedy Colt
Music byvarious (uncredited)
CinematographyChico Carter
Larry Revene (uncredited)
Edited byGene Perry
Distributed byAudubon Films (USA)
VCA Pictures (USA)
Distribpix (USA)
Release date
October 27, 1977 (USA)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Barbara Broadcast, a world-famous liberated woman and best-selling author, is interviewed by a journalist about her successful career in an elegant Manhattan hotel restaurant, where gourmet food and erotic activities are on the menu:[5][6] a surrealistic "Buñuelian" atmosphere, according to one film reviewer.[7] Afterwards, other Manhattan moments in New York City are featured, including a corporate office encounter and a casual meeting in a busy night club.[5][6]

Cast

Reception

According to an X-Critic film reviewer, Barbara Broadcast is "... a playful, funny and beautifully made film for grownups, a celebration of carnality and earthly delights shot with an artist’s eye for composition and set to an excellent [music] score ...".[9] Barbara Broadcast, according to another reviewer, "... is a fun, witty, and charming film ...".[10] Another reviewer notes, " ... [the film has] plenty of electric atmosphere and [music] ... This is porno chic! ..."[11] Paracinema film critic Heather Drain writes, "Metzger’s work is known for its eye candy and this film is no exception, with every frame looking like a perfectly composed piece of art ... Barbara Broadcast may not be heavy on plot, but is an exquisitely crafted film from one of the best American directors to have emerged [since the 1970s] ... Radley Metzger is truly one of a kind."[4]

History

Barbara Broadcast 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",[12][13] in which adult erotic films were just beginning to be widely released, publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope)[14] and taken seriously by film critics (like Roger Ebert).[15][16]

One of the songs, The Big One, by Alan Tew, was the inspiration for the theme song to the reality court TV show, The People's Court.[17][18]

Notes

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".[19] Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic — and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".[20] Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.[21][22][23][24]

Restoration

On July 4, 2013, DistribPix released a restoration of the film, with the cooperation of the director.[7] The result had a limited exhibition in theaters, but the main outcome of the project was the first official DVD and Blu-ray versions.[5] A listing of the music on the film soundtrack was released earlier.[25][26]

Awards
  • Winner 1989 – Member of XRCO Hall of Fame.[27][28]
  • Nominee 2014 – AVN Award (Best DVD Extras).[8]
  • Winner 2015 – X-Rated: Greatest Adult Movies of All Time.[8]

Music soundtrack
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Azure Blue[25][26]"Simon Benson3:50
2."Before Summer Ends"Keith Mansfield3:51
3."Big Haul"Brian Bennett2:52
4."Dossier"Brian Bennett2:42
5."Flying High"Stefano Torossi3:36
6."Getaway"Alan Hawkshaw2:37
7."Glittering Mud"Steve Gray3:54
8."Merry Go Round"Alan Hawkshaw2:05
No.TitleArtistLength
9."Reflections Misty Morning"Brian Bennett3:40
10."Tales from Vienna Woods"Johann Strauss II10:54
11."The Big One"Alan Tew4:05
12."The Blue Danube Waltz"Johann Strauss II10:33
13."The Double Take"Steve Gray3:47
14."Wallop"Brian Bennett3:25
15."White Elephant Walk"Alan Tew1:30
16."You've Got What It Takes"Madeline Bell3:39

See also

References
  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. Staff (1977). "Barbara Broadcast (1977)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  4. Drain, Heather (October 21, 2016). "Radley Metzger's Barbara Broadcast - Notes From The Backroom". Paracinema.com. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  5. Staff (2013). "Barbara Broadcast Blu Ray Plus 2 DVD Combo Pack (2013)". Distribpix.com. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  6. Staff (2013). "Barbara Broadcast (1977) - Summary". Sexgoremutants.com. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  7. Staff (August 27, 2013). "Barbara Broadcast - BluRay DVD Review". Mondo-digital.com. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  8. Staff (2016). "Barbara Broadcast (1977) - Awards, Performers and Reviews". IAFD. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  9. Staff (September 16, 2013). "Barbara Broadcast (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) - Review". X-Critic. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  10. Thomas, Corey (December 7, 2015). "Barbara Broadcast - Film Review". Adultdvdtalk.com. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  11. Staff. "Barbara Broadcast (DVD) - Review". YourChoice.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  12. Blumenthal, Ralph (January 21, 1973). "Porno chic; 'Hard-core' grows fashionable-and very profitable". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  13. Porno Chic (Jahsonic.com)
  14. Corliss, Richard (March 29, 2005). "That Old Feeling: When Porno Was Chic". Time. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  15. Ebert, Roger (June 13, 1973). "The Devil In Miss Jones - Film Review". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  16. Ebert, Roger (November 24, 1976). "Alice in Wonderland:An X-Rated Musical Fantasy". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  17. Staff (2018). "The People's Court (courtroom reality, featuring Judge Wapner) - Theme 1: "The Big One (Prelude)"". ClassicThemes. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  18. Staff. "Alan Tew - It's so Last Century - Lounge - Solid Gold Hits - Musicians". It's So Last Century. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  19. Gallagher, Steve (August 7, 2014). ""This is Softcore": The History of Radley Metzger". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  20. 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.
  21. Rist, Ray C. (January 4, 1974). Book - The Pornography Controversy: Changing Moral Standards in American Life. The Pornography Controversy: Changing Moral Standards in American Life. p. 124. ISBN 9781412838467. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  22. Lehman, Peter (2006). Book - Pornography: Film and Culture. Pornography: Film and Culture. p. 9. ISBN 9780813538716. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  23. Staff (2016). "Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) - DadaBase Search Results - Radley Metzger". Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  24. 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.
  25. Staff (2016). "Barbara Broadcast - Original Soundtrack Music listing". IMDb. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  26. Staff (2013). "Barbara Broadcast (1977) - OST Music Soundtrack". Ringostrack.com. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  27. Stone, Jeremy, "Heart-ons in Hollywood: The 5th Annual XRCO Adult Film & Video Awards", Adam Film World, September 1989, Vol. 13, No. 1, p. 10–11, 54.
  28. Staff, "The XRCO Hall of Fame", Adam Film World Guide 1990 Directory of Adult Films, 1990, p. 17.

Further reading
  • Cook, David A. (2002). History of the American cinema. 9. University of California Press. pp. 274–275. ISBN 0-520-23265-8.
  • Heffernan, Kevin, "A social poetics of pornography", Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Volume 15, Issue 3, December 1994, pp. 77–83. doi:10.1080/10509209409361441.
  • Lehman, Peter, Pornography: film and culture, Rutgers depth of field series, Rutgers University Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8135-3871-8.
  • Williams, Linda, Hard core: power, pleasure, and the "frenzy of the visible", University of California Press, 1999, ISBN 0-520-21943-0.
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