1970s Melbourne Eurohorror/trash/cult cinema ads

After trawling through the cinema advertisement section of many of The Age newspapers throughout the entire 1970s (just about their entire archives are now scanned online from 1854 to 1989), I turned up some gold. Enjoy this selection of screening times for some of the trashiest, sleaziest films, buried deep in the bowels of the Melbourne movie going experience. Today the idea of strolling down the Bourke Street Mall and rocking up to the likes of Black Emanuelle Goes East or Dracula Prisoner of Frankenstein sound laughably absurd, but once upon a time the Melbourne CBD was dotted with theatres playing all amount of Eurotrash, smut and cult classics. And let's not forget what turned up at the suburban drive-ins. A double of The Horrible Sexy Vampire and Caged Virgins in genteel Sandringham? Yes, you read right. If you're still hungry for more movie ads, check out film historian Dean Brandum's essential Technicolour Yawn blog (http://technicolouryawn.com)  and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/techniyawn) to whet your appetite!


15 Jan 1973

8 Feb 1973



6 April 1973

5 May 1973

14 Jun 1973

17 Sep 1973

8 Nov 1973

1 Feb 1974

15 Mar 1974

15 Apr 1974

22 May 1974 - interesting placement of these two ads...

5 Jul 1974. Note the M rating, surely there wouldn't have been much of a film left?

8 Aug 1974 





14 Aug 1974

13 Dec 1974

1 Jan 1975 

3 Feb 1975

15 Feb 1975

14 Mar 1975

15 Apr 1975

1 May 1975

1 May 1975

8 Oct 1975

1 Dec 1975

8 Dec 1975

1 Jan 1976

8 Mar 1976

1 Apr 1976

8 Jun 1976

6 Aug 1976

1 Sep 1976

7 Oct 1976 

22 Nov 1976

1 Dec 1976

1976 

3 Jan 1977

3 Mar 1977

22 Mar 1977

22 Apr 1977

4 Jul 1977

6 Sep 1977



1 Nov 1977

3 Nov 1977

7 Nov 1977

5 Dec 1977

16 Mar 1978

12 Apr 1978



22 Aug 1978

8 Dec 1978 - The Evolution of Snuff

13 Feb 1980

Jul 1982

Unknown dates - my apologies, I forgot to note the dates of the newspapers all of the below ads are from.





For Michael and Roberta Findlay fans: an article from their City College days

Most hardcore Michael and Roberta Findlay devotees know that the King and Queen of 60s roughie sleaze first met with studying at New York’s City College. Vintage movie fanatic Michael ran a program of silent movies on campus, and advertised for a pianist to accompany the films. It was 16 year old music major Roberta Hershkowitz who volunteered - thus fuelling the beginning of an intense decade-long personal and professional relationship which bore a series of distinct, ultra low budget S & M tinged sexploitation product before both partners branched off directing XXX fare. I’ve unearthed some historical gold here – a thankfully digitally preserved copy of City College’s student newspaper ‘The Campus’, dated December 6, 1961, features an article on Michael and Roberta’s collaboration.  Go to Page 5 to read about this pivotal moment in time...

http://digital-archives.ccny.cuny.edu/thecampus/1961/DECEMBER_109_18/00000149.PDF

Roberta has discussed recording these music scores in several interviews. A few choice quotes:

“I’d never seen a silent film. I could have cared less but I think we started with Birth of a Nation – what a nerve! I improvised a score based on all the music I had studied. I didn’t make up anything; these were just pieces that were famous compositions. I didn’t know what I was doing. I played for about 25 films during that year (presumably 1962 – M.A.). The music department was on my case that it was demeaning, and I was giving a bad name and reputation to the music department.  They wanted me to stop...I kept playing. It was challenging and interesting, and then we ran a program in the East Village after we got out of school for silent films at a coffee house. I played again. This is the mid-late 1960s.” From Golden Goddesses by Jill C Nelson.

On playing piano accompaniment live:
“I did that once. Michael had a film festival running in a coffee shop down in the Village. And I was so nervous, it was terrible. I drank a pint of vodka during the whole thing. It was The Kiss with Greta Garbo and I threw up as the film was ending, all over the floor. Very embarrassing.” From Take One, September 1978.