Debbie Does Dallas

the word Score gets a whole new meaning

Returning to the dirtiest roots of this B movies blog today we enter a new section that I'd like to call "Classic Porn" although, some call the 70's porn as the "Golden era of porn" I will settle for classic as I'll depict only 4 or 5 films  that are considered to date to be true classics from the genre. 

Debbie Does Dallas was a 1978 pornographic film that, along with its predecessor Deep Throat (we will talk deeply about it in forthcoming reviews), helped jumpstart the pornographic industry and introduced us to the concept of "pornographic chic" and the above mentioned "Golden Age of Pornography." Had it no been for this particular film, along with others, who knows what the porn industry would've stooped to. To paraphrase Ron Jeremy in his documentary Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy, the quality of pornographic films during the "Golden Age" matched the quality of the B-movies Hollywood was churning out at the time.

Girls showering, classic!

People constantly ask me, when I detour from traditional cinema into the erotic wonders of pornographic cinema, how exactly do I review a film of the genre? First off, it's incredibly difficult to tackle a contemporary pornographic film from a critic state of mind. Nowadays, the films play like the actors and actresses can't wait to take off their clothes. Contemporary pornography forgets the essential element of the project that is the tease. The film must have some dialog to captivate us, excite us, and arouse us. Not just five minutes of flaunting the body of the female before a fellatio begins. Reviewing a pornographic film from the "Golden Age" period isn't difficult at all; I consider the writing, the comedy of the story, the kinkiness of the scene, and finally, whether or not the sex is exciting or simply phoned-in on the actors' behalf.

Feed your body to make it in Dallas gal!

The titular character of the film is played by the gorgeous Bambi Woods, a blonde, innocent young woman who has dreams of trying out for a cheerleader position of the Texas football team (actually the Dallas Cowboys, although they're never referred to by name because of rights issues). Debbie and her girlfriends are changing in the locker-room one day (with Clark's camera bluntly focusing on the obligatory parts of the female body) when they realize their cheer-squad has been accepted to tryout for the Texas cheerleaders. The girls must then try and raise the money to commute to Texas on short notice by doing odd jobs for people around town. Debbie, in particular, gets a job working at a sports store for Mr. Greenfield (Richard Balla), who is instantly captivated by the beautiful, young Debbie. One can only imagine what he wants to do such a young, blonde woman.

Those were the days.

You're likely aware of cheap parodies of pornographic films from decades past that utilize lines such as "how could I ever repay you?" or "what are you gonna do to me?" Debbie Does Dallas was likely the direct inspiration for those parodies. The film includes all of the corniness, the lameness, and the transgressive squareness of pornography in terms of dialog and tone. This isn't a bad thing however, and adds to the comedic effect of the film, something, as stated, I feel is greatly missing in the modern porn industry.

Practice makes perfect.

On that note, Debbie Does Dallas is entertaining. Its level of eroticism is pretty basic, with the shower orgy and Debbie's sex scene being the notable highlights. I will say, however, that Clark knows how to appropriately choreograph a sex scene. The scenes are very intimate and run longer than many scenes from the era that I've seen. Scored in a germane fashion - corny and strangely relaxing - by the likes of Gerald Sampler and assisted by the wonderfully charming likes of Woods, it's easy to understand why Debbie Does Dallas is the iconic film it is. It defined an age and kickstarted the quirks of pornography that we've grown accustomed to. On that note alone it's worth watching.

Debbie scores!

Overall, a movie that it's not meant for PG rated enthusiasts, it's a porno, Mckay? However, this movie along with a few more from its era possess a feature that gives them the "Classic" label as they were innovative in storytelling and character development. Watching this flick you won't get the usual porn cliches where actors and actresses are one liners and go straight to sex with no further explanations. Nevertheless, Debbie Does Dallas is still a porn movie that features the hairy 70's and all the usual masturbation to oral-to penetration-to cumshot scheme so if this bothers you, I suggest you to skip it and stop visiting our blog for a while as we'll be reviewing a few classics from the genre.

Hairy Wet Debbie.

Now before we wave goodbye until the next review let me tell you a few interesting trivia facts about Debbie Does Dallas. 

Reception.

In New York, an adult theater showing the films was successfully enjoined from showing the film by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders under the Lanham Act (trademark). The case was The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders v. Pussycat Cinema. In affirming the district court's decision in favor of the Cheerleaders, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit described the movie as "a gross and revolting sex film". The Cheerleaders successfully argued that their uniforms were mimicked by the film's producers and used in advertising. The theater argued that uniforms are strictly functional items, but the Second Circuit explained that "[it] is well established that, if the design of an item is nonfunctional and has acquired secondary meaning, the design may become a trademark even if the item itself is functional." The decision has been criticized on free speech grounds, but the Seventh Circuit has cited it for the proposition that "confusion about sponsorship or approval, even when the mark does not mislead consumers about the source of the goods," may be sufficient to state a claim under Lanham Act 43(a).

In another 1983 court case in New York, United States v. Various Articles of Obscene Merchandise found the film not to be obscene.

The 1986 publication of the Meese Report contained graphic descriptions of the film's sex scenes and uncensored excerpts of dialogue, which may have contributed to the report becoming a best-seller.

"Lemme swallow some of that warm cum"

Filming Location.

The movie was produced and directed by Jim Clark. Some scenes were shot at the Brooklyn College athletic field, and the Pratt Institute library in Brooklyn, New York, without the administration's knowledge or approval. There is an unfounded internet rumor that certain scenes were shot at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, including the library scene. However, that was found to be unlikely after an investigation with alumni, and the president of the Debbie Does Dallas production company said such a claim "was purely inconclusive".

Videotape Blockbuster.

The film was highly successful, selling 50,000 copies when it made it to videotape, making it the most successful video release of a porn film in its time.

Does Debbie actually do Dallas?

  

Contrary to the title, the film is not set in Dallas nor does the eponymous Debbie "do" anyone in or from Dallas.

Top 5 porn movie of all times.

According to the documentary "Debbie Does Dallas Uncovered", this film is one of the top-five highest grossing pornography titles in history.  

"I'm going to Dallas, I can feel it"

The Dallas Cowboys Suit.

The Dallas Cowboys filed suit against this film for using its cheerleader uniform in the ads and in the film without permission. The sequels used a different uniform.  

Debbie the uncensored.

On 14 September 2000, the British Board of Film Classification authorized for the first time the uncut release of this film, as part of a policy change to censor adult films less and children's films more.

Debbie Does Dallas Cast.

Starring: Bambi Woods, Christie Ford, Robert Kerman, Robin Byrd, Herschel Savage, Eric Edwards, and Arcadia Lake. Directed by: Jim Clark.   

Here's the extended movie trailer:

And here as a very educational bonus content, the episode from The Dark Side of Porn that digs deep in the Debbie Does Dallas film: