Story Of Joanna _sitkaman repost.txt
This was the 236th post made to abdec. It was posted by Rocker on Oct. 11, 2004.
I have included Rocker's original NFO file, and I believe he created the orange cover and DVD label BMP files.
Produced in 1975. English. Run time of 1:23:08. DVD size of 4185.94816 MB.
This is a homemade NTSC DVD produced from a VHS tape.
Posted February 23, 2015 by sitkaman.
IAFD Data
http://www.iafd.com/title.asp?title=Story+Of+Joanna&year=1975
Story Of Joanna (1975)
Distributor: AVC
Compilation: No
Director: Gerard Damiano
Minutes: 86
All-Girl: No
All-Male: No
Actresses
Juliet Graham [LezOnly]
Terri Hall [Anal DP Fisting Shaved Swallow]
Actors
Jamie Gillis
John Bush (as John Busche)
Bob Stevens (as John Koven)
Roy Carlton
Zebedy Colt [BJOnly]
NonSex Performers
Gerard Damiano
Steve Lark (as Steven Lark)
Scene Breakdowns
Scene 1. Terri Hall, Jamie Gillis
Scene 2. Terri Hall, Steve Lark
Scene 3. Terri Hall, John Bush, Bob Stevens, Roy Carlton
Scene 4. 3 faceless persons, Terri Hall
Scene 5. Terri Hall, Zebedy Colt
Scene 6. Juliet Graham, Terri Hall
Scene 7. Terri Hall, Jamie Gillis
Scene 8. Terri Hall, 3 faceless guys
Scene 9. Jamie Gillis, Zebedy Colt
http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a-d/alphabluearchives74757904.htm
THE STORY OF JOANNA (1975)
Director: Gerard Damiano
Gerard Damiano was, for a long time, the best adult film director of the 1970s. His break-through hit DEEP THROAT brought pornography out of the backroom and into the mainstream, and he followed it with THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES, another porno chic hit. Damiano was a director who cared most for the performances, the visual look and the script of each film, and he reached his career peak with THE STORY OF JOANNA. He would continue to make great films of the golden age of pornography, but none so eloquent, beautiful and erotic as JOANNA, his version of the classic "Story of O".
Jason, a mysterious and wealthy man, eyes the beautiful and innocent Joanna dining at a classy restaurant with her mother, and invites her back to his sprawling mansion for dinner. But little does Joanna know what sadistic and nasty behavior she provokes in Jason. Will she survive her stay in Jason's care?
Alpha Blue's widescreen print has seen much better days. There are red and white lines and little red "dust bunnies" which vibrate all over the image. All of the controversial S&M and gay footage is left intact, but for some reason this print omits a number of dialogue sequences which are present on the previously released AVC DVD. Most of the dialogue is missing because of print jumps. According to a detailed post by Scott Favareille on DVD Maniacs, this Alpha Blue disc also has its reels mixed up, resulting in each scene basically playing out of sequence. Alpha Blue has said they are planning to release a second edition with both widescreen and fullscreen versions to correct the missing footage problem, but this has yet to be seen. Extras include the original STORY OF JOANNA trailer and trailers for THE DEVIL INSIDE HER (with Terri Hall) and the Satanic Sickies and Sadistic Seventies series.
Damiano's film is probably the best-realized and classy of the Alpha Blue feature film series. The first 15 minutes of the feature plays like a sophisticated romance, with sweeping classical music played over every scene. But once dinner is through, Jason's sadistic streak comes out. He forces her to have sex from behind against the dinner table, and soon Joanna is tied up and being viciously whipped by Jason while the maid watches in dominatrix gear! In addition to Jason's vicious acts, Joanna is intrigued into a lesbian encounter with the maid. But it isn't long before Joanna begins to enjoy the bondage and painful games Jason throws her way. She even becomes the "party favor" of a group of Jason's aristocrat friends. STORY OF JOANNA looks like a Henry Paris/Radley Metzger production without the humor, and it's no surprise Variety reviewed it (positively) during its original run. The audience really feels for Terri Hall's Joanna, who continues to try persuading Jason to love her to no avail. Possibly the most powerful moment of the film is the butler's transforming of Joanna by shaving her pubic hair and cutting off her beautiful locks, while Joanna sits silently crying, tears streaming down her face as she watches in the mirror. The hauntingly beautiful ending, which really must have depressed many a theater audience, is not easily forgotten.
Jamie Gillis, who had been in loops and low-budget films since the early 70s, cemented his reputation as one of the greatest actors in the industry with his performance here. He has unconvincing grey hair color, but is still an incredibly convincing bastard! Gillis would play many sophisticated sexual deviants through his career, but this is probably his best along with THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN. Gillis is still active in the adult film industry, and still talks of the Golden Age with wonderful memories. Zebedy Colt, the infamous director and star of such sickies as THE DEVIL INSIDE HER and SEX WISH, plays the butler. He has a stand-out scene with Terri Hall, and it's pretty clear from their interaction in this film (he tells her quite believably, "God you are so beautiful") they got along well enough to work together in numerous films after this. Colt, a real-life homosexual, even gets to give Jamie Gillis a blowjob here!
This was also the major feature film debut of the late, great Terri Hall. A dancer for the Stuttgard Ballet (she displays her talent in a dance scene here!), she had previously made appearances in films by Lasse Braun and other New York filmmakers, but she was finally given a role which appreciated both her body and her acting talents. Terri makes the transition from fresh-faced innocent to insatiable vixen believably, and her performance ensured she would continue getting work in a number of films which would allow her to have lots of great sex and stretch her thespian muscles at the same time. Terri only really made her mark in adult films in the space of two years, 1976 and 1977, with a handful of performances thereafter. According to co-star Jamie Gillis, she fled to her hometown of Elmira, New York to live with her parents and died there in 1995 from complications of cancer. She left behind an incredible film legacy, with strong supportive fans who loved her performances, both sexual and dramatic. Recommended follow-up Terri films: THE DIVINE OBSESSION (1975), THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, THE TAKING OF CHRISTINA, THE DEVIL INSIDE HER, TERRY'S SWEET REVENGE, GUMS, THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN (all from 1976). The other female lead, Juliet Graham, is most recognizable from her turn as the Queen of Hearts in Bill Osco's X-rated version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1977). She plays the usual dominating female role she was familiar with in other films of the time. According to Osco, she is still around and willing to talk about her career.
Damiano has a cameo in the opening bar scene, drinking a fruity drink at the bar, so audiences are permitted a look at the genius behind this erotic masterpiece. An A+ example of the genre which will hopefully be issued in a super-hetradyne special edition sometime down the line.
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