# Did the original theatre version of "Animal House" have bare breasts, bare asses & curse words? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343 "2009-10-10T21:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/21 "2009-10-11T10:27:10Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > I only recall one sorority girl in that scene. Is there a version floating around where there are two? Two different scenes - once with Mandy, once with Babs. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/22 "2009-10-11T10:51:57Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’d still call it an 80s comedy. Styles of movies don’t necessarily begin and end at decade markers. Essentially as Animal House essentially originated the genre. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I remember watching The Long Kiss Goodnight in 1996 and thinking to myself that the main reason it failed was because it was an 80s action flick and people didn’t want that any more. Hah! I remember thinking the exact same thing. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/23 "2009-10-11T13:12:18Z")
There are alternate takes of several of the scenes that are used in some TV versions. E.g., the ladder scene has a version where the women are wearing underwear. And the scene in the Dean’s office with the horse has Bluto yelling “Holy crap!” and clearly not dubbed. The real puzzle is why these alternates are not used in all TV versions but some are just bleeped, cut or dubbed. There was a time when an R movie might be released in two formats: PG and R with the PG version playing in the afternoon and the R at night. I don’t know if this was the case with AH. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/24 "2009-10-11T14:49:08Z")
I saw it in the theater within a week or two of its release. The movie was memorable to me for showing Karen Allen’s bush. And the event which made Bluto’s ladder suddenly push away from the wall was Bluto seeing Amana (Mandy, also nicknamed “Fridge”) Pepperidge stand topless by the window, then slip her hand down the front of her panties. Bluto’s eyes grew quite large at this sight (draw what inferences you like from that), then the ladder fell away. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/25 "2009-10-11T17:21:03Z")
> [@](#): > > There was a time when an R movie might be released in two formats: PG and R with the PG version playing in the afternoon and the R at night. I don’t know if this was the case with AH. I’ve never heard of this. It certainly wasn’t common in the seventies. What was common back then was the studio would make an edited version for a future television broadcast. In the pre-cable pre-video era, movies were a big broadcast but they had to be edited down to network standards. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/26 "2009-10-11T17:57:51Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I saw it in the theater within a week or two of its release. The movie was memorable to me for showing Karen Allen’s bush. > > And the event which made Bluto’s ladder suddenly push away from the wall was Bluto seeing Amana (Mandy, also nicknamed “Fridge”) Pepperidge stand topless by the window, then slip her hand down the front of her panties. Bluto’s eyes grew quite large at this sight (draw what inferences you like from that), then the ladder fell away. I don’t recall ANY “bush.” I only remember seeing Karen Allen’s butt, briefly, as she put her shirt back on while walking down the hall. I saw the movie in the theater back in 1978, when I was 17. Yes, there was ample nudity and cursing. For nudity… 1. Otter shows his butt while getting dressed for the rush party. 2. Bluto spies on a bunch of naked sorority girls having a pillow fight. 3. Moments later, Bluto watches Mandy Pepperidge taking off her bra and playing with her boobs. 4. Pinto takes off the mayor’s daughter’s bra, and she passes out on his bed. Her breasts are shown. 5. Shelly, the girl from Dicknson college, is topless in the car while making out with Otter. 6. Karen Allen’s butt is seen the next morning, when Boon goes to visit her. 7. Moments later, Donald Sutherland comes out, and we see his butt. As for the cursing… I think they filmed several scenes with clean AND dirty versions. Example? At one point, in the theatrical version Dean Wormer tells Otter to “Put a sock on it, or you’ll be out of here like shit through a goose.” On TV, he said, “Put a sock on it, or you’ll be out of here so fast, it’ll make your head spin.” It was an alternate take oif the same scene, NOT the same one with cleaner words dubbed in. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/27 "2009-10-11T20:15:58Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I don’t recall ANY “bush.” I only remember seeing Karen Allen’s butt, briefly, as she put her shirt back on while walking down the hall. > > I saw the movie in the theater back in 1978, when I was 17. Yes, there was ample nudity and cursing. > > For nudity… > > 1. Otter shows his butt while getting dressed for the rush party. > > 2. Bluto spies on a bunch of naked sorority girls having a pillow fight. > > 3. Moments later, Bluto watches Mandy Pepperidge taking off her bra and playing with her boobs. > > 4. Pinto takes off the mayor’s daughter’s bra, and she passes out on his bed. Her breasts are shown. > > 5. Shelly, the girl from Dicknson college, is topless in the car while making out with Otter. > > 6. Karen Allen’s butt is seen the next morning, when Boon goes to visit her. > > 7. Moments later, Donald Sutherland comes out, and we see his butt. > > As for the cursing… I think they filmed several scenes with clean AND dirty versions. Example? At one point, in the theatrical version Dean Wormer tells Otter to “Put a sock on it, or you’ll be out of here like shit through a goose.” On TV, he said, “Put a sock on it, or you’ll be out of here so fast, it’ll make your head spin.” It was an alternate take oif the same scene, NOT the same one with cleaner words dubbed in. Maybe I’m not so nuts after all. I must be mentally conflating the more recently seen cleaned up TV versions with the original movie version. Per QTM’s observation I just re-played the un-edited version I saw the other night and there is no Karen Allen bush in the kitchen-living room coming to the door scene, only tush. Apparently the only movie with Karen Allen bush is [Until September](http://www.mrskin.com/karen-allen-nude-c164.html). ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/28 "2009-10-11T22:56:32Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I don’t recall ANY “bush.” I only remember seeing Karen Allen’s butt, briefly, as she put her shirt back on while walking down the hall. > > I saw the movie in the theater back in 1978, when I was 17. Yes, there was ample nudity and cursing. > > For nudity… > > 1. Otter shows his butt while getting dressed for the rush party. > > 2. Bluto spies on a bunch of naked sorority girls having a pillow fight. > > 3. Moments later, Bluto watches Mandy Pepperidge taking off her bra and playing with her boobs. > > 4. Pinto takes off the mayor’s daughter’s bra, and she passes out on his bed. Her breasts are shown. > > 5. Shelly, the girl from Dicknson college, is topless in the car while making out with Otter. > > 6. Karen Allen’s butt is seen the next morning, when Boon goes to visit her. > > 7. Moments later, Donald Sutherland comes out, and we see his butt. > > As for the cursing… I think they filmed several scenes with clean AND dirty versions. Example? At one point, in the theatrical version Dean Wormer tells Otter to “Put a sock on it, or you’ll be out of here like shit through a goose.” On TV, he said, “Put a sock on it, or you’ll be out of here so fast, it’ll make your head spin.” It was an alternate take oif the same scene, NOT the same one with cleaner words dubbed in. But who’s counting? 😃 Animal House without tits, ass, and shit-through-a-goose is still fucking funny, but the T & A somehow just make it funnier. Bluto groaning on the grounds of the sorority after crashing the ladder is not as funny if he only saw her bra. Greg and Mandy in the car is only funny if you see her pissedly peel off the gloves. What about the line towards the end where Mrs. Wormer says, “You can take your thumb out of my ass any time now, Carmine.” Is that in the cut versions? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/29 "2009-10-12T00:59:27Z")
The girl who played the 13 year old was also in Caddyshack. She got involved with drugs and decided to leave the movie business to get clean. > **[Sarah Holcomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Holcomb)** > > Sarah Holcomb is an American former actress. Her first role was in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) as Clorette DePasto, the 13-year-old daughter of shady Mayor Carmine DePasto; Holcomb was age 19 when filming began in October, 1977.\[citation needed\] > Following Animal House, she had roles in other films, including Caddyshack, released in 1980. She was cast in Jaws 2 (1978), but was one of several teenage actors let go as that film went through many script revisions early in production. > T... She was 20 when Animal House came out ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/30 "2009-10-12T01:19:05Z")
> [@](#): > > from the trivia section of the IMDb Animal House entry: > > By the time home video became widespread, some American obscenity laws forbade showing minors nude in sexual situations - actual or “depicted”. The latter was meant for illicit composite images, but could be construed to mean acting also. The actress was 18 at the time of filming, but when her character announced her age as thirteen, a legally-problematic situation arose. Her bare chest is absent from nearly all home-use copies of the film. I’m guessing this is the scene that appeared in the MAD Magazine parody like so: Frat Boy: “Would you like some 12-year-old whiskey?” Girl: “No thanks, I don’t drink anything older than I am.” My favorite scene in the parody though showed a visitor to the house asking, “Why is that guy riding his motorcycle up the stairs?!” and being told, “Because his Buick would scrape hell out of the banister!” (I’ve never actually seen the movie; I was only 12 in 1978. I’m going to have to rectify this one of these days.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/31 "2009-10-12T01:45:15Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Per QTM’s observation I just re-played the un-edited version I saw the other night and there is no Karen Allen bush in the kitchen-living room coming to the door scene, only tush. Apparently the only movie with Karen Allen bush is [Until September](http://www.mrskin.com/karen-allen-nude-c164.html). Well, I just viewed my VHS tape of the movie from circa 1983-84, and found there was about 0.25 seconds of visible bush on Karen Allen as she let her nightshirt fall down, just before her boyfriend says “Hi, Katie. I missed you”. Rear shot of her bare tush, pans to front of her, with nightshirt falling, covering breasts and stomach completely, but with brief glimpse of said bush before it is obscured by the nightshirt. I had to adjust the tracking or the bottom of the TV screen cut it off. But it was there. Maybe they adjusted the scene frame slightly for the DVD. It was barely visible at the screen bottom. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/32 "2009-10-12T02:00:38Z")
And the dedication of Dopers to discover The Truth is once again demonstrated!! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/33 "2009-10-12T12:30:17Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > 1. Shelly, the girl from Dicknson college, is topless in the car while making out with Otter. These are the most magnificent breasts in the film, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/34 "2009-10-12T13:08:43Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > We have gone so prudish in the last few years–while yet telling ourselves we’ve gone in the opposite direction–that this isn’t really a surprise. Or it could just be that hardcore porn is so much more readily available nowadays that you can’t get people to see an R-rated movie just by the promise of seeing some naked boobies. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/35 "2009-10-12T14:20:02Z")
Nowadays it has to be specific boobies, not just generic ones. I knew the movie was going to be a dog, but I was willing to see **Couples Retreat** until it was announced that it was rated PG-13. That means none of the lead actresses get their kit off, so to hell with it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/36 "2009-10-12T14:54:24Z")
Plus, in the 1970’s and 80’s, if an actress appeared topless in a movie, it meant that anybody who bought a movie ticket would be able to catch a momentary glimpse of their breasts in a darkened theater. Nowadays, if an actress appears topless in a movie, it means their breasts are going to be all over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/37 "2009-10-12T15:21:40Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As somebody who saw _Animal House_ in a theatre in 1978 I can assure you that there were bare breasts in the original. That’s the kind of thing a seventeen year old remembers. Ditto for a 14-year-old… The boobage in Animal House was so deeply encoded in my brain, that it will be my lone image when dementia sets in… ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/38 "2009-10-12T16:03:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > And the event which made Bluto’s ladder suddenly push away from the wall was Bluto seeing Amana (Mandy, also nicknamed “Fridge”) Pepperidge stand topless by the window, then slip her hand down the front of her panties. Bluto’s eyes grew quite large at this sight (draw what inferences you like from that), then the ladder fell away. By God, you’re right. I watched _Animal House_ on TV a while back, and was disappointed that the ladder scene wasn’t as funny as I remembered. That was the reason–without the hand in the panties, it doesn’t work as well. Ah, there’s nothing more stimulating to the intellect than an analysis of tits, ass, and profanity in _Animal House_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/39 "2009-10-12T16:11:56Z")
\ ***Otter:** Boon, I anticipate a deeply religious experience. \* ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343/40 "2009-10-12T16:31:54Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Well, I just viewed my VHS tape of the movie from circa 1983-84, and found there was about 0.25 seconds of visible bush on Karen Allen as she let her nightshirt fall down, just before her boyfriend says “Hi, Katie. I missed you”. Rear shot of her bare tush, pans to front of her, with nightshirt falling, covering breasts and stomach completely, but with brief glimpse of said bush before it is obscured by the nightshirt. > > I had to adjust the tracking or the bottom of the TV screen cut it off. But it was there. Maybe they adjusted the scene frame slightly for the DVD. It was barely visible at the screen bottom. I second this. I clearly remember a tiny bush shot in this scene. I was already thinking of this exact moment before I read this post. Oh and I’m a tad too young to have seen it in theaters. I used to watch a recorded VHS tape my stepdad had. No idea what version or if he recorded it off HBO (he did that alot) or from a tape he rented. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-original-theatre-version-of-animal-house-have-bare-breasts-bare-asses-curse-words/513343.md?page=3)