Was there one before Saturday Night Fever?
Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969), starring Anthony Newley, was rated X back when it didn’t take that much to get an X; it was re-rated R later on.
Five minutes – that’s why I love the Dope.
Thanks!
Oh! Calcutta! (1972) was a self-imposed X as well.
That was intentionally X, though – was* Mercy Humpe*? I’ve never seen it. I’m thinking *SNF *might be the first “mainstream” R-rated film. (And, of course, they re-edited it to PG to get it into wide release.)
I doubt Mercy Humppe was intentionally X, or even if that concept existed when the film was made. It was a big budget movie - Joan Collins is in it too. Bear in mind, the X was not such a stigma in those days. Midnight Cowboy was an X and it won the best picture Oscar.
The First Nudie Musical. From 1976 (a year before Saturday Night Fever), and rated R.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) was rated X and that was a 20th Century Fox release.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, released in 1975, was rated R.
Wow they were all M down under.
But I think “R” here and “R” in the US mean two different things.
Googling …
Yep. In the US, “R” means “Under 17 requires accompanying by a parent or adult guardian.”
The equivalent of our “R” is “NC-17.”
And yet somehow, “Hair,” in 1979, got a PG rating in the US. Not like Rocky Horror.
I’d post a link to some Beverly DeAngelo boobies, but we all saw the “Vacation” movies, right?
So… what’s the most modern version?
You probably haven’t seen Repo! The Genetic Opera.
What does “R” mean in the antipodes?
That is correct. It has been languishing on my Netflix queue for quite some time, though.
As was Myra Breckenridge, also 1970, although I can’t remember if that was a musical or not (there was a little dance sequence featuring Rex Reed and Raquel Welch, FWIW).
Means can only be viewed or purchased by people over 18 and MA15+ means that anyone under 15 must have a parent or guardian with them. This is used across movies, music, games and stage shows.
(G) GENERAL
(PG) PARENTAL GUIDANCE
(M) MATURE
(MA 15+) MATURE ACCOMPANIED
(R 18+) RESTRICTED
We also have an X rating this is used for pron, further restrictions apply. Age is still 18 but can only be purchased legally in Canberra.
There was a distinctly adult version of “Alice In Wonderland” in 1976 which, according to Wikipedia (so it must be true), was initially rated X but gained a R rating the following year after 3 minutes were excised.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was an R-rated musical.
That must have been a few very strategic cuts, because the X-rated version featured quite a lot of full on sex action in close-up. Could you perhaps get away with close-up unsimulated blow jobs at the time and still get an “R”? Pretty funny movie, by the way.