Respectable: The Mary Millington Story

Having been born in 1993, I was unfamiliar with the life, and tragic demise, of Seventies' porn starlet Mary Millington. Simon Sheridan's engrossing documentary remind everybody of my generation how porn was not as ubiquitous as it is today. 40 years ago hardcore material was illegal in Great Britain and those who made it, distributed it or starred in it were crucified in the press and persecuted by the authorities.

One lone figure who stood up to campaign for the legalisation of porn was Mary Millington, a tiny blonde from Surrey who pretty much single-handedly took on the British Establishment. Such was her immense popularity that she starred in the biggest selling 8mm porn movie Europe has ever known ('Miss Bohrlock') as well as appearing in 'Come Play with Me', the longest-running British film ever. But alongside fame came unhappiness and she died aged just 33, apparently with nobody left to help her beat her addiction to drugs, or her battle with depression.

Whilst 'Respectable: The Mary Millington Story' is not always a happy tale, there is much to enjoy, and digest, - there are carefully- judged moments of joy and laughter (actor Dudley Sutton is especially funny) mixed with heartbreaking and poignant tales told by several ex- lovers and friends. I found it utterly enthralling from beginning to end, and I couldn't stop thinking about it even days later. How did Mary really die? Who was ultimately responsible? And why was she considered such a thorn in the side of the Metropolitan Police?

What could've been a tawdry documentary is actually a beautifully- paced history lesson on British post-war attitudes towards sex. I absolutely loved it and as a teacher myself I think teenagers today would be shocked to know how the human rights we take-for-granted now were once a battlefield.

Documentary chronicling the extraordinary life and tragic death of Mary Millington - Britain's most famous pornographic actress of the 1970s.

I wouldn't say I'm incredibly knowledgeable about the history of pornography. But I've seen enough documentaries and read enough stories that I thought I had a fair handle on it. But, it turns out, the world of American pornography is apparently completely different from British (or perhaps European) pornography. Because I have never even heard of Mary Millington.

This documentary is quite a good one, because it not just follows Mary's life, but follows the industry, which is really the more interesting story. It's a story of morality, censorship, and more. This is even more fascinating today (2016) in the era of the internet.

Showing on Netflix, this is an informative documentary for those who do not know much about the 1970s British pornographic film industry and its one time leading light who lived every cliché before dying.

I had heard of Mary Millington growing up in the 1970s because she got a lot of coverage in the newspapers that were published on Sundays, and her films were always advertised in the fronts of cinemas.

The films themselves when seen on tape in the 1980s were rather bland unfunny smut fests than full on sex films. If it wasn't for magazines like Whitehouse and Playbirds being passed round school playgrounds the Mary Millington of porn legend would have been long forgotten.

The film was obviously made by a film maker who likes his subject and keeps the tone of the film positive and zips through her life with stories and photographs of Mary Millington from her child hood through to her tragic suicide. There are lots of talking heads who were there during this time including the man who turned Mary into a publishing house and made David Sullivan a millionaire many times over.

The documentary contains many clips from Marys rather explicit back catalogue and though not full on sex is displayed it manages to convey what her films were like outside of her soft porn career. Be warned there are brief glimpses of fellatio, rutting and girl on girl action from her porn loops and brief snippets and covers from the magazines she appeared in.

It's interesting to see how mainstream celebrity at the time led to her downfall, and brought her into the world of cocaine and high living, whilst also battling depression. Even in her early days according to the film she was earning £200 a film (worth £4,000 in today's earnings), those 8mm loops cost £1,000 to make and could sell 300,000 units across Europe. Millington also appeared in porn magazines during the 1970s and these could sell upwards of a million copies per issue.

This film is worth watching and it handles its subject with respect

Simon Sheridan has produced the last word on the life of Mary Millington. This documentary explores in detail the fascinating (and never boring) life of Britain's first and only (!) mainstream porn star.

Whilst the work of every British film genre is celebrated with pride, the soft porn film is typically neglected except for cheerleaders especially Sheridan. These films were major earners and drew on big stars who would go from children's films to soft porn films (such as Ronnie Fraser going from Swallows and Amazon's to Come Play with Me with Mary Millington!). These were different times!

This film is going to be revolutionary to even the most hardened (lol!) fan but it is also even handed in approach. In short it is a Meister work and is worth a watch for anyone with an interest in British cinema...indeed anyone! Fantastic!

Just finished watching this on US Netflix and can't recommend it highly enough. It's the incredibly moving story of (in)famous 1970s British sex star Mary Millington. Directed by Simon Sheridan (author of 'Come Play With Me: The Life and Times of Mary Millington' and 'Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema'), this is a must see film even if you have never heard of Mary. It also takes a look at the state of UK censorship and the local sex industry during the 1970s.

It is beautifully shot (courtesy of cinematographer Dave Meehan) and it's obvious a huge amount of research went into making it. Definitely the best documentary I've seen in a long time.