Revelations

Title card reads "a portrait of two women" in all lowercase letters, but forgotten Frisco-based filmmaker Richard Wilton fails to deliver on that premise. This fake documentary style hardcore effort is a step up from the 1970 white coaters, but of little interest beyond fans (like me) of its beautiful pair of leading ladies. It's been revived on a double bill with the same director's similar effort "Sharon's Rosebud".

An off-screen interviewer, with a one-track dirty mind, purports to be seeking out the fantasies and sexual experiences of two women. First up is Diane (classy Joan Devlon), a secretary who dreams of sleeping with her boss. Hardcore footage has her actually realizing this fantasy, followed by her having sex with the boss's wife (Dianne Galke). Harsh direct sound recording is used for the interview segments, and the hardcore fantasies are shot silent with the actress narrating a play-by-play, with library music added. The pretense of being a documentary is washed away when Diane is shown putting her clothes back on and the interviewer asks how she enjoyed acting out.

Second subject is Laura sitting in a beauty parlor chair where the interviewer goes hands-on, fulfilling her fantasy by shampooing her pubic hair. She then fantasizes a threesome with the hairdresser and his female assistant. Film is so cheap that the same red couch used for fantasy sex in Diane's segment is re-used for Laura's. No set dressing to make Diane's office look real is attempted, and the so-called beauty parlor consists only of a barber-style chair, no mirrors, no sinks, no nothing.

The fabulous Spring Finlay plays Laura, and it was a treat to see her again, as despite her obvious talents she wasn't cast in all that many adult features.

Probably to fill out its running time, film violates its structure (and title) by cutting at the end of Laura's footage to an exterior shot of S.F.'s Artmar Hotel on Ellis St., for a cheapie finale of John Seeman getting serviced by a hooker. This has nothing to do with the rest of the film. He argues with her about the price, marvels at her shaved pussy, and then gets it on. Film ends abruptly with the following priceless dialog exchange: John - "I've never seen a hooker get off"; Hooker - "I guess I get horny some times too". Oh, the wonders of improvised dialog.

Reinventing the wheel, director Wilton exploits a tiresome format that has become very, very familiar in subsequent decades of porn with the work of such stalwarts as Rodney Moore, John "Buttman" Stagliano and latterly Jules Jordan. The play-acting here is false on its face, and the film's other title "Revelations" is pure bull.

You need something of a budget to portray sexual fantasies, even on those late night pay-cable programs, and RW's 4-digit negative cost (remember, Hollywood's SPFX epics now are made on 9-digit budgets) cannot sustain the premise. As revealed in his companion film on the video, his chief fetishes are interracial sex, black stockings, and zooming in for that tight closeup.

For me the worst mistake was wasting two of my all-time favorite leading ladies. Joan Devlon brings glamor to porn, par excellence, but not here. Spring Finlay is the true, classic redhead, also in search of better vehicles. Hooking up with Wilton did neither of them justice.

Jazzy score includes a pirated trio track from one of organist Jimmy Smith's early Blue Note recordings.