Hi, Ooga.

As long as a film has had an official release, it's not necessary/required, on the TMDb database, to specify the director's name.

@genplant29 said:

Hi, Ooga.

As long as a film has had an official release, it's not necessary/required, on the TMDb database, to specify the director's name.

Thank you! Then I'll make the entry

@atomiccavewoman wrote:

Thank you! Then I'll make the entry

Which entry is it? This one:

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/625403-auntie-s-secret-society
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/OjHKD7zPNoH6jsuG1WurhA2pTI.jpg

This adult sexploitation film definitely existed according to hundreds of ads in North American newspapers that you can find here (you have to register for a free trial, though):

https://www.newspapers.com/search/#query=%22Auntie%27s+secret+society%22

The oldest ad is from Monday, October 23, 1972, in the "Star Tribune", Minneapolis, Minnesota. The youngest is from Saturday, January 5, 1980, in "The Gazette", Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This film was often screened with other x-rated films, often in small suburban cinemas at night or at drive ins. My favourite paper clip is this one -> it's not an add, it's an article about a crime:

https://imgur.com/a/7IWhe7a

A few more pictures with a few more research notes (by the way, I deleted the backdrops that you uploaded, because they were watermarked and not film stills):

http://www.emovieposter.com/images/moviestars/AA170131/aunties_secret_society_SD08380_T.jpg
http://www.emovieposter.com/images/moviestars/AA110327/pb_aunties_secret_society_a_NZ00805_L.jpg
http://www.emovieposter.com/images/moviestars/AA110327/pb_aunties_secret_society_b_NZ00805_L.jpg
http://www.emovieposter.com/images/moviestars/AA110327/pb_aunties_secret_society_c_NZ00805_L.jpg

According to this picture of the official press book, the run time was only 19 minutes, and the national distributor was "Preferred Enterprises Inc." This company also released other x-rated movies, and one of them, The Art of Gentle Persuasion, was often screened together at one night with the aunties. Unfortunately, I can't find more info.

On this poster, you can spot a few names, for example "Tushi Grabasso". I searched for the name and ended up at this article stating:

"Director "Sanford White" is best known, if at all, as the scriptwriter to William Rotsler's great anti-drug roughie, Lila a.k.a. Mantis in Lace (1968 / trailer further below). Considering Rotsler's penchant for being a jack of all trades and using pseudonyms, we find "Sanford White" a very suspicious name. The Art of Gentle Persuasion is apparently both White's only directorial project and his last foray into film, for he disappeared afterwards. Prior to TAoGP, White wrote and produced Gordon Heller's Free Love Confidential (1967 / poster below) — Heller also ceased to exist after his single film credit. [...] If we are to believe The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures (Volume 1, Part 1, Page 253), the theme song of The Art of Gentle Persuasion, entitled Sexy World, is sung by "Tushi Grabasso". We figure this movie here a lost film, as so little is to be found about it. Check your attic."

The company who printed the press book is "United Theatrical Amusement" -> it was founded in 1958 or 1966 and ceased to exist in 1967. But this info is highly questionable - I couldn't find any more.

http://www.emovieposter.com/images/moviestars/AA160703/pb_aunties_secret_society_BM07580_T.jpg
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0818/17/aunties-secret-society-sci-fi-adult_1_18f9955513e1529a73d2adf8b2b2cc4d.jpg

On this one, you can spot a local distributor, Orbit Films Inc., Dallas, Texas. This company existed in 1971, and it also distributed other adult films like Swinging Swappers. The owner of the company, Albert Weiner, was arrested in 1975 for transportation of an obscene movie and originally sentenced to 2 years in jail, which was then suspended to a 2.500$ fine. I guess he should have used the internet instead ... Unfortunately, I couldn't find any more info.

https://issuu.com/libuow/docs/cinemapaper1982aprno037/89

If you search for "Auntie's Secret Society" in this document from April 1982, you can spot on page 89 a line that says "(R) ADT KV $69,95". ADT means adult, and KV stands for "King of Video". Apparently, King of Video was a VHS distributor back in the day, which means the film was most likely released on VHS at some point in the past:

https://vhscollector.com/distributor-library/king-video

Unfortunately, I can't find any more info at the moment.

Hi Janar,

Thank you for that mountain of info, I truly love stumbling across more information on these features and who made them. But I cannot edit certain sections of this listing now? I'm not sure why, considering I added it to the database. Also, nothing I have seen indicates this is hardcore pornography, so labeling it "adult" seems slightly erroneous. Especially when you consider in the same video list, Au Pair Girls and Caged Heat are also listed as adult, so this might have been just a term used for films that required ID with purchase at a video store (back in those days, any movie with nudity and 'adult' situations, suggested or otherwise, would have required an ID). I remember this as being protocol at Blockbuster as well, as a part of their family friendly policy. It is good to see that the movie is possibly (hopefully) out there on VHS (which gives me hope!), though I truly wonder about existing copies given the label's history. I also wonder about the relationship between UTA and Preferred Enterprise Productions.

Here is an IMDB list of other titled released by Preferred Productions, which are full length features: I will be adding these titles as well. https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0099412

Some fun facts about King of Video: King of Video was a precursor of sorts to Paragon Video (In the beginning, King of Video acted as a second distributor to Paragon titles and released titles such as Night Beast under their umbrella (King of Video was known for their clamshell releases reminiscent of Unicorn Video.) King of Video releases are very hard to find, so until a recording surfaces online, this movie is as good as lost. So there is a chance that this title never made the jump over to their regular Paragon Library, and/or perhaps this title was for rental only because it was labeled "Adult".

I apologize for not noticing the watermarks, btw. Can I re-upload the newspaper ad as a backdrop by itself then, or are only movie stills allowed? If you have any other photos I can provide as backdrops, let me know!

@atomiccavewoman wrote:

Thank you for that mountain of info, I truly love stumbling across more information on these features and who made them.

You're welcome!

But I cannot edit certain sections of this listing now? I'm not sure why, considering I added it to the database.

We moderators can lock certain data fields when we think that the information in this specific data field is correct. We do this to prevent data manipulation. I did lock a few data fields -> which ones do you want to change?

Also, nothing I have seen indicates this is hardcore pornography, so labeling it "adult" seems slightly erroneous.

I'm not an adult movie expert, especially not for this time period -> but:

1.) On the poster, you can see a big cross and the word "ADULT!"
2.) The poster is taken from the press book, and the description on the middle pages in the press book include terms like "adult sex" as well as "adult features", while the first letters of the title form the word "ASS".
3.) The online publisher of this pressbook redacted several nude/naked scenes from the movie stills that make clear that they are sexual scenes -> best seen on the last page, bottom.
4.) When you scroll through the contemporary ads in the newspapers, you can read terms like "ADULT ENTERTAINMENT", "Adults-Only-Adm.", "Adults Only (21) (X)", "Doses of Adult Sex", "X-Rated" - and so on. It's also advertised with the short description: "An unbelievable XXX rated adult film presented in hard uncensored color."

In my conclusion: This is definitely an adult film!

Especially when you consider in the same video list, Au Pair Girls and Caged Heat are also listed as adult, so this might have been just a term used for films that required ID with purchase at a video store (back in those days, any movie with nudity and 'adult' situations, suggested or otherwise, would have required an ID). I remember this as being protocol at Blockbuster as well, as a part of their family friendly policy.

Sorry, I don't know what you're trying to say here?!?

It is good to see that the movie is possibly (hopefully) out there on VHS (which gives me hope!), though I truly wonder about existing copies given the label's history.

Yes, that's the main question -> is there still a copy of this movie in this world anymore? As of now, it seems to be lost forever.

I also wonder about the relationship between UTA and Preferred Enterprise Productions.

UTA produced the press book and such things for many movies at this time -> they were like a pr company who tried to sell the movies to cinema owners.

Preferred Enterprise Productions was a production company of (adult) movies, perhaps even a "fake" company or a conglomerate of companies for only a few titles that was managed by the same people. It would be interesting to research this far more, but I don't really want to myself.

Some fun facts about King of Video: King of Video was a precursor of sorts to Paragon Video (In the beginning, King of Video acted as a second distributor to Paragon titles and released titles such as Night Beast under their umbrella (King of Video was known for their clamshell releases reminiscent of Unicorn Video.) King of Video releases are very hard to find, so until a recording surfaces online, this movie is as good as lost. So there is a chance that this title never made the jump over to their regular Paragon Library, and/or perhaps this title was for rental only because it was labeled "Adult".

Yeah, I have no idea about all that. This is some task for an expert in this field.

I apologize for not noticing the watermarks, btw. Can I re-upload the newspaper ad as a backdrop by itself then, or are only movie stills allowed?

Yes, only movie stills and stills from behind the scenes are allowed as backdrops for movies:

https://www.themoviedb.org/bible/image/59f758339251416e71000065

If you have any other photos I can provide as backdrops, let me know!

Since the film is lost as of now, I'm afraid we can't add any backdrop to this entry right now.

1.) On the poster, you can see a big cross and the word "ADULT!" 2.) The poster is taken from the press book, and the description on the middle pages in the press book include terms like "adult sex" as well as "adult features", while the first letters of the title form the word "ASS". 3.) The online publisher of this pressbook redacted several nude/naked scenes from the movie stills that make clear that they are sexual scenes -> best seen on the last page, bottom. 4.) When you scroll through the contemporary ads in the newspapers, you can read terms like "ADULT ENTERTAINMENT", "Adults-Only-Adm.", "Adults Only (21) (X)", "Doses of Adult Sex", "X-Rated" - and so on. It's also advertised with the short description: "An unbelievable XXX rated adult film presented in hard uncensored color."

With all due respect, this is a premature conclusion.

All the points you make are good and fine, and I can respect where you are coming from, but none of that means or qualifies it as HARDCORE pornography was my point (Granted, I will say the words "hard uncensored color" make me curious but is ultimately vague and not conclusive enough to deduce this is hardcore, and could also be a play-on words reference to the color processing treatment of the picture), and the nudity is also a non-factor. So I'm sorry, but a bunch of edited still images of naked people doesn't mean anything. Doris Wishman made Sexploitation films which were also advertised as porn in their day (with the same "Adults Only" buzzwords, but they were typical nudist pictures, for example). Of course, I'm not arguing that the points you brought up disqualifies it from being a Softcore Sexploitation feature (which it definitely is), but there's a difference between a general Sexploitation picture and full-on porn. That was my point and that was why I was trying to make that distinction. The reason I keep stressing this is because the idea of an adult feature has changed over time, especially in the US, and normally what was considered obscene for it's day would be considered typical softcore fare in today's terms, or simply erotic dramas/comedies. It's the difference between, say, Deep Throat and A Clockwork Orange, which also had an X rating but is obviously not a porno. In the 70s, lots of films were given the X rating to comply with decency laws in small towns because prints were constantly confiscated (as you shared in a previous article).

Sorry, I don't know what you're trying to say here?!?

If it wasn't obvious before, Video stores in the US use to label many films that had risqué covers as "Adult" so that no one over a certain age would buy them. Au Pair Girls and Caged Heat also carried the ADT label in the guide you showed me, and was one of these movies, and both are not pornos, they are just movies that deal with adult situations and were heavily restricted in areas with strict obscenity laws. I know about this because the local video store near me would not sell certain titles without ID, and Blockbuster use to market itself as a chain that did not carry a back section for "Adults Only" titles. It's a possibility if this movie was sold at video stores, it was sold under the counter and with ID only or in a Back section, and would be labeled as an Adult feature to comply with these laws. And this is a reason why you also have other, non adult titles listed as Adult in the same catalog.

Yeah, I have no idea about all that. This is some task for an expert in this field.

I'm telling you because I collect video tapes, so I have a slight idea about label histories. I'm sure there are others with more expertise than me, but you can find this info on VHS Collectors, where you will see that King of Video acted as a second distributor for Paragon.

@janar72 said:

@atomiccavewoman wrote:

Thank you for that mountain of info, I truly love stumbling across more information on these features and who made them.

You're welcome!

But I cannot edit certain sections of this listing now? I'm not sure why, considering I added it to the database.

We moderators can lock certain data fields when we think that the information in this specific data field is correct. We do this to prevent data manipulation. I did lock a few data fields -> which ones do you want to change?

Also, nothing I have seen indicates this is hardcore pornography, so labeling it "adult" seems slightly erroneous.

I'm not an adult movie expert, especially not for this time period -> but:

1.) On the poster, you can see a big cross and the word "ADULT!"
2.) The poster is taken from the press book, and the description on the middle pages in the press book include terms like "adult sex" as well as "adult features", while the first letters of the title form the word "ASS".
3.) The online publisher of this pressbook redacted several nude/naked scenes from the movie stills that make clear that they are sexual scenes -> best seen on the last page, bottom.
4.) When you scroll through the contemporary ads in the newspapers, you can read terms like "ADULT ENTERTAINMENT", "Adults-Only-Adm.", "Adults Only (21) (X)", "Doses of Adult Sex", "X-Rated" - and so on. It's also advertised with the short description: "An unbelievable XXX rated adult film presented in hard uncensored color."

In my conclusion: This is definitely an adult film!

Especially when you consider in the same video list, Au Pair Girls and Caged Heat are also listed as adult, so this might have been just a term used for films that required ID with purchase at a video store (back in those days, any movie with nudity and 'adult' situations, suggested or otherwise, would have required an ID). I remember this as being protocol at Blockbuster as well, as a part of their family friendly policy.

Sorry, I don't know what you're trying to say here?!?

It is good to see that the movie is possibly (hopefully) out there on VHS (which gives me hope!), though I truly wonder about existing copies given the label's history.

Yes, that's the main question -> is there still a copy of this movie in this world anymore? As of now, it seems to be lost forever.

I also wonder about the relationship between UTA and Preferred Enterprise Productions.

UTA produced the press book and such things for many movies at this time -> they were like a pr company who tried to sell the movies to cinema owners.

Preferred Enterprise Productions was a production company of (adult) movies, perhaps even a "fake" company or a conglomerate of companies for only a few titles that was managed by the same people. It would be interesting to research this far more, but I don't really want to myself.

Some fun facts about King of Video: King of Video was a precursor of sorts to Paragon Video (In the beginning, King of Video acted as a second distributor to Paragon titles and released titles such as Night Beast under their umbrella (King of Video was known for their clamshell releases reminiscent of Unicorn Video.) King of Video releases are very hard to find, so until a recording surfaces online, this movie is as good as lost. So there is a chance that this title never made the jump over to their regular Paragon Library, and/or perhaps this title was for rental only because it was labeled "Adult".

Yeah, I have no idea about all that. This is some task for an expert in this field.

I apologize for not noticing the watermarks, btw. Can I re-upload the newspaper ad as a backdrop by itself then, or are only movie stills allowed?

Yes, only movie stills and stills from behind the scenes are allowed as backdrops for movies:

https://www.themoviedb.org/bible/image/59f758339251416e71000065

If you have any other photos I can provide as backdrops, let me know!

Since the film is lost as of now, I'm afraid we can't add any backdrop to this entry right now.