Free
The Pleasure Principle
From Victorian voyeurism to Soho striptease: how a hidden film industry emerged to satisfy the sexual appetites of (male) viewers.
Sex and cinema have been bawdy bedfellows almost since the first flickering frames hit a screen. As early as 1896, saucy shorts were already being cranked out to titillate voyeuristic - and invariably male - Victorian viewers. Time and tastes have moved on, and taboos have been swept away, but sex remained a constant preoccupation, and filmmakers continued to explore, enact and exploit our deepest, darkest desires - often attracting the attention of the censor in the process. This highly-combustible collection revisits and contextualises these sometimes scandalous, oft-disreputable films, incorporating 'mondo'-style exposés of Soho striptease, voyeuristic studies of British nudists and tragic tales of good girls gone bad - and much more besides.
A Woman UndressingA Woman Undressing
Pornography 1896 1 minsSilent
A treat for Victorian voyeurs - and Britain's oldest erotic film?
Dream DollDream Doll
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1979 12 minsSilent
A relationship liable to blow up at any moment is at the heart of this animated short about a man and an inflatable sex doll
MomentMoment
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1969 12 mins
An intimate, unusual encounter with the progressive narrative of orgasm.
The Sex VictimsThe Sex Victims
Horror 1973 37 mins
A truck driver thinks he’s in luck when he meets a strange girl by the road in this supernatural horror short
Beauty in BriefBeauty in Brief
Drama 1955 4 minsSilent Location: London
A young bride-to-be models a modish nylon nightie before a voyeuristic camera in this silent 1950s striptease film.
Xcitement!Xcitement!
Pornography 1960 5 minsSilent
Glamour goddess Pamela Green reveals all in a key ‘60s striptease collaboration with George Harrison Marks.
Grecian Princess and the Slave GirlGrecian Princess and the Slave Girl
1972 5 minsSilent
Erotica doesn't get much lower budget than this musty 8mm reel made for the home movie market
Exeter School of StripteaseExeter School of Striptease
Current affairs 1970 6 mins Location: Exeter
Teaching exotic dance moves has a reporter going with the flow.
VampireVampire
Horror 1964 10 mins Location: Soho
Soho 'glamour' filmmaker George Harrison Marks plays girl-hungry vampire Count Dracula III in this strange striptease short
Burlesque QueenBurlesque Queen
Documentary 1961 6 minsSilent Location: Soho
Tassel-spinning showgirl Tina stars in this rare 60s British burlesque stage show reel.
Off the ShoulderOff the Shoulder
Amateur film 1951 4 minsSilent
Odd 1950s short film which simply celebrates the contours of the female upper torso
Pleasure PillPleasure Pill
Drama 2002 4 mins
In this 3 minute drama, Kath, played by Sharon Morgan, discovers the drug-enhanced delights of leeks and lamp posts.
Fiona Richmond at her PleasureFiona Richmond at her Pleasure
Current affairs 1970 9 mins Location: Plymouth
Fiona Richmond is interviewed about her Men Only column and attitudes towards sex.
The Look of Lingerie at Castle DrogoThe Look of Lingerie at Castle Drogo
Current affairs 1980 5 mins Location: Castle Drogo
Lingerie models dress for a titillating chase around Castle Drogo.
Dear Margery BoobsDear Margery Boobs
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1977 5 mins
Agony Aunt finds her romantic match in a man with increasingly complicated sex fantasies.
Talent Contest (Fun Palace outtakes)Talent Contest (Fun Palace outtakes)
Amateur film 1963 10 minsSilent Location: London
A compelling glimpse inside an unnamed East End pub in 1963 where a talent show takes place featuring singers and strippers.
ShirleyShirley
Inside Film 1968 6 mins
An unedited interview with striptease artiste 'Shirley', conducted by broadcaster Bernard Braden.
Union Street on a Saturday NightUnion Street on a Saturday Night
Current affairs 1966 4 mins Location: Plymouth
Punters gather for a night out on Plymouth’s famed Union Street.
IrresponsiblesIrresponsibles
Documentary drama 1929 39 minsSilent Location: Welwyn Garden City
This striking female-focused silent drama muses on the long-term perils of sexually transmitted diseases
Once Upon a SundayOnce Upon a Sunday
Amateur film 1969 10 mins Location: Leeds
The disappointment of youthful love, as the gritty realism of the early 1960s stands in stark contrast with the fantasies of the later 1960s.
Merry Moments in FranceMerry Moments in France
1907 3 minsSilent
Lively Gallic goings on in an early film sound experiment
Chinese CheckersChinese Checkers
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1965 13 mins
Two masked women make love while playing the board game.
Nude Woman by WaterfallNude Woman by Waterfall
1920 11 minsSilent
A model poses in and out of her diaphanous shift in this risqué experiment from British cinema pioneer Claude Friese-Greene
Uncharted SeaUncharted Sea
Documentary drama 1928 39 minsSilent
This silent 1920s public information film warns of the dire consequences that will arise from visiting prostitutes
AloneAlone
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1963 13 mins
A girl alone in her room, smoking, putting on make-up, masturbating.
Stranger in the CityStranger in the City
Documentary 1961 22 mins Location: London
Pay a voyeuristic visit to the striptease bars on some of London's shadow-shrouded backstreets in this 1961 short film
Action in Slow MotionAction in Slow Motion
1943 3 minsSilent
A naked woman cavorts innocently at the seaside in this 1940s nudist film, strictly for artists and students only
More Pleasure Principle films in our Rentals collection.
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More Pleasure Principle films in our Subscription collection.