The closing feature of the spring/summer issue of Another Man focuses on this rare softcore 8mm stag reel from the early 50s, starring the beautiful Bettie Page.
The closing feature of the spring/summer issue of Another Man focuses on this rare softcore 8mm stag reel from the early 50s, starring the beautiful Bettie Page. Stag films, illegal erotic movies, originated in the 40s and were produced by underground amateurs. Once processed – a painstaking, time-consuming process – the films were circulated privately and screened in hidden places. In the issue, erotic cinema connoisseur Jack Stevenson tells the forgotten story of stag films and the pin-up legend it spawned, Bettie Page. Here, Another Man's editor Ben Cobb reveals how he stumbled across the rare find.
"I discovered the reel at the bottom of a big cardboard box full of vintage postcards at Portobello Market. I couldn't believe it when I saw Bettie Page written on the side of the reel – it's very rare to find original 8mm prints of Bettie Page stag reels. I only paid £10 for it; I don't know how much it's worth, but it's priceless to me. When I projected it for the first time at home, I was surprised to see what good condition it was in. It is silent and involves a very simple studio set-up it's amazing what charged magic Bettie can conjure up with nothing more than a wagon wheel! She exudes her characteristic playful naivety straight down the lens. In today's world of hardcore porn available at the click of a button, it's a peculiarly charming time capsule from an era when smut didn't have to mean dirty. I'm a rabid collector of obscure cinema oddities from around the world, but this is the gem in my collection."
