Together (1971 film)
Together is a 1971 film directed by Sean S. Cunningham.[1] Cunningham's first film attracted Wes Craven, who wanted to be in the film business. This was Craven's first credit.[2] Cunningham and Craven would later work on The Last House on the Left.
| Together | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Sean S. Cunningham |
| Written by | Sean S. Cunningham |
| Produced by | Wes Craven Sean S. Cunningham |
| Starring | Marilyn Chambers |
| Cinematography | Amin Q. Chaudhri Roger Murphy |
| Edited by | Roger Murphy |
| Distributed by | Hallmark Releasing American International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Premise
A mockumentary about sex in America.
Cast
- Marilyn Chambers as Herself (credited as Marilyn Briggs)
- Maureen Cousins as Herself
- Sally Cross as Herself
- Erica Hagen as Herself (credited as Jade Hagen)
- Vade Hagren as Herself
- Kimi Hoelter as Herself
- Victor Mohica as Himself (credited as Vic Mohica)
- Jan Welt as The Narrator (credited as Jan Pieter Welt)
Production
With the $100,000 profit from The Art of Marriage,[1] Cunningham rented his first office and began looking for another picture to shoot. He started collecting donations from family and friends, who contributed $1,000 each in some cases. Cunningham said The Art of Marriage was good (in terms of starting him off) but "crummy" and wanted to make a better version of the film. Cunningham shot the film Together, which was intended in some ways to be a remake of Marriage. After Together was shot Cunningham hired the struggling Wes Craven, who needed a job and was interested in getting into the film business. Cunningham was doing re-shoots for Together and hired Craven to synchronize the dailies from the three- to four-day reshoot. Craven then became assistant editor, and he and Cunningham had to mix without any income. There was a scene in the film that consisted of Marilyn Chambers and a "very handsome" black man. The scene involved Chambers running a yellow flower down the man's penis. Hallmark Releasing had never seen a scene like this before and wanted to exploit it. They subsequently bought the film for $10,000.
Release
They placed ads in the papers about the film and the theater was flooded with people wanting to see it. The line was said by Cunningham to have gone all the way around the block. The film grossed a lot of money (in Cunningham's words, "phenomenal business") and it was another big film for Cunningham and the first hit that Craven worked on. Cunningham and Craven said to Hallmark that if they wrote them a check, Cunningham and Craven would think of another film to do. Cunningham was offered $90,000 by Hallmark to do a scary film and they would later go on to make The Last House on the Left. The film was re-released in 1973 to capitalize on the notoriety Marilyn Chambers received after it was revealed she was the mother on the Ivory Snow soap box who also was starring in the X-rated hardcore pornographic film Behind the Green Door. [3]
According to Bloody Disgusting, the film "was a [commercial] success".[4]
See also
References
- Konow, David (2012). Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films. St. Martin's Press p. 129. ISBN 978-1-2500-1359-0.
- Was, Alyse (December 31, 2019). "This Day in Horror: Happy Birthday Sean S. Cunningham". Dread Central. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- Whiting, Sam (April 14, 2009). "Porn star Marilyn Chambers dies at 56". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- Keiper, Brian (August 2, 2022). "Savage Spawn: The Brutal First Films of Wes Craven". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 3, 2022.