Bold! Daring! Shocking! True!: A History of Exploitation Films, 1919-1959

by Eric Schaefer

Unashamed nudists, high-flying hopheads, brazen strippers, vicious vice lords, and high school girls who find themselves “in trouble” comprise the population of exploitation films. In the first full-scale history of these low-budget movies of decades past, Eric Schaefer reveals how this pioneering form of “trash film” purveyed the forbidden thrills of explicit sexual behavior, drug use, and vice that the mainstream movie industry could not show.
Bold! Daring! Shocking! True! is a meticulously researched, interdisciplinary study that is informed by a wide range of sources—including both mainstream and industry newspapers and periodicals, archival accounts, personal interviews, and the films themselves. Schaefer begins by exploring the unique mode of production of exploitation movies, their distribution, and the outrageous exhibition practices that were rooted in the traditions of sideshows and carnivals. His close analysis of dozens of films, such as The Road to Ruin , Modern Motherhood , One Way Ticket to Hell , and The Wages of Sin demonstrates that these films were more than simply “bad” movies. By situating exploitation films in a historical context and organizing them according to the social problems they addressed, Schaefer shows how they evolved during a period of forty years and how, during that time, they shaped public policies and attitudes. Finally, he focuses on the changes in the postwar American film industry that led to the decline of the classical exploitation film and set the stage for the rise of “sexploitation” in the 1960s.
Engagingly written, illustrated with rare photographs, posters, production stills, and ad slicks, and offering a full filmography, Bold! Daring! Shocking! True! reveals a forgotten side of film history and American culture. It will delight and inform those interested in film history, cultural studies, American studies and history, and the many fans of exploitation films.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, History, Media Tie In, Sociology

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jill Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the title or the cover art on this book.......it is quite a scholarly work on the often overlooked exploitation films. Exploitation films fell somewhere between the worst Poverty Row studio movies and stag films. These were the films that played in that movie theater your parents wouldn't let you attend.....usually advertised as "adults only", they were of extremely poor quality but still drew in an audience. The most famous exploitation film became a cult classic.....the hysterical Reefer Madness but the majority have been forgotten and rightfully so.

They contained nudity (both male and female) in the guise of an educational context and addressed such "social problems" as white slavery, drugs, abortion, venereal disease and vice in general. They were quite graphic and classifying them as "educational" allowed them to dodge the censors. The author delves into the history of the genre, the men responsible, and the reasons why these films were moderately successful. They were finally discontinued when Hollywood discarded the Code. it's an amazing look at an almost unknown segment of motion picture history.

[no elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

comprehensive, essential, could literally read at least 200-400 more pages about early explo history, also i think criticizing an academic text published by a university press for being too academic is stupid lol

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the go-to book on the subject. Exploitation films existed in the grey area between mainstream films (including the low-budget variety) and the flatly pornographic and illegal (the sort of things that got shown at stag nights), dealing with subjects censors didn't want shown--nudity, sex, violence, drugs. Schaefer points out their roots in such elements of popular culture as carnivals and travelling roadshows. They violated standards of taste and morality, and routinely got the censors' knickers in a twist. But as transgressive as they were in subject matter, they were generally extremely conservative in their approach to those subjects. Characters who behaved in any way that violated conservative, middle-class norms (by having sex, by using birth control, by smoking dope, by not being white or American, by defying their parents, by going to parties instead of getting a job) were suitably and often graphically punished (one wrong step and you're on your way to disaster!). But in the meantime the audiences got to enjoy the spectacle of watching them be bad. Preferably while dressed in skimpy underwear (or less). Schaefer splits the book into two sections. The first section discusses the material conditions of the films' production and exhibition, and the second outlines the major genres--sex hygiene films (basically a mix of sex ed and just-say-no morality tales; do you know where your daughter is?), drug films (the evils of dope--pot will turn our youth into crazed murderers and sex fiends!), exotics (tropical locales, barebreasted nonwhite women, cannibals, and amorous gorillas), atrocity films (gore and depictions of surgeries), exposes of those crazy nudists in their crazy nudist camps, and burlesque films. A really interesting look at film history and changing attitudes about what qualifies as shocking.

[Cwl · Rating 4 out of 5]

With so much dangerously inaccurate information on the subject of exploitation films, it is imperative that every American purchase Bold! Daring! Shocking! True! to ensure the safety of his daughter and health of her community. What you will read is based on real incidents and compiled by real people using real college words like "construction" and "discourse". But you don't have to pay college tuition, only $27 to Amazon.com for a copy to keep on your own bedside table! Wholesome, buxom, artistic, and accurate, this is quite probably the definitive work on a heretofore ignored and despised section of American cinema. Read it or almost certainly develop pregnancy or syphilis.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3-1/2 stars) Half of this was a fun read and half of it was a slog. The descriptions of the movies and their exhibition was very interesting; in other words, as the subtitle puts it, the "history" part of the book. The academic overlay dragged the reading flow down quite a bit (and I'm a former academic). The author's attempts at sociological commentary were generally strained and off-the-mark, especially when he spent pages on socioeconomic theory about the social conditions that were portrayed in the movies (drug use, venereal disease). Inside this so-so 500 page book is a great 200 page book waiting to be published.

[Joe Angiulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but scholarly; readers without a solid background in film studies may find it boring or obtuse. Readers who are familiar with the topic, however, should enjoy this wide-ranging and thought-provoking survey of a neglected aspect of American movie-watching.

[Nick Spacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little dull at times, and a few of schaefer's points get made repeatedly, but the analysis of the classic era of exploitation films -- as opposed to the b-pictures which were later tagged with that appellation -- reveals a lot about the themes and interests of the movie-goers, outside of the studio system offerings.

there's this tendency for books on film to list a bunch of films and not really go into detail, but the author straddles that line nicely, and gives just enough information about most films to explain as why they should be included. the sex hygiene films section is the longest, and while the legal troubles regarding these titles gets almost as much time as analysis of what they were and who saw them, it presents a hint of how these films would set up the pictures which later followed.

schaefer doesn't quite stick the landing in terms of why these types of pictures faded out, but it's otherwise an entertaining and informative read.

[Brandon Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about how movies influenced and illustrated bourgeoisie morality and changing social moors (and vice versa) in the first half of the 20th century.

[Zach Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, very in-depth look at what Schaefer calls "classical exploitation": sexual hygiene flicks, burlesque romps, looks at nudist societies, drug prevention films, etc. As someone interested in the making of films outside Hollywood, I found the history of production and distribution of these schlockfests wonderful and well-researched, and also enjoyed Schaefer's relating the content of these films to the social climate of the day. Very much recommended!

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found reading about the exploitation film industry in the States to be quite an eye opener,since it was mentioned in no other histories that I can recall.However the book is less interesting because of the over interlectuallising about the films.I slipped through those parts of the book.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yegads, soo much for a light summer read. On the other hand, I'd rather read about these flickers than have to watch 'em. Except, of course, 'Maniac' which I know we can all agree on is the 'Citizen Kane' of the genre.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book abour purposefully *out there" movies

[Benjamin Nason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, in-depth, academic history on the classical period of exploitation films.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Shcaefer's study of exploitation films is pretty much seminal in its historical and critical approach to a much-overlooked genre. He provides keen insights into the business and social forces that created the exploitation market, while also offering a fascinating structural analysis of the different genres within exploitation. If he errs at all, it's in a lack of understanding of the way the mainstream film industry works. Occasionally comments, such as his statements on the recycling of materials from other films, display a lack of knowledge of just what went on at the major studios. Otherwise, however, the film is a fascinating social and artistic history of an area of film that has been too long neglected. The book would make a great springboard for a TCM festival.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm biased as this was written by the man who was the co-chair of my Masters thesis film, but if you are a sucker for odd films this is a great book. Exploring exploitation films that dealt with venereal disease, drugs and other scourges of American films it's not only very interesting from a sociological standpoint (it really reveals a lot about our country including some very interesting-- and maddening-- views on women) but has a sense of humor about it, too. Check it out.

[Kieran · Rating 3 out of 5]

One almost feels that Schaefer could have delved even further into the material, yet he's done a great service for writing the book that, for so long, has been screaming to be written. Illustrations are marvelous.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting behind the scenes look into the world of gore, sex and that of Rorger Corman.