Sex sells. And that goes for all forms it comes in: music, fine art, and cinema. Nowadays, even incest doesn’t seem to shock us too much (looking at you, “Game of Thrones“), but there was a time when even showing a bare midriff was considered quite the scandal. Strong sexual content has certainly come a long way since the silent era with films like “Blue is the Warmest Color” winning at Cannes and Lars von Trier‘s “Nymphomaniac” and “Antichrist” developing a following of their own.
In this video compilation by CineGraphic (via the kids over at Open Culture), we can take a look at what were considered salacious scenes of yesteryear. A projectionist in Pennsylvania found the footage in an old movie theater and spliced the scenes together to create a reel of what was thought to be moral distaste in the 1920s. For the most part, the scenes focus on dancing; beautiful women in draped, sexy clothing that creates an illusion of desire. There are also several shots of feet, bringing fetishism to mind. According to the commentary on YouTube cinephiles recognize scenes from Fritz Lang‘s “Metropolis” and “The Temptress” starring Greta Garbo (and I believe I saw a shot of the inimitable Clara Bow), but the other films are unknown.
Can you name any of the films in this video? Let us know in the comments below.