Bijou (film)
Bijou is an 1972 American pornographic film directed and edited by Wakefield Poole and starring Bill Harrison as a construction worker who witnesses a car accident and discovers an invitation to a club called Bijou in the purse of the victim.
| Bijou | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg.webp) Theatrical release poster by Paul Jasmin[1] | |
| Directed by | Wakefield Poole |
| Produced by | Marvin Shulman |
| Starring | Bill Harrison Cassandra Hart Lydia Black Peter Fisk Bill Cable |
Production company | Poolemar |
Release date | 1972[2] |
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $22,000[1] |
Production
Using some of the proceeds from his debut film Boys in the Sand, director Wakefield Poole bought a Beaulieu 16 mm camera for $10,000. Poole recorded screen tests of each actor he wanted to use, and had each of them "seduce the camera", undress, and masturbate to climax.[3]
Poole shot the film over four days at his apartment. The interiors of the Bijou club were filmed in his living room; the crew covered the walls and floors with black felt and built a platform in the center of the room that was covered with black velvet.[4] Poole edited the film over the summer of 1972.[5]
Release
Poole first screened Bijou during a weekend in August 1972.[6] The film opened in October, with a 24-week run at the 55th Street Playhouse.[7]
Critical reception
A contemporary review in Variety called the film "part ersatz Kubrick, part raunchy Disney".[8][9] Al Goldstein, editor of Screw, praised the film's "sophisticated direction, magnificent photography and editing".[8] Bijou was named "Best Picture of 1972" by Screw, though it shared the honor with the film Deep Throat.[10] According to Poole, Goldstein considered Bijou to be superior to Deep Throat, but did not want to "honor faggotry over heterosexuality".[10]
When asked by Women's Wear Daily what his favorite thing he did on his visit to New York was, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent answered, "Seeing Bijou".[10]
Home media
In May 2014, the film was released on DVD by Vinegar Syndrome.[8]
References
- Olson, Jenni (2004). The Queer Movie Poster Book. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0811842617.
- Poole 2011, p. 279.
- Poole 2011, p. 167.
- Poole 2011, p. 171.
- Poole 2011, p. 173, 177.
- Rodriguez, Joey (2016). "'All of my films deal in fantasy.'". The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- Crumpler, David (March 20, 2016). "Films challenged erotic status quo". The Florida Times-Union. p. F1.
- "Bijou – Vinegar Syndrome". Vinegar Syndrome. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- Holmlund, Christine; Wyatt, Justin, eds. (2004). Contemporary American Independent Film: From the Margins to the Mainstream. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 978-0415254861.
- Poole 2011, p. 178.
Bibliography
- Poole, Wakefield (2011). Dirty Poole: A Sensual Memoir (new ed.). Lethe Press. ISBN 978-1590212295.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)