This is an exploitation film that was made to both teach about sex as well as make a buck...but mostly just to make a buck! It begins with a court hearing in which a lady is being prosecuted for performing illegal and highly dangerous abortions. The doctor who testifies in the case then begins addressing the audience as he tells the sad tale about the lady whose abortion was botched by the lady on trial. Because it was the 1940s, however, some of the details are a bit vague. In fact, the word 'abortion' doesn't even occur until very late in the film! This is odd, though, as the sex lecture late in the film is very explicit--even for today. I must warn you, though, as the film is high on the ICKY FACTOR!! You get to see closeups of vaginas and penises that have been ravaged by syphilis and gonorrhea--and it's very, very, very hard to watch. Yuck! The film is broken down into a story about a young girl and her boyfriend and an educational component near the end. The first portion is a dramatization of an unmarried woman who becomes pregnant. When her lover dies in an accident, she decides to get an illegal abortion and as a result, she nearly dies. In an interesting twist, the doctor tries hard not to blame the young girl. Though, also in a bit of a nasty cliché, attacks the parents for their ignorance.
Overall, compared to most exploitation films, this one is a bit better. First, the guy who narrates and plays the doctor actually was a pretty good actor. Second, while they dance about the topics a bit, the film is filled with some very good information--information that most teens and even adults of the day knew nothing about--which is rather sad.
While some of the film seems very quaint and silly today, it isn't terribly bad, but I also wonder who would want to see the really nasty video late in the film! Interesting but nasty! Also, Something Weird Video has done something to make the film interesting--having a guy who used to show such films and give sales pitches concerning buying sex ed manuals did a little introduction and shilled his books in the middle of the show--an interesting addition to put the film in context.
Overall, compared to most exploitation films, this one is a bit better. First, the guy who narrates and plays the doctor actually was a pretty good actor. Second, while they dance about the topics a bit, the film is filled with some very good information--information that most teens and even adults of the day knew nothing about--which is rather sad.
While some of the film seems very quaint and silly today, it isn't terribly bad, but I also wonder who would want to see the really nasty video late in the film! Interesting but nasty! Also, Something Weird Video has done something to make the film interesting--having a guy who used to show such films and give sales pitches concerning buying sex ed manuals did a little introduction and shilled his books in the middle of the show--an interesting addition to put the film in context.