Cocky noted sexologist Dr. Seymour Love (a superbly sharp and suave performance by Jamie Gillis) takes coarse lowly street walker Misty Beethoven (a terrifically tart portrayal by the sensuous and sumptuous Constance Money) under his wing. Love and his worldly cohort Geraldine (an excellent turn by the beautiful Jacqueline Beudant in her lone foray into film acting) train Misty to become an exceptional lover and seductress so Misty can be named the Goldenrod Girl at a wild gala party held by self-absorbed famous publisher Lawrence Layman (well played to vain perfection by the handsome Ras Kean). Zipping along at a constant brisk pace and across two continents, sparkling with witty dialogue and a winningly racy sense of clever naughty humor, further enhanced by explicit and genuinely erotic sex scenes that never become too graphic or vulgar, and populated by colorful characters that are drawn with refreshing depth, writer/director Radley Metzger brings a wonderfully breezy'n'classy sophisticated quality and sensibility that elevates this picture to the lofty heights of true greatness. The ace acting by a top-rate cast of familiar and popular 70's porn regulars helps a whole lot: Gloria Leonard as Layman's snarky, yet poised assistant Barbara, Terri Hall as the cheery Tanya, Calvin Culver as an impotent art dealer, and Mary Stewart and Jenny Baxter as a pair of sexy flight attendants. Popping up in nifty bits are such folks as Michael Gaunt, Marlene Willoughby, Nancy Dare, and even successful mainstream character actor Mark Margolis of "Breaking Bad" fame in his uncredited debut role as the grumpy airplane passenger asking for a glass of brandy. The neatly varied and energetic score keeps things bouncing along. Paul Glickman's glossy cinematography provides an impressive polished look. Essential viewing for 70's adult cinema aficionados.
Review of The Opening of Misty Beethoven
