Lorna (film)

Lorna
File:Lorna Poster.jpg Theatrical poster to Lorna (1964)
Directed by	Russ Meyer
Produced by	Eve Meyer Russ Meyer
Written by	James Griffith Russ Meyer
Starring	Lorna Maitland Mark Bradley James Rucker Hal Hopper Doc Scortt Althea Currier F. Rufus Owens Frank Bolger Ken Parker James Griffith
Music by	Hal Hopper (title song) James Griffith (uncredited)
Cinematography	Russ Meyer
Distributed by	Eve Productions Inc.
Release dates	September 11, 1964
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$37,000

Lorna is a 1964 independent film produced and directed by Russ Meyer. It was written in four days by James Griffith, who played the preacher in the film.

Lorna marks the end of Meyer's "nudies" and his first foray into serious film making. It was his first film in the sexploitation style with a dramatic storyline. It was one of Meyer's early, rural gothic films. It is perhaps his most romantic film, despite the tragic ending. Meyer describes the movie as "a brutal examination of the important realities of power, prophecy, freedom and justice in our society against a background of violence and lust, where simplicity is only a facade." Reviews described Maitland as "a wanton of unparalleled emotion...unrestrained earthiness...destined to set a new standard of voluptuous beauty." Lorna was called "the female Tom Jones".

Lorna was the first of three films Meyer filmed featuring Barbara Popejoy, whom he gave the name Lorna Maitland. Though still a low-budget, it was the most expensive film he had made to date, and was Meyer's first film in 35 mm. The film was shot in black and white. The film was shot over 10 days mainly on the small main street that runs through the town of Locke, California in September 1963.

Author and director William Rotsler said of this film, "with Lorna Meyer established the formula that made him rich and famous, the formula of people filmed at top hate, top lust, top heavy." Lorna Maitland's measurements were 42D-22-36. Maitland was three months pregnant during the two week Lorna shoot, which augmented her already very large breasts.

Plot

The publicity to Lorna exclaimed: "Without artistic surrender, without compromise, without question or apology, an important motion picture was produced: LORNA—a woman too much for one man."

Lorna (Lorna Maitland) is a sexually unsatisfied young wife married to Jim (James Rucker), who works at a salt mine and spends his evenings studying to become a CPA. When Lorna goes for a nude swim in the river, she is raped by an escaped convict (Mark Bradley), but her frustrated sexuality is awakened. She invites the stranger to their home while Jim is at work.

Meanwhile, Jim's co-workers tease him about his wife's beauty and infidelity. Jim returns home early and discovers Lorna's unfaithfulness. The events take place on Jim and Lorna's anniversary, which Jim has forgot (Jim's army patch is the 6th Armored).

Reception

The film was prosecuted for obscenity in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida, but became a major success at drive-in, downtown theaters, and even made appearances at art-house cinemas.

External links

• Lorna at IMDb
• Lorna at AllMovie