The Adam Adult Cinemastrip: PINOCCHIO (1970)

Chris Warfield and Corey Allen's "adults only" version of Pinocchio was rated X by the MPAA in 1970 and originally released by Russ Meyer's company, Eve Productions, under the title THE VOLUPTUARY. By the time Adam Film World magazine issued this 66-page photo comic (or "adult cinemastrip") in October 1971, the onscreen title had been changed to PINOCCHIO, with all advertising materials hyping it as THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO, presumably so it wouldn't be confused with the Disney classic or Ron Merk's kiddie matinees like PINOCCHIO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.

(Above: Note the new title pasted over THE VOLUPTUARY on this one-sheet)

Despite the title change, Warfield continued to secure bookings for the film as THE VOLUPTUARY as late as November of 1976 (His company, Lima Productions, ran the advertisement below in Boxoffice in advance of the 1974 drive-in season).

Riding the coattails of Bill Osco's X-rated musical ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which hit theaters in April of 1976 and was an immediate box-office success, Warfield created a new ad campaign for PINOCCHIO that was pure exploitation genius ("See the surprise when he lies! It's not his nose that grows!") and got it booked into drive-ins all over the country for the next eight years as well as cable TV and video exposure for years after that. After some re-editing, the MPAA gave it an R rating in 1977.

William Rotsler, the director of MANTIS IN LACE and a regular contributor to Adam Film World magazine, was the still photographer on the PINOCCHIO set and his photos were used for this first -- and only? -- "Adam Adult Cinemastrip." Liberties were taken with the story, and those familiar with the movie will notice a few major deviations in the first couple of pages included here.


Monica Gayle's character, Gepetta, is named "Cindy" for some reason.




The "friendly wizard" pictured below is nowhere to be found in the movie.


Dyanne Thorne plays a traditional (albeit frequently nude) Fairy Godmother in the movie, concerned only with Pinocchio and Gepetta's well-being. However, in the magazine she's a troublemaker who constantly puts Pinocchio in awkward situations.


Most important difference: in the movie the Fairy Godmother causes Pinocchio's penis to expand grotesquely every time he misbehaves, and this is considered punishment, but in the magazine the enormous appendage seems to be a positive rather than negative attribute (There are no shots of Pinocchio knocking over lamps and getting snagged in the drapes).

If Warfield's catalog ever gets a decent DVD release, this magazine would make an entertaining supplement on the PINOCCHIO special edition. A completely uncut and restored version of this movie is long overdue.