Respectable: The Mary Millington Story

Just finished watching this on US Netflix and can't recommend it highly enough. It's the incredibly moving story of (in)famous 1970s British sex star Mary Millington. Directed by Simon Sheridan (author of 'Come Play With Me: The Life and Times of Mary Millington' and 'Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema'), this is a must see film even if you have never heard of Mary. It also takes a look at the state of UK censorship and the local sex industry during the 1970s.

It is beautifully shot (courtesy of cinematographer Dave Meehan) and it's obvious a huge amount of research went into making it. Definitely the best documentary I've seen in a long time.

This eminently watchable documentary is the story of Mary Millington, the porn star and glamour model who became a household name in 1970's Britain. The title comes from her quote: "I was born respectable, but I soon decided I wasn't going to let that spoil my life".

Through clips of Mary, including brief glimpses of her hard core loops, which seem playful, even innocent today, as well as interviews with family members, lovers, friends and colleagues, a fascinating story emerges. Though it was to end in tragedy, there's lots of fun along the way, not least when Dudley Sutton amusingly disses and dismisses Mary's arch enemy, self-appointed Filth-Fighter General, Mrs Whitehouse.

Mary married Bob Maxted when she was eighteen, and he remained her husband to the end of her life, though it was an open marriage from early on. The Sixties and Seventies were a time when the last vestiges of Victorian morality were breaking down, with their replacement by modern day taboos some way off. Stories of suburban swinging and the legendary 'wife swapping' parties were rife, TV programmes with sex scenes and partial nudity abounded, and for a time, newsagents and corner shops up and down the land were festooned with scores of different soft core sex magazines to an extent unimaginable today. Some of these were becoming increasingly explicit, particularly those owned by David Sullivan, and it was these that brought Mary her fame.

However, the UK authorities were adamant that they would not follow the rest of Europe in legitimising the sale of explicit porno films of the 'Deep Throat' variety. Mary was determined to confront them, and soon fell foul of the UK's notorious 'Obscene Publications Act' still in force today, which allowed the authorities to go after material they arbitrarily considered 'likely to deprave and corrupt'. Much police harassment and bullying followed and this, plus her increasing addiction to hard drugs and not least the depression which became worse after the death of her beloved mother, were major factors in her tragic death.

The film is a significant achievement by first time director, Simon Sheridan, Mary's biographer and long time champion, and is a 'must see' for anyone who wants to learn more about her life, and sex in the UK of the Seventies.

This is a wonderfully moving warts and all documentary that shows the extreme ups and downs of the UK'S only real iconic porn star,the love and respect Simon Sheridan has for Mary shines through as much as that of her friends and family.

Dexter Fletcher's narration is perfect and most of the major people in Mary's life have been interviewed,including David Sullivan, Francoise Pascal and the late Stanley A. Long.

This is a must see for any one with an interest in British cinema or just an interest in a larger than life bundle of contradictions who fought against the strict censorship laws of the time..... She really did want to stick it to the man...

Simon Sheridan has put together an incredibly moving, touching and funny documentary that sheds light on the effervescent Mary Millington. This is so much more than a documentary on porn; it is an insight into how one woman showcased her own feminist movement, albeit in way that rocked the establishment, and how she celebrated her unconventional job and how she loved her body. Mary was natural, smart, and way before her time.

Respectable highlights a time in the 20th century when we Brits were conflicted with our culture, but most of it all is explores the beauty and vulnerability of Mary, who was, in a way, Britain's own Marilyn Monroe.

Mary sparkles on the screen, and Simon Sheridan has cleverly captured the essence of Mary through footage and interviews with her family. Watch this, and learn something. Compelling, tragic, thoughtful, wonderful.

This is the best thing I have watched in 2016.

Documentary chronicling the extraordinary life and tragic death of Mary Millington - Britain's most famous pornographic actress of the 1970s.

I wouldn't say I'm incredibly knowledgeable about the history of pornography. But I've seen enough documentaries and read enough stories that I thought I had a fair handle on it. But, it turns out, the world of American pornography is apparently completely different from British (or perhaps European) pornography. Because I have never even heard of Mary Millington.

This documentary is quite a good one, because it not just follows Mary's life, but follows the industry, which is really the more interesting story. It's a story of morality, censorship, and more. This is even more fascinating today (2016) in the era of the internet.