MONA (THE VIRGIN NYMPH) (1970) 72 Minutes.
w/p/d – Bill Osco, ph ‘ Howard Zlehm. Cast: Fifl Watson, Judy Angel, Susan Stewart,
Orrin North and Calvin Victor.
This is the film that will always be regarded as the first classic from the explicit film
era. Unlike the various documentary type sex explorations, MONA offers a full blown plot,
centering on Frelda ‘Fifl’ Watson as a virgin with an interest in oral sex — her father (face
never shown) taught her to have “a taste for these things.”
The film has no wet shots, but does offer penetration In an era known for Inserts. There
Is the gynecological close-up coverage common to most pioneer efforts, but if you actually
study Osco and Ziehm’s work, you will notice some true professionalism in the filmmaking
style. Innovating lighting and camera angles missing In the standard grinders are in full
evidence here. It is Important to remember that when MONA was made, there was virtually
nothing to compare it to, which makes the innovations that much more noteworthy
Judy Angel plays Mona’s mom and Susan Stewart is the hooker. I have checked with just
about everybody who might know and they all draw blanks on remembering who played
the boyfriend or the stranger on the street. Chalk the guys up to forgotten studs in a significant
milestone film. MONA is available on tape but is extremely hard to locate and has become
a collector’s treasure, truly deserving of its historical status.