The Party at Kitty and Stud's

The Party at Kitty and Stud's,[a] better known under the alternative title Italian Stallion, is a 1970 American softcore adult film and is Sylvester Stallone's film debut and first starring role, for which he worked two days and was paid $200. In 1976, shortly after the release of Stallone's popular hit Rocky, the film was edited and re-released as Italian Stallion to capitalize on its now-famous star.
== Plot ==
The film deals with the sex life of a young New York City woman, Kitty, and her boyfriend, Stud. Stud is brutal and oafish but Kitty is enamored with his sexual performance. They sometimes engage in light sadomasochism, with Stud belt-whipping Kitty. Stud later posts a sign on a bulletin board inviting people to a party. Several people show up at Kitty and Stud's apartment and they engage in group sex, with Stud servicing all the women.
== Cast ==
* Sylvester Stallone as Stud
* Henrietta Holm as Kitty
* Jodi Van Prang as Jodi
* Nicholas Warren as Nick
* Frank Micelli as Frank
* Barbara Strom as Barb
* Janet Banzet as Girl in Park (uncredited)
== Production ==
Stallone has said in interviews that he did the film out of desperation after being bounced out of his apartment and finding himself homeless for several days, sleeping in a New York City bus station in the middle of winter. In Stallone's words: "It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end—at the very end—of my rope. Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station". The actor also called the film "horrendous" and commented "By today's standards, the movie would almost qualify for a PG rating".[1]
Although some sources, including Stallone himself,[2] have stated that The Party at Kitty and Stud's was never released until after his success in Rocky (1976), contemporary newspaper advertisements indicate that the film was screened in adult cinemas in at least four U.S. states between 1970–1972.[3][a] According to Stallone, the film was financed by "a group of wealthy lawyers, very, very solid."[1] He has stated that after Rocky became a hit, the owners of The Party at Kitty and Stud's offered to sell him the rights to the film for about US$100,000 in order to prevent its re-release, but the actor "wouldn't buy it for two bucks".[1]
In a prologue included with the reissued version, Italian Stallion, and in the film's trailer, pornography director Gail Palmer sat by an editing machine addressing the audience and presented the film as X-rated.[4] The release campaign implied that the original film was hardcore pornography, but that the material had now been edited into a milder version.[5] However, the truth of this version has been repeatedly challenged, notably by trade journal AVN, which examined an original print, finding no trace of hardcore scenes.[6] The "Sylvester Stallone porno movie" evolved over the years into a minor urban legend.[7]
Italian Stallion was distributed to movie theaters for $10,000 a night, about which Stallone commented "Hell, for $10,000 forget the movie! I'll be there myself!"[8]
== Aftermath ==
It was released on DVD in the United States on July 6, 2004 by Ventura Distribution and on October 9, 2007, by Cinema Epoch both under short licenses from Bryanston Distributing Company who owned all worldwide rights to the title. Bryanston also granted short overseas licenses to various territories most of which have expired including the United States.
In 2007, the film resurfaced in what was supposedly a hardcore version, with the lead actor performing actual sexual penetrations, but according to AVN the hardcore scenes were inserts not involving Stallone.[6] In 2008, scenes from The Party at Kitty and Stud'ssurfaced in a German version of Roger Colmont's hardcore film White Fire (1976), released on DVD under license by Another World Entertainment.[9] During June 2009, protracted negotiations between Bryanston and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a sale of all rights to the picture were terminated, as neither party could agree on financial terms. In November 2010, the film's worldwide rights and original 35mm negatives were sold on eBay for £270,000.[10]