Respectable: The Mary Millington Story

In 1970s Britain hardcore pornography was illegal, so it is perhaps surprising to discover that back in the 1970s we had our very own porn superstar who became a household name. Mary Millington was one of the most desirable women in the country, rumoured to have even spent the night with the then serving Prime Minister. She starred in hardcore films shot in Germany in the early 1970s before moving into more respectable territory back home, becoming the face of David Sullivan’s pornographic magazine empire. From there she moved into legitimate motion pictures, from bit parts in sex comedies like Eskimo Nell (1975, Martin Campbell) through to starring in the box office smash Come Play With Me (1977, George Harrison Marks). She even opened and operated her own sex shop where fans could come and meet her in the flesh and leave with a brown paper bag full of magazines, some of them imported illegally from Denmark or Holland.

Seemingly the girl who had it all, that girl-next-door appeal, winning smile and perfect tiny frame masked an increasingly chaotic life. An only child, Mary Millington was desperately unhappy when her mother died after a long illness, and a friendship with notorious party animal and former pinup Diana Dors lead to drug dependency and addiction. Constant harassment from the police over her sex shop and a growing kleptomania problem, combined with her increasing reliance on pills and cocaine and worries about her body beginning to show signs of age contributed to the tragic decision to take her own life, when she was still only thirty-three.

Simon Sheridan has made a name for himself as a British sex film historian and wrote the definitive biography of Mary Millington several years ago, so is perfectly equipped to create this documentary which tells the full story of Mary’s life, warts and all. He has interviewed everyone that knew her, even members of her family (although her husband Bob declined to be involved), and the film creates a vivid picture not only of her life but of the commercial exploitation of sex in the 1970s. Featuring archival imagery and interviews with Mary means she also has a contribution to make, and it is fascinating to hear her story unfolding in her own words. If you remember Mary Millington, have any interest in the history of British cinema, or at least bought “dirty mags” in the 1970s, this documentary is for you.

Respectable: The Mary Millington Story is available now for streaming on Netflix in the UK and many other countries, and has been released on DVD and blu ray.