Sylvester Stallone’s surreal debut in a 1970s softcore porn movie
Before Sylvester Stallone made it big, he was, like everybody else, a struggling actor looking for any job to pay the bills. At only 24 years of age, it appeared all of his dreams had come true when Stallone was offered the lead in a movie, but after reading the script, it soon became apparent that this wasn’t the dream role he had been hoping for.
The film was called The Party at Kitty and Stud’s and is a low-budget softcore porno from 1970. It offered the Italian Stallion his first shot at being on the big screen, and while myth and legend have carried the skin flick into the realm of hardcore porn, the truth is that this film is merely a document of Stallone’s acting career.
At the end of the 1960s, one of the most sexually liberated eras of modern history, the art of pornography was still a dirty little secret. Rarely peeping its head into the mainstream, the business was far from as lucrative as it is today. However, it was still considered an art form, so one can’t be too judgmental of Stallone’s decision to jump on board with the project.
Films like Deep Throat had put porn in the newspapers, but otherwise, the scene was primarily restricted to an underground environment. This means that a movie like this was unlikely to find any mass distribution and would likely have been confined to landfills had Stallone’s career not been taken off. As such, the tepid storyline of Kitty and Stallone as Stud includes some very light bondage, a dinner party, and some deeply unerotic lovemaking.
His performance, while earnest, is reflective of an actor still honing his craft and willing to take any opportunity to gain experience and exposure. Stallone’s physical presence and intensity, which would later become trademarks of his acting style, are already somewhat evident in this early work, though the context and material are vastly different from his later iconic roles.
Stallone naturally wasn’t a fan of the film. The script, in particular, was a personal point of disgust for him, but considering he was literally living in a bus station at the time, there was no other option. “It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end – at the very end – of my rope,” he told Playboy in 1978. “Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station.”
After Stallone’s career shot off into stardom, the makers of The Party at Kitty and Stud’s thought they had a winning lottery ticket and cashed in. They re-released the film as Italian Stallion, a nod to Rocky’s nickname in the films, but it fell flat once more. The film has since been floating around the internet in various guises, including some that include inserted hardcore scenes featuring actors who look like Stallone—don’t be fooled.
Below we have the trailer for the 1978 re-release, with famed porn director Gail Palmer leading the affair. She confirms that “everything you ever wanted to see of Sylvester Stallone can be seen in this new X-rated movie”.
On reflection, The Party at Kitty and Stud’s remains a fascinating footnote in Stallone’s storied career. It serves as a reminder of the lengths to which aspiring actors must sometimes go to achieve their dreams. While the film itself may not hold significant artistic value, its place in Stallone’s personal and professional history underscores his resilience and determination to succeed against the odds.
