The Seven Minutes ** (1971, Wayne Maunder, Marianne McAndrew, Yvonne De Carlo, Philip Carey) – Classic Movie Review 11,692

Sexploitation director Russ Meyer said: ‘They told me “You must do The Seven Minutes. You are the spokesperson against the forces of censorship.”‘

‘An explosive film about a banned book, a rape, and a trial that tore a town apart!’

Sexploitation director Russ Meyer goes mainstream at the 20th Century Fox studio, with the 1971 drama The Seven Minutes, a would-be serious film about censorship and the attempt to suppress an allegedly pornographic book, based on Irving Wallace’s 1969 novel.

An eager prosecutor gets two detectives to go to a bookstore and buy a copy of an erotic novel called The Seven Minutes and then brings charges against the store for selling obscene material. The ensuing trial sparks a heated debate about pornography versus free speech. Meanwhile the trial’s young defence lawyer Mike Barrett (Wayne Maunder) has to discover the novel’s real author.

The result is wildly uneven – sometimes laughably tongue-in-cheek, but more often just plain dull. The Seven Minutes stars Wayne Maunder and Marianne McAndrew (as as Maggie Russell) but is enlivened with plenty of cameos from some of Hollywood’s most respected character actors, with John Carradine scoring strongly as an alcoholic poet and Yvonne De Carlo notable as a member of a local decency society. Tom Selleck (in another cult film after his short appearance in 1970’s Myra Breckinridge) pops up as a publisher, Phil Sanford.

The cast are Wayne Maunder, Marianne McAndrew, Yvonne De Carlo, Philip Carey, Jay C Flippen, Edy Williams, Lyle Bettger, Ron Randell, David Brian, Charles Drake, John Carradine, Tom Selleck, Harold J Stone, Charles Napier, Henry Rowland, James Iglehart, Judith Baldwin, Olan Soule, Edith Evanson, and Wolfman Jack as himself.

Meyer uses several actors from his previous films, including his then-wife Edy Williams, Charles Napier, Henry Rowland and James Iglehart.

It is the final film for Lyle Bettger, Jay C Flippen and Edith Evanson. It is Judith Baldwin’s debut.

Richard Fleischer was originally announced as director but he withdrew.

The Seven Minutes is directed by Russ Meyer, runs 116 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Richard Warren Lewis, is shot by Fred Mandl, is produced by Russ Meyer and is scored by Stu Philips.

Meyer had directed Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) for 20th Century-Fox, who then signed him to three-film deal, but The Seven Minutes flopped and Meyer returned to independent film-making.

Meyer recalled: ‘The first night in every theatre was packed. And the next night: three people. Why? It was a good film. I should never have taken it on. Message pictures are never successful. This one had too much courtroom and not enough he-ing and she-ing.’

He said: ‘They told me “You must do The Seven Minutes. You are the spokesperson against the forces of censorship.” And Irving Wallace sits there with this profound look. They gave me $2.7 million for the film, but no tits and ass. I had another property I should have done instead. But (production head} David Brown gave me the blue smoke up my ass. So I did it.’

Meyer revealed that he shot more than 24 hours of usable film, and to get it down to under two hours decided to make quick cuts, with hardly any shot lasting more than three or four seconds.

Meyer makes a director cameo about 50 minutes into the film, standing outside court building and wearing a red sweater.

Russ Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) is known primarily for his successful sexploitation films, such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!. He often named Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) as his definitive work.

Films directed by Russ Meyer: The Immoral Mr Teas (1959), Eve and the Handyman (1961), Wild Gals of the Naked West (1962), Europe in the Raw (1963), Fanny Hill (1964), Lorna (1964), Mudhoney (1965), Motorpsycho (1965), Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Mondo Topless (1966), Common Law Cabin (1967), Good Morning and… Goodbye! (1967), Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (1968), Vixen! (1968), Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), The Seven Minutes (1971), Black Snake (1973), Supervixens (1975), Up! (1976), and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979).

Selleck and his family live in Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village, California, on a 60-acre avocado ranch in Hidden Valley formerly owned by Dean Martin. Selleck succeeded his close friend Charlton Heston as National Rifle Association spokesman in 2003.

 © Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,692

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com