If you have somehow not read anything about this film already, including the intro at the top of this page, try to guess from this summary of the opening 32 minutes which genre the 1973 Girls Without Shame (Jeunes filles impudiques, aka Schoolgirl Hitchhikers) would fall into.

Young and pretty female friends Monique (Joëlle Cœur) and Jackie (Gilda Arancio) are on a camping holiday and looking for somewhere to shelter for the night. They stumble across a villa that is up for sale and appears to be deserted, and thus make their way inside and upstairs to a well-appointed bedroom that looks to be the perfect place to spend the night. They undress each other and don the sort of lacy nightclothes that no-one with an ounce of practicality would pack for a camping holiday, and once in bed they start kissing and feeling each other up and pulling off nightclothes that they might as well not have donned in the first place. They’re soon going at it like they’re in the sex Olympics, unaware that the house is being used as a temporary hideout by a criminal named Fred (Willy Braque), who has just emerged from the wine cellar and is settling in for the evening downstairs.

Exhausted from their endeavours, Jackie falls into a deep sleep, but Monique is still too excited to do likewise. She thus nips out onto the veranda for some fresh air and a smoke, where she spots to her alarm that there’s a light on downstairs. After half-heartedly and unsuccessfully attempting to wake Jackie, she wanders quietly downstairs to investigate this mystery. When she encounters Fred, instead of running back upstairs she playfully teases and then saucily offers herself to him, an invitation he takes full advantage of. When Jackie wakes so see that Monique is not beside her, she follows the sounds of her pleasurable moans and makes her way downstairs. When her arm is unexpectedly grasped by Fred, she breaks free and runs over to comfort her friend, who already has all the comfort she needs. Fred asks what the girls doing in the house and they come clean, then they all strip off (well, not quite, but I’ll get to that) and indulge in a sensual and passionate threesome. And yes, by this point we’re half-an-hour into an 80 minute film.

If you’ve somehow not realised by now that Girls Without Shame is a slice of 70s softcore erotica, I can only presume you’re simply too young to even realise that there was a time before Pornhub when explicit sexual content was forbidden in just about all western media. If either of this film’s English language titles weren’t big enough clues, the opening title sequence should remove all doubt, unfolding as it does over a series of erotic drawings of two naked young girls with more than a passing interest in each other’s bodies. Adding to the vibe is the sort of jaunty music that you might expect to find fronting one of the Confessions sex comedies.

Although subject to the censorial limitations of the day, Girls Without Shame was made at a time of loosening restrictions on what could or couldn’t be shown when it comes to the sexual content of films. A degree of public demand was certainly there, and a whole industry sprang up specifically to cater for it, churning out movies with plenty of female nudity and coyly inexplicit sexual grappling. Such films tended to play in specialist cinemas in the UK, venues whose clientele were sometimes referred to as the dirty mac brigade due to the raincoats they were reputed to have worn to screenings. Such clothing was considered banal enough to enable the wearer to blend into the crowd, and long and loose enough to facilitate a sneaky wank during scenes of erotic nudity. At least that’s what I’ve been told. Honest, guv.

Girls Without Shame was the debut feature of director Michel Gentil, who… oh, who am I kidding? Yes, that’s the name on the opening titles, but can there be anyone reading this who didn’t already know that Michel Gentil is actually a pseudonym for that master of the erotic vampire subgenre, Jean Rollin? This was Rollin’s fifth feature following his haunting experimental gem The Iron Rose, and it seems likely that his decision to make a slice of softcore erotica was triggered in part by the commercial and critical failure of that film. The cheesy opening title sequence aside, the first twenty minutes do in some ways conform to the Jean Rollin playbook, from the two pretty young female protagonists with the hots for each other to the abandoned house in which they unquestionably elect to bed down. The difference here is that the house is not home to an ageing vampire but a moustachioed male symbol of early 1970s porn.

Even when the erotica is put on hold for the thinnest of plotlines, Rollin’s stamp is all over forceful and delightfully kinky gang leader Béatrice (Marie Hélène Règne), who I wouldn’t mind betting makes a few francs on the side as a highly in-demand dominatrix. She shows up at the house with an intimidatingly chisel-faced male associate (Pierre Julien) to collect some presumably stolen valuables that Fred has stashed in a wall safe. When the safe is opened, however, the contents are missing, and with the two girls having departed first thing that morning they instantly become the prime suspects. Béatrice sends Fred and the nameless goon out to find them, which they quickly do after spotting their tent pitched in the woods. A couple of doses of chloroform later, both girls are back at the house and prisoners of this criminal gang. While Monique is upstairs under the guard of the nameless goon, Jackie is chained up, stripped naked and gleefully tortured by Béatrice, who whips her stomach into angry wheals, cuts her beloved blonde locks fetchingly short (ah, that explains the earlier wig), and uses blacksmith’s tongs to painfully grasp and twist her breasts. This sequence, you may not be surprised to learn, did not see the light of day in UK until about fifteen years ago – sources vary a little on the exact year (2010 is a favourite), and the BBFC website is not as comprehensive about such matters as it once was.

Things then take a daffy turn and plot holes large enough to drive a Channel Tunnel train through start popping up. While Jackie is being flogged by Madame Béatrice, Monique seduces the unnamed goon and knocks him out with a vase, then makes her escape and quickly heads to the nearest town. Does she run to the police and report these criminals, who may well be in the process of torturing her lover to death? Does she hell. Instead she enters the makeshift office of local private detective Harry (François Brincourt), whose flustered excitement at finally landing a client suggests that he’s not exactly in demand for his services. That hasn’t stopped him from employing a pretty female assistant (Reine Thyrion), who dresses in a miniskirt, wears her hair in dual schoolgirl ponytails, and frankly has more charisma and talent for the job than her goofy employer. Monique sits down and calmly explains her situation, though warns Harry up front that he probably won’t believe her. She’s not far wrong, but Harry elects to investigate anyway, if only to put her overimaginative female mind at rest, and the three jump in his car and head to the house. At no point does this hard-up detective ask this desperate young client if she has the money to pay him for his work.

Once things kick off at the house, both parties repeatedly turn the tables on each other, and at one point the whole thing dissolves into a four-way shoot-out that may well be the least exciting action scene I’ve watched all year. By this point, eroticism has taken a back seat to story and only intermittently resurfaces, though when it does it gives rise to the most intriguing scene in the film. Despite torturing Jackie to no avail, Béatrice remains convinced that the girls were the ones who nicked whatever was hidden in the safe, and has Fred threaten violence against Monique unless she coughs up the goods. When this fails to extract the desired information, Fred suggests an alternative approach that gets the thumbs up from Béatrice, who leaves him to it. Unsurprisingly, this ‘alternative approach’ involves sexual assaulting Monique, and because this is early 1970s erotica, instead of fighting him off, Monique is fully up for it. Having said that, these two at least have some history having spent the previous night doing much the same thing, and this rerun does prompt Fred to question his loyalties. Things get a lot more interesting when Béatrice surreptitiously returns to watch the two going at it through a window from outside. It’s a captivatingly shot sequence, with the couple observed exclusively from Béatrice’s point of view, from a distance and through a vividly coloured glass partition. It also contains what has to be the best bit of acting in the film, as Béatrice looks on with sublimely shifting expressions of curiosity, desire, envy, arousal, excitement and masturbatory ecstasy. Bravo, Marie Hélène Règne. It’s a shame more is not made of the internal conflicts and suppressed desires of this frankly intriguing character.

Regular Rollin cinematographer Jean-Jacques Renon brings some class to the visuals, particularly the expressive close-ups of eyes and faces, and the lighting and framing of exterior night shots. Conversely, I had genuine trouble believing that the jaunty title theme, the sex sequence lounge jazz, and the upbeat ‘cavalry saves the day’ riff that accompanies moments of triumph was the work of the man who composed the haunting, semi-experimental score for The Iron Rose. I guess that goes to show just how versatile a composer Pierre Raph is.

Over the course of Indicator’s consistently excellent UHD and Blu-ray releases of Jean Rollin horror-themed films, there has been repeated references to his erotic cinema in the special features, yet I genuinely did not expect to see any of those films get the same sort of royal treatment. This release has certainly put me in my place on that score, and while I’m not going to claim Girls Without Shame is an overlooked Rollin gem, I’m still chuffed to see it getting such loving handling. For someone of my age and disposition, the film has an unexpected nostalgic pull, one that intermittently transported me back to my fumbling and sexually curious teenage years. The tenderly handled sex scenes also serve as a temporal bookmark of a year when films were starting to push boundaries of acceptance that the legalisation of hardcore was soon to drive a bulldozer through. It was a time when women could be fully naked and the occasional female full-frontal was also tolerated, but no matter what it is suggested they are doing, the men here keep their trousers on and firmly buttoned. As a result, there’s a fair amount of implied cunnilingus (though Jackie is able to drive Monque into an orgasmic frenzy by kissing her stomach – each to their own), but no obvious copulation, despite our Fred going through the half-clothed motions. The plot, such as it is, becomes increasingly daffy as it progresses, but there’s a degree of oddly innocent charm to the film that had me smiling widely at every daft turn that the story took. It’s even brought to an engagingly silly conclusion with the arrival of an estate agent played by Rollin himself, complete with one of his signature pipes. Girls Without Shame is certainly no masterpiece, but Rollin still somehow manages to put his stamp on it anyway, and in doing so proves that a work whose raison d’être is to give (primarily) male viewers the horn can also be made with care and be fun to watch.

From the accompanying booklet:

Girls Without Shame was scanned, restored and colour corrected in 4K HDR at RenasciFilms, using the original 35mm negative. Many thousands of instances of dirt were removed, scratches, stains and other imperfections eliminated, and a number of torn or damaged frames repaired. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.

As usual with Indicator 4K releases, we were supplied with both UHD and Blu-ray preview discs (the screen grabs here are from the latter), making it possible to compare the two transfers side-by-side. As expected, the 2K Blu-ray transfer is a handsome devil, boasting clearly defined detail,  carefully graded contrast, solid black levels, and pleasing colour, which rises to vibrant when brighter colours are part of the lighting, costumes or decor. If you’re 4K ready, however, the Dolby Vision encoded UHD is absolutely the disc to go for. The detail is noticeably crisper, the image a little brighter, and the colours are even richer and more vibrant – the picture as a whole has a more tactile, film-like feel (complete with visible grain), and clearer reproduction of the shadow detail.

Officially, there are three versions of the film here, but in truth there are two, the French language original, Jeunes filles impudiques, and the English language international version. The latter, however, can be watched either as Schoolgirl Hitchhikers, which was how it was released outside of France, or Girls Without Shame, under which title it was apparently never released, despite the existence of the film materials that enabled it to be included here. So yes, that’s technically three after all. As far as I’m aware, title sequences aside, all three cuts of the film are the same, though I’m happy to be corrected if I’m wrong.

Both the French and English language tracks are presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono, and while you’re not going to get thumping bass or pristine treble, the dialogue and music are both clearly reproduced and there is no trace of any former wear or damage. The French language track is very slightly louder than the English one, but otherwise there’s little to choose between them. Obviously, the French track is the more authentic of the two, as well as being the one where the dialogue matches what the actors are doing with their mouths. The English dub is not that bad, but the French original is definitely preferable.

Optional English subtitles are activated automatically on Jeunes filles impudiques, and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired are available for Schoolgirl Hitchhikers and Girls Without Shame.

Audio commentary with David Flint
David Flint, the editor and publisher of Desperate Living and a historian of adult cinema with a special interest in 1970s softcore erotica, has plenty to say about Girls Without Shame and erotic cinema of the era in general. He is of the opinion that the acting skills of adult film performers do not get the credit they deserve, reveals why he tends to skip through sex scenes when reviewing erotic movies, and rightly notes how ludicrous it is to condemn an entire genre based on its primary content. That said, I was personally not completely persuaded by the example story he tells to illustrate critical hypocrisy on this score. He’s certainly on solid ground when talking about Girls Without Shame, commenting on the actors, the recognisably Rollin elements and the director’s affinity for erotica, the scene that caused problems for the BBFC that was only reinstated in recent years, and more. He also talks about the links between Rollin’s cinema and the films of Jess Franco, which prompts some speculation on how Rollin would have handled a film adaptation of de Sade. That I would also like to have seen. He also wonders what the chances are of Rollin’s later hardcore films getting the same special edition treatment as Girls Without Shame. Only time, I’m guessing, will tell.

Nicolas Stanzick: Territoire mental (24:40)
Author and filmmaker Nicolas Stanzick kicks off by describing Girls Without Shame as a rarely discussed and often forgotten film, but one that marked a turning point in Rollin’s career. He discusses how times were changing for erotic cinema in the wake of the box-office success of hardcore titles Deep Throat (Gerard Damiano, 1972) and Behind the Green Door (Artie and Jim Mitchell, 1972), the ways in which Rollin puts his distinctive stamp on the film, and the influence of producer Lionel Wallmann and how he and Rollin greatly differed. He reveals that it was actress Gilda Arancio who suggested that she be flogged for real in the torture scene, and that the beating was enthusiastically carried out by cameraman Jean-Jacques Renon when actor Willy Braque declined to do it himself. Stanzick has his own take on why Rollin agreed to make this film, and affirms the claim made by David Flint in his commentary that the pseudonym Rollin adopted for this film is actually drawn from his full real name, Jean Michel Rollin Roth Le Gentil.

Christophe Bier: Les Quatre années de cinéma de Joëlle Cœur (29:11)
In another newly produced featurette created specifically for this release, softcore performer, actor, director and film historian Christophe Bier examines the film career of actress Joëlle Cœur, who requested during her lifetime (she died in 2024) that her real name never be revealed. “As we are gentlemen,” Bier states, “her privacy will be respected.” The format here risks coming across as staid, consisting as it does of Bier sitting at a desk, facing the camera and reading from a script that he is holding and repeatedly refers to, but Bier is such an entertaining communicator that he makes this approach work fully in his favour. If you were in any way offended by the nudity in the film then you’d best cover your eyes here, as there’s no censoring of Cœur’s nude modelling work, though if you do so you’ll need to be fluent in French, as Bier admits up front that his English is not up to the task, and the presentation is conducted in his native language with automatically activated optional English subtitles. There are a small sprinkling of engagingly meta elements, with Bier twice referring to the fact that this is a special feature for this disc and operating a clapperboard that I presume is just for show. My favourite such moment comes when Bier is discussing the erotic short film Sexana (see below), and instead of cutting away when he finishes his line, the shot holds for just long enough to capture him laughing to the crew at the comical absurdity of what he has just said.

Theatrical trailer (1:25)
An odd little trailer that promotes the film as an action-oriented crime thriller with some female nudity and a bit of lesbian sex.

Image Gallery
111 screens (plus more with three full-screen captions) of promotional photos – including several of a sex scene that does not appear in any known version of the film – scanned press book pages, a VHS video cover and a single monochrome poster, both under the title of Schoolgirl Hitchhikers.

Sexana (1972) (16:34)
Discussed above by Christophe Bier, this erotic 1972 short film by director Hubert Lacoudre features Joëlle Cœur in one of her first screen roles. Here she plays an innocent young woman who is out picking flowers one day when she is surrounded by a team of semi-nude female dominatrix warriors, who march her to an underground lair made up of a series of interconnected caves in which sexual acts are being performed. Here, she is stripped and washed by chained and naked slaves, then dressed in a loose lacy toga and presented to this subterranean society’s female leader, who personally introduces her to the joys of sexual pleasure. Then, in a sequence that has not aged comfortably at all, she’s thrown into a cell to be gang raped by a group of male barbarians while the watching female guards smile lasciviously and touch each other up.

Nicely described by Nicolas Stanzick in the accompanying interview as “Alice in S&M Land,” this oddball slice of early 1970s erotica shares with Girls Without Shame not just one of its lead actors, but also the concept of a sexually charged and dominant female leader. Clearly made on a minimal budget and apparently the planned first episode of a three-part feature that was never completed, it’s a curious blend of 70s softcore porn and 1930s science fiction serial aesthetics. It was shot on 16mm and released on 8mm for home viewing, from which this new HD restoration was drawn, and can be played either silent or with a new Peninsula score, which I thought rather effective and which adds to the film’s twisted sf feel.

Nicolas Stanzick: ‘Sexana’ de minuit à midi (10:29)
Nicolas Stanzick is back to talk about Sexana, which he reveals he first saw on an 8mm print leant to him by none other than Christophe Bier, which explains how both were able to use what looks like the same boxed 8mm copy as a prop. He provides some background to a film that he describes as “no masterpiece but fascinating and exciting,” and outlines the nature of the underground Midi-Minuit film movement (something I’d never heard of until now), which he believes Sexana  is the extreme culmination of.

Sexana image gallery
11 screens of promotional material, including comic book-style illustrations.

Booklet
A far more substantial booklet than I was expecting for this little-discussed film, running as it does for a solid 78 pages. Leading the way is a new essay by writer and expert on European genre cinema Lucas Balbo, who discusses the making of Girls Without Shame, the cast, and – assisted by quotes from Rollin – a scene that was apparently shot but has never surfaced since, as well as the director’s preference for shooting hardcore over softcore.

The storyline of the film as it appeared in the Avia Films pressbook is reproduced verbatim, followed by a 1975 article from Ciné Revue by writer and Rollin collaborator Jean-Pierre Bouyxou on the changing face of erotic cinema in France following the legalisation of hardcore pornography. To this end, Bouyxou interviews Rollin under his Michel Gentil pseudonym, as well as regular Rollin performers Marie-Pierre and Catherine Castel. Rollin reveals why he works under a pseudonym when directing erotic films, gives a solid reason why they tended to be shot on very low budgets, and outlines some of challenges he faces when shooting porn movies. The Castel twins are interviewed individually and discuss their move into hardcore adult filmmaking – as is so often the case, money played a key role in their decision.

Next, we have a 1975 interview with actor Willy Braque for the magazine Sex Stars System that seems to lay its cards on the table with the title, Willy Braque: ‘I Make Shit to Eat’. The interview is actually more nuanced and interesting that that title might suggest, as Braque recalls first getting into acting, talks a lot about getting blowjobs on screen, reveals why he keeps his screen life and private life separate, and more.

Finally, there is piece on the background to Sexana (much of which is also covered in the on-disc extras), and details of the restoration of that and the main feature. Credits for the film have been included and the booklet is well illustrated with promotional imagery.

I’m guessing even some fans of Rollin’s vampire cinema might consider giving his first foray into fully-fledged erotica a pass, but they really shouldn’t, as despite its flimsy plot and extended sex sequences, it still has a fair share of recognisably Rollin elements. That limp gunfight aside, it’s well made and a lot more fun than I was expecting. The restoration is first class, and while it’s very nicely presented on Indicator’s Blu-ray, it looks even better on the UHD, and the inclusion of this fine collection of excellent special features genuinely warms my heart. Prudes need not apply, but for the rest, this disc comes warmly recommended.