Deep Throat (1972)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A sexually frustrated woman seeks medical help for her unique anatomy and ends up becoming a sensation in the adult film industry.
The story
Linda Lovelace, a sexually frustrated woman, seeks advice from her friend Helen on how to achieve an orgasm. After attending a sex party that proves unhelpful, Helen suggests that Linda visit a psychiatrist named Dr. Young. During their sessions, the doctor discovers that Linda's clitoris is located in her throat, instead of its normal location. Because stimulation of the clitoris is usually required for a woman to achieve orgasm, Linda would need to develop an oral sex technique that would stimulate her unusually located clitoris. Dr. Young assists Linda in developing this technique.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Linda Lovelace, a sexually frustrated woman, seeks advice from her friend Helen on how to achieve an orgasm. After attending a sex party that proves unhelpful, Helen suggests that Linda visit a psychiatrist named Dr. Young. During their sessions, the doctor discovers that Linda's clitoris is located in her throat, instead of its normal location. Because stimulation of the clitoris is usually required for a woman to achieve orgasm, Linda would need to develop an oral sex technique that would stimulate her unusually located clitoris. Dr. Young assists Linda in developing this technique. During this process, Linda becomes infatuated with Dr. Young and proposes marriage. Dr. Young responds that Linda should instead become his therapist, utilizing her particular oral technique—henceforth known as "deep-throating"—on various men until she finds a suitable husband. Simultaneously, the doctor documents her exploits in repeated sexual encounters with his nurse. Eventually, Linda meets a man who brings her happiness and sexual fulfilment, and she agrees to marry him. The movie concludes with the line, "The End. And Deep Throat to you all."
- First release year
- 1972
- Runtime (minutes)
- 62
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gerard Damiano
- Writers
- Gerard Damiano · writer
- Cast and characters
- Linda Lovelace · Linda Lovelace; Harry Reems; Dolly Sharp; Carol Connors
- Genres
- pornographic film; sex comedy
- Themes
- sexual freedom; identity
- Tone and mood
- sex comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- pornographic; medical mystery
- Reception
- The film earned mainstream attention and launched the "porno chic" trend, though it was the subject of obscenity trials and banned in some jurisdictions. It was praised by some for its production value and social commentary, while others criticized the performance of the lead actress.
- Awards and nominations
- XRCO Award · best screenplay · 1988 · win; XRCO Award · best actor · 1988 · win; XRCO Award · best actress · 1988 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first to be inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…
