A stag reel or stag party film is an erotic, often explicitly pornographic, film reel produced from the 1900s to the early 1980s. The term stag refers to single men (“to go stag” = “to go alone”). Some pornographic shorts made in the 1930s even had a fictitious “Stag Films” company logo showing the head of a male deer. These “blue movies” were originally shown in brothels, fraternal organizations and social clubs, private all-male parties (especially bachelor parties), as well as “members only” cinema clubs.
Stag reels (aka film-loops) were initially highly illicit and nearly always produced anonymously for fear of legal prosecution. These “nudies” were primarily clandestine 8mm and 16mm silent, single-reel short films (5 to 15 minutes in length) made for private viewing and sold under the counter at adult book shops.Wikipedia
By the early 1950s, non pornographic reels featuring nudism, striptease acts, and various fetishes (bondage, spanking, role-play, etc.), were being sold through mail order ads placed in mainstream girlie publications and underground fetish/spanking magazines (Bizarre, Corporal, et al.). Cheap film projectors and hand-held viewers were also sold through men’s magazines. (In the late 1960s an 8mm fetish reel (200 feet in length) sold for around $20-$25.)
Fetish-oriented reels generally did not contain sex acts (or even nudity in many cases) while pornographic sex reels did not include fetishistic content. (Some films produced in France starting in the 1930s are the exception.) By the seventies, color films, some with audio music tracks, were introduced as the line between hardcore pornography and non-sex fetish reels began to blur.
Stag reels produced on film became obsolete in the early eighties with the introduction of the videocassette and VCR home-viewing technology. Many of the earliest bondage/spanking videotapes were compilations of silent 8mm stag reels converted to Beta/VHS format, often with public domain music added to the soundtrack.
The earliest stag reels with fetish and BDSM sexuality come primarily from France in the 1930s (later, other countries followed). Several Paris-produced spanking/whipping reels still exist, including some by erotic/fetish photographer Jacques Biederer (Ostra Studio)
I combined a few stagfilms below, most of these are from the 60’s. More will come as well.
A Classic ’60s Bondage Film
This short film offers a quintessential example of 1960s bondage cinema, featuring a single actress in a series of elegant restraints. A voluptuous blonde with a playful, pixie-like charm gracefully struggles against her bonds while attempting to convey a sense of distress. Likely filmed between 1965 and 1966, the production cleverly avoids full-frontal nudity through strategic camera angles and fabric placement.
Originally part of a much longer film, this edited version is presented in the public domain. It appears on the Bizarro Sex Loops 20 compilation, credited to anonymous creators.View on Archive.org
Women behaving Badly
Amusing scenes from 3 public domain exploitation and horror films:
- Slaves in Bondage (1937)
This film features specialty fetish performers engaging in rough physical interactions, including spanking scenes. - The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962) and Horrors of Spider Island (1960): Both films include notorious “catfight” sequences, a staple of exploitation cinema from the era.View on Archive.org
Three Obscure Klaw Films
These three short, enigmatic films by Klaw showcase typical rope bondage and spanking scenes featuring models in their underwear. Shot in a stark warehouse setting, the footage lacks title cards identifying the performers, suggesting it may be unfinished raw material. A humorous blooper occurs at the 5:30 mark, where the second cameraman accidentally appears on the left side of the frame.
The final shot is a freeze-frame of the iconic Bettie Page in a leopard-print bikini. This segment has been circulated separately and can be found by searching for “Bettie Page: Spanked Slave Girl.”
This public domain footage was preserved by Something Weird Video and included in their Bizarro Sex Loops #20 compilation.View on Archive.org
A Playful ’60s Fetish Film
In the 1960s, underground fetish films were among the first to portray complete racial equality. This short film features a confident Black dominatrix disciplining two white submissives with playful energy. The ebony beauty grins as she delivers spirited spankings to her bound captives, occasionally glancing at the director for cues. The tone remains lighthearted, evoking the atmosphere of a slumber party gone awry.
The film includes a pillow fight and a classic “turnabout” finale, where the white submissives gain the upper hand though all participants seem to enjoy the exchange. Notably, all three wear stylish go-go boots throughout.
This edited clip comes from a longer, slower-paced reel. The full public domain film is available on the Bizarro Sex Loops 15 compilation.View on Archive.org
A Definitive Late-’60s Fetish Stag Film
This film exemplifies the late-1960s fetish stag reel, blending intense discipline with classic bondage aesthetics. Clad in sleek latex, a stern mistress wields a rope flogger to punish four submissive slave girls in a relentless display of whipping and spanking. Unlike many comedic shorts of the era, this reel maintains a more serious and cohesive tone throughout.
Originally a public domain film loop, it has been re-released as part of the Bizarro Sex Loops #15 compilation.View on Archive.org
A Late ’60s BDSM Short on Film
This brief but captivating BDSM loop from the late 1960s was shot on 8mm or 16mm film. It stars an exceptionally striking blonde with an athletic build, complemented by well-executed fetish elements. The accessories: a dog collar, ball gag, quirt (whip), and an Army belt used as a restraint add authenticity to the scene.
Unlike most all-female BDSM shorts from the ’50s and ’60s, which often carry a playful, “slumber party gone wrong” vibe. This film attempts a darker, more intense tone. It introduces a male presence (seen only as hands), an abduction theme, and a quirt (though poorly utilized). The awkward Method acting adds unintentional humor, particularly when the bound girl wakes up (presumably drugged), pauses dramatically, and delivers an exaggerated, silent scream.
This anonymous, public domain film—along with its soundtrack—has an unknown origin but remains a fascinating piece of BDSM history.View on Archive.org
A Standout ’60s Underground Fetish Short
This exceptional ’60s fetish film rises above the majority of its peers, thanks to its electrifying Latina dominatrix. With her fiery intensity and striking resemblance to Tura Satana (“Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”), she commands the scene with unmatched ferocity. Her rage erupts when her timid schoolgirl slave returns home with a note from her teacher.
The film features an unusual “bondage board,” a distinctive piece of carpentry that adds to its uniqueness. The dominatrix unleashes relentless punishment on her captive, operating at a single, unrelenting pace full throttle.View on Archive.org
Part Two: Escalating Intensity
In this second installment of this unusually severe ’60s fetish loop, the frenzied dominatrix escalates her punishment with unrestrained vigor. She employs a nettle branch and a plastic flogger in a relentless assault on her bound submissive. Despite the harsh treatment, the submissive briefly breaks character with a smile, momentarily disrupting the scene’s intensity.
This public domain film is available on Bizarro Sex Loops 21.View on Archive.org
