John Lindsey films - another perspective

[DJ Shagpile]

Following Guilbert's visit to Birmingham library to look up the case of '74 might I recall a late night conversation between a friend of mine and an elderly, retired Birmingham head teacher.The retired head told of a moment in the early seventies and being instructed to attend a screening of an undisclosed film along with several hundred other head teachers from across the city. When they were all gathered it was announced that some illegal films had been found and one of them featured a Birmingham Education Authority towel in one of the scenes and this scene had clearly been filmed in a school changing room. The reason for the heads to watch the film was for one of them to identify his school to the investigating authorities of Police, education authorities etc.
The retired head in question recounts that upon watching the film in this company the shock of recognising his own school was only exceeded when a few moments later he recognised the head boy and head girl from the same establishment.
Happily he lives to tell the tale but it must have been a bit of a shock for him being the innocent gentleman that he was.
What was the court's view of JL Guilbert?
DJ

[mart]

I understood that John Lindsey used "actresses" and "actors" not school pupils. Surely he wouldn't have got off otherwise.

Mart

[Guilbert]

Some of the films were indeed filmed in a Birmingham school,
and one of the actors was indeed the head boy of the school.

The caretaker of the school was also involved in some of the
films, but no mention of a head girl or any girl from the school
being involved (gives a whole new meaning to 'head girl' !)

He was charged with publishing obscene films, not with the
actual use of the school.

I seem to remember the headmaster was brought to court
to identify the school from some of the films, and to indicate
that he did not give permission for the school to be used.

John said he was working for a Dutch man called Joop
Wilhelmus, but I am not sure if he really existed or not.

In the '74 trial the jury were undecided (it was an all male
jury) and he was let off.

Five other people were also mentioned, but all pleaded
guilty before the trial. Another (John Darby) fled the
country before the trial.

I believe in the 1975 trial he was found not guilty, and he
felt this gave him permission to show these films in Soho
as it had been proved in court they were not obscene.

Guilbert

[crofter]

gives a new meaning to being kept back after school, as a punishment.

[Bruce Barnard]

Joop Wilhelmus apparently did exist, and was according to popular myth a deeply unattractive man, based in Europe with an entire cloakroom full of skeletons rattling about.

Rumour dictates that he funded Lindsey when he was making his ?Teenage? series, encouraging him to use younger looking models and shoot them without make up. Something that has always concerned ethical deviants like myself when they watch 70?s Lindsey loops, especially when you take account of some of Wilhelmus's other, more twisted publishing ventures.

The relationship between the two men is briefly dealt with in an essay called ?Jolly Hockey Sticks? in a book collection called ?Flesh Pot? . Last time I looked it was available from the publisher at

[joe king]

the 'former headboy' was, according to the 'Fleshpot' book, 19 yr old David Freeman while the school caretaker was Colin Richards.

What I don't understand is how if he was found not guilty of obscenity that this didn't legalise porn.

[DJ Shagpile]

That is a good question Joe.

DJ

[DJ Shagpile]

Joe - I just googled Joop Wilhelmus who Guilbert and Bruce refer to and if Lindsay said in court that he was working for him I can see how that didn't help move things forward in the UK.

[Bruce Barnard]

Like I said, Joop Wilhelmus had a lot of skeletons in the cupboard.

Although the Lindsey films have a nostalgic value for people who grew up in the 70?s and 80?s, a brief trawl through the available information, quickly confirms that that is a darker side to them.

It may well explain why Lindsey disappeared of the face of the earth and refuses all requests for interviews.

[joe king]

the last arrest (1983) is why he has disappeared off the face off the earth - although imdb gives his current activities...
'For the last twenty years John Lindsay has been living a reclusive lifestyle somewhere in Kent, running a marine broking company'