We've written quite a bit about the various Mandingo Clubs across the nation, but the first time we ever heard the name was when we saw the 1975 movie "Mandingo" starring Susan George and former heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton. Based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Kyle Onstott, it takes an unflinching look at interracial sexual politics on a southern plantation in the 1840s. A restored version of the movie was issued on DVD last June, and blogger John Beifuss of The Bloodshot Eye gave the DVD an extensive review.

When the movie first appeared in theaters, it was universally panned and dismissed as a trashy exploitation film. However, in spite of today's climate of political correctness, "Mandingo" received a positive reaction from New York Times critic Dave Kehr when it was screened at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts last winter. Positive reviews for the DVD release can be found at DVD Verdict, USA Weekend and Not Coming to a Theater Near You.

As some of these reviews suggest, while the movie does an outstanding job of showing the warts of the White-male-dominated Old South (in contrast to the idealized version shown in "Gone with the Wind"), there is a titillation factor, especially in the sex scene below between George and Norton. For those who enjoy the "taboo factor" when it comes to interracial sex, this scene might provide ideas for the kind of roleplay we alluded to last week in "Interracial Depth."