Sexual comedy (also known as, sex comedy and erotic comedy) is a genre in which comedy is motivated by sexual situations and love affairs. Although "sexual comedy" is primarily a description of dramatic forms such as theatre and film, literary works such as those of

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

and

Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio ( , ; ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian people, Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanism, Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so ...

may be considered sexual comedies. Sexual comedy was popular in 17th century English Restoration theatre. From 1953 to 1965, Hollywood released a number of sexual comedies, some featuring stars such as

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

and

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

. The United Kingdom released a spate of sexual comedies in the 1970s, notably the ''Carry On'' series. Hollywood released ''

Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller (writer), Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Tom ...

'' in 1978, which was followed by a long line of teen sexual comedies in the early 1980s, e.g. '' Porky's'', ''

Bachelor Party A bachelor party (in the United States), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia and Canada), is a party held for or arranged by a man wh ...

'' and '' Risky Business.'' Other countries with a significant sexual comedy film production include Argentina, ('' comedia picaresca''), Brazil ( pornochanchada), Italy () and Mexico ( sexicomedias).

Antiquity

Although the

ancient Greek theatre A theatrical culture flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. At its centre was the city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, and the theatre was institutionalised there as p ...

genre of the

satyr play The satyr play is a form of Attic theatre performance related to both comedy and tragedy. It preserves theatrical elements of dialogue, actors speaking verse, a chorus that dances and sings, masks and costumes. Its relationship to tragedy is st ...

contained farcical sex, perhaps the best-known ancient comedy motivated by sexual gamesmanship is

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...

' ''

Lysistrata ''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', ) is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city ...

'' (411 BC), in which the title character persuades her fellow women of Greece to protest the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

by withholding sex. The "boy-meets-girl" plot that is distinctive of Western sexual comedy can be traced to

Menander Menander (; ; c. 342/341 – c. 290 BC) was a Greek scriptwriter and the best-known representative of Athenian Ancient Greek comedy, New Comedy. He wrote 108 comedies and took the prize at the Lenaia festival eight times. His record at the Cit ...

(343–291 BC), who differs from Aristophanes in focusing on the courtship and marital dilemmas of the middle classes rather than social and political satire. His successor

Plautus Titus Maccius Plautus ( ; 254 – 184 BC) was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by Livius Andro ...

, the Roman playwright whose comedies inspired the musical ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...

'', regularly based his plots on sexual situations. The popularity of Plautus's comedies was a major influence on the creation of situation sex comedy.

Restoration sexual comedy

During the decade 1672–82, sexual comedy such as ''

The Country Wife ''The Country Wife'' is a Restoration comedy written by William Wycherley and first performed in 1675. A product of the tolerant early Restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and anti-Puritan ideology, and was controversial fo ...

'' (1675) flourished as part of the revival of theatre in England resulting from the Restoration. Forerunners of the craze were

John Dryden John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration (En ...

's ''An Evening's Love'' (1668) and Thomas Betterton's ''The Amorous Widow'' (ca. 1670). Sexual content was favored by the presence of female performers, in contrast to the drag performances of the Elizabethan stage. The main character was often a self-important

rake Rake may refer to: Common meanings * Rake (tool), a horticultural implement, a long-handled tool with tines * Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct * Rake (poker), the commission taken by the house when hosting a poker game ...

libertine A libertine is a person questioning and challenging most moral principles, such as responsibility or Human sexual activity, sexual restraints, and will often declare these traits as unnecessary, undesirable or evil. A libertine is especially som ...

, posturing heroically. Adultery was a major theme, and the couple is sometimes found ''in flagrante delicto'', represented by the stage direction "in disorder." The plays are often characterized by sexually charged banter, "swaggering masculine energy," and a superficially innocent heroine who is nonetheless alluring. This theatrical milieu produced the first woman of the Western tradition who made her living as playwright,

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; baptism, bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration (England), Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writ ...

('' The Rover).''

Sex comedy embraces a realm of drama in which women can be contenders. The war is fought with glances and flirtations, wit and beauty, manipulation and desire. And in this battle, women often win—even if the victory is sometimes equivocal.

Presenting seduction and adultery as funny eased moral anxieties that might otherwise have attached to these themes. It is an open question as to whether the plays portraying libertinism endorses the lifestyle, or holds it up to satire and criticism. After the main vogue of Restoration sex comedy,

William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright, satirist, poet, and Whig politician. He spent most of his career between London and Dublin, and was noted for his highly polished style of writing, being regard ...

revived and reinvented the form, and bawdy comedy remained popular into the 18th century.

Modern sexual comedy

American sexual comedy

Film historian Tamar Jeffers McDonald highlights the period 1953 to 1965 as an era when sexual comedy came to be the main form of romantic comedy in Hollywood. She claims that 1953 was a key year as the producers of the film '' The Moon Is Blue'' challenged the

Motion Picture Production Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the Cinema of the United States, United States from 1934 to 1968. It ...

rules against using the word 'virgin',

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...

introduced ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

'' magazine, and sexologist Alfred Kinsey drew attention to the way women were having sex before marriage. In the movies, playboys played by actors such as

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles co ...

would try to bed marriage-minded women played by actresses such as

, and the central question would seem to be "will she or won't she?", but in the end, the man would fall for the "girl", and sometimes agree to marry her. Notable sex comedies in this period were ''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien (actor), Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee an ...

'', ''

The Apartment ''The Apartment'' is a 1960 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. It stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray, with Ray Walston and Edie ...

'', '' Irma La Douce'', '' Pillow Talk'', ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, who co-wrote the screenplay with George Axelrod. Based on Axelrod's 1952 The Seven Year Itch (play), play of the same name, the film stars Marilyn Monroe ...

'', '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' and ''

Lover Come Back Lover Come Back may refer to: *''Lover Come Back'', a 1940 novel by Clair Blank *Lover Come Back (1931 film), ''Lover Come Back'' (1931 film), starring Constance Cummings *New Moon (1940 film), ''New Moon'' (1940 film), a musical also known as ''Lov ...

''. According to McDonald, by 1965, the sexual revolution was under way, so "will she or won't she?" could no longer serve as the central dynamic, and filmmakers moved on to different topics. Some may also consider the 1967 film, ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...

'', to be a sexual comedy due to the story being about the main character, Benjamin Braddock, being seduced and starting an affair with his family friends' mother, Mrs. Robinson. During the 70's, there were films such as '' Pretty Maids All in a Row'', '' The Chicken Chronicles'', '' The Swinging Cheerleaders'', '' The Pom Pom Girls'', and '' Cooley High'' which share some to many elements from the sexual comedy sub-genre. The sub-genre sometimes shares genre elements with the

coming-of-age stories Coming of age is a Youth, young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or ...

genre as well. In 1978, '' National Lampoon's Animal House'' success led to a string of raunchy gross-out and sexual comedies in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s. ''Animal House'' featured many scenes that would become iconic and often parodied, such as the scene in which John "Bluto" Blutarsky (

John Belushi John Adam Belushi ( ; January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, singer and musician. He was one of seven ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members of the first season. He was arguably the most popular member of the ''Satur ...

) acts as a "

peeping tom Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. She is mainly remembere ...

" to spy on a half-naked

pillow fight A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children (but also by teens and adults) in which they engage in mock physical conflict, using pillows as weapons. Pillow fights often occur during children's sleepovers. Since pillows ...

at a

sorority In North America, fraternities and sororities ( and ) are social clubs at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations, as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sorori ...

. In 1981, the film '' Porky's'' cemented the wide appeal of the sexual comedy. Although it would go on to become the fifth highest-grossing film of the year, it proved to be unpopular with critics, with many accusing it of being degrading to women as well as objectifying of them. The film would lead to three sequels and is credited by many as the start of the "teen" subgenre of the sexual comedy. Some other examples of these types of films from this era and some of which have actors/actresses starring in them that later went on to bigger fame include ''

Revenge of the Nerds ''Revenge of the Nerds'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, and Bernie Casey. The plot follows a group of nerds at the fictional Adams College trying to st ...

'', '' Hot Dog…The Movie'', '' The Last American Virgin'', '' Losin' It'', '' Risky Business'', '' Mischief'', ''

'', '' Once Bitten, Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', '' Secret Admirer'', '' The Sure Thing'', ''

Class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...

'', '' Private Lessons'', ''

Private School A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

'', and ''

Private Resort ''Private Resort'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by George Bowers, and written by Gordon Mitchell, Ken Segall and Alan Wenkus. The film starred Rob Morrow, Johnny Depp, Hector Elizondo, Dody Goodman, Tony Azito, and Lesl ...

''. Another 80's teen comedy film that stars young actors and actresses that went onto bigger fame and is tamer on its handling of sex is ''

Little Darlings ''Little Darlings'' is a 1980 American teen comedy-drama film starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol and featuring Armand Assante and Matt Dillon. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. The screenplay was written by Kimi Peck and Dalen ...

''. Although not widely considered a "sexual comedy," the 1998 critical and financial hit ''

There's Something About Mary ''There's Something About Mary'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ed Decter and John J. Strauss. The film features Cameron Diaz as the title character, while Ben S ...

'' has many moments that have entered the pop culture lexicon, particularly the infamous scene in which Ted Stroehmann (

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...

), following a scene of vigorous masturbation, discovers that his semen is hanging off of his ear. Mary (

Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...

), mistaking it for

hair gel Hair gel is a hairstyling product that is used to harden hair into a particular hairstyle. History Analysis of ancient Egyptian mummies has shown that they styled their hair using a fat-based gel. The researchers behind the analysis say that t ...

, nonchalantly grabs it and runs it through her hair. A year later, the film '' American Pie'' was credited with reviving the "teen sex comedy" subgenre. In the film, a group of high schoolers make a pact to lose their virginity before they graduate. The film's most famous scene (which also provides its namesake) involves one of the high schoolers, Jim (

Jason Biggs Jason Matthew Biggs (born May 12, 1978) is an American actor. The accolades he has received include a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award, alongside nominations for a Daytime Emmy Awards, Daytime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award ...

), having intercourse with a fresh apple pie after being told by a friend that it is similar to " getting to third base." The film spawned numerous sequels and spin-off films, all with varying degrees of financial and critical success, and kicked off a second wave of American sexual comedy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A third wave of American sexual comedy emerged in the mid to late 2000s and into the early 2010s with a string of successful sexual comedy films by

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films ''The 4 ...

and his associates. Apatow's 2005 directorial debut ''

The 40-Year-Old Virgin ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Judd Apatow (in his feature directorial debut), who produced the film with Clayton Townsend and Shauna Robertson. It features Steve Carell as the titular 40-y ...

'' follows Andy Stitzer (

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...

) as he struggles with the pressures of reaching the age of 40 without ever having "done the deed." Although the film featured crude sexual humor, it was critically praised for balancing it with an underlying romantic message. Another Judd Apatow related film, '' Superbad'', shared many similar motifs from classic "teen" sex comedies of the past. Sexual comedies of the 2010s include '' The To Do List'', puberty-themed series '' Big Mouth'', and '' Yes, God, Yes''.

British sexual comedy

According to David McGillivray in his history of the British sex film, ''Doing Rude Things'', '' Mary Had a Little...'' (1961) was the first British sex comedy. Bridging the gap between documentary nudist films and the later sex comedies was the film '' The Naked World of Harrison Marks'' (1966).

George Harrison Marks George Harrison Marks (6 August 1926 – 27 June 1997) was an English glamour photographer and director of nudist, and later, pornographic films. Personal life Born in Tottenham, Middlesex in 1926 to a Jewish family, Marks was 17 when he mar ...

' love of music hall and slapstick found its way into this spoof documentary biographical film.

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010), was an English actor, comedian, musician, and singer, best known for his series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966, in which he portrayed the endearingly inept charact ...

's last starring role, '' What's Good for the Goose'' (1969), was a sexual comedy made by Tony Tenser. He specialised in producing

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudi ...

s and founded his own production company

Tigon British Film Productions Tigon British Film Productions or Tigon was a film production and distribution company, founded by Tony Tenser in 1966. It is best remembered for its horror films, particularly ''Witchfinder General (film), Witchfinder General'' (directed by ...

in 1966. In the movie, he leaves his wife and kids to go off on a business trip and has an affair with a young girl, played by Sally Geeson There apparently are two versions of the film: the 98-minute cut version was released in the UK, while the uncensored version (105 minutes) which shows nudity from Sally Geeson, was released in continental Europe. '' Percy'' was directed by

Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director who directed the Doctor (film series), ''Doctor'' film series. Thomas cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. He often worked with the pr ...

and starred

Hywel Bennett Hywel Thomas Bennett (8 April 1944 – 24 July 2017) was a Welsh film and television actor. He had a lead role in '' The Family Way'' (1966) and played the titular "thinking man's layabout" James Shelley in the television sitcom '' Shelley'' ( ...

, Denholm Elliott, Elke Sommer, and

Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Double Man (1967 film), The Double Man'' (1967), ''The Night They ...

. The film is about a successful

penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...

transplant. An innocent and shy young man (Bennett) whose penis is mutilated in an accident and has to be amputated wakes up after an operation to find out that it has been replaced by a womanizer's, which is very large. The rest of the movie is about its new owner following in his predecessor's footsteps and meeting all the women who are able to recognize it. There was a sequel, '' Percy's Progress'', released in 1974. To move with the times, the '' Carry On'' series added nudity to its saucy

seaside postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a postcard ...

innuendo. Series producer

Peter Rogers Peter Rogers (20 February 1914 – 14 April 2009) was an English film producer. He is best known for creating the ''Carry On'' series of films. Life and career Rogers began his career as a journalist for his local paper, before graduat ...

saw the

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as '' Ship o ...

movie '' Loving'' (1970) and added his two favourite words to the title, making '' Carry On Loving'' (1970) the twentieth in the series. Starring "countess of cleavage" Imogen Hassall, the story of a dating agency service is still very innocent stuff. It was followed by ''

Carry On Girls ''Carry On Girls'' is a 1973 British comedy film, the 25th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film features regulars Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butter ...

'' (1973), based around a

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

-style beauty contest. Next in the series was '' Carry On Dick'' (1974), with more risqué humour and

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerou ...

and

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.

's on- and off-screen lovemaking. It has often been noted that historically, a defining characteristic of most British sex comedies – particularly in the period after the censorship rules were relaxed slightly at the turn of the 1970s – is that they were "neither sexy nor funny".

The ''Confessions'' series

The ''Confessions'' series consisted of four sexual comedy films released during the 1970s starring

Robin Askwith Robin Mark Askwith (born 12 October 1950) is an English actor and singer who has appeared in a number of film, television and stage productions. Making his film debut as Keating in the film '' if....'' (1968), a role he would reprise in '' Brit ...

. The films in the ''Confessions'' series—'' Confessions of a Window Cleaner'', '' Confessions of a Driving Instructor'', ''

Confessions of a Pop Performer ''Confessions of a Pop Performer'' (also known as ''Timothy Lea's'' ''Confessions of a Pop Performer'') is a 1975 British Sex comedy, sex-farce film directed by Norman Cohen and starring Robin Askwith and Tony Booth (actor), Anthony Booth. It is ...

'', and '' Confessions from a Holiday Camp''—concern the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea and are based on the novels of Christopher Wood, writing as Timothy Lea. Soon came ''Adventures of...'', directed by Stanley Long, which started with ''

Adventures of a Taxi Driver ''Adventures of a Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Barry Evans, Judy Geeson and Adrienne Posta. There are two sequels, ''Adventures of a Private Eye'' (1977) and ''Adventures of a Plumber ...

'', starring sitcom star Barry Evans, and was followed by ''

Adventures of a Private Eye ''Adventures of a Private Eye'' is a 1977 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Christopher Neil, Suzy Kendall, Harry H. Corbett and Liz Fraser. It followed '' Adventures of a Taxi Driver'' (1976), and was followed b ...

'' and ''

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate ''Adventures of a Plumber's Mate'' is a 1978 British sex comedy film directed by Stanley Long and starring Christopher Neil as Sid South. It was written by Stephen D. Frances and Aubrey Cash. Following '' Adventures of a Taxi Driver'' (1976) a ...

'', starring future record producer

Christopher Neil Christopher Neil (born 1948) is a British record producer, songwriter, singer, and actor. Neil has produced records for A-ha, Amazulu, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, Cher, Dollar, Edyta Górniak, Gerry Rafferty, Jennifer Rush, José Carreras, Le ...

. Long began his career as a photographer before producing striptease shorts (or "glamour home movies", as they were sometimes known), for the 8 mm market. Beginning in the late fifties, Long's feature film career would span the entire history of the British sex film, and as such exemplifies its differing trends and attitudes. His work ranges from coy nudist films (''

Nudist Memories ''Nudist Memories'' is a 1961 British naturist short film directed by Arnold Louis Miller and starring Anna Karen. It was inspired by the success of '' Nudist Paradise'' (1959) and was a success at the box office.Sheridan, Simon (2011). ''Keep ...

'' 1959), to moralizing documentary (''

The Wife Swappers ''The Wife Swappers'' is a 1970 British drama documentary film by sexploitation director Derek Ford and starring James Donnelly, Larry Taylor, Valerie St. John and Denys Hawthorne. It was written by Ford, Barry Jacobs and Stanley Long, and ...

'', 1970) to a more relaxed attitude to permissive material (''Naughty!'', 1971) to out and out comedies at the end of the 1970s. He did not like sex scenes and was dismissive of pornography, saying it did not turn him on and he turned his back when such scenes were being filmed.

Carry Ons become sexy

British sexual comedy films became mainstream with the release in 1976 of '' Carry On England'', starring Judy Geeson, Patrick Mower, and

Diane Langton Diane Shirley Maria Langton (31 May 1944 – 15 January 2025) was a British actress, singer and dancer whose career on stage and screen spanned six decades. After beginning her career in theatre, she went on to appear in television shows, portr ...

, in which an experimental mixed-sex anti-aircraft battery in wartime is enjoying making love not war. However, the arrival of the new Captain S. Melly brings an end to their cosy life and causes terror in the ranks. In '' Carry On Emmannuelle'', the beautiful Emmannuelle Prevert just cannot get her own husband into bed. A spoof of '' Emmanuelle'', the film revolves around the eponymous heroine ( Suzanne Danielle) and her unsuccessful attempts to make love to her husband, Emile (

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...

), a French ambassador. Emile grants Emmannuelle permission to sleep with anyone she likes, and her promiscuity turns her into a celebrity and a frequent talk show guest. Meanwhile, Theodore Valentine is besotted by her and wants them to get married. But Emmannuelle is obsessed with arousing her husband's sexual desire at almost any cost. This was the last of the original ''Carry On'' films.

Sleaze and sexploitation

Producer/director Kenneth F. Rowles made a copycat cash-in with his '' The Ups and Downs of a Handyman''. His next movie, ''Take an Easy Ride'', purports to be a

public information film Public information films (PIFs) are a series of government-commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the United Kingdom. The name is sometimes also applied, ''faute de mieux'', to similar films from other countries, ...

warning of the dangers of

hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Signaling ...

but is actually a

sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, Low-budget film, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition o ...

film showing young girls being sexually assaulted and murdered (although Rowles says he had to add those scenes on request of the movie's distributor).

Matthew Sweet Sidney Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American alternative rock/power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990 ...

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

documentary 'British B Movies: Truly, Madly, Cheaply'' http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00c7ytb/ref> Films like '' Dreams of Thirteen'', '' The Younger the Better'', '' Geilermanns Töchter - Wenn Mädchen mündig werden'', '' Erika's Hot Summer'', '' Mrs. Stone's Thing'', and '' Come Play With Me'' played in

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

and elsewhere, but with the arrival of the

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

government in 1979 the Eady Levy was abolished in 1985, killing off the genre.

French sexual comedy

Some French coming of age films contain many themes of the modern "sex comedy" genre, such as '' Murmur of the Heart''.

Italian sexual comedy

The commedia sexy all'italiana (), also known as ''commedia scollacciata'' or ''commedia erotica all'italiana,'' is a subgenre of Italian ''

commedia all'italiana ''Commedia all'italiana'' () or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre born in Italy in the 1950s and developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is widely considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's ''Big Deal on Madonna Street'' in 1958 ...

film genre A film genre is a Genre, stylistic or thematic category for Film, motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative , narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film. Drawing heavily from the theories ...

. It is characterized typically by both abundant female nudity and comedy, and by the minimal weight given to social criticism that was instead basic in the ''commedia all'italiana'' main genre.

Indian sexual comedy

Since the 2010s many Indian films and TV shows have been made in the sexual comedy genre. There was initially a hesitant reaction to them but this was followed by gradual acceptance. Examples of the genre include '' Vicky Donor'', '' Mastizaade'', the '' Masti'' film series, '' The Shaukeens'', the ''

Pyaar Ka Punchnama ''Pyaar Ka Punchnama'' () is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy buddy film written and directed by newbie Luv Ranjan. The film stars debutant Kartik Aaryan, Divyendu Sharma, Raayo S. Bakhirta, Nushrat Bharucha, Sonnalli Seygall ...

'' film series, the '' Kyaa Kool Hai Hum'' film series, '' Guddu Ki Gun'', In Bengali languages Teen Yaari Katha, Aamra.The '' Four More Shots Please!'' In Hindi And , Ekla Cholo in Bengali streaming TV show. Widely available and affordable Internet connections have been available in India since 2016, and this combined with affordable

over-the-top media service An over-the-top media service (also known as over-the-top television, or simply OTT) is a digital distribution service of video and audio delivered Direct-to-consumer, directly to viewers via the public Internet, rather than through an Terrestria ...

s have contributed to increased production of the genre. However, the conservative political and social culture that has been prevalent in the country since 2014 has been very critical of sexual comedies. Sexual films and TV shows in general are subject to far more intense attacks on social media in India than are seen in other countries. Despite such criticisms the rate of sexual comedy production has not slowed.

Japanese sexual comedy

In Japanese, sexy movies or TV shows tend to be referred to as 'oiroke' お色気 which might be translated as 'with a tinge of colour.' '

Pink film refers in Japan to movies produced by independent studios that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. Many pink films would be a ...

s' ピンク映画 are more narrowly sexy films made by independent studios for release to adult theatres. The traditional word for comedy is 'kigeki' 喜劇. It was applied to

Kyōgen is a form of traditional Japanese comic theater. It developed alongside '' Noh'', was performed along with ''Noh'' as an intermission of sorts between ''Noh'' acts on the same stage, and retains close links to ''Noh'' in the modern day; there ...

, short comic plays performed in theatres. The word 'kigeki' is also used in the titles of some movies from the 1960s, but more recently the loan word 'komedi' コメディ　has become the usual way of referring to humorous films or TV shows. In 1959 director

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won t ...

produced an adaptation of Junichirō Tanizaki's novel '' The Key'' titled '' Odd Obsession'' wherein a man whose powers are failing finds he can restore his vigor by spying on his daughter and her fiancé, so he hatches a scheme to involve his wife. Yasuzo Masumura's 1964

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

of Junichirō Tanizaki's novel '' Quicksand (Manji)'' took a tongue-in-cheek approach to the melodrama of a housewife falling in love with a younger woman. Shohei Imamura released '' The Pornographers'' in 1966, parodying the workings of a small pornographic film company. In 1970–1 Yuji Tanno and Isao Hayashi directed a number of movies based on

Go Nagai , better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...

's manga '' Harenchi Gakuen.''

's '' Kekkou Kamen'' manga has also been adapted into a movie and several Original Videos. Norifumi Suzuki has directed a number of sex comedies: ''Ero Shogun to Juuichinin no Aishou'' (The Erotic Shogun and his 11 Concubines 1972), ''Onsen Mimizu Geisha'' (Hot Springs Worm Geisha 1972), ''Onsen Suppon Geisha'' (Hot Springs Turtle Geisha 1972) all for big budget studio Toei as well as the teen sex comedy ''Pantsu no Ana'' (Hole in her Panties 1984). Yoshimitsu Morita has directed a number of racey comedies including '' Something Like It (No You na Mono)'' (1981), ''Hot Stripper (Maru Hon Uwasa no Sutorippaa)''(1982) and ''24 Hour Playboy (Ai to Heisei no Iro Otoko)'' (1989). Director

Juzo Itami , born , was a Japanese actor, screenwriter and film director. He directed eleven films (one short and ten features), all of which he wrote himself. He is the namesake of the Juzo Itami Award, founded in 2009 to honor his legacy. Early life ...

's films such as '' The Funeral'', ''

Tampopo is a 1985 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami, and starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho, and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first " ramen Western", a play on the term spaghetti ...

'' and '' A Taxing Woman'' are comedies principally about non-sexual topics, but all have a side story that deals with sex, and features nudity.

Takeshi Kitano , also known as in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. During hi ...

's '' Getting Any?'' movie is about the quest for sex.

Nikkatsu is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures". Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...

's Roman Porno series was usually fairly serious, but Morita's ''Love Hard Love Deep'' and manga adaptation '' Minna Agechau'' were Roman Pornos, and other films in the series such as '' Pink Tush Girl'' and '' Abnormal Family: Older Brother's Bride'' have been described as comedies. Recently there has been a spate of sexy coming of age comedies, e.g. Haruka Ayase's ''Oppai Volleyball'' and live action adaptations of the manga '' Tokyo Daigaku Monogatari'', '' Ibitsu'', ''

Moteki is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsurō Kubo. It was serialized in ''Evening'' magazine from 2008 to 2010, with its chapters collected into four ''tankōbon'' volumes by Kodansha. It was adapted into a Japanese televi ...

'' and ''

Recently, My Sister Is Unusual , also known as , is a Japanese manga series by Mari Matsuzawa, serialized in Fujimi Shobo's '' Monthly Dragon Age'' since November 9, 2010. An anime television series premiered in Japan in January 2014. It was adapted into a light novel wr ...

.'' The 2003 Japanese TV drama '' Stand Up!'' starring

Kazunari Ninomiya , often called , is a Japanese singer, songwriter, actor, voice actor, presenter and radio host. He is a member of the Japanese idol group Arashi, group that is under agent contract with Starto Entertainment. Early life Ninomiya was born in Kat ...

is the story of four virgin boys, and bears some resemblance to American sex comedies of the 1980s.