Mandingo Explodes in Theaters -- July 25, 1975

It is overripe, it is perverse, it is in bad taste, and it is the kind of classic no one makes anymore because, really, who would dare?

And, oh yes, it is awesome.

The movie we celebrate is Mandingo, which erupted into neighborhood theaters nationwide on this day in 1975.

Mandingo deals with sexual relations between slaves and masters on a brutal plantation in the pre-Civil War American south as only a maniacally over-the-top masterpiece of hard-boiled movie-making can.

Of Mandingo’s numerous remarkable attributes -- which includes great nudity from leading lady Susan George, along with Debbi Morgan,Laura Misch Owens, Brenda Sykes, and Reda Wyatt -- is the caliber of its cast.

Aside from Susan, whose star was still flying high as a star from Straw Dogs, Mandingo features Perry King (from The Lords of Flatbush), champion boxer Ken Norton, and world-renowned master thespian James Mason.

And the whole thing is insane!

Quentin Tarantinohas lauded Mandingo as one of the two last legitimate exploitation movies made by major studios (the other is Showgirls).

The scandalous success of Mandingo begat a sequel titled Drum, which boasts the return of Ken Norton as the ancestor of his character from the original film.

Drum also features knockout nakedness from drive-in goddesses Pam Grier and Cheryl “Rainbeaux” Smith.

An odd, unofficial, way too-late-in-the-game semi-remake of Mandingo called Dragonard (1987) casts “Puddy” from Seinfeld as its hero, and showcases the enormous nipples of Claudia Udy in a striptease that sets off a slave revolt!

Ah, those were the days.