LOS ANGELES — The infamous Bob Guccione edit of “Caligula” celebrates its 40th anniversary this month and Penthouse will mark the occasion with a photo exhibition and “Penthouse Pets” at the L.A. Art Show this week.
"Pets" Addie Andrews, Lacy Lennon and Charlotte Stokely will represent Penthouse for the opening night party of the exhibition Wednesday evening.
The ladies will adorn the display area for Century Guild, an art gallery, archive and publisher of fine art books, at booth No. 1237 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
A collection of previously unseen candid photographs taken on set during the production of “Caligula” by Italian photographer Mario Tursi, featuring cast members Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and Sir John Gielgud, will also be on display at the Century Guild booth.
When the film’s screenwriter and director — Gore Vidal and Tinto Brass — were fired, Guccione “re-envisioned the film to his taste, inserting subsequently filmed hardcore sex at the expense of the originally documented narrative,” a rep notes.
The original footage was long thought destroyed. However, the original camera negatives and location audio were recently unearthed. Penthouse has commissioned the 40th anniversary edit, due later this year, under the “anniversary stylization” of “Caligula MMXX,” said the rep.
The restoration is being produced for Penthouse by filmmaker E. Elias Merhige. and author, activist and Century Guild founder Thomas Negovan.
The L.A. Art Show runs through Sunday. Click here for additional details.
Learn more about the restoration edit of “Caligula XXMM” here.
Image source: Mario Tursi, copyright Penthouse World Media.
