[During the 1970s] a theatrical filin became "that which cannot be
seen on television." In this sense, the introduction of the rating systems
in 1968 was an economic necessity.
STUART BYRON, FILM CRITIC/JOURNALIST, 1980

Hollywood's mainstreaming of exploitation tactics during the 1970s did little to erode the healthy fringe market for authentic exploitation product that presented itself after the establishment of the Code and Rating Administration (CARA) in October 1968. Throughout 1969, there were bold attempts to test the limits of the new ratings system with regard to sex and violence, and the early 1970s witnessed the rapid deployment of three exploitation genres that trafficked in both. They were, in ascending order of market strength, the black action film, the martial arts film, and-far and away the most powerful-the feature-length hardcore porno film, a genre that would challenge the market share of the...