Once Before I Die (1966)

[Derek 1931]

Curious, failed first film by director John Derek (who is also in it, but killed off early) starring his then-wife Ursula Andress, Richard Jaeckel , Ron (Tarzan) Ely and Rod Lauren in a WWII story set in the Phillipines. It's pretty much a piece of junk except for the weird wild combat action in the last ten minutes. Jaeckel essentially goes nuts, daring the Japanese to attack him and his men.  Ely gets bloodily stabbed in the guts and dies in Andress's lap.   But the weirdest plot thread involves Rod Lauren, a former teen singing idol who had a brief movie career.  Earlier in the film, when he thinks they're all going to die, he persuades Andress to have sex with him so he won't die a virgin.  Hence the film's title.
Anyway, as the Japanese finally attack he gets shot in the guts (presumably; the gunshots are not explicit; you have to judge it by his reactions) and ends up caught hanging in a standing position, tangled in some ropes.

The Japanese sniper is irritated that he hasn't killed him, so shoots the kid again in the belly.  Despite the hot slug ripping through his guts, the boy smiles, knowing that at least he got laid before being killed.  They even superimpose Ursula's image over his smiling face.

Now here is where the scene goes in a surprising direction: the Japanese sniper gets more and more annoyed that the boy isn't dying, so he keeps pumping him in the belly.  As each bullet punches into his guts, it becomes more and more obvious that he is becoming aroused...partly from the memory of Ursula, but more and more from the sensation of getting slug after slug drilled into his belly.  The fiery pain ripping through him makes his dick go rigid. 

By about the fourth bullet impact, the boy's back is arching, his expression is basically saying "Go ahead, fuck me in my belly with slugs!"  It's easy to visualize his dick stiffening and pulsing, the swelling cockhead pushing up past his belt and under his shirt towards his bellybutton.

As his body stiffens in ecstasy another rounds drills into his straining gut.  As his hard cock thrusts upwards, he gets it again in the belly; his cock explodes, pumping a final hot load which shoots up his belly and splatters over his navel.

As cum drips from his riddled belly he shudders, his eyes close and he goes limp, still feeling the half-dozen slugs burning deep in his quivering guts.

His spent cock slides back down his bloodslicked gut, and his head drops forward onto his chest, a faint smile on his lips as his deathgasm fades.


This is the earliest example I think I have ever seen of a man or boy blatantly experiencing an orgasm as he dies a violent death.  And unlike a stabbing this is pretty drawn out, as the bullets are slowly and deliberately pumped into his waiting belly, one at a time.
Sadly, Rod Lauren only made one more film before his career abruptly ended.  I'm guessing no casting directors were saying "Hey, get me that kid who cums all over his belly when he gets shot in the guts!"
- Derek

[BearFoot]

The film is up on YouTube: Once Before I Die The moment Derek speaks of starts around 1:30:08

IMO, it's not quite as engrossing or erotic as the picture Derek paints but I can certainly see what inspired his arousing rendition.   Thanks Derek!

I remember so often filling in the blanks with my own fantasies in these kinds of films. Sometimes so much that if I ever saw them again, I'd be inevitably disappointed because those good scenes I "remembered" were no longer there!

I found this pic of Rod Lauren and have since envisioned this being his audition. A long day with endless takes of him getting it in the belly over and over and all of it on film. *sigh* Heh

[Derek 1931]

There's no question that I'm reading a lot into the scene, but I think the director's implication is pretty blatant: as he's being shot, he becomes aroused at the memory of Ursula, and appears to get more aroused at each succeeding bullet impact in his belly, of which there are six or seven, fired slowly, one at a time, until finally, his back arched, he goes through a series of orgasmic facial expressions. To top it off, just as he collapses, there's an explosion nearby! A symbolic orgasm courtesy of the film and sound editors!
I have a straight friend who I have recently been sharing cool death scenes with, under the pretext mostly of discussing the moviemaking aspects of staging and special effects, but he's aware enough to recognize an orgasm at the point of death, which you see a lot especially in Shaw Bros. martial arts films (how many of those have we seen where a barechested guy gets it in the belly and writhes around moaning until his back suddenly arches, all his muscles flex and his whole body freezes, then collapses with a death orgasm moan?
Well I showed him this scene. While it was going on he said "Wow, he's really taking it in the guts, huh?" At the end, without a bit of prodding from me, he stroked his dick through his pants and blurted out "well, he fucking jizzed all over his belly as he died!" and laughed. So I don't think it's much of a stretch.
Of course I always have to add my "color commentary". I'm the Howard Cosell of hot death scenes!
- Derek

[Derek 1931]

My friend John, who I mentioned above, made another even more extreme suggestion.  His idea was that the fifth shot in the belly triggered the kid's orgasm; it continued through the sixth shot.  As his head goes back, the seventh shot nailed him right in the dick, punching through his cockhead into his gut just below his navel! That would explain his just going limp immediately afterward, as the explosion goes off.

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I totally agree with the conclusions that Derek made. I think the kid was just 19. Fortunately, he did lose his virginity. And he was right, he did die. They certainly could have made his death a little easier to view, but I don't think there is any doubt he took those six rounds in his guts. His facial expressions pretty much proved this. He felt each of those rounds enter his belly. I actually decided where on his belly he was shot (one in the belly button, two below, one to each side of the belly button and the sixth maybe just above the bb). He was young so I agree also with Derek he got hard. He was cuming during that sixth shot to the guts. His guts had to be burning up. I have also imagined the nurse who he had sex with checking out his bod after he died. She undid his shirt and saw all of the rounds in his belly. She also saw the cum. She had to be thinking, this kid told me he was going to die and he did. She also had to know being a nurse just how painful a death it was.

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Bellyboy, I like your arrangements of the shots.  I would put them in this order, going with my assumption that there are a total of seven shots (it's a little ambiguous)
1. In the guts under his navel
2.Again in the guts, even lower below the navel, halfway between navel and cock.  His dick starts to get hard.
3. Above his navel in his belly.  His cock starts to push up past the two holes in his gut.
4. Left of his navel
5. Right of his navel
6. Square in the navel; as it punches through is bellybutton his cock begins to spurt onto his navel and up onto his belly.
7.  As his cock finishes splattering his belly, a last slug nails him right through the dick into his guts.
- Derek

[varangian]

I remember watching this thing, late at night probably, being frustrated the kid wasn't used to better advantage. Or maybe I was trying to cope with Richard Jaeckel with a shaved head - still looking great though. I think he was undervalued a bit as an actor. If Derek and BBoy are not right, they should be!

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The film is up on YouTube: Once Before I Die The moment Derek speaks of starts around 1:30:08

IMO, it's not quite as engrossing or erotic as the picture Derek paints but I can certainly see what inspired his arousing rendition.   Thanks Derek!

I remember so often filling in the blanks with my own fantasies in these kinds of films. Sometimes so much that if I ever saw them again, I'd be inevitably disappointed because those good scenes I "remembered" were no longer there!

I found this pic of Rod Lauren and have since envisioned this being his audition. A long day with endless takes of him getting it in the belly over and over and all of it on film. *sigh* Heh

You are certainly right about 'filling in' a bit - took me years to find an Italian film about Sebastian that I saw at about 9 and started me really down this road - I finally did, but the really good dialogue I could have sworn was in it - the centurion ordering his archers to shoot him only in the belly so he would suffer more and longer and then pointing at his navel with his short sword - well, it was not at all in the film. Actually I think the version I found was just cut! I didn't make all that up at the age of 9 - or did I?

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There's no question that I'm reading a lot into the scene, but I think the director's implication is pretty blatant: as he's being shot, he becomes aroused at the memory of Ursula, and appears to get more aroused at each succeeding bullet impact in his belly, of which there are six or seven, fired slowly, one at a time, until finally, his back arched, he goes through a series of orgasmic facial expressions.  To top it off, just as he collapses, there's an explosion nearby! A symbolic orgasm courtesy of the film and sound editors!
    I have a straight friend who I have recently been sharing cool death scenes with, under the pretext mostly of discussing the moviemaking aspects of staging and special effects, but he's aware enough to recognize an orgasm at the point of death, which you see a lot especially in Shaw Bros. martial arts films (how many of those have we seen where a barechested guy gets it in the belly and writhes around moaning until his back suddenly arches, all his muscles flex  and his whole body freezes, then collapses with a death orgasm moan?
Well I showed him this scene.  While it was going on he said "Wow, he's really taking it in the guts, huh?" At the end, without a bit of prodding from me, he stroked his dick through his pants and blurted out "well, he fucking jizzed all over his belly as he died!" and laughed.  So I don't think it's much of a stretch.
Of course I always have to add my "color commentary".  I'm the Howard Cosell of hot death scenes!
- Derek

Really wish the producers had sent you the money instead to direct this turkey! Well, maybe no in 1966.

[CHASE]

All interesting. I have to wonder though if a guy who strokes himself and comments to this is really straight!? Or maybe all straight guys or most straight guys feel this way and that is why violent video and war games are so popular?

[Derek 1931]

All interesting. I have to wonder though if a guy who strokes himself and comments to this is really straight!? Or maybe all straight guys or most straight guys feel this way and that is why violent video and war games are so popular?

I wouldn't read too much into it; he was just indicating that he thought the kid had gotten hard and ejaculated.  He wasn't jerking off for me!    He wasn't aroused by the scene, just amused. 
- Derek

[Dino Slaughter]

Thanks, Derek, for posting these stills. I've seen the movie several times....and this scene could have been done so much better (for our tastes). Too stylistic, instead of erotic for my taste. A few interesting facts about this film:

1. John Derek was one of the last sexual partners of the late James Dean (he was invited to go with Dean to the race).
2. Rod Lauren was one of the many actors pegged as a new James Dean, due to his resemblance to the actor.
3. John Derek's then wife was one of James Dean's last girlfriends before he died, and yet he included her in a sex scene with Rod Lauren.

Bizarre, to say the least. I have to wonder if John Derek got off while shooting the Rod Lauren scenes, especially the ones with his wife. I would bet money on it.  

Dino

[Derek 1931]

Thanks, Derek, for posting these stills. I've seen the movie several times....and this scene could have been done so much better (for our tastes). Too stylistic, instead of erotic for my taste. A few interesting facts about this film:

1. John Derek was one of the last sexual partners of the late James Dean (he was invited to go with Dean to the race).
2. Rod Lauren was one of the many actors pegged as a new James Dean, due to his resemblance to the actor.
3. John Derek's then wife was one of James Dean's last girlfriends before he died, and yet he included her in a sex scene with Rod Lauren.

Bizarre, to say the least. I have to wonder if John Derek got off while shooting the Rod Lauren scenes, especially the ones with his wife. I would bet money on it.  

Dino

[quote pid='5647' dateline='1579020210']
Dino,I just find it amazing that they got away with the scene at all!  Of course it could have been much more graphic, but even just on a suggestive level it's pretty intense for 1966.  It is no stretch I think to interpret the following things about the scene:
1. He's getting shot repeatedly low down in in his belly and guts
2. He becomes aroused by remembering Ursula
3. As the shots continue there is something of a transition where Ursula is no longer a part of the arousal; it's purely taking the shots in the belly that is turning him on.
4. Near the end he seems to have an orgasmic reaction; this is  followed by an explosion, which to my mind is John Derek simply underlining the orgasm.
5. After that explosion, we see him go post-orgasm limp 
- Derek
[/quote]

[Dino Slaughter]

Thanks, Derek, for posting these stills. I've seen the movie several times....and this scene could have been done so much better (for our tastes). Too stylistic, instead of erotic for my taste. A few interesting facts about this film:

1. John Derek was one of the last sexual partners of the late James Dean (he was invited to go with Dean to the race).
2. Rod Lauren was one of the many actors pegged as a new James Dean, due to his resemblance to the actor.
3. John Derek's then wife was one of James Dean's last girlfriends before he died, and yet he included her in a sex scene with Rod Lauren.

Bizarre, to say the least. I have to wonder if John Derek got off while shooting the Rod Lauren scenes, especially the ones with his wife. I would bet money on it.  

Dino

Dino,I just find it amazing that they got away with the scene at all!  Of course it could have been much more graphic, but even just on a suggestive level it's pretty intense for 1966.  It is no stretch I think to interpret the following things about the scene:
1. He's getting shot repeatedly low down in in his belly and guts
2. He becomes aroused by remembering Ursula
3. As the shots continue there is something of a transition where Ursula is no longer a part of the arousal; it's purely taking the shots in the belly that is turning him on.
4. Near the end he seems to have an orgasmic reaction; this is  followed by an explosion, which to my mind is John Derek simply underlining the orgasm.
5. After that explosion, we see him go post-orgasm limp 
- Derek


I agree with all that, Derek, but he appears to be standing behind a large tree, which would keep him from being shot in the torso, at all.