The Wild Story Of Italian Sex Kitten Lilli Carati!
All year long, my “2022 Sex Kitten Countdown” has focused on classic Cult Movie Queens.
Sometimes, there are movies that are so shocking and controversial that the Actresses involved are remembered forever – hold the line for Lilli Carati!
She may appear innocent enough taking this call, but Lilli Carati has had a wild wild life!
She was born on September 23, 1956 in Varese Italy.
As if the case with many of the actresses of this era, she gained attention thanks to a local beauty contest!
Lilli was a finalist in the 1974 “Miss Italy” competition – she came in second place but did win the title of “Miss Elegance.”
This is how women get discovered – you see, one judge immediately hired her to star in his film “What’s Your Sign?”, released in 1975!
I got to know her thanks to one of the most controversial film of the 70’s:
“To Be Twenty”
This hugely controversial 1978 film was made by acclaimed Italian Directo Fernando di Leo.
I bought this film because I was a fan of di Leo’s police thrillers, but this is something completely different!
Gloria Guida and Lilli star as Lia and Tina – two girls who meet and hitchhike their way to Rome to embrace the wild life – including a provocative orgy scene:
The film also has a lesbian scene between the two Actresses as well – heady stuff for the time:
“To Be Twenty” is a very controversial film, but not for the sexual content…instead, the film is a pleasant erotic drama that turns shocking for its final ten minutes…
It’s such a shocking change in tone that a very good Facebook friend of mine, a cult cinema fan, says this movie was too much for him to take, and I understand – the ending is truly shocking and unexpected…
Lilli stars alongside Gloria Guida, who went on to have a terrific career in sexy Italian comedies and more…see them all here:
Lilli had another great film for Halloween season – a brutal trip inside a women’s prison!
“Escape From Women’s Prison”
This 1978 shocker has a familiar premise:
Four female convicts escape from prison and take a bus full of young female athletes hostage, and take refuge in a judge’s house.
Cult Zora Kerova also stars – and boy, what a shocking career she had as well!
Kerova starred in one of the most shocking cannibal films of the era – click here to see the trailer and more of her wild career!
For Lilli, she became a very popular Adult Men’s Magazine Model with provocative photo shoots like this:
As you will see, Producers used her in various states of undress on the posters for her films – clearly a big selling point:
“Skin Deep”
In 1979, she starred in this sex comedy about a group of teenagers on holiday in the Aeolian islands.
Here’s some fascinating bio information: according to wikipedia, Lilli made a controversial appearance on Italian national television channel Rai 1 in 1981, where some have said that she was “out of it” due to her heroin addiction.
After continuing to work throughout the 80’s, reports indicate she went into harder X-rated material as well.
Somewhat shockingly, the Actress went into hardcore films at the end of the 80’s.
She ultimately retired in 1990 and sadly, died of a brain tumor in 2014…Carati wasn’t the only Italian Actress to veer into the adult world of cinema:
The story of “Cicciolina” is wild – check it out here!
There were a number of great European Actresses who weren’t seen as much in the US as they deserved – Barbara Bouchet is another example:
She also appeared in a Fernando di Leo film, the terrific “Caliber 9”, where she did an amazing table dance!
You can see that, and all of her work, by clicking on my story here:
Many great Italian films never made it to the US – although the “Giallo” genre managed to make it overseas…like this classic:
The Italian Giallo genre is filled with terrific films, and Actresses like Erna Schurer – here are some of her best films:
Italian Actress Femi Benussi was also in this film:
She had a terrific cult film career as well and you can see it here:
If you like these stories, and don’t want to miss any of my “2022 Sex Kitten Countdown” series, then go to my website’s front page and sign on to follow me – there are NO ads at all, just lots of stories to come about the wild world of exploitation and cult films!
Click here and see the “follow” button on the upper right!
Sign up and get the latest stories like this sent directly to you!
Categories: 70's Films, Artsploitation, Books / Media, Cult Classics, Euro-Sleaze, Exploitation Films, Extreme Cinema, Grindhouse, JRsploitation, Nudity, sex kittens, Sexploitation Films, Talent / Celebrites
JR-Sploitation! 
Lilli is new to me, but as always you gave her a great feature!
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike