Your bracketed observation on “L’Age d’Or,”—in which you state that the film contains “graphic shots of a woman defacating” (which I suppose you might have gleaned from Henry Miller’s account of the film, or an account of Henry Miller’s account), is incorrect. The film contains no such shots. The most explicit thing lead actress Lya Lys does in the film is suck on the toe of a statue of a male figure. I can tell you this on account of actually having, you know, seen the film, several times. Also, there is no account of such shots ever having existed in any version of the film in any of the historical literature on Bunuel or Dali. Indeed, “Un Chien Andalou” notwithstanding (and Orwell seems to conflate the two films in “Benefit of Clergy”), Bunuel himself was well known for his general dislike of “explicit” imagery, preferring outrage via implication. The slander against “L’Age d’Or” has been repeated several times, but it’s never really stuck, as the film is out there for the viewing and the material you cite is not in the film. I just figured, as you seem to value your reputation as a scholar, that you might have some interest in keeping the record straight.

My, my, Dali really caused poor George to lose his sense of humor though, didn’t he? I prefer Nabokov’s characterization of Dali: “Norman Rockwell’s twin brother kidnapped by gypsies.”