Sylvester Stallone Before Rocky: Story Behind Adult Movie Days
Fact: The young Sylvester Stallone was in a list of 1970s films which included adult movie called The Party at Kitty and Stud’s.
Before Rocky made him a global icon, Sylvester Stallone took one of the least glamorous jobs an aspiring actor can take: a starring role in a low-budget, soft-core adult film titled The Party at Kitty and Stud’s (1970). Years later, as Rocky exploded, the movie was re-edited and re-released under the title Italian Stallion to capitalize on his newfound fame. The decision to appear in that film was not a career plan so much as a survival choice—made when paying rent and finding a bed mattered more than building a résumé.
How He Ended Up There
Stallone’s early New York years were a grind of tiny roles and odd jobs. He bounced between auditions and survival work—ushering in theaters, cleaning cages at the Central Park Zoo, selling fish at a deli—while trying to get noticed. Housing was unstable, money was scarce, and acting opportunities were scarce. In that context, a two-day, $200 film gig—however unglamorous—was the difference between sleeping rough and staying afloat.
That’s the backdrop for The Party at Kitty and Stud’s: a young actor saying yes to a paying role because there weren’t many choices. It’s a familiar reality for artists at the bottom rung—take the work you can get, keep learning, and hope a real break appears.
What the Film Was (and Wasn’t)
The project itself was a bare-bones, soft-core erotic feature with minimal dialogue and a wafer-thin plot. Stallone shot for roughly two days for a modest paycheck. The original 1970 cut circulated quietly; only after the success of Rocky did distributors repackage it as Italian Stallion, editing the material and emphasizing Stallone’s presence on the box to ride the wave of his fame.
Importantly, this was not a step that “launched” his mainstream career; it was a detour taken under pressure. The work that launched Stallone came later—his script for Rocky (1976) and his insistence on playing the lead. That’s the inflection point that transformed him from struggling actor to household name.
Why It Matters in His Story
The adult-film episode is a reminder of the grit behind the myth. Stallone’s public image is all discipline and willpower; this chapter shows where those traits were forged. He learned to endure embarrassment, ignore hecklers, and keep moving. When Rocky finally arrived, the performance felt authentic because the struggle behind it was real.
Over time, Stallone has been matter-of-fact about this period: he was broke, he needed the money, and he took a legal acting job. That candor has helped reframe the choice not as scandal but as a snapshot of survival on the way to success. In a strange way, the detour adds weight to the underdog ethos that defines his best work.
After the Detour: Toward Rocky
Following that film, Stallone picked up small parts in mainstream projects, honed his writing, and kept training. His supporting role in The Lords of Flatbush (1974) brought attention, but the breakthrough was self-made: he wrote Rocky, refused to sell the script unless he could star, and delivered a character whose heart and hunger reflected his own journey. The rest is Hollywood history.
FAQs
What movie started Sylvester Stallone’s career?
Stallone’s mainstream breakthrough was Rocky (1976), which he wrote and starred in. Earlier, he appeared in small roles and the 1970 soft-core film The Party at Kitty and Stud’s, but Rocky launched his career.
What movie was Sylvester Stallone offered $20 million?
In 1994, Stallone struck a widely reported $20 million deal with Savoy Pictures for a future project. Decades later, reports also noted a $20 million offer for The Expendables 4, which he declined amid creative differences.
How much could Sylvester Stallone bench press in his prime?
By his own account (in fitness interviews and his book), Stallone claimed a prime bench press in the ~385–400 lb range and a ~500 lb squat. Figures are self-reported and cited as estimates.
What was Sylvester Stallone doing before acting?
He juggled odd jobs—cleaning lion cages at the Central Park Zoo, ushering in movie theaters, and more—while studying drama and chasing auditions, before writing and starring in Rocky.
Expand your knowledge with interesting facts about films in our exclusive roundup.
