Some photos advertising Just Jaeckin's film Histoire d'O (1975) published in the DVD or VHS package cover or in old magazines cannot be found in the film itself. Such photos may be those taken for the advertisement in a different and special setting, still photos taken during shooting, or of versions or scenes not adopted in the final editing. Photos not maintained in the final version can be from not only a cut-out part of a scene, but also an independent scene entirely dismissed. For example Stefan cites in his web site storyofo.co.uk such a scene as Lost scene from Just Jeakin's Histoire d'O . Considering the common procedure of film making, it is easily assumed that there were more than one such scenes (British and American readers may remeber that even in the final form the English version is eight minutes shorter than the French one).

Recently, Yajiuma, a great enthusiast and collector of Story of O films who contributes regularly to our forum (in Japanese) courteously sent us an original copy (!) of the special issue on Story of O of a Japanese film magazine (Screen, April 1975) containing a number of still photos from the film. And he pointed out that several photos belong to such ones that cannot be found in the film. Based on his remark and the results of our examination, we will take up one of the most important missing scenes suggested by still photos.

One shot from the scene in question is:



This one is from the Japanese magazine we have mentioned (Screen, April 1975).

A too famous special issue of the French magazine l'Express (no. 1260, 1-9 Septembre, 1975) have another shot from the same scene.



Of this "Norah whipping O" scene, we find further in Screen another shot that shows Sr. Stefan holding Norah back.



Any of these shots are not found in the film and certainly belong to one of the scenes that were left out in the final editing for a reason or another.

One natural question coming to us is where this scene would be inserted in the film according to the original idea. In fact we have no clear indication about that. Because the original novel of Histoire d'O gives no specific depiction of any scene where Norah whips O, we cannot localize the scene precisely in the narrative plot of the story.

We wondered ourselves if the white skirt worn by O in the scene might be a clue. Yajiuma points out that O wears this same skirt in another picture published in Screen :



This must be a preparation for the finale party where O was presented in an owl mask. The preparation with the owl mask takes place from 1h 35m 15sec to 1h 35m 50sec in the film (the French version) though this shot with a skirt is not shown (O is not seen under the waist there). Did the scene of O whipped by Norah find itself just before this scene?

While scrutinising the DVD, we have found a scene where O is wearing this white skirt. It's more than thirty minutes earlier than the owl mask scene and where O made Jacqueline settle in her apartment with a plan to seduce her (1h 00m 0sec - 1h 00m 20 sec) :




So the explanation that satisfies all these elements is that O came to Sr Sthepen's with this skirt (which she wore 30 minutes earlier in the film) on for preparing herself to the party. And just before this preparation she was whipped by O. Or, O was at Sr. Sthephen's with Norah at a certain point of time between theses two scenes with the same white skirt again. If these explications seem to be anyhow logic, but less persuading from an aesthetical point of view. In this film where the stylists are very particular about every detail in fashion, does the main female character appear several times with one rather home-wear-like simple white skirt?

In asking this question to ourselves, another explanation occurred: this skirt that seems to be practical to put on and off might serve as everyday wear for the actress during the shooting. It could be worn during rehearsals or for the scenes where she was not filmed under the waist. This white simple skirt doesn't go well with her owl mask and this combination isn't very aesthetical even if this is a scene of changing. If this skirt was not supposed to be seen, there will be no problem of this kind. Perhaps for the scene of O whipped by Norah the same can be true. Well, in any case the white skirt doesn't serve much as a clue for localising the scene of Norah whipping O.