The Rialto Report

Ginger Lynn is an actress, artist, and radio show host. And in the 1980s, she was an adult film star. One of the biggest. And in some ways, the modern adult film industry started with her. She began as an actress when adult films were still films – appearing with many of the names that had helped create the industry in the first place – from John Holmes to Jamie Gillis, Harry Reems and John Leslie. But then as film turned to video, and the lead actresses became contract girls and featured dancers, Ginger Lynn became a superstar and one of the most popular actresses in adult film history. She marked a new type of performer – she was one of the first contract girls with Vivid Entertainment, and brought a mid 80s rock star glamor to the business. Ginger was the girl next door… if you happened to live next door to a stunning sex goddess, who had her own line of videos, and dated mainstream figures like Billy Idol, George Clooney and… yes, Charlie Sheen. Ginger is more modest about herself. When she started out she couldn’t act and she couldn’t dance, she says. She never found herself particularly attractive or even that sexual. She thought she’d only make a couple of films and nobody would notice her. So how did Ginger Lynn become one of the most recognizable stars of adult film? What does she remember about her time in the business, and how does she remember her fellow stars – like Nina Hartley, Annette Haven or Traci Lords, on whose behalf she was called on to testify against the porn industry? On this episode of The Rialto Report, Ginger Lynn joins April Hall to look back at a career that has spanned four decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. This episode running time is 93 minutes. With thanks to Suze Randall for the use of the first five pictures in this feature. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Visit Ginger Lynn’s website here. Listen to Ginger’s radio show here. See Ginger Lynn auctions here. See Ginger’s artwork here. See more of Suze Randall’s photo’s of Ginger here. Photos of Ginger Lynn:   Angel with Ginger Lynn         Ginger with Uncle Lou (for more of Lou’s Polaroids, see here)     The post Ginger Lynn: The Girl Next Door – Podcast 43 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

In many respects, Marlene Willoughby was the archetypal 1970s New York adult film actress – which was strange as she is a Polish / Italian Catholic from Detroit. She arrived in New York as a teenager in 1961 with her mother and older sister – and immediately set about becoming an actress. Her sister led the way singing on Broadway with Buddy Hackett, and Marlene followed with parts in controversial off-off Broadway plays. It was a time when theaters were just starting to experiment with on-stage nudity, and Marlene signed up to act in several of these ground-breaking pieces. Marlene modeled too – she was tall, dark, and waif-like, and for a time her Audrey Hepburn looks were used across fashion magazines. But experimental theater and photo shoots didn’t pay extravagantly, and in 1975 Marlene was tempted into the burgeoning world of New York adult films. She never did anything in half measures, and for the next ten years Marlene threw herself into the world of porn – making films, writing magazine columns, posing for photo layouts, organizing film release parties, and speaking out about the industry whenever she got the chance. And all the time she never gave up on her dream of a mainstream career. She once gave me a videotape of some of her television roles; I watched the compilation of scenes in amazement – seemingly from every New York TV series made in the 1970s and 80s – which featured Marlene walking into shots, delivering one liners, being part of crowd scenes or just standing there in the background. It was delicious to see, like seeing a porn Zelig turning up at every corner. And then (and how often do we say this?), Marlene retired and disappeared. She left New York and her dreams of being an actress behind, and headed into the wilderness of Alaska. On this episode of The Rialto Report, Marlene speaks publicly for the first time in decades about her acting, modeling, and adult film career. Visit Marlene’s fan page on Facebook and YouTube site. This episode running time is 67 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Marlene Willoughby in her first screen appearance, in the Sylvester Stallone thriller ‘No Place To Hide‘ (1970):         Marlene, with her sister         The post Marlene Willoughby: New York’s Archetypal Porn Star – Podcast 42 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Suze Randall (above), her husband Humphry Knipe, and her daughter Holly have been one of the most influential families in the adult industry of the last 40 years. – Suze is a former model, who shot many photographic layouts for Playboy, Hustler, Penthouse and more. – Humphry directed a series of acclaimed adult films in the mid 1980s, under the name Victor Nye, which starred the likes of Ginger Lynn, Harry Reems and Lisa De Leeuw. – And Holly is one of the world’s leading adult photographers, who photographs for many sites, including her own, HollyRandall.com, as well as presenting a reality show on Playboy TV. Together their involvement in the adult industry dates back to the early 1970s when Suze was a midwife nurse in England, who started nude modeling as a way of earning extra money. Within a few years, she was at the heart of the adult magazine industry in Los Angeles, dealing, and often fighting, with the egos of Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt, and Bob Guccione. Then Humphry made films for the notorious Reuben Sturman, including several movies with Traci Lords that were made just before it was revealed that Traci was in fact an underage performer. Today Holly carries on the family tradition, in an internet age where free content is plentiful and the emphasis is often on quantity rather than quality. On this episode of The Rialto Report, Ashley West speaks to Suze, Humphry, and Holly, to find out what the adult business was like in the golden age, and how much it has changed today. How profitable was it then – and how profitable is it now? What was it like to shoot the most famous adult film stars of the time? What really went on at the Playboy Mansion, and how crazy was Larry Flynt? And what was it like to wake up one day to the news that all the pictures of your favorite model had to be trashed immediately, and you could face decades locked up in jail? We’re also pleased to show two collections of photographs; first a selection of images from Suze’s career as a model and photographer, and secondly we’re indebted to Suze.net for allowing us to present a collection of her photographs of golden age adult film stars from the 1980s. Special thanks to Michael Nirenberg for assisting with this episode. This episode running time is 67 minutes. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ For more details, please visit the following sites: Suze Randall’s website Holly Randall’s website Holly Randall’s blog ‘Suze: The Girl Who Clicked on Both Sides of the Playboy Camera’ (1977) – Humphry’s original account of Suze’s rise to fame ‘Lies, Love & Porn’ (2010) – Humphry’s novelized account of the Traci Lords scandal ‘Back Issues’ (2014) – Michael Nirenberg’s documentary about Larry Flynt, which features Suze, Humphry and Holly   Suze Randall – Her Life In Pictures: Suze’s modelling shot (early 1970s)   Suze in Eric Rohmer’s ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’ (1972)   Suze modelling picture (early 1970s)   Suze and Humphry arrive in Hollywood   Suze shooting Jill de Vries, Playboy Playmate of the Month for October 1975   Suze article in Playboy featuring her self-portraits   Suze’s self-portrait for Playboy (1976)   Suze’s self-portrait for Playboy (1976)   ‘Suze’ – by Humphry     Angel and Ginger Lynn in a publicity still for ‘Too Naughty to Say No’ (1985)   Suze (right) on the set of ‘Love Bites’ (1985) with Amber Lynn   Suze (second from right) and Amber Lynn in the elevator scene from ‘Love Bites’ (1985)               Suze and Holly     Suze Randall photographs of adult film stars: Ginger Lynn   Ginger Lynn   Amber Lynn   Amber Lynn   Raquel Darrian   Raquel Darrian   Angel   Angel   Christy Canyon   Christy Canyon   Savannah   Savannah   Shauna Grant   Shauna Grant   The post Suze Randall. And Humphry. And Holly. – Podcast 41 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Shanna McCullough always seemed to be full of contradictions. She was a golden age adult film actress, yet she was still in the industry until just a few years ago. She’s an award-winning veteran of 100s of films, but she came from a Christian family and only had a couple of boyfriends before she found herself making her first film. She’s a glamorous sex symbol and a successful feature dancer for many years across the country, but she’s also a tomboy who worked as an electrician and is happy hiking and studying. She’s been in the adult film industry for longer than most actresses, but often takes breaks from the the business so that she can go back to school to study and gain additional academic qualifications. She has always valued her privacy and anonymity – and remains an enigma to her fans, but in the late 1990s she was operating a website giving members 24 hour access to multiple webcams installed in her home. So what’s the truth – will the real Shanna McCullough stand up? Today we’re joined by Shanna, who looks back at a 30 year career, working with many of the greats from the industry, including Alex de Renzy, Henri Pachard, Anthony Spinelli, and her pet python, Monty. This episode running time is 78 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Shanna McCullough pictures: Veronica Hart, Shanna, Candida Royalle Marilyn Chambers, Shanna, Nina Hartley Patti Petite, Sharon Mitchell, Nina Hartley, Shanna Rick Savage, Shanna Shanna, John Leslie Jerry Butler, Shanna Lili Marlene, Shanna Shanna, Henri Pachard (Ron Sullivan) The post Shanna McCullough: Like Ginger Exploding – Podcast 40 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Carter Stevens is back in the game! He recently announced his intention to make a comedy called ‘The Squad’. You can find out more details about his project – and learn how you can help raise the funds – here. Please give generously! In the meantime, we’re re-posting our interview with Carter Stevens – one of The Rialto Report’s earliest podcasts. This episode running time is 68 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ From Carter’s Indiegogo site about ‘The Squad’: “Carter Stevens, one of the most prevalent and beloved directors of the porno-chic era of American adult film making is BACK! In the days when porno had budgets, stories and characters, Stevens was known for filling his 1970s productions with (and in some cases was even responsible for discovering) some of the most recognizable faces in XXX history! Performers like: Deep Throat’s Harry Reems, Cannibal Holocaust’s Robert Kerman, perv-king Jamie Gillis, juicy earth-goddess Annie Sprinkle, the exotic Miss Vanessa Del Rio, the stunning Serena and SO many more! Add to that real scripts, plots, production values way above the norm, and budgets that would put Hollywood to shame, and the result was a Carter Stevens Production. Stevens has also received the lifetime achievement award from the Free Speech Coalition, and many other industry accolades. Then, he doffed his cap to the world of smut, and hung up his assless chaps. But you can’t keep a good man from the Pocono Mountains down, and Stevens is back with something brand new for 2014 – not a hardcore porn movie – but an off-the-wall sex comedy called THE SQUAD! Set in the offbeat, raunchy and colorful world of the late 1970s porn scene that Carter himself knows so well and helped to cultivate and create, THE SQUAD is a cross between Boogie Nights and Police Academy! The plot finds a small group of undercover Police Officers assigned to infiltrate the porn industry by making a porno film of their own!. Their plan works better than ever expected and THE SQUAD produces the most successful porn film in the history of the genre! Then the mayhem REALLY STARTS!” The post Carter Stevens: A Porn Renaissance Man – Podcast 07 (reprise) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Serena was one of the most popular stars of 1970s adult film. She stood out from many other actresses. She was striking, aloof, distant, and cool and had a genuine star quality. She was private and enigmatic too, and details of her life seemed to be mysterious and unknowable. This is set to change however with the publication of her autobiography later this year, entitled ‘Bright Lights, Lonely Nights’ (Bear Manor Media). On this episode of The Rialto Report, we are joined by one of the first directors Serena ever worked with – the rockabilly Rasputin, Johnny Legend, who remains her friend to this day, and who describes what it was like to make ‘Teenage Cruisers’ – one of the strangest films to come out of the golden age – with Serena. And we speak to Serena herself, as she prepares to come back into the public spotlight and reveal all for the first time. This episode running time is 109 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ It’s a complex and compelling story, detailing her life as a teenage runaway, single mother, underage performer in the adult industry, dancing at the Mitchell Brother’s O’Farrell Theater – whilst all the time struggling with undiagnosed mental illness. And then there was Serena’s relationship with Jamie Gillis. It was a striking affair between two of the biggest names in adult film. She was a Californian, hippy red-head. Jamie was a dark, intense New Yorker. She moved to New York to be with him – and their relationship was unusual. It played out in films and in their private lives; on screen Serena would often assume the passive role in explicit S&M scenarios that were notable for their extreme sexual content. Some doubted whether they were truly consensual, whether Serena was being coerced or manipulated. When we spoke to Jamie in the last years of his life before he passed away in 2010, he was clearly still enamored with her. Here’s how he wrote about meeting Serena: “I first eyed Serena when she was posing for Sam Menning in his LA studio in 1973 or 74. She was writhing around naked while Sam snapped away and I was immediately smitten. He told me she was living with some guy in a remote area of northern California. I gave him a “too bad” shrug and left but I never forgot her. A few years later she showed up single in New York City as the featured dancer/stripper at the Show World Center on Eighth Avenue and 42nd St.The place was going strong as a multi-level Times Square sex emporium and as I lived in the area, it was my neighborhood ‘playground’. A couple of floors featured 25 cent peep show girls. What a great relief it was to be able to go look at a naked girl for almost nothing and either stay to masturbate to her or simply bask in the wonder of it all. An upper floor was dedicated to live sex shows but Serena’s act was much more demure. She danced around the stage with very easy, fluid motions, waving her arms overhead as if she were a young sapling bending with the breeze. You weren’t so much aroused by her performance as moved by it. You just wanted to hold her and love her. Maybe I was just pleased that this angelic, blond vision with the great ass and snub nose had come to a place and time where she was within my reach. All I had to do was go backstage to say hello and she was mine”. In 2001, Serena was in a coma that resulted in her losing parts of her memory. She’s written her autobiography by piecing together her life with help from family, friends and fans. It has been a journey of discovery for her almost as much as it will be for the reader. So who is Serena today, and how does she remember the years in the adult films? What does she make of her role as the one-time Queen of Kink? And what is the truth behind her relationship with Jamie Gillis?   Rare Serena photos:       Serena and Bill Margold Serena and Jamie Gillis Serena and Johnny Legend Keep up with Serena: ClassicPornSerena.com Facebook.com/70sStarSerena As you wait for her autobiography, read Serena’s latest writing: ‘The Act Itself’ magazine by Bear Manor Media The post Serena: Hippie, Kinky, Teenage Cruiser – Podcast 39 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we tell the story of the legendary Marty Hodas – ‘King of the Peeps’ – with his only audio interview since the 1970s. Marty introduced peep show machines into Times Square – creating the basis for the adult film industry, and changing the face of New York in the process. His remarkable story is one of sex films, obscenity busts, police harassment, mob heat, Times Square, and millions of dollars. In quarters. Lots and lots of quarters. This episode running time is 52 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Marty Hodas never directed an adult film. And he never appeared in one either. But he played an important role in creating the sex film industry. He did this by introducing peep shows with sex films into adult bookstores in New York in the 1960s. Along the way, he took risks. He set laws. He upset the city. He angered the mob. And he made millions. He changed the face of New York as well; transforming Times Square overnight into a place The New York Times called as “a cesspit of filth – the nation’s centre for the new sex trade”. For a time Marty was all-conquering. He was splashed over the national newspapers. He was described as King of the Peeps. The Merchant of Sleaze. Lord of the Loops. Even Public Enemy Number One. Newspapers in New York reported that he earned $13m a year at his height. Not bad for a poor Jewish kid from Brooklyn. Along the way, he made sex film loops that gave a start to actors such as Linda Lovelace, Harry Reems, Jamie Gillis, and Darby Lloyd Rains. So how was one man responsible for all this? How did he build this empire? And what happened when the forces of law and order and the mob both started closing in him?   On this episode of The Rialto Report, we hear from three people who tell the remarkable story of Marty Hodas and the transformation of Times Square : Marty Hodas owned a coin operated adult movie machine empire in New York in the 1960s and 70s. He was dubbed ‘The King of the Peeps’. With over 200 adult venues, Times Square became the nation’s first retail porn center. Anthony Bianco is one of America’s most experienced and versatile business writers working for BusinessWeek for 27 years; he is author of ‘Ghosts of 42nd Street: A History of America’s Most Infamous Block’ (2004). Kat Long is the author of ‘The Forbidden Apple: A Century of Sex and Sin in New York City’ (2009) – the first book to explore more than 100 years of sexual history and social science in the city that never sleeps.   Ad for a coin-operated movie machine from Urban Industries Inc. – the company that supplied Marty Hodas   Jamie Gillis, Marty Hodas, Larry Revene (2009) The post Marty Hodas: King of the Peeps – Podcast 38 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of Jerry Butler’s autobiography, ‘Raw Talent’. It was opinionated, frenetic, controversial, and entertaining. Just like Jerry Butler himself. Love it or hate it – and many loved it, and many hated it – ‘Raw Talent’ was a revelation. For the first time, a book by an insider blew the lid off the inner workings of the adult film industry and dished the dirt on its stars. It was named after Jerry’s best-known film, which told the story of a talented but struggling actor who gets sucked into making porn films, winning the fame he craved, but losing himself along the way. It was almost like porn was imitating real life. Except, here’s the irony: Jerry Butler’s real life was more extraordinary and crazy than anything he played on the big screen. So what happened to the boy from New York with the raw talent? What’s his place in the golden age of adult film? And how does he look back on that period? On this episode of The Rialto Report, April Hall speaks to three people who know the Jerry Butler story intimately: Bill Margold – industry insider, director, actor, historian – remembers the Jerry Butler years well and, as always, provides his own unique insights. Cathy Tavel wrote ‘Raw Talent’ with Jerry Butler and Robert Rimmer. She remembers what Jerry was like, how she put his life on the page, and the fall-out from the book’s publication. And finally, Jerry Butler himself – now working as a bus driver back in Brooklyn – looks back at the films, the madness, the people, and how he managed to survive the era. Jerry Butler and April Hall, May 2014   As an added bonus, writer Heather Drain from Mondo Heather has written an exclusive essay about Jerry Butler’s film ‘Raw Talent’ which we are proud to present here.       Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere?: Larry Revene’s Raw Talent By Heather Drain Fate’s an interesting creature. Mythological to some, a tangible reality to others and yet, a force that is going to come into play sooner or later. A tiny stroke of fate happened to me on my 18th birthday. Old enough to vote and getting lost in my favorite used bookstore. Like a moth to the flame, I ended up in the film section and standing out in black letters on a red colored spine was Raw Talent. I was not familiar with the book’s main author and subject matter, Jerry Butler, other than maybe the old soul singer though looking at the cover, I immediately knew they were not the same guy. Closer examination revealed that this Butler was a handsome, blonde New York actor with a lot of demons who worked in the adult film industry. There was something about skimming through this man’s words that pulled at me and needless to say, I bought the book. Immediately, I delved in and discovered a revealing, come hell or high water biography that was rivaled only by Klaus Kinski’s incendiary and tortured auto-biography, All I Need is Love. (Ironically, the latter is way more pornographic than Butler’s book.) A lot of controversy resulted with Butler’s lack of a filter regarding what he said about his fellow actors and actresses, though the finest detail is often the one that is most overlooked. There is no person that Jerry Butler is more raw and brutal about than himself. But all of that is for a different article. Raw Talent the book took its title from the 1984 film directed by the great Larry Revene and written by talented screenwriter Joyce Snyder. It is one of Butler’s best and given the emotional depth of his performance here, it is a crime of anyone to associate sensationalism before talent with this guy. Jerry plays Eddie Czeropski, a struggling actor trying to get his foot into the door. The film opens up with Eddie tearing it up an audition. Tears, angst, the whole nine yards, all before a completely jaded set of auditionees. Realizing their lack of attention, Eddie continues his line reading while pulling his dick out of his pants, tugging at it less like a sexual satyr and more like a child demanding to be seen. He promptly gets thrown out back into the pavement jungle that is New York City. Paying the bills with a diner job, Eddie ends up with one especially persnickety customer, who shows up a few minutes before closing. Demanding to see the “whole carcass” of turkey to determine which cut she wants for her white bread club sandwich, this sets him off. Pissed and in the kitchen, Eddie looks up at a nudie photo on the wall and inspiration takes hold. By inspiration, I mean he gets an erection and begins to defile the cooked turkey. It is definitely one of the more surreal sights in adult film history and the ability to carry through with the act while remaining in character should have nabbed Butler an Oscar. You think Ethan Hawke could do any of that? Please. The cooked, seeping turkey has more humanity and character than a lot of Hollywood chumps. While the cranky customer is chow

Sharon Kane is one of the most prolific adult film stars of all time, having featured in 100s of films, videos, and loops over a 30 year period. She began work as an exotic dancer at Alex De Renzy‘s Screening Room in the mid-70’s, before entering the porn industry in 1978 in the film ‘Pretty Peaches‘. Over the next three decades Sharon worked in San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Los Angeles making the transition from film to video, and is member of both the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. Sharon joins Laura Helen Marks and Ashley West at the Rialto Report to talk about growing up in Ohio, stripping in San Francisco, Alex De Renzy and The Screening Room, actors Richard Pacheco, Paul Thomas, and Joey Silvera, living in New York, directors Chuck Vincent, Anthony Spinelli and Gerard Damiano, moving to Los Angeles, bondage, gay, transsexual films and much, much more. This episode running time is 99 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I often wonder what it’s like to be interviewed by the Rialto Report. Most of the people we speak to have left the adult film industry many years ago, and some have done their best not to think back on it too. Then we turn up and ask personal questions about why they did it, what it felt like, and whether they have any regrets. We’re nosy, and we’ve been waiting years to ask these questions for years. We do our best to be respectful and polite, but it’s invasive nonetheless. Most of our interviews are over five hours long and that’s a big ask for anyone. Our relationship with our own past is a complicated thing. So when The Rialto Report’s Dr Laura Helen Marks said that she’d always dreamt of interviewing Sharon Kane, we had two reactions. On the one hand, Sharon Kane is a person who has led a fascinating and important life. For a start, she’s one of the most prolific actresses of all time, having appeared in hundreds of films from the mid 1970s right through to just five or six years ago. She’s lived and worked in all three main American porn hubs – starting in San Francisco before moving to New York and then LA, and along the way she’s acted in 35mm feature films, 8mm loops, and video productions, in straight, gay, transsexual and bondage films. She’s worked in almost every capacity on set; apart from acting, directing, and producing, she’s been the art director, production manager, set designer, make-up artist, and writer of countless films. And she’s composed more film scores than anyone I can think of – many of them uncredited – often singing and playing all the instruments too. Fittingly she’s won as many industry awards as anyone. So in short, how could The Rialto Report not interview Sharon Kane? But then there’s the other side. As much as we wanted to speak to her, Sharon Kane left the adult film industry a few years ago. And when I say she left, she really checked out. She moved away from LA completely, and today lives in a remote rural location, where she seldom has the need or desire to think back to the old days. She’s shy, private and values her personal life. We decided to reach out to her as we wanted to hear her important story, so we got in touch and introduced ourselves. We suggested that she take a look at our website, and perhaps listen to one of the other interviews that we’d done, after all they’re with people she had known for many years. At first Sharon was hesitant but then we got a message back. This podcast is the story of what happened next.   Sharon Kane photos: Sharon Kane’s first appearance on film, ‘Pretty Peaches’ (1977) Sharon Kane performing at the Gay Video Awards Stacey Q, Karen Dior, Sharon Kane The post Sharon Kane: ‘History Should Be Remembered For As Long As It’s Needed’ – Podcast 36 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

This week we return to one of The Rialto Report’s earliest and most downloaded interviews. Long Jeanne Silver – adult film actress and stripper from the 1970s and 1980s – joins us to talk about her life and memories. With thanks to Josh Alan Friedman for the great picture above. Visit his website here. This episode running time is 68 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Long Jeanne Silver packed more life and adventure unto her first 25 years than most manage in a lifetime. For a time in the 1980s, she was a regular in New York adult films and a featured dancer at the Melody Burlesk Theater in the city – but her life started on the other side of the country in Arizona where she was born and spent large parts of her childhood. There she grew up with the stigma of having part of her foot and leg amputated at an early age. By the time she hit New York, just weeks after her 16th birthday in 1976, her rebellious ways meant that she was on the run from the law, and the fun was only just beginning. Shortly after her arrival, she was featured on the pages of men’s magazines like Cheri and High Society, and on the big screen appearing in the notorious film Waterpower. News reached the Mitchell Brothers, the renowned filmmakers and theater owners in San Francisco, who flew her out to join them, and there she appeared in her own show and starred in the Alex De Renzy film ‘Long Jeanne Silver‘ Long Jeanne Silver went on to appear in many adult films in New York, including ‘The Violation of Claudia‘, ‘Prisoner of Pleasure‘, ‘Debbie Does Dallas 2‘, and the notorious Waterpower. On this program, The Rialto Report’s April Hall and Ashley West speak to as Long Jeanne Silver who grants her first interview in 30 years.   Alex De Renzy’s ‘Long Jeanne Silver’: The post Jeanne Silver: Real Wild Child – Podcast 08 (reprise) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Candida Royalle joins The Rialto Report to talk about her life and influential career as a pioneer in the adult film industry. With tales of Brooklyn beginnings, San Francisco in the 70s, the Cockettes, 8mm loops, John Holmes, Bob Chinn, John Leslie, New York in the 80s, Chuck Vincent, Larry Revene, Femme Productions, learning how to skateboard for Pizza Girls…. and much more. As she looks back on her life so far, what does she feel about the unconventional path she’s taken, the choices she’s made, and her role in shaping the adult film industry? This episode running time is 106 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I clicked onto Candida Royalle’s website from a public computer the other day – and got a message saying that her site was blocked due to pornographic content. For some reason I was surprised, though I don’t know why I should be. Candida has been in the adult film industry since the mid 1970s – when she started as an actress on the West Coast before moving to New York. Maybe I was surprised because in some respects you couldn’t meet a more unexpected, even accidental, person in adult film. For a start she’s lived many lives – from her difficult upbringing in Brooklyn, political activism in college, a flower child in San Francisco, artist, singer in theaters and clubs… and then the adult film career. She’s a determined, deep thinker who has strong, complex feelings about the industry she’s been part of for so long. But she’s bold and fearless too. Whenever faced with a fork in the road – Candida has a knack for choosing the direction that will challenge and grow her the most. In 1984 she launched her groundbreaking production company Femme Productions with the goal of making erotic films that reflected women’s emotional and social lives. Detractors accused her of removing the danger from sex. But is there anything more subversive than getting housewives and working women to rush out and embrace films that showed explicit sex for the first time? She was now a producer, director, business women and spokesperson for the films she made. And, as you’ll hear in this interview, today she is starting another new chapter – one that promises to be as interesting as anything that she’s done before. Visit Candida Royalle’s website here.   Candida Royalle photographs: 1975 1975 with then boyfriend Danny at the San Francisco Hooker’s Ball 1980 with Alan Adrian and Sharon Kane Late 1980s Directing Revelations, 1990 Directing The Gift, 1996 At the AVN Awards with Nina Hartley, 2005 Photo by Arthur Cohen, 2007 Photo by Arthur Cohen Receiving an award at the LA Toy Show The post Candida Royalle: ‘Femme’, Feminism, and a Female Icon – Podcast 35 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Three years ago, following the closure of AIM (Adult Industry Medical Associates) which she had founded and managed for over a decade, Sharon Mitchell left Los Angeles and the adult film industry in which she had featured so prominently for over 30 years. How does Sharon Mitchell remember her early days as a porn star in New York in the 1970s, and on the West Coast in the 1980s. How did she come to form AIM, and what happened to lead to such an abrupt departure from the industry. And what is she doing now? On the episode Ashley West and April Hall speak to Sharon Mitchell in one of her first interviews since AIM closed its doors, and look back at a remarkable life and career, and consider what the future holds. With thanks to the photographer, Joyce Baronio, for the featured photograph on this page. This episode running time is 107 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ We always liked Sharon Mitchell. For a start, she stood out from her fellow film actors; most of them looked like they’d walked in from being extras on the set of Charlie’s Angels or The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Sharon seemed like she’d come straight from a Ramones gig at CBGBs. Which she probably had. Somehow she combined the look of a runaway bad kid with the girl next door. She started out in New York as a dancer and actress, and a regular on the New York punk music scene, before becoming a staple in the growing adult film industry as a borderline underage performer. She was frenetic and busy, starring in films and in strip clubs, taking acting and dancing classes, working as a dominatrix, and singing in bands. When the East Coast porn industry started to change, Sharon moved to the West Coast where she was equally prolific and successful. By now Sharon was one the most recognizable figures in the adult film industry, but against the backdrop of this she was battling her own demons resulting in a serious drug habit, and culminating in a brutal attack that left her fighting for her life. Then came the second act. In 1998 following an HIV outbreak in the Adult Entertainment Industry, Sharon Mitchell founded the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation, a nonprofit organization serving sex workers and the general public in areas of HIV testing, counseling and industry-related educational groups. For over a decade AIM tested hundreds of adult film performers per month, establishing itself as the industry’s go-to location for healthcare, before lawsuit led to the clinic’s closure in 2011. AIM had been the culmination of everything that Sharon Mitchell had worked for in her life. She created it, invested her time in it, and believed in it. Its closure was tough on her. So where does that leave Sharon Mitchell? What does she think when she looks back at her remarkable journey from a Catholic schoolgirl in New Jersey to being a porn star on both coasts, and her role in changing the industry forever. And that’s something else I like about her. She’s honest and open, and this interview is as candid and frank as any you’re likely to hear.   The post Sharon Mitchell: Punk Rock Porn Star – Podcast 34 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, Rick Savage talks about his life and career from being a dancer to a sex show performer to becoming a star in the California and New York adult film industries. With tales of Annette Haven, classical ballet, Shanna McCullough, Jim and Artie Mitchell, Video-X-Pix, Joe Sarno, live sex shows in Japan, Traci Lords, public sex in ‘The Streets of New York’, Lois Ayres, serving in the Vietnam War, Charles DeSantos, ‘The Grafenberg Spot’, Harry Reems, the original roadie for Jimi Hendrix and The Who, and much more. This episode running time is 96 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ I once asked Rick Savage how he would describe himself. He said single father and porn actor. He could have added ballet dancer in Boston, theater actor in New York, free spirit and hippy traveller, Vietnam veteran, burlesque stripper in San Francisco, live sex show performer in Japan, and one of the last recognizable stars of the dying New York adult film business. The irony was that Rick moved back to New York just when most other people in the adult film industry were moving to California. Rick had started on the West Coast in the mid-1980s, making films for the Mitchell Brothers, Anthony Spinelli, and Ron Sullivan, working with the likes of Annette Haven, Jamie Gillis, and Kay Parker, during a period when filmmaking was turning to video production, plots were being replaced by gonzo, and Los Angeles became the recognized capital of porn films. In New York, he seemed to be on every Vidway and Video-X-Pix film set, working regularly with Joe Sarno and the Adventure Studios crowd, before creating the public sex themed series, ‘The Streets of New York’, with the ex-roadie for Jimi Hendrix and The Who. So who is the real Rick Savage, how did he go from a ballet scholarship at the Boston Conservatory to making porn films, how do you raise a son single-handedly while being in the adult film industry, what really happened on the set of ‘The Grafenberg Spot’ with Harry Reems and an underage Traci Lords, what do you say if you’re caught having sex on the streets of New York, and what do you do when your son decides to follow you into the X-rated film business?   Rick Savage photos:     Rick Savage in a live sex show, Sapporo, Japan (photo by Zun Lee) The post Rick Savage: New York’s Last Porn Star – Podcast 33 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, Kay Parker talks about her beginnings in war time Birmingham in England to becoming a star in the California adult film industry. With tales of Sex World, Robert McCallum, Taboo, Annette Haven, Caballero, Joey Covington, Jefferson Airplane, Abigail Clayton, John Leslie, ‘V’: The Hot One, Firestorm, Traci Lords, Health Spa, Kat Sunlove, Mike Ranger, Joey Silvera, Kirdy Stevens and much more. Also featuring special appearances by Eric Edwards, Seka, and Richard Pacheco. (The above picture shows Kay with director Anthony Spinelli (Sam Weston)). This episode running time is 100 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Does anyone have a bad word to say about Kay Parker? She made a series of highly successful adult films between the mid 70s and the mid 80s, working with respected directors like Anthony Spinelli, Robert McCallum and Cecil Howard – and it seems that everyone she met loved her. Along the way, she quickly developed a devoted fan base that has stayed loyal long after her retirement, and became a spokesperson for the industry on television and college campuses. She even won an award once for being the class act of the industry. And all this despite the fact that she didn’t make her first film until she was well into her 30s, and still describes herself as the biggest prude in porn. It’s not as if her career was without controversy either; she starred in the incest film ‘Taboo’ for example and many of its sequels, and was working at Caballero when the Traci Lords underage scandal broke. So what’s her secret? Well for a start, she describes herself as a wise old soul that has lived many previous lives that have prepared her for this one. She’s published an autobiography – Taboo, Sacred Don’t Touch – in which she explores this, as well as her career in the adult industry. And more recently she’s worked as a metaphysical counselor and lecturer. But who is the Kay Parker of this life, the one born in England who sounds like she should be in Downton Abbey, the one who made her way to California and ended up being one of the biggest names in the adult film industry? And as she approaches her 70th birthday, what does this wise old soul make of it all today? You can visit Kay’s website here. You can buy Kay’s book and photos from her here.   Kay Parker photos: The premiere of ‘Firestorm’ with Eric Edwards Kay at work at Caballero Annie Sprinkle, Veronica Hart, Kay Parker The post Kay Parker: Many Lives – Podcast 32 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Al Goldstein died in December 2013. He’d been the founder of Screw magazine, which helped break down legal barriers against pornography and raged against politicians, organized religion and anything that suggested good taste. On this special extended episode of The Rialto Report, we look back at Al’s life and legacy – with Al himself in one of his last interviews. We’re also pleased to be joined by special guests – Steven Heller (Screw magazine’s first art director), Josh Alan Friedman (Al’s biographer), and Herald Price Fahringer (Al’s attorney). This episode running time is 118 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Al started Screw with partner Jim Buckley in November 1968 as a weekly tabloid in response to his “dissatisfaction with the sex literature of the day”, and from the start he was the New York anti-Hugh Hefner. He was crude, loud and obnoxious. He railed against sacred cows in the magazine’s pages; in 1973, when the magazine printed nude photos of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, his critics were outraged, and half a million New Yorkers snapped up copies. There was much to enjoy: outrageous cover artwork, adult films reviews, descriptions and adverts for New York swingers clubs and massage parlors, and scathing editorials exposing religious leaders and the government for justifying war while imprisoning erotic magazine publishers like him. Most importantly he was angry. And often he used his irritation to good effect. He quickly took on authorities and won a series of nationally significant obscenity cases. In fact during the magazine’s first three years, Goldstein was arrested 19 times on obscenity charges. You can read The Rialto Report memories of Al here.   We’re proud to be joined by the following guests: Steven Heller was an art director at the New York Times for 33 years. He’s lectured extensively on the history of graphic design and is the author of over 100 books on design and popular culture. And in 1968 at the age of 17, Heller became Screw’s first art director. He knew Al and Jim Buckley before Screw was thought up when they worked together at the New York Free Press, and he worked closely with them in the early years of Screw magazine. Visit Steven Heller’s website here.   Josh Alan Friedman probably knew Al as well as anyone. His first published work was for Screw magazine back in the mid 1970s, and he covered the Times Square beat for Screw during time when few, if any writers, ventured there. Several of his Screw pieces would later appear in his 1986 collection, Tales of Times Square. Friedman continued to write for the magazine eventually holding the position of Senior Editor, and he also worked as a producer on Screw’s cable television show, Midnight Blue. Visit Josh Alan Friedman’s website here.   Herald Price Fahringer, has spent more than 50 years representing high-profile clients such as Claus von Bulow, jazz drummer Buddy Rich, and Hustler magazine publisher, Larry Flynt. He was there when Flynt was gunned down in front of a Georgia courthouse in 1978. But he’s perhaps best known for his lifelong advocacy of First Amendment rights, where he’s been a pioneer in representing people and products that have shocked and offended the mainstream. Fahringer represented Al in numerous court cases since the inception of Screw in 1968.     Thanks to Shane Brown for musical support!   Al Goldstein photos:           The post Al Goldstein: Screw, Midnight Blue, and Fuck You – Podcast 31 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

This week The Rialto Report pays tribute to Gloria Leonard, who died last week, by reprising our 2013 interview with her. This episode running time is 60 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ The Rialto Report interviewed Gloria Leonard in July 2013. Our intention was to speak for a couple of hours about the first half of her life in New York, and to return later in the year for a second interview which would cover her West Coast career. We called her at her home in Hawaii and Gloria was in fine form. We spoke for over four hours about her upbringing in the Bronx, her life as a broker and a publicist for Johnny Carson, and her eventual move into adult films at the age of 35. Along the way, she remembered her old friend Al Goldstein, working with Radley Metzger on The Opening of Misty Beethoven and Maraschino Cherry, her starring vehicle All About Gloria Leonard for Arthur Morowitz and Howie Farber at Distribpix, working for Carl Ruderman at High Society, her friendships with Annie Sprinkle, Veronica Hart, and Jamie Gillis, working with directors Gerard Damiano and Lenny Kirtman, fellow actors Bobby Astyr, Zebedy Colt and John Holmes, and her enduring love for Bobby Hollander. We made tentative plans for the second interview, but unfortunately we never got around to it before the sad news of her passing last week. Her death was covered by the New York Times here. The post Gloria Leonard: The Rialto Report interview – Podcast 16 (reprise) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Veronica Vera joins The Rialto Report to talk with April Hall about her life in the New York sex scene in the 1980s, with tales of adult films, parties, wild clubs, testifying before the Meese Commission, lost weekends, writing, Gerard Damiano, the making of ‘Consenting Adults’, Marc Stevens, Sharon Mitchell, Candida Royalle, Al Goldstein, cable TV shows, Marco Vassi, Robert Mapplethorpe, Al Goldstein and… Joy Behar and Conan O’Brian? With special guest appearance from Annie Sprinkle. This episode running time is 116 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Veronica Vera was at the heart of the New York sex world in the 1970s and 80s; she appeared in porn films, made cable sex shows for New York television, modeled for the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, championed prostitute’s rights, was a regular at clubs like Hellfire, and founded Club 90, a porn star’s support group, with Annie Sprinkle, Gloria Leonard, Candida Royalle and Veronica Hart – that still lives on today. Not bad for a good, Catholic girl from New Jersey who worked for many years on Wall St. Yet at the same time as being a sexual adventurer, she was also an outsider – observing, documenting and chronicling her experiences in a series of magazine articles. She was the George Plimpton of the scene, not content with standing on the sidelines but committing fully to every carnal experience, and then writing about it intelligently and honestly. She was the original blogger, the gonzo journalist of the sex scene. She seemed to know everyone, try everything, and be everywhere. No wonder that when President Reagan ordered a comprehensive investigation into pornography in the mid 1980s, Veronica was the one who headed to Washington to testify before the Meese Commission. And then she founded world’s first cross dressing academy, Miss Vera’s Finishing School For Boys Who Want to be Girls, writing two books on the subject and appearing on countless television shows. Veronica Vera is living an interesting life. And this is her story.   Visit Miss Vera’s Finishing School for Boys Who Want To Be Girls here. Buy Miss Vera’s books here. Buy Consenting Adults, directed by Gerard Damiano starring Veronica Vera and Annie Sprinkle here. Visit Annie Sprinkle’s website here.   Veronica Vera photos: Robert Mapplethorpe portrait Veronica and Stu   The post Veronica Vera: A Consenting Adult – Podcast 30 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this edition of The Rialto Report, we’re joined by the enigmatic and elusive Jonas Middleton, director of Through the Looking Glass. Jonas grants us a rare interview to talk about his three X-rated films from the 1970s – Cherry Blossom (1972), Illusions of a Lady (1974), and Through the Looking Glass (1976) – religion, Catharine Burgess, Jamie Gillis, Christa Helm, Andrea True, Al Levitsky, Joao Fernandes… and the chances of a Through the Looking Glass 2. This episode running time is 62 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jonas Middleton had a significant impact on the New York adult film industry – yet he only directed three films. And two of these – Cherry Blossom and Illusions of a Lady – have rarely been seen since their original release in the early 1970s. He directed his masterwork, Through The Looking Glass, in 1976, and then virtually disappeared from public view for the next 30 years. During that time he rarely thought about the film that was developing such a cult reputation, and when I first contacted him 10 years ago, he was surprised that anyone still remembered it. It’s a striking film, looking like an avant-garde and experimental piece of work, whilst mixing elements of the sex and horror genres. Today Jonas is proud of his artistic achievement, but.. and there’s often a but.. why did it have to contain hardcore sex? You see, Jonas Middleton is a man of religious conviction, and God has never been far away from his life and work. A church group was even responsible for the funding of these sex films. And so it can’t be easy to feel proud and perhaps uncomfortable at the same time. In fact he feels he’s been paying the price for making adult movies ever since the 1970s. This is his first recorded audio interview. In truth I’m not sure how keen he was to do it, but I am grateful that he took the time to talk honestly about his life and work.   Buy Jonas Middleton’s Through the Looking Glass on DVD here. Read about the full story of the Woolworth Mansion, the location for Through the Looking Glass, in our article here. With thanks to Dr. Neil Jackson (University of Lincoln, UK) for sending us the illustrations on this page from the UK and French releases of Through the Looking Glass. You can read Neil’s excellent article “Jonas Middleton: Reflections on Through the Looking Glass” in issue 167 of Video Watchdog.   Jonas’ Middleton’s ‘Through The Looking Glass’ artifacts:   The post Jonas Middleton: God, Church, and ‘Through the Looking Glass’ – Podcast 29 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this special extended holiday edition of The Rialto Report, we’re joined by Richard Pacheco as well as his son Bobby and daughter Polly, to celebrate the publication of his autobiography Hindsight – True Love and Mischief in the Golden Age of Porn. With perspectives on everything from free love, the sexual revolution, marriage, fatherhood, performance issues, penis size, John Leslie, Joey Silvera, Annette Haven, Shauna Grant, Anthony Spinelli, Svetlana, Jamie Gillis, Candy Stripers, being Playgirl Man of the Year, AIDS, Talk Dirty to Me, Reel People…and losing his virginity three times. This episode running time is 114 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ In 1977 whilst working as a handyman, Howie Gordon faced a choice. He’d applied to study history at the Episcopal Theological Seminary at Harvard as well as applying to study to be a rabbi at the Hebrew Union Seminary. It was a tough choice between two such respected institutions, so perhaps it was fortunate that before he could make up his mind, he was also offered an audition to appear in Candy Stripers, an adult film being shot by Bob Chinn. And lo, God created Richard Pacheco. There followed a lengthy career in porn that included appearing in films like Talk Dirty To Me, Insatiable and Nothing To Hide, as well as being Playgirl’s Man of the Year in 1979. He was known for the quality of his acting, his romantic side, and also for being one of the adult industry’s nice guys. But what makes his story more unique is that Howie was married to his wife Carly before he made his first porn film and has been married to her ever since, raising three children along the way. Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes – but what was the truth with Howie and Carly, and how did Richard Pacheco affect their relationship? Howie recently published his autobiography that he’s been working on for almost 30 years – its called Hindsight – True Love and Mischief in the Golden Age of Porn – and its an honest, funny, and revealing look at himself and the West Coast adult film industry of the 70s and 80s. On this episode we hear from the ghost of Richard Pacheco as he looks back at his life and loves, and we also hear from Polly and Bobby, two of his children. What do they think of his career, their mother’s reaction, and what it was like to grow up in the shadow of Richard Pacheco?   Richard Pacheco photos: Howie and Carly’s wedding day       The post Richard Pacheco: A Family Affair – Podcast 28 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we track down the mysterious Ray Horsch, director of The Erotic Memoirs of a Male Chauvinist Pig. With tales of drug smuggling, live sex shows, pornography, industrial espionage, forged Picasso etchings, Jayne Mansfield, Viet Nam desertion, counterfeit $10 bills, meth production, controversial art… and sex with a car? This episode running time is 101 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ In February 1973 Ray Horsch shot his first pornographic film, The Erotic Memoirs of a Male Chauvinist Pig. Deep Throat had been released only six months before – and America was still fascinated with how far a girl had to go to untangle her tingle. Ray’s film was shot in Philadelphia but it stars many of the New York regulars such as Georgina Spelvin, Darby Lloyd Raines, Tina Russell, and Helen Madigan. But this film was no lighthearted comedy about oral sex. Ray’s not that type. In fact his film is remarkable for the number of taboos it covers. Golden shower? Check. Blood? Check. S&M and bondage? Check. Rape? Double Check. Underage sex? What do you think? If you wanted socially redeeming features, you should’ve been down the block checking out Ryan O’Neil playing in “Love Story”. What’s more the film was funded by Sam ‘The Barber’ Larussa of the Phillie mob, it was shot in the house of people working in the local District Attorney office, and when Al Goldstein reviewed it for Screw magazine, he said it was well made but he found it disgusting. Not bad for a filmmaker who’d been working for Sesame Street until then. And yet, consider this. Male Chauvinist Pig is probably the most conventional thing Ray Horsch has ever done. He describes himself as a banknote forger, artist, writer, drug smuggler, art forger, army deserter, fugitive, photographer, sociopath, ex-convict. I don’t argue with anyone with a resume’ like that – except in this case, that’s only half the story. In the 1990s, Ray Horsch return to filmmaking when he produced and directed a series of erotic “couples oriented” documentaries entitled “Lovers” for Candida Royalle’s women-oriented Femme distribution company. At this point he was over 50 years old, and also made appearances in front of the camera in the public sex themed films, Streets of New York, before directing a series of increasingly controversial films that drew accusations of misogyny. I met up with Ray several times a few years ago, and always enjoyed his company. Even though he relished the role of being a villain, and looked the part with his long, wild black hair and an eye patch, I figured that after a life of living dangerously he was probably now happy with a quieter existence, and had left his criminal activity in the past. Apparently when Ray was out running errands one day, his live-in girlfriend called the police to report a suspected intruder at his house. The property was checked and nothing was found, but when the officers looked in the basement, they discovered a vast indoor marijuana growing operation. Equipped with gloves, respirators, and body suits, police officers descended and spent the day removing hundreds of high end marijuana plants. Ray returned home later but seeing the cop cars parked outside he decided to take off by running into the nearby fields before being apprehended. Press reports said the police also found an M-1 carbine rifle and ammunition, whips, chains, handcuffs and graphic photographs. Then it was alleged that Ray had attempted to lure a 9-year-old girl into his car as well. These charges were subsequently proved to be unfounded. Now four years on, he’s been released from jail, and so I was keen to catch up with him.   Ray Horsch photos:   For more details about Ray Horsch, visit his website here. For more details of Candida Royalle, visit her website here. To buy the newly restored version of The Erotic Memoirs of a Male Chauvinist Pig, visit the Distribpix website here. With thanks to Moon in the Gutter for the screen shots. The post Ray Horsch: Sociopathic Villain – Podcast 27 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, April Hall and Laura Helen Marks go in search of the reclusive and elusive 1980s porn star Jeff Stryker. With tales of Jeff’s upbringing, his start as a male stripper, delivering balloon-o-grams, meeting John Travis, Matt Sterling and Chuck Holmes and entering the adult film business, the success of films like Powertool and Jamie Loves Jeff, his notorious shower scene in Stryker Force and his escape from the public eye. April and Laura are also joined by Jeffrey Escoffier, author of Bigger Than Life: The History of Gay Porn Cinema from Beefcake to Hardcore. This episode running time is 70 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ April Hall writes: It all started on my 18th birthday. As a gag, some girlfriends bought me a deck of playing cards. Each of the cards featured the same clean cut yet mysterious looking dark-haired young man in a different pose. Oh and he was naked. And incredibly well endowed. That day my fascination with Jeff Stryker began. And even though this was well before the invention of the internet, Jeff wasn’t hard to find. At least his likeness wasn’t. There was the Jeff Stryker Realistic Dildo, the best selling sex toy in the world. And the Jeff Stryker action figure which if you’re lucky you can still find on eBay. And the photo stills. And the magazine spreads. And the films. But who was the man behind the image? The star of both the incredibly popular gay film Powertool in 1986 and then just two years later one of the best selling straight films, Jamie Loves Jeff. The actor who became known for dominating his sexual partners with his physical prowess and dirty talk. The business man with a merchandizing empire. In recent years, the internet provided me with a few more bits of information, but they only added to the mystery. I found his pay-to-view website, but also a profile of his country music band Jeff Stryker and His Soggy-Bottomed Boyz. And a review of his theater pieces Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time and A Sophisticated Evening with Jeff Stryker. And an article about a feud with a folk-music club owner who Jeff sued, stating noise from the club prevented Jeff from finishing his autobiography. And an ad Jeff did for a bankruptcy attorney who also happened to be his then wife. And a fundraising campaign for a medical marijuana book Jeff wanted to write. But there were few first person accounts of Jeff and no clear way to contact him. My mission to track down Jeff Stryker began…   Jeff Stryker photos: All images courtesy of Jeff Stryker. For more information please visit the following sites: Jeff Stryker’s Official Website Bigger Than Life: The History of Gay Porn Cinema from Beefcake to Hardcore by Jeffrey Escoffier Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story The post Jeff Stryker: Porn’s Enigmatic Star – Podcast 26 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we present a previously unheard interview with the late Jamie Gillis, the adult film actor whose career started in 1971 and spanned the next 35 plus years, including memorable performances in films such as The Opening of Misty Beethoven, The Story of Joanna, The Seduction of Lyn Carter, and Neon Nights. This conversation focuses on his start in the business, with tales of early loops with Bob Wolfe and Sam Menning, still photo shoots with Harold Kovner, performing in live shows, the true story behind the dog who appeared with Linda Lovelace, Tina and Jason Russell, Susan McBain, Plato’s Retreat and the Hellfire Club, being busted on All In The Sex Family, appearing on Tom Snyder‘s TV chat show, Times Square, Carter Stevens, and much more – all on this episode of The Rialto Report. This episode running time is 61 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jamie Gillis. Do I need to say anything else? There are so many interesting filmmakers and actors featured on The Rialto Report, but Jamie Gillis probably personifies the golden age of New York adult films more than any other person. Simply put, I can’t imagine the period without him. And when he died in 2010, the world became a less interesting place to me. He was almost 30 when he started his porn career in early 1971, initially in loops, fetish stills, pseudo sex-documentaries, and then the early one-day wonders. But there was already much more to him than porn. He’d spent large parts of the 1960s traveling in Europe – he worked on a kibbutz in Israel, acted in a mime troupe in Holland, stayed in Rome, Paris, and Hamburg, and lived in an open relationship with two sisters. And their mother. Nothing about Jamie was ever conventional. He could have done many things with his life, but he chose to act in pornographic films and never regretted it. It was something he fell into almost by accident, but something that he never stopped enjoying. He told me once that a producer had been desperate for him to act in a new film. When the producer asked Jamie how much money he wanted for one day’s work, Jamie said that he’d do it for $500. At the end of the shoot, the producer made fun of him saying: “if only you knew me better, you’d have known I’d have paid you $1,000”. Jamie smiled and said to the producer “If you knew me, you’d have known that I’d have done it for free” He was a controversial figure, complex, polarizing even. And he was aware of that, and was amused by his dark public persona and the stories that circulated about him. Sometimes he embraced it too. I remember him saying that he’d once heard the composer John Cage say “If my work is ever accepted, I must move on to the point where it is not”. Jamie liked that. His adult film career was long but I’ll always think of him in the early days on the screens of the New York grindhouses. He used to go to the theaters regularly too. For a time he had a girlfriend who he’d meet in one of the porno theaters. Every Monday afternoon. She was called Angie and every time they met, he’d take her into the theater’s tiny, dirty restroom where they’d have sex. Even by Jamie’s standards this restroom was filthy – he reckoned no cleaner had been near it for weeks. One day Angie didn’t show, so Jamie took another girl into the dirty restroom instead. And when he emerged, there was Angie standing by the door in tears. “How could you go in there with someone else”, she said. “That’s our special place”. This is our place. And this one’s for you, boss. Jamie Gillis, with Tina Russell The post Jamie Gillis: New York Beginnings – Podcast 25 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we speak to Herschel Savage, the veteran adult film actor who entered the business in New York in 1976 and recently appeared in Paul Thomas’ The New Behind the Green Door. Tales of Mr Mustard, Sharon Mitchell, performing in live shows at Show World, Debbie Does Dallas, Joe Davian, Jamie Gillis, Marlene Willoughby, Times Square, Carter Stevens, and much more – all on this episode of The Rialto Report. This episode running time is 93 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ If you had to name a prolific New York actor from the golden age of adult film, you might think of Harry Reems, Jamie Gillis, or Eric Edwards, who between them acted in a total of almost 1000 films. But what about Herschel Savage – who acted in more films than all three of them put together? Herschel started out in the industry making loops in 1976, and was a regular actor until – well, he’s still going strong. He turns 61 in a few weeks time, and he’s just appeared in Paul Thomas’ remake The New Behind the Green Door. Over the course of his career, he’s worked with everyone, and even appeared recently as Gerard Damiano on stage in The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, where he received excellent reviews. Yet he remains a man of contradictions. He’s a shy, troubled kid from Brooklyn who felt more comfortable on stage in a theater. He’s a New York Jew who’s now a Buddhist living in California. And he’s a loyal adult industry regular who has some surprising views on the business itself. In the last few years work has slowed down, so what happens now? What does someone who has spent most of his working life having sex in front of a camera do when he’s finally aged out of the business? On this episode of The Rialto Report, Ashley West and April Hall are joined by the man himself, Herschel Savage, to talk about an eventful life, a personal philosophy, and an uncertain future.   Herschel Savage in pictures         The post Herschel Savage: The Evergreen Porn Star – Podcast 24 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we speak to Seka – the last star of the golden age of adult film and the first star of the video era. Tales of John Holmes, John Leslie, Dracula Sucks, Swedish Erotica, drugs, boyfriends, Morton Downey Jr, Alan Thicke, Sam Kinison, comebacks, retirement, and her new book Inside Seka – all on this episode of The Rialto Report. This episode running time is 71 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Dottie was a Virginia hillbilly. She was a tomboy who had little time for dressing up or playing with other girls. Seka is the elegant and sophisticated Platinum Princess, arguably the last icon of the golden era of adult film, as well as the first icon of porn’s video era. For a time her distinctive look dominated the industry as she appeared in feature films, Swedish Erotica loops and on the stripping circuit. How Dottie became Seka is the subject of her newly published autobiography, named after her most famous film, Inside Seka. She was one of the rare figures who transcended the X-rated business. In the 1980s, Playboy called her “a bona-fide video phenomenon—just like Boy George and stereo television.” She appeared on talk shows and in mainstream magazines, she directed and produced her own film, and spoke in front of Meese Commission. Here was a strong, independent woman who showed that women could be sex symbols in front of the camera, as well as having significant control over the end product. Long after she retired she was still running her fan club, making lucrative personal appearances, and being recognized on the streets of her adopted home town of Chicago, where she’d become a local celebrity. On this episode of The Rialto Report, I’m joined by my co-presenter, April Hall, and by Seka herself who talks frankly and openly about her life, the films, the money, the boyfriends, the drugs, the celebrities, the sex. You can buy copies of her book here.   Seka pictures: The post Seka: The Platinum Princess Speaks – Podcast 23 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we speak to Eric Edwards – adult film actor and director from the 1970s through to the 1990s. Tales of lives lived and loves lost.. 8mm loops, one-day wonders, feature films and video, Linda Lovelace, summer stock theater, John and Bo Derek, Waterpower, Arcadia Lake, Gerard Damiano, Renee Summers, Firestorm, Cecil Howard, Long Jean Silver, Chris Jordan, and much more – all on this episode of The Rialto Report. This episode running time is 92 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Eric Edwards is a shy man. And he’s deeply romantic too. So how did he have such a successful career in the adult film industry, outlasting everyone else from the early days? Eric was there at the beginning appearing with Linda Lovelace and others in silent black and white loops that look prehistoric today. For the first fifteen years, he acted in the full range of adult features, from ambitious productions by Radley Metzger, Gerry Damiano and Cecil Howard, through to cheap one day wonders whose titles he never knew. Then in the mid 1980s, he moved behind the camera and shot a series of sensitive and artistic features for the couples market. Throughout this time, he had significant relationships with several notable women from the industry. Firstly he married Chris Jordan, who featured in a number of soft core films in the early 1970s. Then he lived with Arcadia Lake – star of films like Debbie Does Dallas and Neon Nights. Finally he married the actress Renee Summers in the 1980s. All had their moments but failed to give Eric the long-lasting romantic dream he craved. Recent years have been tough for Eric, with a series of personal tragedies and health issues that finally forced him into retirement, but his experience in the industry over three decades is second to none. I’m very happy to be joined today by my co-presenter, Laura Helen Marks, our resident Doctor of golden age adult film. This is the story of Eric Edwards. An unlikely porn star.   Eric Edwards photographs: The post Eric Edwards: Twilight of a Shy Porn Star – Podcast 22 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we find out what happened to Helga Sven, star of 1980s adult films and magazine layouts, and also speak to a fan of hers who tracked her down and has his own unique story to tell. Tales of mid-1980s video porn, the Vegas mob, Stalin’s Red Army, John Holmes, child abduction, Frank Sinatra, arson, attempted murder, and Candy Samples – all on this episode of The Rialto Report. This episode running time is 78 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ When older actresses started to appear in adult films in the 1980s, I always wondered: How does someone who has never appeared in front of a movie camera suddenly become a pornographic film star at a relatively late age? I figured they were probably restless housewives looking for glamor and excitement, one last fling before the retirement community beckoned. Or maybe they were prostitutes, looking to raise their value in the growing market for X-rated videos. It had to one of the two, right? Boredom or business. One actress who stood out was Helga Sven. She was a formidable looking blonde with an accent that was as heavy as her chest. She looked like a 50 year old Zsa Zsa Gabor and for a short time in the mid 1980s, she was all over the sex magazines of the era. She was prolific in films too starring in 30 or so, such as Beyond Taboo (1984) as the incestuous mother, Thrill Street Blues (1985) where she plays a madame, and Anthony Spinelli’s Spectators (1984). She appeared with industry veterans like John Holmes and Candy Samples, as well as the new breed of video stars like Traci Lords and Tom Byron. Sometimes she showed up as Helga. Other times it was Ursula. Or Polly. Or Sabrina. In truth even people in the industry knew nothing about her. She was well-liked however. Jerry Butler described her as a ‘real woman’ in his biography ‘Raw Talent’, saying that there were a lot of girls in this business, but very few women. And then just as quickly as she appeared, in 1986 she disappeared again. So where had she come from, and where had she gone? As it turned out, I wasn’t the only one who was wondering. A small but determined cult of Helga started to grow, sharing information about her and trying to work out who she was. One fan in particular was keen to track her down. His name is Klaus, and this is his story too. He’s been a fan of Helga’s since the first time he set eyes on her in a magazine in a German porn shop in 1984. And when I say a fan, I mean he’s a fan.   Helga Sven photographs:   The post Helga Sven: Her Mystery. And Her Fan. – Podcast 21 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we take a look at the making of the film Deep Throat – and are joined by Gerard Damiano Jr, son of the director of Deep Throat, and Eric Danville, author of The Complete Linda Lovelace. This episode running time is 80 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ It was once said that history is just a series of accumulated imaginative inventions. And that certainly seems true in the case of the story behind the making of the film Deep Throat. On the face of it, the basic facts are simple and well known: in June 1972, Deep Throat was released in New York and soon reached a level of mainstream attention unprecedented for a pornographic film. Not that many hard core films were being made at that time, but this one featured a plot, a soundtrack, and a gimmick that for a while everyone seemed to be talking about. The film launched the “porno chic” phenomenon, was seen by celebrities, was busted, banned, and became the subject of high profile obscenity trials. One undeniable fact is that it made money. Lots of it. $600 million claimed some sources. Who knows the exact figure for sure? And by then the back stories had emerged. The film was said to have been financed by organized crime, that the producer Lou Perry was actually a mobster called Louis Peraino, and the director Jerry Gerard was really Gerard Damiano, a hairdresser from Queens. Most damaging of all were the eventual claims by the film’s star, Linda Lovelace, that she was forced to appear in the movie with a gun held to her head, and that she was beaten up during the film’s shoot by her husband, Chuck Traynor, as the rest of the cast and crew stood by and failed to intervene. The proof, she said, is there for all to see as evidenced by the bruises on her body that you can see in the film. And so began the battle of Deep Throat, involving Women Against Pornography, pro-porn feminists, freedom of speech activists, adult filmmakers, and just everyone who thought they knew the truth and wanted to use it to their advantage. And now in 2013, Hollywood cashes in. Lovelace the movie is released. And the same arguments and guesswork resurface all over again. What really happened back in 1972? What was the truth behind Linda’s relationship with Chuck? And what was the role of Gerry Damiano? At the heart of the questions are two people, Gerard Damiano and Linda Lovelace, whose lives were never the same again. To shed some light on Deep Throat and the lives of Gerard and Linda, we’re joined by two people who know more than most: Gerard Damiano Jr. and Eric Danville. Gerard is the son of the director of Deep Throat and remembers being on the set of the film back in 1972. He was assisting his father write his autobiography when Gerry passed away in 2008. Eric knew Linda and interviewed her extensively. He published a bio-bibliography of her called The Complete Linda Lovelace in 2001, a year before she died in a car accident. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. It’s time to dig a little deeper. For more information about Eric Danville’s book The Complete Linda Lovelace, visit his site. To purchase the Deep Throat soundtrack, visit The Light in the Attic website. To purchase the film Deep Throat, visit the Arrow Productions website.   ‘Deep Throat’ archives: The post Deep Throat: Damiano, Lovelace.. and ‘Lovelace’ – Podcast 20 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we’re joined by Uschi Digard – legendary star of 1970s sexploitation films and magazine spreads, and frequent collaborator of Russ Meyer. This episode running time is 67 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Uschi Digard always seemed to be larger than life. She was an indestructible, formidable pin up beauty who was emblematic of the sexual revolution in California. From the late 1960s through to the early 1980s, she was in hundreds of magazine spreads, had many issues dedicated to her, and appeared in countless softcore films. Her Amazonian features and natural good looks meant that she was always in demand as she proved popular with fans. Or in the words of director Russ Meyer, her close friend and frequent collaborator, she was a buxom cantilevered barracuda who was a Trojan at work. Russ was a man’s man, a World War 2 veteran, and a tough task master, and in Uschi he met his match and found the perfect foil. The combination of her sex appeal with her unsentimental, tireless work ethic resulted in a close friendship that lasted decades. But for someone with such a larger than life presence, Uschi was also elusive and deeply private. Her face and body may have been all over the magazines but her own voice was notably absent. Throughout her long career as a nude model and actress she revealed everything, but revealed nothing. She rarely gave interviews, and the scant biographical information that was published was often fabricated. It was said that she was an interpreter at the United Nations, she came from Sweden, she had a perfume line that was big in Asia, and if her published birth date is to be believed then she recently celebrated her 65th birthday. All this is false. And as it turns out, the wealth of untrue information bothers Uschi herself as well. So, in order to set the record straight, she recently wrote a biography called ‘I Used To Be Uschi’ just to finally set the record straight. The trouble is how do you correct so many misconceptions without drawing attention to yourself? How do you go public but stay private? On this episode of The Rialto Report, we’re very happy that Uschi Digard has agreed to talk about her life. For someone who never wanted the attention of being a star, we’re truly grateful to her. The Rialto Report is indebted to photographer, Paul Johnson, for the first three pictures below. For more excellent photos by Paul and information about his life, visit Paul’s website at Paul’s Fantasy.   Uschi Digard photographs: The post Uschi Digard: SuperSoul – Podcast 19 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, we’re joined by Bob Chinn – director of the Johnny Wadd series of films starring John Holmes, as well as the man behind films such as Candy Stripers, Little Orphan Dusty, and Hot & Saucy Pizza Girls. We’re also pleased to welcome Jill Nelson – author of John Holmes: A Life Measured In Inches, and Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema as our guest co-presenter. This episode running time is 98 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ When Paul Thomas Anderson was asked which ten films influenced his break-out movie Boogie Nights, he mentioned films by Scorsese, Kurosawa, Altman and Truffaut. And Bob Chinn’s The Jade Pussycat (1977). Of course he did. Whilst a number of people claim that characters in Anderson’s film were based on them, in reality Boogie Nights borrowed most heavily from Bob Chinn’s experience making the Johnny Wadd series of detective films with John Holmes. Anderson even copied some of the scenes directly from Bob’s films. Bob was one of the first directors to work with Holmes and he’s still best known for the series of successful films they made over the best part of a decade. But there’s much more to him than just this. He was there in the 1960s, making clandestine beaver girl loops to support his family in the late 1960s. He was there in the 1970s and 1980s, making hugely profitable feature length films in LA, San Francisco and Hawaii with stars like Rene Bond, Desiree Cousteau, and Jesie St James. And he was still there at turn of the century making films with yet another new generation. Bob Chinn’s a walking encyclopedia of the West Coast adult film scene over these decades, and one of the most self-effacing people you could meet. And maybe that’s been to his detriment – as he’s always preferred to remain in the background and let others do the talking. Fortunately that’s about to change with his soon-to-be published autobiography, which finally tells the story from his own perspective. On today’s show, I’m pleased to be joined by my co-presenter Jill Nelson – an expert in the golden age of adult films who has written extensively on the subject. Please support Jill by buying her books and following her at – John Holmes: A Life Measured In Inches (out in hardback soon!) John Holmes: A Life Measured In Inches – Blog Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema   A brief extract from the podcast interview with Bob Chinn: Do you remember first meeting John Holmes? Yes I do. He came into our office one day looking for work as a gaffer, but my three-man crew was already set and I told him I didn’t have a job for him. Then he told me that he was also an actor. What were your first impressions of him? He was tall and skinny and his hair was done up in an Afro which seemed totally inappropriate for him since it gave him a sort of goofy appearance. I really didn’t see any potential in using him as an actor until he lowered his pants. How did the situation arise for you to see how well endowed he was? As I said, I didn’t really see any potential in using him as an actor but we were obligated to be gracious so I had my partner Alain take his application and finish the interview while I went back to work in the next room to finish editing a trailer that had to be done before the end of the day. After a few minutes my partner came out and said, “Bob, you got to see this guy’s dick.” I said, “That’s about the last thing in the world I want to do – look at some tall skinny guy’s dick.” But my partner insisted so I humored him and went back in the room. John had pulled up his pants at that point but when Alain said, “Show him,” he let them down again, and I was suddenly staring at what happened to be the biggest cock I had ever seen in my life. The guy was hung like a horse. Well, I didn’t have to think twice. I said something like “Maybe we can fit you into the shoot this weekend. You free on Sunday?” He replied, “Sure I’m available. But I’m never free.” I said, “Oh, so we have a comedian, do we? We pay fifty dollars a day.” He pulled up his pants and said, “Well I get seventy five.” We were making these films on a $750 budget and every buck counted so I said, “No way,” and he came back with “That’s what everybody pays me. I won’t work for less. Besides,” he continued, “I can do four sex scenes in one day.” After quickly calculating that if he did four sex scenes I could save money by not hiring another actor I said, “Ok, Bro – seventy five it is, but the Afro’s got to go.” Was he ambitious? He was interested in working. He showed up at the location on time and ready for work. I think, like us, he li

On this episode The Rialto Report is joined by Susan McBain – star of the 1970’s New York adult film scene. This episode running time is 42 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Susan McBain was one of the instantly recognizable actresses in 1970s New York adult film. She was a talented, witty actress, whose presence always enhanced the movies in which she appeared. And she acted with nearly all the notable directors of the time – including Gerry Damiano, Radley Metzger, Carter Stevens, and Chuck Vincent. She looked elegant, spoke well, and had the appearance of a private, well to do girl next door. As it turns out, she did come from an affluent family. And she was and is private too. In fact since she left the industry in the late 70s, she’s not spoken about it with anyone – not even her family or friends. As a result Susan McBain is not easily persuaded to be interviewed – and there are areas of her life that are off-limits. She worked in the music industry and mainstream movies for example – and is unwilling to kiss and tell about either period. But she has agreed to talk with us about her time in adult films – even though she probably can’t quite understand why anyone would still have an interest. She doesn’t regret her involvement – she’d just rather not be talking about it. After all it’s been over 35 years since she made her last film appearance, and today she remembers few of her 30 or so films. A few do stand out for her however – Odyssey, Barbara Broadcast, The Farmer’s Daughters, Obsessed, and Rollerbabies, as well as the loops that she made with the New York husband and wife team – Peter and Iris. Her life hasn’t been an easy one and in recent years, she’s suffered from multiple debilitating health issues – but today she remains the same happy and gracious presence she always was. We’re grateful she agreed to speak to us in what may be her only interview about her life as one of the stars of the golden age of adult film in New York.   Susan McBain pictures: The post Susan McBain: A Personal Odyssey – Podcast 17 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode The Rialto Report is joined by Gloria Leonard – the grand dame of the 1970’s New York adult film scene. This episode running time is 60 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Gloria Leonard’s career in the adult film industry defies any attempt at a brief introduction. She started her career in the 1970s as an actress appearing in films by the likes of Radley Metzger and Gerard Damiano – but was soon managing men’s magazine High Society, presenting some of the first adult cable access television shows, and helping pioneer hugely commercial ventures like phone sex lines and celebrity skin. She served on the boards of free speech and adult industry organizations, and travelled the country to appear on every chat show there was to discuss feminism and pornography. What makes her achievements all the more remarkable is that she was a 35 year old single mother when she entered the industry – whose previous work experience had included doing PR for Johnny Carson and an impotent bull, trading commodities on Wall St, and writing some of the first liner notes for Elektra Records. Even Radley Metzger once commented that he would probably be best remembered for the person who discovered Gloria Leonard. So how did a girl from the Bronx who was a teenager in the 1950s go on to become the grande dame of the adult film industry? How does she remember her experiences? And what is she doing nowadays? On this episode of the Rialto Report, Gloria Leonard talks of an altogether different age; where adult films tried to emulate Hollywood and the difference between pornography and erotica was just the lighting.   Rare Gloria Leonard photographs from the premiere of ‘All About Gloria Leonard’:   The post Gloria Leonard: The New York Years – Podcast 16 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, Wakefield Poole talks with remarkable candor about his life as a independent filmmaker and pioneer of gay rights, and Jim Tushinski talks about his new documentary, I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole. It’s a story of great highs, tragic lows, dance, films, drugs, acclaim, censorship, Fire Island, bath houses, AIDS, the mob, and much more. This episode running time is 97 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Wakefield Poole has had quite a life. As a dancer he was a child prodigy, and in the late 1950s, he joined the Ballet Russe before going on to be in demand as a dancer, choreographer, and director on Broadway and in television for much of the 1960s. By the late 1960s, Wakefield had started experimenting with film, producing a number of acclaimed multimedia shows in New York, and then in 1971, he made his directorial film debut with the groundbreaking Boys in the Sand. Forget Deep Throat and porno chic for a moment. Boys in the Sand came out earlier, was critically acclaimed, and was a huge and artistic commercial success. It provided a template on how to market a sex film. It also launched the career of Casey Donovan, an iconic vision of gay masculinity. Not bad for a gay porn film that cost less than $5,000 to make. Wakefield’s cinematic style was immediately was immediately evident; here was a filmmaker who used his dance and theater background to create beautiful, erotic art films that engaged your mind as well as your senses. This was an era where making pornographic films meant that you were liable for prosecution and jail time. But Wakefield remained open, honest and outspoken – probably because he didn’t think of himself as a pornographer. He believed that films could be artistic as well as sexually explicit. In 1972, Wakefield went one step better and made Bijou – a surreal, psychedelic vision of sexual decadence that was an even more impressive film. It was another big hit. And then disaster. He and producer Marvin Shulman attempted to make a crossover film. It was called Bible! and was based on a trio of Old Testament stories about famous Biblical figures. It even starred Georgina Spelvin as Bathsheba. This time the production was lavish, the budget was extravagant, the film’s reception was cool. Wakefield’s life was turned dramatically upside down by the experience. 2013 sees the release of a documentary about Wakefield Poole’s life called I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole. It’s directed and produced by Jim Tushinski, who also directed the excellent 2005 film That Man: Peter Berlin. His new film is an important work about an important filmmaker; please visit Jim’s website and consider becoming a donor. The chances are that whenever it is that you’re reading this, Jim is probably still paying for this excellent and worthwhile project. We need smart documentarians like Jim just as much as we need lyrical fimmakers like Wakefield Poole. I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole – Official Website I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole – Facebook Jim Tushinski website     The post Wakefield Poole: Theater, Dance and Porn – Podcast 14 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Shootings, murder plots, psychics, boat chases, fights – and that’s only what happened behind the scenes on the adult movie Captain Lust (1976). But what really happened on set? On this Rialto Report, we speak to the Steven Barry – the scriptwriter, Carter Stevens – the production manager, and finally Beau Buchanan – the film’s director, about the events of August 1976 and the shooting of Captain Lust. This episode running time is 64 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Captain Lust I’ve always been intrigued by this 1976 film; it’s an entertaining porn, musical, pirate film – costing well over $100,000 to make – that was inspired by the 1976 American bicentennial celebrations where scores of tall ships convened in the New York harbor. It tells the story of Captain Lust who discovers the lost treasure map tattooed in Latin on the member of a dumb monk (played by Bobby Astyr). So he kidnaps a nun to read the map for him – but finds himself pursued by Wade Nichols, Jamie Gillis and a host of pirate women including Sharon Mitchell, Ming Toy and Veri Knotti – who demonstrates exactly why she’s called Veri Knotti. But that’s only half the story. For years, wild rumors circulated about the making of the movie. The film’s huge budget was supposedly funded by a psychic, who knew the director because she was in touch with a recently deceased friend of the director. The lengthy shoot all took place on a boat miles out to sea, where they were said to be chased by coastguards, customs officers, and swarms of fishermen. One actress was allegedly shot in the chest, whilst another actor fell off the rigging into the water amidst rumors that he never re-surfaced. At one stage, the director was even said to have locked the cast below deck where they were almost suffocated by the smoke machines that were being used to create atmospheric effects for the filming. There were rumors that the cast and crew discussed bumping off the director whilst they were out to sea. And then after the end of the shot, much of the footage mysteriously disappeared at the lab, meaning that it had to be shot all over again. Forget Pirates of the Caribbean, what really happened during the making of Captain Lust? On this Rialto Report, I speak to the Steven Barry – the scriptwriter, Carter Stevens – the production manager, and finally Beau Buchanan – the film’s director, for the first time about the crazy events of August 1976. Three different versions of the truth. One Rialto Report. As a postscript, the original camera negative of Captain Lust has recently been located by the film preservation company, Vinegar Syndrome. It is in pristine condition, and is being prepared for a possible future release in association with the film’s director, Beau Buchanan. Correction: When talking about the movie Snuff in this episode of The Rialto Report, reference was made to Walter Sear being the person that came up with the idea for Snuff. Steven Barry now remembers that it was in fact Jack Bravman who first thought of the idea. The post Captain Lust: The Truth Behind the Myth – Podcast 13 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Robert Kerman, star of Debbie Does Dallas and scores of porn films in the 1970s and 1980s, joins the Rialto Report to talk about his life as a struggling actor in New York, driving a cab to make ends meet, his move into adult film work in New York, how he nearly broke into the mainstream – and how he feels about it all nowadays. This episode running time is 55 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Robert Kerman is an actor. Plain and simple. And he’s good at it too. He’s been in movies like The Goodbye Girl with Richard Dreyfuss and No Way Out with Kevin Costner, and a surprising number of 1980s TV shows too. It’s just those adult films that he made that he’s not sure about. Not that he’s against porn. He enjoyed working with directors like Joe Sarno, Joe Davian, and Gerard Damiano, and actresses like Vanessa Del Rio, Veronica Hart, and Bambi Woods. Who wouldn’t? It’s just that, why did it have to be him that made almost 200 films, not to mention countless loops, between 1975 and the late 1980s? Somewhere in a parallel universe, Robert Kerman is a successful character actor, regularly employed in theater and film, and appreciated for his craft. The problem is that in this world, he’s R. Bolla, and he’s still recognized for being Mr Greenfield in Debbie Does Dallas rather than for his Hamlet. There’s no such thing as an ex porn star. In this episode of The Rialto Report, R. Bolla talks with Ashley West and April Hall with great honesty about his love of acting, the porn years, the cannibal films, the attempts to go legit, God, drugs, hitting rock bottom, and much more…   R. Bolla pictures:               The post R. Bolla: Adult Film’s Method Actor – Podcast 12 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Georgina Spelvin, the star of The Devil in Miss Jones, talks about her upbringing in Texas, her Broadway career, her political activism, and her adult film work in New York. This episode running time is 74 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Georgina Spelvin is an icon of adult cinema. In 1973 she starred in Gerard Damiano’s landmark film The Devil in Miss Jones, playing Justine Jones, a lonely, depressed spinster who kills herself to escape her dull, sexless existence. Her suicide prevents her from being accepted into Heaven, so she begs to be allowed to return to earth once more – so she can catch up on lost time by becoming the embodiment of lust. Allowed back in the real world, she takes full advantage of her temporary reprieve by engaging in a number of increasingly adventurous sexual encounters. Georgina Spelvin was an unusual sex star. For a start she was 36 when she appeared in Miss Jones, and had originally only been hired as the cook on the set of the film. In fact, she’d only applied for the job as the anti-war film collective that she’d started needed the funds to pay the rent on their editing space. Before all this, she’d enjoyed a long career on the stage, appearing on Broadway in The Pajama Game, and touring the world with various musical productions throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In 2006, Georgina Spelvin published her critically acclaimed autobiography, The Devil Made Me Do it where she wrote eloquently and candidly about her life in and out of the adult film industry. On this episode I talk to Georgina about her memories of the early part of her life – the New York years, where she lived and worked for two decades before moving to California in the mid 1970s.   Georgina’s book can be purchased here. Georgina’s blog can be found here. The post Georgina Spelvin: The Devil, Miss Jones and the New York Years – Podcast 11 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Larry Revene, prolific director and cinematographer in the adult film industry in the 1970s and 1980s, joins The Rialto Report to talk about his start in the business: making 8mm loops with Bob Wolfe in the ‘dirty basement’ studio on 14th St in New York. This episode running time is 61 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Larry Revene: And in the beginning there were loops. Hard core sex on short, silent 8mm strips of film. Made for the peepshows in Times Square. Or for sale in a brown paper bag under the counter. Deep Throat hadn’t yet been released. Couples hadn’t started going to see sex films together. This porno wasn’t chic. These loops look grimy, illicit, often primitive. They were made cheaply without much artistry, and yet their spontaneity and self consciousness often has a charm. And watching them today, you can’t help but have questions: Who made them? Who watched them? And who appeared in them? Sure you see appearances by future stars like Harry Reems, Eric Edwards, even Linda Lovelace, but more often they feature a wide range of fresh looking people making their one and only appearance in front of a pornographer’s camera. Who knows what was considered obscene and therefore illegal at this time? But these explicit loops definitely seemed to fall the wrong side of the law – especially when the sex acts extended beyond the straight forward vanilla. And all this attracted the mob – who targeted the labs, the book stores, the distribution channels – and the filmmakers themselves. Many of the early pioneers of hard core loops in New York have passed into legend; men like Sam Menning, who started out by taking photos of Bettie Page in the 1950s, or Sal Sodano, who fled New York in 1972 when a contract was taken out on his life. But the most notable loop maker was Bob Wolfe. Bob worked out of a notorious basement studio on West 14th St in New York, where people like Jamie Gillis and Tina and Jason Russell got their start in the business. For several years from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, Bob’s operation was the epicenter for loops. On this episode, The Rialto Report is joined by Larry Revene whose long career in the adult film industry started as Bob Wolfe’s assistant. Together they made hundreds of loops over a three year period. After years of silence about this part of his career, Larry recently published the first volume of his biography – called Wham Bam Ba Da Boom in which he remembers this time. Larry Revene’s book can be purchased here. Larry Revene’s blog can be found here.     The post Larry Revene: Loops and Organized Crime – Podcast 10 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

The Rialto Report takes a detailed look back at the making of The Naughty Victorians: An Erotic Tale of a Maiden’s Revenge (1975). This episode running time is 76 minutes. The Naughty Victorians is not your typical New York adult porn film. For a start it’s a costume drama set in Victorian England. It’s based on an underground literary classic, the notorious, sado-masochistic erotic novel The Way of a Man with a Maid which was published over a century ago. The film’s director was a successful figure in theater and television who’d never see an adult film before, and the film even boasts an unlikely English thespian in the lead male role. But in other respects the subject is well suited to New York porno chic. It tells the story of Jack who lures women into an erotic torture chamber in his house, where he has an impressive collection of whips, restraints and bondage devices. There he forces them into submission before they conspire to have their revenge. It’s an impressive production, with a witty script, entertaining performances, and great set and costumes. Hugh Hefner even described to to be “the best, most professionally produced erotic film today”. On this episode of The Rialto Report, we’re joined by the director and two leads of The Naughty Victorians who talk at length about their memories of it, as well as our special guest co-presenter, Laura Marks, whose current work focuses on hardcore film adaptations of Victorian literature.   ‘The Naughty Victorians’ (1975) screenshots:         The post The Naughty Victorians (1975) – Podcast 09 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Jeanne Silver – adult film actress and stripper from the 1970s and 1980s – joins The Rialto Report to talk about her life and memories. This episode running time is 68 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jeanne Silver packed more life and adventure unto her first 25 years than most manage in a lifetime. For a time in the 1980s, she was a regular in New York adult films and a featured dancer at the Melody Burlesk Theater in the city – but her life started on the other side of the country in Arizona where she was born and spent large parts of her childhood. There she grew up with the stigma of having part of her foot and leg amputated at an early age. By the time she hit New York, just weeks after her 16th birthday in 1976, her rebellious ways meant that she was on the run from the law, and the fun was only just beginning. Shortly after her arrival, she was featured on the pages of men’s magazines like Cheri and High Society, and on the big screen appearing in the notorious film Waterpower. News reached the Mitchell Brothers, the renowned filmmakers and theater owners in San Francisco, who flew her out to join them, and there she appeared in her own show and starred in the Alex De Renzy film Long Jeanne Silver. On this program, The Rialto Report welcomes guest presenter, April Hall, as Jeanne Silver grants her first interview in 30 years.   From Jeanne Silver’s Wikipedia page: Long Jeanne Silver is an American former pornographic actress, known for using the stump of her amputated leg to penetrate her sexual partner in her movies during the 1970s and 1980s. Prior to pornography, she had worked as a stripper. She was also featured in the self-titled movie, Long Jeanne Silver. Annie Sprinkle and Silver were once arrested in Rhode Island for producing a magazine that featured a shoot where Silver penetrated Sprinkle with her stump. The typesetter for the magazine that was hired turned out to be an undercover police officer. The police had surveilled them for a month before arresting the group. Sprinkle and Silver were charged with multiple felony counts including obscenity and sodomy-related charges. Their charges were eventually dropped. She was inducted into the Legends of Erotica Hall of Fame on January 23, 2015.   Jeanne Silver photographs:       The post Jeanne Silver: Real Wild Child – Podcast 08 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Carter Stevens – actor, director, producer – joins The Rialto Report to talk about the highs and lows of his eventful life and career. This episode running time is 68 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Carter Stevens is one of the adult film industry’s true originals. He started to make his first feature film before the landmark success of ‘Deep Throat’, and he was still in the sex business thirty years later. For a time it seemed like he was everywhere. In the 1970s and 1980s, he directed a series of increasingly popular and ambitious films that included Lickity-Split, Teenage Twins, Rollerbabies and Honeymoon Haven. He was just as prolific as an actor too, and was a regular, uncredited crew member for many mainstream and adult film productions. He made loops, directed a series of films for the Avon Theater chain, and fought battles with drugs and charges of obscenity and of hiring an underage actress, before re-emerging in the 1990s with a successful fetish newspaper and publishing business. He recently announced his intention to make a comeback and return to directing. Watch this space. On the episode of The Rialto Report, Carter Stevens tells his story.   From Carter Stevens Wikipedia page: Carter Stevens (born October 17, 1944) is a former pornographic film actor, grip, gaffer and lab technician (film processing) and director. He made 8mm loops, appeared in over 50 adult films between around 1973 and 1993, and directed about 40 films between 1972 and 1996, including a series of films for the Avon Theater chain. He fought battles with drugs, a life-threatening heart attack, and charges of obscenity before re-emerging in the 1990s and early 2000s to produce the BDSM-related S&M News, and several print publications.   Carter Stevens photographs:           Carter Stevens today The post Carter Stevens: A Porn Renaissance Man – Podcast 07 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Barbara Nitke, the on-set photographer for countless New York adult films in the 1980s, joins The Rialto Report to talk about her memories of the industry. This episode running time is 48 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Barbara Nitke began her career as a photographer taking stills on the set of The Devil Miss Jones – Part II (1982) – which was appropriate as her husband, Herb Nitke, had been the producer of the original The Devil In Miss Jones in 1973. Over the course of the next ten years, her behind-the-scenes images captured the chaotic, bizarre and surreal action in front of the cameras, and the quiet, vulnerable, lonely moments between takes. Barbara Nitke worked almost exclusively on New York film sets, with directors such as Henri Pachard, Joe Sarno, and John Christopher, and with stars such as Vanessa Del Rio, Nina Hartley, Siobhan Hunter, Sharon Mitchell and Taija Rae. What’s more Nitke took a tape recorder to the set and interviewed many of these people at length about their thoughts and feelings concerning their role in the adult film industry. It was a fascinating but difficult time for the east coast industry as production increasingly moved west, video replaced film, and the specter of the AIDS epidemic loomed. A selection of Barbara Nitke’s photos and interviews was published recently in a limited edition book, ‘American Ecstasy’, from which the photos below are taken. For more information about ‘American Ecstasy’, visit her website.   From Barbara Nitke’s Wikipedia page: Barbara Nitke (born 1950) is a New York City art photographer who specializes in the subject of human sexual relations. She has worked extensively in the porn and BDSM communities. Nitke was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1950 and grew up in Virginia and Alaska. She is currently a fashion/art photographer, and is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts in New York. Nitke and the porn business Hailed by The Village Voice for her quest “to find humanity in marginal sex,” Nitke has gained worldwide attention for her affecting and powerful photographs chronicling relationships between consenting adults engaged in sadomasochistic activities. Her documentation of sexuality began in 1982 on the sets of pornographic films, towards the end of the Golden Age of Porn. She worked in the industry for twelve years as a set photographer on hundreds of adult films. Her photographs from this period reveal the combination of boredom, surrealism, vulnerability and dissociation inherent in the X-rated world. During that time she also became active as a photographer on mainstream television and movie sets, work which she continues today. In 1991, after the hardcore porn business moved to Los Angeles, she began shooting on the New York sets of fetish and SM movies, which had become the fastest growing segment of the adult film industry. Three years later she attended her first meeting of The Eulenspiegel Society, the oldest SM support and educational group in the country, to see a presentation by underground photographer Charles Gatewood. The couples she met in the SM scene fascinated her, and she began photographing them in 1994. They became the focus of her book, Kiss of Fire: A Romantic View of Sadomasochism (2003). It was among the first mainstream publications to examine the subject of BDSM. Nitke ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to produce her second book, Barbara Nitke: American Ecstasy (2012), a memoir in pictures and words of her hardcore porn days.   Barbara Nitke photographs:     The post Barbara Nitke: Porn’s On Set Photographer – Podcast 06 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Annie Sprinkle joins The Rialto Report to remember her early life and the start of her career in adult films in the 1970s. This episode running time is 48 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Annie Sprinkle’s career defies categorization as much as it defies belief; she is a prostitute turned activist, a porn star turned artist, and a stripper turned sexologist. She has passionately researched and explored sexuality in all of its glorious and inglorious forms for the best part of four decades, and has shared her findings all along the way through producing and starring in her own unique brand of sex films, photographic work, teaching workshops, and college lectures. A few years ago I went to see a performance piece that she and her partner, Beth Stephens, produced. I went in the company of two of her fellow actors from the early days of the adult film industry – Michael Gaunt and Jamie Gillis. We sheepishly admitted we didn’t know what to expect in advance but we didn’t care – we were just happy to see Annie. Over the course of the next couple of hours we sat in wonder as we witnessed one of the most moving and intelligent works we’d had the privilege to experience. She is an American original, and we’re lucky to have her. http://anniesprinkle.org/   From Annie Sprinkle’s Wikipedia page: Annie M. Sprinkle (born Ellen F. Steinberg on July 23, 1954) is an American sex educator, former prostitute, feminist stripper, pornographic actress, cable television host, porn magazine editor, writer and sex film producer. She received a BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in 1986 and earned a doctorate in human sexuality from the unaccredited Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco in 1992. Currently, Sprinkle works as a performance artist and sex educator. Sprinkle, who describes herself as “ecosexual”, married her long-time partner, Beth Stephens, in Canada on January 14, 2007.   Annie Sprinkle photographs: The post Annie Sprinkle: The Early Years – Podcast 05 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, Jeffrey Hurst speaks about his career in adult films in the 1970s. This episode running time is 60 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ One of The Rialto Report’s favorite actors of the 1970s adult film scene is Jeffrey Hurst. From his acting ability to his comedic prowess and his trademark vintage porn mustache, he was an underrated and always enjoyable star. And what makes his career even more interesting is that throughout his XXX film career, he was also appearing in off-Broadway plays, commercials (with Sylvester Stallone..), short films (with Glenn Close..) and went on to make appearances in television shows such as Charlie’s Angels and Fantasy Island. And yet – there he was, for most for the 1970s, appearing alongside the acknowledged stars – such as John Holmes, John Leslie, Terri Hall, and C.J. Laing – in a whole string of hard core adult films. He was in big budget productions, quick and dirty one day wonders – and a bunch of 8mm loops too. All the time, he was living a double life – doing his best to hide his involvement in adult film. He hoped no one would actually notice him in porn – just as as he hoped that someone would notice him in his legit work. Jeffrey Hurst was a reluctant porn star. This is his story.   Jeffrey Hurst photographs:         The post Jeffrey Hurst: The Reluctant Porn Star – Podcast 04 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

On this episode of The Rialto Report, Jennifer Welles breaks a 35 year silence to speak publicly about her life and career in films. This episode running time is 51 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ “Whatever happened to” is a question that is often asked in relation to the stars of the golden age. But seriously: whatever happened to Jennifer Welles? One moment she was appearing in a string of highly successful films that culminated in the box office smash Inside Jennifer Welles, and then suddenly she was gone. Formerly close friends and colleagues, and even her ex-husband all told a similar story of how her disappearance was as complete as it was sudden. The story circulated that she had made it clear that no one should attempt to find her. How could someone whose image had been so prominently splashed across billboards and the pages of magazines have vanished into thin air? Where has she been for the last four decades? The answers are revealed in this episode of The Rialto Report.   From Jennifer Welles Wikipedia page: Jennifer Welles (born c. 1933) is an American former pornographic actress in films of the 1970s, although she began her acting career in the late 1960s in the softcore sexploitation genre and “roughie” grindhouse films produced in New York. Some of these include: Sex by Advertisement (1967), Career Bed, Submission, and This Sporting House, by pornographic film director Henri Pachard (all from 1969). Career Welles was also a fetish magazine model for such magazines as Bizarre while using the stage name “Liza Duran”. Welles appeared in many films, the best known being Inside Jennifer Welles (1977), which she is also credited with having directed (although the film was actually anonymously directed by sex-exploitation veteran Joseph W. Sarno). She also appeared in some mainstream films, most notably The Groove Tube opposite Chevy Chase. Awards Welles won the Erotica Award for Best Actress in 1977 for the film Little Orphan Sammy, and she was the editor of Eros, The Magazine of Decadent Sophistication in that same year. She became a member of the AVN Hall of Fame in 1996. Personal life Welles left the industry abruptly in 1978 after she married a wealthy fan.   Jennifer Welles photographs and articles: The post Jennifer Welles: The Lady Vanishes – Podcast 03 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

George Payne, star of films such as The Taming of Rebecca, The Story of Prunella and The Back Row joins The Rialto Report for a conversation about his life and career in adult film. George Payne is also a firm favorite of the Rialto Report. He appeared in many New York films – both straight and gay – and straddled the film and video era too. And he could really act; his performances seethe with a nervous, unpredictable energy. He acted for many of the great directors of the era, including Radley Metzger, Joe Sarno, Chuck Vincent, and Phil Prince, and with many of the most famous golden age porn stars such as Annie Sprinkle, Joanna Storm, Lee Carroll, and Lisa De Leeuw. He dated Vanessa Del Rio, and was a fixture on the New York theater and party scene. He was a regular on the pages of adult magazine – both straight and gay – and acted with Jack Wrangler in films by the likes of John Amero. He rarely gave interviews, and has remained an enigma and a mystery. Until now. So who is George Payne? Nowadays he lives quietly with his wife Diane, a former acting agent, in New York, and works occasionally as security or in the bars of Manhattan night clubs. He also still looks great. He works out regularly and takes immaculate care of his appearance. We went to his gym and helped him film a short exercise video. He was keen to show how senior citizens can work out and be as fit as possible. After we finished recording the podcast, we took a few pictures of him. Then he asked if we’d photograph him stripped to the waist. Who were we to disagree? This episode running time is 57 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Here’s the fully clothed George Payne:   The post George Payne: Wild Man of Porn – Podcast 02 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

John Amero joins the Rialto Report to tell the story behind the making of his first film, Body of a Female (1964), which he co-directed with his friend Michael Findlay. This episode running time is 65 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ It seems only right that the Rialto Report visited John Amero for our inaugural podcast. He symbolizes much about the golden age of the New York adult film industry. John started his career by working with Michael Findlay, a co-worker in the editing department of ABC, on Body of a Female, before forming a partnership with his brother Lem that spanned 1960s sexploitation films such as Diary of a Swinger and 1970s hard core films Blonde Ambition and Every Inch A Lady. John also made a series of gay films under the name ‘Francis Ellie’, and in the 1980s he worked regularly with Chuck Vincent and Larry Revene, and continued to make his own films under a variety of pseudonyms. We recorded the podcast in the same front room that appears in many of John’s films, from The Corporate Queen through to Dynamite – and in most of the Francis Ellis films too. We were even privileged to sit on a chair that was used for many sexual encounters across John’s filmography. John is close to completing his autobiography that covers his whole film career in detail, and features a cast of characters including the likes of fellow filmmakers Michael and Roberta Findlay, Chuck Vincent and Jack Bravman; actors such as as Harry Reems, Jamie Gillis, Ute Erickson and Linda Boyce; New York film distributors Stan Borden, Sam Lake and Bobby Sumner; mobsters Mickey Zafferano and Norm Arno; and not to forget notables such as Anthony Perkins, Montgomery Clift and Joan Crawford too. The Rialto Report will be returning to John’s front room for another conversation soon. But next time we’re interviewing the chair.   Pictures of ‘Body of a Female’ from John Amero’s collection Roberta Findlay in a still from ‘Body of a Female’ Roberta Findlay in a still from ‘Body of a Female’ Michael and Roberta Findlay in ‘Body of a Female’ ‘Body of a Female’ opens at the State Theater in Boston Press ad for ‘Body of a Female’ John Amero today The post John Amero and ‘Body of a Female’ – Podcast 01 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

To subscribe to all our podcasts via iTunes, please click here.   Introductory podcast for the Rialto Report. The post Welcome to the Rialto Report – Podcast 00 appeared first on The Rialto Report.