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.

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?

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.

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The post Deep Throat: Damiano, Lovelace.. and ‘Lovelace’ – Podcast 20 appeared first on The Rialto Report.