Jill C. Nelson's Blog, page 3

October Goddess News!

     I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer and looking forward to a spectacular autumn! :)
     I'd like to share some exciting dates coming up in October pertaining to the Goddesses and to the book:
      *On October 7th, I will be host Linda Rourke's guest on Hamilton Life, Cable 14 in Hamilton, Ontario. Linda invited me on the show in May and asked that I return to do a more in depth interview so we will be discussing the book for a full half hour in studio.
     *On October 15th, I will be on SiriusXM Spice Radio in Los Angeles with cohosts/Goddesses, Christy Canyon and Ginger Lynn on their daily show You Porn. My purpose for being in studio is to talk about our upcoming event in Los Angeles set for the day after our interview on Wednesday October 16th at Larry Edmunds Bookshop.
     *Back by popular demand, several of the Goddesses and myself will mix and mingle with guests to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the release of the book. The event will start at 6:30 and books will be available for purchase and autographs.This will be an intimate evening fans won't want to miss, so please contact Jeff in advance at Larry Edmunds Bookshop@ 323-463-3273 to confirm attendance.
     *On Wednesday, October 30, two great guys, Mike White and Rob St. Mary of The Projection Booth, will air a special one hour episode to honour the 1973 Gerard Damiano hit, The Devil in Miss Jones. The film's star and heroine Georgina Spelvin and I will be interviewed for the podcast. Mark your calendars folks!
     *Lastly, I'd like to share the news that one of my twenty-five Goddesses, the Platinum Princess, Seka, recently released her autobiography titled Inside Seka published by BearManor Media. Copies are available now, so don't miss this amazing inside look at one of the classiest ladies of the erotic golden age.

Interview with Mark Penny: Offscreen

 The following is the complete interview with Mark Penny for Offscreen.com Magazine. The review can be found at this link: Offscreen Review By: Mark Penny
Published: July 31st 2013
 Offscreen: In the interview with Christy Canyon on page 816, you mention Tori Welles in a brief paragraph; Tori had a very popular run in her career and it seems a shame that she didn’t make the cut, especially since the work she did with Andrew Blake seemed to hark back to the halcyon days of the late 60’s and early 70’s “film” look. It would have been great to get her perspective on that aspect of the retro-look that started with Night Trips etc.

Jill C. Nelson: Reviewers, interviewers and readers of the book have asked me why specific women were not included in Golden Goddesses. As I pointed out in my book’s introduction, any omissions were not personal nor were they intentional. I do apologize to classic (and beyond) adult film fans for any special ladies who were left out. In as much as I would have loved to have profiled many more key contributors to the era I’ve highlighted, it simply wasn’t possible particularly because of restrictions pertaining to word count in the manuscript and also space limitations for photos. My mandate was to hopefully write/feature comprehensive mini-bios on selected/25 women in the book. Naturally, some of the women I talked with could have been interchangeable with others, but I have to say I’m very satisfied with the ones who made the cut. I should add that I do not have a history in film studies per se, so for the most part, I worked from the position of having been familiar with personalities first and their film work second.
     When I first had the idea to write “Goddesses,” I decided I would first approach the ladies I had already established a connection with through A Life Measured in Inches providing their careers fit within the scope of the golden era, and their contribution to the medium was significant in some way. That didn’t necessarily mean they were all top notch stars because I also wanted to include woman who had worked in capacities in adult other than performing, in addition to women who worked primarily behind the scenes such as Ann Perry, Roberta Findlay and Julia St. Vincent. From that point, several other ladies came into the fold – friends of friends I had already interviewed. Also, I wanted to try to ensure that each of the decades cited in my book’s title were adequately represented.
     Many people don’t understand how difficult it was, initially, to track down some of the women I hoped to talk to. Once a contact number or email was provided to me, or I was able to uncover a person’s personal information by doing a lot of digging, the prospective subject had to be agreeable to discussing her past in sex films. Some of the women requested a fee in exchange for granting me an interview which I completely understand, respect and support. At the same time, my financial resources were limited as I did not receive funding for this project so I paid out of pocket for many of the interviews I was able to secure. The amounts varied depending upon the individual and also her stature. The fact that I was able to successfully profile 25 known women of the golden age is kind of remarkable to me considering what it took to get there.

Offscreen: Why was she not included in the book? Did you approach her? What was her reaction? (If indeed you did approach her?)

Jill C. Nelson: To answer your questions specifically, no, I did not approach Tori Welles. The primary reason is that according to resources (online and otherwise) Welles started her career during the latter part of the 1980s, a little bit after the period I showcased. Having said that, if I ever do decide to work on a follow-up project and/or expand upon the time frame, I will definitely consider connecting with many of the women who were not featured in the first edition, including Tori Welles – if she is indeed available and interested in recalling her past to a stranger.

Offscreen: Again in the Canyon interview on page 823; how did you come up with that Frederick Douglass quote: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”?

Jill C. Nelson: When I was talking with Christy, it really struck me how much she loves, nourishes and protects her three adopted children. She was quite frank about the fact that she has not been successful with many of the men in her personal life and feels that a relationship with a man is perhaps more work than what she is willing to give from within. She also acknowledged that many of the men she chose to be with had issues that were beyond her expertise as a girlfriend or wife in terms of patience, understanding and time. She spoke very candidly about some of the problems she had with her parents while growing up and talked (as you noticed in the book) about how she does not wish to make the same mistakes with her own children. After our interview, I googled some ideas I had linking the words “children” and “men” and discovered the wonderful and (in this case) apt quote by Frederick Douglass that seemed to speak to Christy’s personal philosophy and life experiences. I’m really glad you pointed it out (you’re the first one who has) because I really like it and I think it’s applicable here. I’ve used it in conversation since.

Offscreen: How do you feel this quote applies to the period in which these women worked or do you feel it is a “failed” statement as exemplified by the ugly porn which is so commonplace today? Basically it is embedded in a chapter with one of the more gregarious and seemingly fun people to reminisce with, and yet there is a hint of breaking ice under one`s feet with this quote.

Jill C. Nelson: I really didn’t and don’t think of the Douglass quote in terms of the individual women I wrote about in the book in general, today’s trends in porn, or the period I covered. I believe very strongly that if you nurture, encourage, love and support your children either as a caregiver or even as a community, they will become strong “men”. Once men/women are broken, either because they didn’t have a solid foundation growing up or because they are beaten down by life, they are not easy to restore or remedy. If one can instill in children necessary values and tools to be happy, self-confident and relatively functional so they can become successful and caring adults, then it negates a lot of work to be done after the fact.
     Again, the reason the quote is embedded in Canyon’s chapter is because I felt it applied directly to her life, past, and present situation. If you notice, the quote appears just prior to a narrative I wrote about her choice to become a parent and it also follows a section on her husband(s), and a few noted relationships that didn’t work out. She blames herself for some of the fallout, but when we talked on the phone, she also recognized that she doesn’t put a whole lot of stock in depending upon men. She was not able to rely upon her father growing up, which is part of the reason why some of her personal struggles were triggered.

Offscreen: Nina Hartley’s claim that 70’s porn was more furry therefore less sexy…what do you think about that?

Jill C. Nelson: I found the comment to be kind of funny, and actually, my husband and I discussed Hartley’s opinion fairly recently. I’m a child of the sixties and seventies so I don’t find “fur” to be unsightly or unattractive but maybe that’s because I am old school. I don’t know! I’d much rather view pubic hair and hair lining other parts of the human body rather than watch films or look at people who are shaved — genitals, chest, backside, etc. It just seems somewhat unnatural to me and a lot of effort and expense to maintain. Hartley also said that, in general, she felt the overall 70’s productions were dreary, dark and far less appealing than productions created after the video boom which I don’t necessarily agree with, but everyone is entitled to her/his own preference. That’s why it’s great that adult-oriented productions cater to so many different diversities and audiences.
     I really enjoyed some of the movies I watched that were shot on film as opposed to video – and between the two books, I’ve watched over 350 films and videos. Film obviously contains a richer quality and integrity, not to mention, of course, many of the filmmakers strived to tell a story enhanced and embroidered by the sex scenes and the performances of the actors.
     Personally, I feel that the use of film assisted in elevating sex pictures to a higher mark which is even evidenced in some of the very early, rudimentary productions that were made on tight budgets. The transition to video also brought with it bright lighting, and everything is suddenly in your face, so-to-speak. I think that some of the mystique and mystery was lost during the transition. I suppose one could argue that video “exposed” the films for what they were by nature, but I don’t really think so.
Many of the superior X-rated films were made prior to video such as Devil in Miss Jones, Expose me Lovely, Resurrection of Eve, Amanda by Night – to name only a handful. Of course, I’m also a big fan of the Johnny Wadd series – all of which were made during the 1970s and directed by Bob Chinn, excluding the final The Return of Johnny Wadd (1986) which was shot on video and produced by Penguin. The final five films of the Chinn/Holmes collaboration were produced by Freeway Films and they were kind of exceptional and unique for their period in film history.

Offscreen: It is an odd claim to make when one considers porn from other countries, specifically Japan which airbrushes and/or digitizes the pubic area where you do not see the sexual organs yet the films themselves exude a strong erotic content nevertheless? Is it a case where perhaps the imagination sexualizes the image more than what one is likely to “see”? Meaning is seeing “it” all that important?

Jill C. Nelson: That’s a very valid point. It’s interesting though, as you might be aware, there is currently a major controversy ongoing in Los Angeles regarding the proposed mandatory use of condoms in adult productions which was (if my memory serves me correctly) recently legislated by the L.A. Health Department causing production companies to seek out other locales outside of L.A. County to shoot. People feel that this will and has started to drive filmmakers underground creating a reversion to the days when the production of sex films was illegal. Many of the folks in the industry believe it should be a personal choice to use a condom in productions providing the performers undergo regular and regulated testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Apparently, consumers want to be able to see unsheathed penetration and the money shot, so it could be concluded that contemporary people either aren’t able or don’t chose to use their imaginations when it comes to sex. I can understand that to a certain extent, but I’m also the kind of person who finds erotic literature to be equally as enticing (in many instances) as a sexual visual like film. Again, not everyone has the same preferences and people have different sets of criteria pertaining to what arouses and evokes sexual desire and stimulation.

Offscreen: Annette Haven makes it in the “Honorable Mentions” chapter; why not a chapter of her own?

Jill C. Nelson: When I set out to write “Goddesses,” Annette Haven was at the top of my wish list. I had become familiar with her ability as an actress and her essence as a star in the vintage erotic film industry when we were working on “Inches”. I thought that because of her rare and majestic classic beauty and her keen intelligence (combined qualities that the average porn fan or critics would not necessarily expect to co-exist) which was very evident in the interview she did with Cass Paley for WADD — she would be a fascinating lady to speak with. I had talked to adult film historian, Bill Margold, about her and he warned me that it might not be in my best interest to approach her because she was apparently unpredictable and very guarded. I would often seek Bill’s advice when considering different people to interview, among other things.

Offscreen: Did you approach her?

Jill C. Nelson: I did “friend” Annette on facebook, and after a time, I wrote to her privately explaining my project to her. (I sent her a copy of “Inches” which contained interview material with her that Cass Paley had initially used for “WADD”.) At first, she was pretty condescending and flat out declined my offer to interview her (I did offer to pay her for her shared memories). After a time, and a few friendly posts later, she seemed to warm a little toward me. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. Following a misunderstanding (also on facebook), she “unfriended” me and the whole notion of interviewing her fell apart.

Offscreen: It seems a lot of her contemporaries have misgivings about her…why do you think that is? (Only answer this if it does not compromise you with your subjects; I wouldn’t want doors to close on you if you ever wanted to do a sequel of sorts).

Jill C. Nelson: I remember I talked to Kay Parker about Annette at the time because Seka had told me that Kay was one of the few people whom Annette trusted. Kay (bless her heart) told me that if it was meant to be, Annette would have a change of heart which never happened, unfortunately. Ironically enough, since our “falling out,” I have “refriended” Annette and she accepted. I’m not sure if she remembers me or even cares at this point since she does seem to have situations with other people. That’s Annette.
     I don’t know why others might have misgivings about Annette, but again, I can somehow empathize with her position as I can with all of the ladies who laid everything on the line to go against the grain of what was considered by society to be acceptable behaviour for women. When they chose to do changes a person and you have to make yourself tough on the exterior to endure. If at times their behaviour appears strange or difficult to comprehend by outsiders — that’s okay. Inside, most, if not all of these women, are pussycats and I admire them greatly.
     Despite what transpired, I didn’t allow the minor personal incident to cloud my belief that Annette Haven’s contribution was/is important to my project and the era I chose to write about. I wanted to be sure to include her in the book in some capacity, so I made certain that she was highlighted in ‘Honourable Mentions,’ along with some of the other notable pioneer women of the genre. I’m very pleased I did so even if though would have been a dream come true to have been able to feature Annette in her own chapter along with photos. In the end “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime… you get what you need.”

  For photos, video clips, and more, visit author Jill C. Nelson’s blogspot.
Direct link to promotional video on youtube.
All relevant photos are taken from Nelson’s blog.
About Mark Penny: Mark Penny is a Concordia University Cinema Graduate who is presently employed in Instructional Technology at a Canadian University, and is a Hammer films scholar extraordinaire.

Golden Goddesses: A Book Review by Mark Penny

I am very excited to share this recent Review of Golden Goddesses by fellow Canadian and writer Mark Penny of Montreal.  Mark is a graduate of film study at Concordia University and is a contributing writer for the publication Offscreen.com.  Mark's review and interview with me about the book can be found in the latest edition of the magazine (June/July).  To read our interview online, please visit this link: Offscreen.com

Golden Goddesses: A Book Review by Mark Penny

Hedonism 101; not only did the 1960’s give rise to sex, drugs and rock n roll, but it freed the young of their parents’ inhibitions, relating to pretty much everything with the human body and sex in particular.

The nude frolicking scenes in Michael Wadleigh’s Woodstock (1970) is one indication that something new was on the vanguard of contemporary culture in America. Sex as a taboo was being addressed by simply being re-claimed by the youth movement of the 1960’s and embraced as an open example of what was then known as Free-Love. With attitudes changing in the counter-culture, it was only a matter of time before enterprising film producers would capitalize on the new looser morality and exploit them for the paying public to admire (without prejudice).

Thus began an explosion of “adult” film productions which led to the inevitable attempt at a Hollywood mainstream type production, Deep Throat (Dir. Gerard Damiano, 1972). The film was talked about at every proverbial office water cooler. Famous Hollywood stars supported its exhibition, which gave a “legitimate” flavour to the Adult film world. From then on, the “industry”, as it is referred to today, thrived and grew beyond anyone’s expectations in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Now that time has passed since these humble beginnings, it was perhaps inevitable that a look back on those years would become a cottage industry of its own. Various books (some written as first-hand accounts), documentaries and mainstream Hollywood feature films have come out to humanize these taboo breaking porn players.

Some of the documentaries tend to chart the “seedy” side of porn, while others use porn footage to challenge the unsuspecting viewer by suggesting that it’s OK to watch people have sex if properly contextualized by cultural analysts and psychologists, akin to the thrills early 1960’s audiences experienced watching Mondo documentaries about African wild life; a ‘legitimate’ way to vicariously watch native naked flesh on display.

Thankfully other writers have approached the subject more openly and honestly; which brings us to an oral documentary of what life was like for 25 women who inhabited the celluloid of lust in those heady days of dark screening rooms that went by various sultry names familiar to anyone living in an urban environment; where my home town of Montreal is concerned, cinemas such as the “Eve” with its V designed as a woman with her legs spread high in the form of a V, or “Cinema L ’Amour”.
The documentary in question does not come in the form of a film, but a book: Golden Goddesses: 25 legendary women of classic erotic cinema 1968-1985 by Jill C. Nelson, (2012, BearManor Media) collects interviews with female adult film actresses, writers and directors that were active in the so-called “Golden” age of X-rated films. The book takes the form of a documentary on the page, and one cannot escape the image of these women telling their individual stories as if seeing them on screen (so vividly is it put together).

The book devotes a chapter to each of the 25 women and has an extra chapter covering lesser known, but just as important, performers. Ann Perry, Barbara Mills, Georgina Spelvin, Marilyn Chambers, Roberta Findlay, Jody Maxwell, Candida Royalle, Gloria Leonard, Rhonda Joe Petty, Serena, Annie Sprinkle, Sex “Kitten” Natividad, Sharon Mitchell, Kay Parker, Juliet Anderson, Seka, Kelly Nichols, Veronica Hart, Julia St. Vincent, Laurie Holmes, Ginger Lynn, Amber Lynn, Christy Canyon, Raven Touchstone, Nina Hartley are the key people assembled for this journey.

The subjects interviewed are not the type that I would characterize as “the poor girl who had nothing else to do with her life” that we are so often presented with in most mainstream coverage of the porn “Industry”. The women profiled come across as strong, compelling, and most importantly, sensitive and caring human beings; qualities not often associated with people who are seen as exploited and/or who “exploit” others in a soul destroying industry (as is often claimed by mainstream news media outlets).

There is a common thread that runs through the majority of the interviewees’ comments: the idea that the porn that they were a part of in the 1960’s and 1970’s was not as exploitative as it seems to most of them today, especially compared to what is currently seen on computer screens in “everywhere” land. Take Seka’s comment: “To me, violence and sex don’t go together. If you like a little S&M, if you like a little B&D, okay, no big deal. Climaxing in some girl’s eye to give her pink eye or choking her with your cock until she pukes or passes out? That’s sexy? I don’t think so. What is sexy about that? It’s violence. If anybody should feel violated, it`s the people of today. I think we’ve just become so desensitized to everything that there’s no passion anymore. I don’t watch porn because it’s disgusting to watch” (p.560).

The book does reveal some pretty hard truths about most of what these women went through in their respective careers, and of course not all stories are positive, but what you do get out of them is the strength they found within themselves to accept their path and rise above the negativity associated with this “industry”. The wife of the late John Holmes, Laurie Holmes, had this to say about it: “I consider myself a very strong person. Even so, there were times that I thought about suicide…There are three reasons why I didn`t ever follow it through. My two sons…and not wanting to give the industry that much satisfaction was the third. We are worth more dead to the industry than we are alive. Our content is worth more money to the production companies after we are gone. You are a dime a dozen alive to them otherwise” p 687).

No work on pornography would be complete without the input and opinions of Nina Hartley, who represents a more cerebral approach to the genre than most other performers, writers or directors: “I have a mission to get to talk about sex and sexuality, and sexual expression out there in the world from my own experience…..Most people who write about pornography have a tendency to impugn all kinds of motives that introduce hostility to pornography. Their paranoid conspiracy theories drive me insane……There are identity politics and victim politics, but there needs to be some relaxation. My childhood does affect how I act today. However, that being said, and I am liberal, there is that personal responsibility” (p. 866).

In a way Hartley is a cross-over from the last of the (celluloid) film productions into the (analog) video productions and has a less “nostalgic” look at the transition phase: “People call the 1970s “The Golden Age of Porn,” but I call it a dark and dreary place. The grooming and the lighting got much better in the eighties with video. The cameras were smaller and required less light. The girls started shaving their lips so that you could at least see “it”. The early porn isn’t always so sexy when the grooming left a lot to be desired. People were very, very furry…” (p. 881).

P.T. Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997) (in which Nina plays the porn-star wife to William H. Macy’s character) is described by Hartley as being a “Hollywood version of the industry. He got some of the details right, but it’s the Hollywood version of an industry of which he is not a member, so many grains of salt” (p. 894).

The point made by Hartley is very telling indeed: “who” can truly be a “member” of an “industry” that trades on fantasy and sex in an imagined landscape that all people have their own imprint on? What truly defines this industry? What defined it then, in those cold New York sets and warm San Francisco summers? More importantly what defines it now, in todays’ mouse click happy culture that barely has memories of anything beyond yesterday’s Facebook post?

Pornography is quickly becoming the “new” child of serious Academia with its newly acquired moniker, Porn Studies; various academic journals are sprouting up (on-line as well as in-print), that are examining Porn and its cultural impact. Of course a simple search on Google will point the way to a lot of those available on the web. Undoubtedly, we will be inundated with jargon filled porn studies for years to come, but Jill Nelson’s book at least brings us “closer” to the people who made it happen in a more humane way than a “distanced” academic study that would relegate these women to the status of “lab rats.” If one is to “study” porn (and yes it is as valid a genre of cinema by the standards of what critics define as GENRE), let us not forget these women who have shared their life experiences of those early days of porn. There can be no study of this genre without having the input of those actors, writers, producers and directors who were there and saw it all happen; if anything of that “cultural milieu” is to be accessed, it requires that these first-account stories come to light in as clear a fashion as possible, unmediated by psychobabble or cultural theory jargon. A “proper” empirical history of porn should come first and then be used to formulate whatever ‘hip’ theories should follow.
Proud author with bookFor photos, video clips, and more, visit author Jill C. Nelson’s blogspot.
All relevant photos are taken from Nelson’s blog.
About Mark Penny: Mark Penny is a Concordia University Cinema Graduate who is presently employed in Instructional Technology at a Canadian University, and is a Hammer films scholar extraordinaire.

Signed Copies for Collectors and Fans

Early Anniversary Special!
 
I hope everyone is having a great summer!  With the first year anniversary of the release of Golden Goddesses just on the horizon in October, I am excited to announce that I will be offering three signed copies of the book (by me) to interested parties. For classic adult fans and afficiandos of the genre, this is a great opportunity. The cost for each paperback is $50.00 (U.S.) plus shipping.

In order to commemorate the book's 1st birthday, there are tentative plans in the works to celebrate with possible radio appearances in Los Angeles in October and maybe more.  More information will be provided once details are confirmed.

To obtain a signed copy of Golden Goddesses, please email me directly at nelson4@cogeco.ca  I will be happy to personally inscribe the biography by request.

"Inches" turns 5

I believe the following piece borrowed from our John Holmes Book Blog, which I posted yesterday, is relevant to this blog, in light of the fact that if it weren't for my involvement in A Life Measured in Inches, Goddesses would not have been born. So, thank you John Holmes, who would have been 69 years young yesterday, not only for providing the inspiration for two biographies, but also for being respectful of your leading ladies. According to Johnny Wadd director, Bob Chinn, John was a gentleman on set -- much to the delight of his co-stars.Thursday, August 8, 2013
It is amazing to realize that already five years ago this evening,  I, along with my friend and writing partner, Jennifer Sugar, stood at the podium in front of a full house consisting of friends, loved ones, fans, the curious and the press at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood to launch the release of John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches. The event, hosted by none other than legendary adult film historian, Bill Margold, was a highly successful and spectacular evening with excerpts read, a special letter contributed by one of John's most popular co-stars, The Platinum Princess, Seka, and special guest speakers: filmmaker, Cass Paley, director, Bob Chinn, and John's widow, Laurie Holmes. Following a Q&A and during our signing (which included a special appearance by Holmes friend and co-star Rhonda Jo Petty), a custom commemorative cake designed by Cake & Art was served to all guests.

Today, we celebrate the five year anniversary of our book's release and acknowledge what would be John's 69th birthday by launching a brand new hardcover edition of A Life Measured in in Inches. This special edition contains an introduction written by Sugar (who is also the book's creator) and a postscript written by yours truly, followed by select excerpts from my second book: Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema: 1968-1985.

Jennifer Sugar was a 21 year old Michigan State University student when she traveled alone to Los Angeles to attend a Hollywood celebration, 'Fit for a King' at the Erotic Heritage Museum. The event was in recognition of John Holmes' 60th birthday on August 8, 2004. It was during that evening where Jennifer made her initial interview contacts for our biography and when she returned home, she began the interview process while still attending school. Four years later to the day, Inches was released.

The following is a short excerpt from the introduction Sugar wrote for the new hardcover version of our book in which she describes her decision to tell John's story after seeing the 2003 film Wonderland. The introduction is aptly titled Conception:

"I began to wonder about the story of a boy from Ohio, who moved to California in the late 1960s to become the biggest, male porn star, ever, when the adult entertainment industry was brand new, illegal and underground. John went on to become famous for what was in his pants, and infamous for the dark days of his drug addiction, his subsequent involvement with the crimes leading up to the Wonderland murders, and his death at a young age from AIDS, which was still a relatively new disease to North America in the 1980s. I was amazed that there wasn’t already a definitive biography about John Holmes – like him or not, he is a part of American pop culture history, with an amazing story – how could I not want to learn more and write about him?"

Copies of the hardcover anniversary edition of John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches can be obtained through coverout.com at this link:
~ RIP John

The Rialto Report: Interview with Bob Chinn

Rhonda Jo Petty in Disco Lady directed by Bob ChinnDuring the past several months, adult film documentarian, Ashley West, has interviewed several legendary personalities from the Golden Era and through his extraordinary podcasts titled The Rialto Report, has presented their fascinating life stories. West's credentials in this field are nothing short of impressive. In conjuction with The Rialto Report, Ashley has also contributed liner notes, commentaries and more for the re-release of Distripix films under the name Benson Hurst and is currently working on a documentary about the origins of the New York adult film scene. (See: Ashley West.) Until recently, West's comprehensive episodes have centered on men and women involved in sex films on the east coast of the United States. Yesterday, Rialto Report's latest offering highlights the voluminous work of pioneer filmmaker Bob Chinn, who became familiar to adult audiences through his partnership with John Holmes particularly via the innovative and highly popular Johnny Wadd film series, with nine releases spanning between 1971-1978.
 
This podcast will be of special interest to fans not only of Bob Chinn, John Holmes, and the films they created together, but most significantly, in his usual disarming manner, Bob discusses in great detail and with impeccable recall many of  thetalented actors and actresses he had the pleasure to direct throughout his extensive career spanning four decades. Several of the ladies who were fortunate enough to cross paths with Bob (one of the most admired and respected men in the business) are featured in Golden Goddesses. All were quick to sing his praises and respect him very much. Check out Bob Chinn's page for his first novel, Flesh of the Lotus, inspired by the film by the same name: Flesh of the Lotus


Bob Chinn's Jade Pussycat with John Holmes and Georgina SpelvinI am delighted to have been invited by Ashley West to co-present this special two hour episode as Bob Chinn is clearly one of the most intelligent and intriguing individuals to have left his mark in the golden age arena, and I'd like to personally thank Ashley for doing a masterful job in preparation for this show. Your tireless work and professionalism are simply outstanding.
 
So grab a refreshment, kick back and enjoy the ride as you time travel with Bob Chinn back to the late 1960s and into the present day. You definitely will not be disappointed. The podcast (#18) titled, Bob Chinn, West Coast Pioneer may be accessed here: Rialto Report: Bob Chinn

News about Ebay Sale!

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer weather! I've been taking some time off this summer from promotion for the book and also working on a new writing project but will be posting news soon about an upcoming podcast. In the meantime, I'd like to bring your attention to a major Ebay sale with several John Holmes films and material available to own. John Holmes worked with many of the women featured in Golden Goddesses. This very special collection is the first of its kind and will go quickly. Please read details below: (P.S. This is not my sale.) Ebay descriptionAlright, the motherload is here! This collection of videos is as large as John Holmes himself... These videos were used in the research for both the documentary Wadd and for the John Holmes biography, A Life Measured in Inches. Val Kilmer also used some of these videos as research for his role in the film Wonderland.

Included is a ton of VHS tapes along with a large collection of classic Blue Vanities loops on DVD. Basically every star of the Golden Age of Porn is featured somewhere in this collection. Also included is Georgina Spelvin's autobiography The Devil Made Me Do It as well as an unproduced screenplay for the film Wonderland. This collection is huge so the shipping is really expensive.

VHS:
1. Undulations
2. Girls on Fire
3. Tell Them Johnny Wadd is Here
4. Four Women in Trouble
5. Bedtime Video #1
6. New York City Woman
7. Around the World with Johnny Wadd
8. Pizza Girls (2 copies)
9. Candy Samples Video Review
10. John Holmes Exposed
11. John Holmes E! True Hollywood Story
12. Hot Nurses
13. Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes
14. Strangers When We Mate
15. Autobiography of a Flea
16. Jade Pussycat
17. John Holmes Superstar
18. The Seka Story
19. Flesh & Laces Part II
20. Honeysuckle Rose
21. Lottery Lust
22. The Best of Gail Palmer
23. Cream Rinse
24. Spirit of Seventy-Sex
25. Prisoner of Paradise
26. Flight Sensations
27. The Erotic Adventures of Candy
28. I'm Always Ready
29. The Rise of the Roman Empress #1
30. The Devil in Mr. Holmes
31. Flesh & Laces Part I
32. Marina Vice
33. The Grafenburg Spot
34. The Angel in Mr. Holmes
35. Garters & Lace
36. Rockin' with Seka
37. Bedtime Video #10
38. Oriental Kitten
39. The Kowloon Connection
40. Saturday Night Beaver
41. Sex as You Like It
42. Barbara Broadcast
43. John Holmes is Supercock
44. John Holmes: Master Cocksman
45. Taxi Girls
46. John Holmes: 60's Loops
47. Great Tits Of Our Time
48. John Holmes Interview
49. Extreme Closeups
50. Court TV: Wonderland
51. Cheri
52. Tropic of Passion
53. Dracula Exotica
54. Singlehanded
DVD:
55-72 Blue Vanities Loops From the '60s-80s

DVDR:
73. The Opening of Misty Beethoven
74. XXXL The John Holmes Story
75. Exhausted
76. China Cat
77. California Gigolo
78. Young John Holmes Collection

Interview with Norm Goldman

The following interview with Norm Goldman was conducted via email to accompany his review of  Golden Goddesses.

Today, Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest Jill Nelson author ofGolden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985.

Good day Jill and thanks for participating in our interview.
Norm:
Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.
Jill:
I was born and raised in Southern Ontario, Canada. My late father was a professional musician and had his own Big Band at a local nightclub for ten years starting in the mid-1950s. He and my mother met during wartime near her hometown of North Hatley, Quebec when he was playing sax and clarinet with the renowned Mart Kenney band. After leaving the music business my father became an entrepreneur and opened his own Men’s wear store. My mother (who had sung a little on radio and had perfect pitch according to my father) worked in my father’s store as his bookkeeper, and later, in a Ladies’ shop. As a family, we embraced music, art, books and travel; and the arts became a major influence in my life, both as a child and into adulthood.
After graduating high school in the winter of 1976, I traveled to the west coast of Canada and the United States along with a girlfriend, hitchhiking and staying in youth hostels for six months, which was a remarkable experience for an eighteen-year old girl. I continued to alternately work and travel over the course of the next few years until attending Sheridan College to study as a Hearing Instrument Specialist. At age twenty-eight, in 1986, I opened my own clinic in Hamilton, Ontario, and with a partner (another childhood friend) we serviced the hearing-impaired community until we sold our clinic in 2008, the same year my first book, John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches about the life and times of iconic adult film star, was published. Today, I continue to work part-time as a hearing care professional. I’ve been married for almost 35 years to the same terrific guy and we have two grown children.
Although I have no formal training as a writer, I’ve been told that my strength is my ability to get to the heart of a subject to present an innovative and unbiased view of a character or story. Since the advent of the internet, my writing consisted mostly of participating in online groups interested in books and film, until eventually; I met my co-author, Jennifer Sugar, on a message board which prompted her to invite me to become her collaborator on the John Holmes bio. Sugar and I are twenty-five years apart and reside in different countries which made our partnership truly unique. We met for the first time in person about a year after we teamed up and we were already entrenched together in our writing project.
Norm:
What served as the primary inspiration for Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985?
Jill:
During our research and interviews for John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches, Jennifer and I had the opportunity to speak with several women who had worked in the erotic film industry during the classic golden era, when it was still illegal to participate in the production of sex films. I found their tales intriguing and I thought it would be interesting and of benefit to outsiders to learn more about these incredible renegade women. About a year after Inches was published I decided to reestablish contact with the women to interview them for a book focusing primarily on them. One thing led to another, and eventually, I had a list of twenty-five interviewees who were willing to talk about their experiences in and out of the adult film industry. I felt that was a great cross-section of people.
Norm:
What kind of research did you do to write this book?
Jill:
My research consisted mostly of interviews, transcribing and arranging the quotes, to try to tell a compelling and honest story. I had a set list of questions for each subject pertaining to their childhood years, career years and post-career years, but I also let each woman go down roads of their choosing which kept the project fresh and engaging. Because many of the women featured in the book had actually had formal acting training, additionally, I felt it was important to screen and write reviews of films depicting what was considered their best work, so I watched and wrote reviews for well over 125 feature films. The reviews are woven in and around the interview quotes and narrative I composed, and then integrated into each chapter to help provide context. Some of that narrative was inspired from books I’d read either by the subjects themselves, or others. I also had the use of some beautiful photos from photographer friends and I wrote to people to request the use of pictures which I used in conjunction with many images (family and otherwise) shared with me by the women. It was a massive project spanning over three and a half years, which is why the book is 950 pages!
Norm:
What criteria did you use to decide on the twenty-five women you interviewed and wrote about?
Jill:
It was important to me that each of the twenty-five women had started their careers in erotic films between 1968 and 1985, the period widely regarded as the golden age which is defined by the onset of hardcore films up until and including the threshold of the video boom. It was also important that each of the subjects were known for contributing to the golden era in some significant or relevant way. In one way or another, all of the women profiled in my book are legendary and have star power. Many people unfamiliar with the adult industry would be surprised to learn that not only did women work as performers, but also, they were directors, producers, screenwriters and costumers, which I find fascinating. In other words, these women made a conscious choice to work in the taboo industry in multi-faceted roles which in my mind, completely debunks the notion that women in sex films did so against free-will or because they were coerced or exploited. That’s not to say that exploitation didn’t occasionally play a role, but it was by design. Some of these females were in their mid-late thirties and even early forties before embarking on a career on adult pictures. The sex films were a secondary career for many of them.
Norm:
What purpose do you believe your book serves and what matters to you about the book? As a follow up, what would you say is the best reason to recommend someone to read your book?
Jill:
I think my book is not only a gift to fans of the genre and to the folks who are aficionados about the era I’ve written about, but also, I believe these women are imperative to the history of cinema because of the magnitude of their collective works and their presence in what would be considered underground or alternative film. Goddesses is also a story about twenty-five strong women who desired to buck the system and do something different that is not necessarily condoned or understood by society. I admire these women for being pioneers and trendsetters and I think the book reveals not only their outward and inner beauty, but also their intelligence, savvy, vulnerability, honesty and acceptance to live with and own their choices, good or bad. In the end, these women are daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, friends, employees and neighbors.
 Goddessesis also a biography that resonates with folks who are boomers or who are fascinated by retro as it pertains to film, but mostly, this book reveals the human and humane side of each woman who worked in an unorthodox profession and have been both revered and also scrutinized for doing so. I like to refer to Goddesses as the genuine and uncut version of Fifty Shades of Grey.
Norm:
Have there been any other books written about the same topic as yours?
Jill:
There have been other books written in a similar vein and about similar topics, but to the best of my knowledge, I don’t believe there are any other books out there that are written in an oral history format including film critique showcasing this kind of network of legendary women and stars of the golden era. One of the reasons I had wanted to do a book of this nature is because I felt it would pay homage to these amazing women who in many cases have been either overlooked or denigrated. I believe my portrayal of each goddess is presented in a respectful, sensitive fashion while also revealing truths and warts.
Norm:
What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?
Jill:
Apart from the tedious task of transcribing all twenty-five interviews, there weren’t any real challenges that come to mind. Once I set out to write the book, things came together quickly and part of that is because I’d already developed a reputation with many folks during my collaboration on the John Holmes bio. I think my subjects also agreed to speak with me because I do not have a background in porn nor am I affiliated with the sex industry in any capacity, so there was a wonderful level of trust already built into the project. Some of the women have confided to me since its publication that if a man had proposed to write the book, they wouldn’t have been so eager to open up, so to speak.
I will say that the editing of the book was difficult for me at times, because there was such an immense amount of material to sift through and my eyes would often become strained. If I hadn’t been as dedicated and passionate about this project and willing to forfeit much of my personal time, it never would have been completed. Maybe some people would have preferred that it wasn’t completed, I don’t know! In retrospect, if I ever do another project on this level, I will ask for more help.
Norm:
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Jill:
I think I learned how to be more direct when conveying an idea or sharing information. I’ve also learned that it’s worth paying someone to do a final edit to correct minor mistakes that can be overlooked when compiling a tome of this magnitude.
Norm:
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? Did you have any negative comments?
Jill:
I do hear from readers on a weekly basis which is very nice. Most if not all of the feedback has been very positive which is extremely gratifying since this is my first solo work. I don’t think there have been many negative comments made about the book, apart from why didn’t I include a specific performer who isn’t mentioned in the biography. I did explain in my introduction however, that favorite performers or stars might be left out but that it wasn’t for any reason other than space constraints or because of the fact that some individuals couldn’t be located or didn’t wish to speak about their pasts. Overall, I’ve acknowledged all women who were essential to the era, even if they aren’t highlighted. This book is symbolic of all female contributors of the golden age and beyond.
Norm:
Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)
Jill:
At present, I’ve just started working on a memoir detailing that journey (I spoke about earlier in the interview) about the hostelling trip I made with my friend to the west coast of Canada and into the western United States back in 1976. Actually, I haven’t shared this information with many people yet so I’m letting the cat out of the bag. The memoir is titled 1976: Tapes from California inspired by the LP of the same name by deceased American folk and topical singer and songwriter, Phil Ochs, who hung himself two weeks before I first listened to one of his recordings. He died in April 1976. I’ve never written about myself before so it’s been an interesting process so far. Fortunately, I’d kept a journal, including a collection of poems, song lyrics and sketches I compiled from that trip which has been very helpful to me.
Apart from that, my publisher, BearManor Media have requested that I do a sort of follow up or a counterpart to Goddessesconsisting of interviews with 20-25 men of the golden era. Sadly, a handful of the legendary men from that time frame (and there aren’t that many) have already passed on or are about to enter their seventies so there is a bit of a sense of urgency to get the book started. At the same time, it’s been good to have a break from writing about porn related subjects and people! As much as I’ve enjoyed it and wouldn’t trade the last 6-7 years of my life for the world, I think it’s important to branch out and explore other ideas and subjects that interest me. I believe all authors would prefer not to be pigeon holed.
I’m pleased to share the news that in order to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the release of John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches, in August, a hardcover version of Inches will be available at www.coverout.com including a brand new Author’s note by the book’s originator and my co-author, Jennifer Sugar, and a short Postscript written by me.
Norm:
As this interview draws to a close what one question, would you have liked me to ask you? Please share your answer.
Jill:
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything we didn’t cover here. I’d just like to take this moment to thank you Norm for your review of Goddesses and for posing some excellent questions about the book, I hadn’t been asked before. I very much appreciate your time and thoughtful queries.
Norm:
Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.
 

Book Review by Norm Goldman

It's always nice to share a new book review. The following piece was written by Canadian reviewer (and former attorney) Norm Goldman. Goddesses was submitted to Goldman for review on my behalf. Goldman also conducted an interview to accompany the review. 

Publisher: BearManor Media
ISBN: 978-1-59393-298-5

Review: Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985
Norm Goldman
 
When Jill Nelson's Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985 was dropped off in my mail box, I have to confess that I was curious to learn more about these women who were employed in the adult film industry as actors, directors and producers during an era when it was illegal to make these films yet not illegal to watch them.
 
And although I am not a supporter of pornographic films and neither do I condone the proclivities of these women, I wanted to have, as Nelson states in her introduction, “ a clearer understanding of the beautiful and intrepid females who favored an alternative profession in adult cinema that was cultivated at the apex of the 1960s sexual revolution.” According to Nelson, these are eccentric, imperfect, yet, intelligent and ethical people anyone who ever want to meet.” After all, whom am I to prejudge the behavior of these actresses?
 
It should be pointed out that in 1988 the erotic film industry was legalized as result of a landmark California court case involving porn film director and producer Hal Freeman. To quote the words of Nelson: “it was sheer hypocrisy to deem the craft illegal because those who condemned it also watched it.”
 
Nelson's comprehensive book of mini-biographies drawn from interviews and other sources spans nine hundred and forty-six pages that provides her readers with a chronological history of the lives and times of twenty-five women who today range in age between forty-six and seventy-six. Unless you are familiar with the porn scene of the era that Nelson explores in her book, the following names will be meaningless such as: Ann Perry, Barbara Mills, Georgina Spelvn, Marilyn Chambers, Roberta Findlay, Jody Maxwell, Candida Royalle, Gloria Leonard, Rhonda Jo Petty, Serena, Annie Sprinkle, Sex “Kitten” Natividad, Sharon Mitchell, Kay Parker, Juliet Anderson, Seka, Kelly Nichols, Veronic Hart, Julia St. Vincent, Laurie Holmes, Ginger Lynn, Amber Lynn, Christy Canyon, Raven Touchstone, and Nina Hartley. In addition to these women, Nelson also adds in brief summaries of fifteen other women whom she believes are worthy of honorable mentions.
 
It is these women who played pivotal roles in the adult film industry during its so-called golden era and either directly or indirectly they candidly share their stories with Nelson which she documents in the book. In addition, Nelson also includes one hundred and twenty-five reviews of some of the films these women acted in, as well as three hundred photos. Apparently, Nelson devoted three and half years to researching and interviewing these women.
 
Who exactly are these women? Are they exhibitionists? Where did they grow up and what motivated them to participate in the porn industry in one way or another? Were they abused as children? Were they bimbos and uneducated? Were they prostitutes? Were they drug addicts or alcoholics? Have they ever contacted a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Were they ever subject to degradation and abuse? Was it opportunity to escape poverty? What happened to them after they left the industry? Were they proud of what they were doing? Do they have any regrets? These are only some of the questions that Nelson explores with a great deal of compassion and an eye for detail, and frankly, you will be quite surprised at what you will discover!
 
Scattered throughout the book are quotes aplenty from these unusual women as for example Annie Sprinkle who claims she didn't understand why some people couldn't believe she had a good time. She further mentions that her sex work built her self-esteem as she is a creative kind of a person and being a sex worker is a very creative job when done with creativity. Veronica Hart states: “one of my goals when I got in the business was that I would be able to come out of this business and still enjoy my sexuality and making love.”
 
There are very few books around, if any, concerning first hand oral accounts of women who played important roles in the adult entertainment industry during its golden era. Nelson, who is an engaging narrator, has painstakingly researched her subject matter and has managed to place her audience smack in the middle of some unusual female lives. To her credit is that these women were quite eager to share their experiences and set the record straight in a forthright and generous manner. The only gripe I have about this book is it is far too long and there were several instances of repetition which could have been avoided with better content editing. Perhaps, a book half its length would have been preferable. American Chronicle

Hamilton Life with host Linda Rourke

With bluesman Steven Strongman     This morning, I taped an interview segment about the book for the daily television show, Hamilton Life, with its effervescent host Linda Rourke. The interview went very well and will be available as part of the entire show soon on Hamilton Life's Facebook Page
     I have to give credit to Linda Rourke for doing a superb job research-wise on Golden Goddesses, and also for her enthusiasm for the paperback, before, after, and during our taping. I'd also like to mention how pleased I am to have been an invited guest on the same show that featured one of Canada's finest and extremely talented blues guitarists and recent Juno winner, Steve Strongman. I had the pleasure of meeting and listening to Strongman perform two amazing sets last December at a friend's house party and was delighted to see him again. 
     Once the interview is available, I will add the link here.