The Rialto Report

For many people Radley Metzger’s 1976 film ‘ The Opening of Misty Beethoven ’ was the greatest adult film of all time. It had everything – a witty script, great cast, international locations, and was made by a talented filmmaker. And it had the enigmatic Constance Money . Hers is one of the iconic roles in the golden age of adult film. She was an unlikely star; unlike other actresses in the indust...

For our first podcast of 2015 we’re reaching back into last year’s archives to honor a legend of adult cinema who is in need of our help: Kay Parker: Many Lives – Podcast 32 . About a month ago together with Jill Nelson and Mark Murray , we set up The Golden Age Appreciation Fund after learning that Kay is experiencing financial difficulties which have forced her out of her home....

When people talk about the early pioneers of adult film in New York, names like Jamie Gillis , Harry Reems and Tina Russell spring to mind. But in January 2013, the industry lost someone who was there at the beginning, and remained there pretty much until his passing – and that’s Fred Lincoln . Fred was born to a traditional Italian family in 1930s Hells Kitchen, New York. He was smart, but prefer...

Hyapatia Lee was always an instantly recognizable figure in the adult films and magazines of the 1980s; she was a strong and striking presence with an unusual Native American persona, which it turned out was more than just a character – Hyapatia is one-quarter Cherokee which was and is a proud part of her heritage. But her wholesome image masked a troubled life; she grew up raised by her grandmoth...

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 Lesli...

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 controversi...

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 lik...

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...

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 ep...

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 Ni...

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, p...

2014 marks the 25 th 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 dish...

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, N...

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. ____________________________________...

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...

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...

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 Yor...

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...

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 plea...

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...

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 ,...

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...

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 , Jo...

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 m...

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 notor...