GOLDEN GODDESSES: 25 LEGENDARY WOMEN OF CLASSIC EROTIC CINEMA, 1968-1985

by Nelson, Jill C.

  Ironically, Laurie has borne witness to two husbands suffering from the same devastating disease. Since Tony Montana’s 1999 positive HIV diagnosis, Holmes has taken it upon herself to make sure he receives all of the health benefits attainable in order for him to remain relatively well. At present, Montana’s condition is stable and he is in good health. Holmes has kept herself abreast of contemporary procedures and medications used for HIV treatment that are exorbitant in cost, but necessary to ensure quality and longevity of life. Laurie and Tony are still legally married but no longer live together. Montana resides in Los Angeles, and the couple continues to remain good friends.

  My second husband, Tony Montana, is still living with AIDS today. Once again, he isn’t given the time of day by many in the industry. I feel sad for him because his entire adult life was spent in the industry and this is what he has to show for it. Even though AIDS testing is organized within the industry today, it is very important for people to understand that it is not a guarantee. Tony tested positive during the time when AIDS testing was already in place as others have done. Even if a person never contracts HIV, the potential for an individual to contract many other STDs is highly likely. STDs, such as herpes for example remains with you for the rest of your life.

  It is believed that performers today are restricted from working without an HIV and/or STDs test that is older than thirty days, but that isn’t always true. Even though you are required to show proof of testing and the test can’t be older than thirty days, it still isn’t a guarantee because you don’t know what the person might have done last night, last week, or anytime during the last month. Nothing should be assumed. They must have a notarized test that can’t be older than thirty days.

  If it is assumed that the person you are going to work with has all of their current tests up to date, it’s still possible that the same person could have ingested meth [amphetamine] or something else during the past week, or had some kind of a kink-fest of their own with people outside of the industry. This happens all the time. Ever had Herpes in the eye? It happens and you can go blind from it and it’s ugly. How about gonorrhea of the throat? If you still think doing porn is appealing, it’s not. Don’t think for a minute that porn won’t affect or even destroy the rest of your life, because it will. It will come back and affect your life time after time when you least expect or want it to.

  Between the years 2001 and 2003, Laurie was part of the work force at Adult Industry Medical (AIM) located in Los Angeles. Under the supervision of Dr. Sharon Mitchell, she counseled and administered drug tests to industry people and to those outside of the industry potentially at risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. As reported incidents of exposure to STDs and HIV continue to be tracked and defined due to new government legislation in the state of California, adult film studios will be required to pay for all regular STD testing. Individuals must be qualified by an occupational physician under Cal-OSHA (California Occupational Safety and Health Community) before returning to work while employers are responsible for notifying performers where to go for STD testing at designated locations presently being established. At the time of this writing, many sex performers are using Talent Testing Services based in Florida but with draw stations located across the United States.

  New policies under Cal-OSHA (legislation was passed in January 2012) require that all potentially harmful medical waste including used condoms, razors, and laundry must be disposed of in a specified container to be picked up and removed from premises of use. Additionally, it is recommended that mandatory washing of body parts containing fluids between sex acts, and sex toys employed during scenes are sterilized after use. Although the recommended use of condoms has been in effect since 1993 for adult film production companies and performers, it had not been enforced or made mandatory by law until 2012. Many porn studios such as Wicked have long required their actors wear condoms. Heavy penalties are to be imposed upon studios for refusal of compliance of obligatory condom use of performers (yet to be implemented). Many insiders believe the new compulsory acts will drive the production of pornographic films out of L.A. County. According to the adult news reported by AVN and X-Biz, at present, Cal-OSHA regulations do not apply to content trade, webcams or personal websites.

  My experience working at Adult Industry Medical and personal conflict while trying to counsel young people entering into the business was a delicate matter. Of course educating people on STDs and protocol was easy. However, there was a fine line we didn’t dare cross. We couldn’t really discourage someone from entering the biz as we would be running off business and agents would no longer send us their talent if we did that.

  Keeping Watch

  In 1998, Laurie published Porn King, The Autobiography of John C. Holmes compiled from audiotapes Holmes himself had recorded a few years prior to and leading up to his death in March 1988. In February 2012, Porn King was re-released by BearManor Media with additional writings by Holmes, updated information, and revisions to some of the original text including new material added by Laurie in her personal memoir in the book’s final pages.

  My relationship with John was very special then and maybe in some ways even more special today. At the time when John came into my life, I really needed someone older and wiser to guide me. John used to say that I reminded him a great deal of himself when he was younger. I think, as much as I needed guidance, John had the need to save someone — maybe metaphorically, his younger self. In much the same way today, I feel the need and desire to want to help others understand the devastation that porn can do to their lives. I think I know and understand John better than anyone else for when he passed away I took on all of his battles. I have fought those battles ever since his death along with my own battles. It hasn’t been an easy task. He was my daddy.

  I remember John telling me how I needed to make a diary. On one hand, I think that somehow, he knew what was in store for me and he wanted to prepare me; there were other days when all he wanted was for me was to leave it alone. I think he realized that if I could just break away clean it would have been better for me, but deep down inside, he knew I wouldn’t be able to just leave it alone.

  I hated how it all came down in the end. I loved him and I still do. I’ve wanted the record to be set straight about John and about the industry and I’ve made every effort to do so, sometimes blindly. I have faced forces far greater than I had ever imagined I would have to face. People don’t always play fair. The media is a beast driven by the greed behind each and every medium.

  I believe that John has never really left me. He keeps an eye on me from a different realm perhaps. There were times when he felt that maybe I wasn’t going to make it this far and now he watches and is at peace because I have survived. There is some meaning and purpose, and importance behind it all. I know I will join him one day and I look forward to that day, but for now, I must live this life.

  Kodak Moments

  When asked if she believed the word feminist could be applied to her sense of individuality and her desire to openly share personal opinions and beliefs about the adult industry at the risk of ostracizing herself, Laurie weighed the reality of the term before responding. Likewise, she put her own spin on what a “Kodak moment” means to her and grew thoughtful while once again considering the full impact of her life experiences.

  I really don’t think of myself as a feminist. I really can’t conceive of the meaning behind such a word. I am feminine and I am myself. I am strong, but as far as being independent, I really don’t know if I always want to be self-sufficient. It’s nice to have someone to lean on sometimes. I am a fighter. I fight for what I believe to be true no matter what the cost. It has often cost me dearly. Is it because I have paid such a heavy price at times that I could be described as a feminist? I really couldn’t tell you.

  I wonder is a “Kodak moment” actually a moment caught on film or is it a moment, a memory, or a feeling you only wish could have been caught on film. I always enjoyed modeli
ng for a still camera more than I did filming actual sex scenes. You could pose or be posed. Your make-up wasn’t all messed up the way it was in a sex scene and that’s always a plus. There were moments when I just knew that I had given the cameraman a great picture. There were times when the camera really loved me. Unfortunately, other times the camera didn’t love me at all, very much like life.

  There have been many times in my life when I felt great sorrow. After all, that is all part of life. Of course, I felt great sorrow when John died. I feel great sorrow for all of those that didn’t survive. I feel great sorrow for the ones that haven’t faced those demons yet, and know that they will have to someday. I feel great sorrow for the shame that I brought to my family to this day, and even though I have been forgiven, I feel a great amount of guilt and shame and I have to live with that every day. I am very guarded in my community. I don’t want people to know who I am and what I have done in my past. I know from experience that it doesn’t bring about anything that is positive. At the same time, I believe I am a terrific person. If people would take the time to get to know me, they would be amazed. It’s all very hard to deal with sometimes and there are days when it makes me feel sad.

  I never really played the “victim” card because I was mostly a victim of self-infliction. Therefore, I had to blame myself first. I was a young girl. I was star struck — it was exciting. I let myself be a part of it and I was exploited for it, and I have to deal with that. You can become very jaded at times. I reached a point of not knowing what normal lovemaking was. I would be with someone outside of the industry and I would be waiting for the trapeze artist to fly down from the ceiling. It suddenly dawned on me that maybe this normal guy didn’t know all of the freaky positions that I knew. One day, I just realized, I wasn’t normal. I had to get back what I had lost and that was my own self. Like many others, I had turned to drugs to deal with my emotional pain. At first, the drugs helped to enhance euphoria, but in the end, they only numbed what I didn’t want to feel. I knew that if I was going to survive anything, my first step was to get off drugs. I had to get back to where I belonged and although I took the long way home, I did eventually make it. Once here, I could begin to heal from the life that I had lived. I don’t think I will ever be completely healed but at least I can live with myself now.

  In the summer of 2007, Laurie and I arranged to meet at the Hamburger Hamlet in the San Fernando Valley for lunch. Laurie had suggested the restaurant would be an ideal place to get together since it is where many business dealings involving the production of sex films were made and squashed over the years. As I sat waiting for her to arrive, I glanced out the plate glass window from my spacious, hardwood booth to notice a small, girl-woman with long, dark brown hair pulled back into a barrette briskly approaching the door of the establishment. In person, Laurie is even more petite than she appeared in films. Unafraid to admit her foibles, Holmes is direct and has a big heart.

  Now drug free for over five years, Laurie defined what love, honesty and honor mean to her. They are words she believes are traits of a mutually rewarding relationship not only with the new partner in her life, but also with her family. Fulfilled in her current employment within the medical profession in a position that gives her pride, Laurie hopes to upgrade her education in the near future.

  Genuine love to me means truth, total respect, and trust no matter what. You have to trust one another over and beyond. You have to admire and learn to grow with one another and not apart from each other. I really do believe in a monogamous relationship sexually. That is a significant part of love. When you let others into the bedroom, you break down the pillars of a relationship. Love goes right out the window. I have met someone new, a very nice man. We live high up in the mountains in Colorado. We have a wonderful, monogamous relationship. When we started to get serious, I told him everything. I don’t believe you can start a relationship based on lies. I told him about the past and that it was just that — the past. He accepted and understood.

  The relationship I have with my family today is probably better than it has ever been. My kids are grown up and on their own now, they are both doing great. I am the lucky one; my family has forgiven me. For many girls who have worked in the porn industry this isn’t the case.

  I have a regular job with a normal paycheck. I have my own little office at a select location. I do my job and nobody breathes down my neck. I work better that way. When I am not working, I really try to just enjoy life, whatever that may be. I love to go to music concerts. Rock ‘n roll never forgets, you know. In the summers I spend a lot of time outdoors going fishing, hiking, and going jeepin’ up in the high country. I really love my mountains in Colorado.

  I would like to be remembered for my heart. Like John, I believe that I have a heart of gold. I would like for my friends and family to remember me as someone who was strong enough to have survived things that I should have never been a part. Although my life hasn’t been as rosy as people would have liked it to have been things happen for a reason, even if that reason isn’t always clear or understood. I want them to remember me as a whole person and not only my mistakes. There is a very sweet part of me worth remembering. I am porn free, drug free and couldn’t be happier about it. I am at peace with my life.

  COURTESY OF LAURIE HOLMES

  PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM MENNING. COURTESY OF LAURIE HOLMES

  COURTESY OF LAURIE HOLMES

  Misty Dawn, Newcomers. VCX

  PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENJI

  Laurie and Tony Montana. COURTESY OF LAURIE HOLMES

  Laurie and John Holmes. COURTESY OF LAURIE HOLMES

  Laurie Holmes and Miss Beto. COURTESY OF LAURIE HOLMES

  21.

  Ginger Lynn

  Turning the Page

  COURTESY OF GINGER LYNN

  “I’m the first contract girl ever in the adult film industry, and I’m the only one left who has not sold out, or let them buy back the original deal that they made. I’ve had the longest shelf life in the history of adult film actresses.”

  — Ginger Lynn Allen

  Ginger Lynn Allen bubbles with childlike exuberance and a zest for life that is palpable and contagious. Her kinetic energy, in tandem with her soft curves and a sultry coquettish sex appeal, turned the erotic film industry on its ear when she splashed onto the adult entertainment scene in 1983. A Rockford, Illinois native, Allen is candid about her dysfunctional family history, yet she has not allowed adversity she suffered as a child to impede or impact her life in a negative way. Always one to make the best of circumstances and opportunities, Ginger welcomed the move to her grandparents’ home at the age of thirteen after bearing a difficult relationship with her mother. Once settled within the comfort of family who loved and nurtured her, Allen blossomed as she continued to cultivate a healthy alliance with her father.

  Despite an IQ of 142, Ginger managed average marks in elementary and high school, but participated on the gymnastics team and attended several rock concerts with her close group of girlfriends. Instilled with a strong work ethic, Ginger worked part-time throughout her educational years and entered the world of retail after graduation. In 1982, Allen moved to Southern California to accept a job offer at Musicland; she was joined by her boyfriend a short time afterwards. In order to supplement her income, Ginger answered an ad as a stripper for a bachelor party. When she followed up on an advertisement for the World Modeling Agency in Van Nuys, Allen immediately recognized the potential for financial security and stardom. Ginger demanded a healthy sum for her initial two feature film appearances in Surrender in Paradise (1984) and A Little Bit of Hanky Panky (1984) and got it in a single unprecedented maneuver that has continued to be her trademark throughout her career. Shortly thereafter in a groundbreaking business move that fostered a new trend and altered the stigma of sleaze often associated with adult material, Ginger’s name, face, and image launched Vivid Entertainment on the glamorous box cover Ginger (1984) that eventually opened the door to her own video line. Many fans
are not aware that Ginger’s mainstream film credits are almost as extensive as her erotic work, an achievement most adult actresses are unable to obtain.

  As of 2011, Ginger Lynn was still active in the adult business attributing her longevity, legendary status, and many successes to careful navigation and planning. She is protective of the fragility of life and prioritizes the things that are dearest to her heart, most importantly her teenage son.

  As one who has been consistent about documenting her (almost) fifty years in diaries and journals, Ginger is presently working on an autobiography that will detail many elements of her life including surviving her 2000 cervical cancer diagnosis, and her long term 1990s relationship with notorious Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen.

  My interview with Ginger Lynn was conducted in three parts toward the end of 2010 and early 2011.

  A girl named Ginger

  My parents met in Illinois, got pregnant and had me. They had a good old-fashioned shotgun marriage. My father was seventeen when I was conceived here in California at the air force base. My mother was almost nineteen years old and I’m the first-born child. I have one natural sister and two stepbrothers. I grew up in Rockford.

  My real name is Ginger Lynn so without me making that choice consciously, my name has turned into a blessing in disguise. Ginger is not very common. My great grandmother’s nickname was Ginger because she was feisty and had red hair. I was also born with red hair — it’s an auburn ginger color, like a chestnut — that’s my natural hair. When I moved to California, I dyed my hair blonde.