Customer Reviews

The Other Hollywood : The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This novel is 620 pages of sex, drugs, rock and roll, the mafia, fame, finances, the law, greed, use and abuse of women and the every day world of porn. The author Legs McNeil has told the entire story of porn from the early talkies to the late 1990's. Nothing is left untold and the stories are told in interview form. At first this format was distracting, but after a while it became very easy to read and all of the characters seemed to flow well with each other. Of note, the book is dedicated to Mr. McNeil's late girlfriend who died an excruciating death from heroin that had been infected with flesh eating bacteria. It took Legs McNeil 7 years to write this book with his co-authors and to find a publisher. He produced a special on Court TV about "The Other Hollywood" and caught the attention of Judith Reagan and procured a book contract. These stories are told straight from the lips of those involved in the world of porn, no moralizing. As Legs McNeil so eloquently states, "This book captures the birth and first few decades of porn. The people spoke, the actors and actresses, cops and mobsters, producers and directors, photographers and writers, hustlers and suitcase pimps, and everyone else in between" That about sums up the entire world.

The book is separated into chapters and each chapter flows into the next one. The chapters are well named and draw your attention, "Don't Count The Money, Weigh It", "Size Matters", "Memphis Backlash Blues", "Deep Cover", "The Godfather of Hollywood", "Think This Will F### Up My 4th of July Weekend", "Pimping and Pandering" and "Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead". The stories run the gamut from the making of "Deep Throat" and the story of Linda Lovelace and her husband. She complained that she was forced to make the movie, but those who were there say differently. A $22,000 venture ultimately made a million dollars, and Linda Lovelace became a household name. The story of John Holmes, a porn star who was probably insane and the people he took down with him. Savannah, the young porn star who tragically committed suicide. Traci Lord, the underage porn star who fooled everyone and then caused a legal entanglement because of her age. Those who knew her say she knew what she was doing and she loved doing it. There are love stories between porn stars and there is much of drugs and alcohol. Most porn stars it seems get by with drugs and alcohol. It is really a dirty business with all involved in it for the money. Fame and fortune are what most stars set out to obtain, but misery and ill health are what many are left with. The saga of HIV in the porn business, and how Sharon Mitchell came to formulate the porn health care side of things. She is one of a few who really care what happens to the people in the business, and she makes it her business to help them.

This is a fascinating book Legs McNeil has put together; the encyclopedia of porn. Everyone and anyone from the kings of Mafia to the celebrities who loved porn are mentioned. There are few stories left untold. The voices of those who were there, and those who are still struggling in the business give credence to the history of porn. Heard a while ago that Columbia House- the place where we used to obtain our records is now partnering with Playboy to produce porn- many legit businesses are buying into porn for the money that is to be had. So, many of our top companies if you dig down deep enough are supported by porn. How did this come to happen? I have been reading and the history is fascinating. What is left out in this book is the emergence of big business behind the scenes in porn. There is much more to learn and much more about the porn business to be unfurled. Legs McNeil has made a fascinating subject more fascinating by the telling of the story. Recommended. prisrob

Legs McNeil has done it again. I must also mention Jennifer Osbourne as well.
I could not put this book down once I started reading it. I managed to make it last four days although, I could have devoured it in a day. I just hate finishing a good book. I wanted to keep reading.
I enjoyed the book very much.
I have a few minor complaints though...The 90's were raced through (as mentioned by others). It should have been up to present day. I mean there was another pretty major AIDS outbreak in the adult industry last year and it's not even mentioned. And I agree the online and pay-per-view adult industry should have been written about as well. This is an important part of the history of the modern Porn biz. And finally, Jenna Jameson should have at least been mentioned (her photo is in the book though). She is one of the biggest female adult stars ever.
Oh well, maybe a follow volume up will clear this up. I can only dream of a second volume with more cool stories and info.
All in all though, I highly recommend this book.
Very well done!

The irony here is that this expansive exploration on the porn industry -- from inception (The Nudie Cuties) to a current billion-dollar industry -- isn't nearly as titillating as you would expect. It is . . . intriguing, amusing, enraging and often heartbreaking. Yet it concludes on a particularly life-affirming note involving a "rebirth", both the literal and figurative sense. You hear it from the mouths all those involved in the porn industry -- Everyone from porn stars to undercover feds to a guy who helped build peep show booths. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough . . . Not just for those interested in behind-the-scenes glimpes of the porn biz . . . But for those just as interested in observing people's alternate attempts at obtaining the ever elusive American Dream. If I had one qualm about this book . . . Its that it had to end . . . Even though (as previously mentioned) it does so on a particularly touching note.

Despite weighing in at a hefty 620 pages, McNeil's book is a breeze to read through. This tome is organized into short chapters on specific subjects, spanning time from 1950 up to 1998. The Other Hollywood takes on every aspect of the porn business, starting with the (really tame and probably boring) Nudie Cuties of the 1950's, through Deep Throat as the explosive entrance of adult film in the full length feature world, the early stars like Linda Lovelace and Marilyn Chambers, the mafia involvement in the industry, a years-long sting operation on the mafia, John Holmes and the Wonderland murders, pandering trials, Traci Lords' brief and explosive career, the advent of AIDS, the rise of video and star Ginger Lynn, and into the modern day.

McNeil has constructed this story entirely out of first-hand quotes from the participants. He doesn't editorialize or expound on the quotes, choosing instead to tell the story entirely through the placement of the words of different interview subjects. Often, he will have sources all discussing the same issue, so the reader can decide for himself what the generally accepted truth of the matter is. Particularly enlightening were the chapters on Linda Lovelace and Traci Lords, two stars who later said they were forced into porn. Their comments in their heyday and the comments of those around them certainly contradict their later revisionist history. The Holmes involvement in the Wonderland murders is also explained from dozens of points of view (similar to how it was done in the excellent 2003 film Wonderland). Dawn Schiller (girlfriend) and Sharon Holmes (estranged wife) provide commentary on Holmes that make the reading of this book worth it all on its own.

It helps to have some basic working knowledge of the legends of the porn industry, like Lords, Lovelace, and Holmes, because there isn't unnecessary explanatory detail in this book. As someone who has only heard a few of the larger-than-life tales, this book was able to introduce me to many new subjects. The MIPORN undercover sting operation was fascinating and on-going throughout many years in the industry. It actually wreaked havoc on the lives of the undercover officers involved, one of whom became addicted to his porn-world larger-than-life personality. Another excellent treatment was of the AIDS scare in 1984, which started as Gay Related Immunodeficiency Disease (GRID). The players of the time explain their confusion about the "gay cancer," how it was spread, and what it meant to those afflicted. Holmes eventually contracted and died from AIDS. Many actors and directors also commented on the transition from film to video, which meant that shoddier, cheaper movies could be churned out faster, with less focus on plot and feature-length aspects.

McNeil has made an important contribution to the historical works on the adult film industry. The main complaint of readers is the light treatment of 1990's porn and the lack of detail on the modern-day queen of the industry, Jenna Jameson. As a book on the early days, the rise, and the legal battles of adult films, this book is unparalleled.

Read in a fortnight, compulsively and earnestly, this book is a must buy for several reasons. Oral (pun intended and not intended) histories are the best way to handle such topics as Punk Rock (covered by the same author) and the Porn industry, because there are so many stories to tell, so many plotlines running congruently and so many voices that demand to be heard, that to try to weave them into one narrative would be nearly impossible and would be difficult to read. While some of the FBI, Mafia and other criminal plotlines aren't quite as interesting as the behind the scenes of the actual films, they are still pertinent to the overall story.

Growing up with porn and looking at it probably much younger than I was suppossed to, the people in the first half of this book almost seem like friends, like some strange relatives that don't always appear at holiday dinners, that not all of my relatives approve of.

My bias of course is to the first half of this book and the stories of Marilyn Chambers, John Holmes, Linda Lovelace, etc. Some amazing tales that span the gamut of human experiences and emotions.

It's not that the 80's and 90's are not as fascinating, but these people seem more distant, less heoric (strange, I know), and also in many ways, less human than the pioneers that started the industry.

There are some voices that are missing or are not given full voice (Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt and the publishing industries that they forged in general), but the drive of the narrative is certainly the "visual" medium of the industry as oppossed to the written word (as well as the fact that those subjects could be books in and of themselves). There is also little discussion of current trends of the last decade (the internet primarily), but the real genius of this book, is that you could say that in many ways the story is still continuing, and the book could never be finished and could always be updated. Volume 2 would certainly not be as fascinating, but would certainly be entertaining.

I think in general, people who came of age in the 1970s or early 80's will find this book much more intersting than those who came after. In some ways, the innocence (yes, again, strange) of those early years (before aids, before video, before the internet) make this an oddly nostalgic work whether intended or not. In some ways pornography is less about the personality and the novelty these days. For those who have never watched a porno film in a theatre or in a peep show, it's hard to explain that experience. That makes me for one, nostalgic for those early (and yes, sleazy) days. This book brought back those days and those feelings in many ways. It made me miss my old friends.

I agree with all the other reviews of this book. It's a good read about the porn industry from the point of view of the people involved in it. Yes, the authors did rush through the history of the 90's a bit too quickly so I hope there will be a second book. At any rate, this one is a good addition to any historical porn collection.

Take two parts illegitimate business, one part deviant sex, and one part egomaniacal law enforcement -- and blend with an ice princess or two.

The Other Hollywood is a nice combination of gossip about and analysis of the origin and heyday of pornography. The written format -- a chronological history comprised of short accounts from major players -- is a little hard to get used to. To add interest, though, several sections nicely splice two stories for contrast and suspense.

Some people interviewed for the book amusingly use their positions to insult others who apparently wronged them or to justify what they now consider as their own inappropriate behavior, but the apparent frankness of all involved is an asset to the book. (An exception to that is the flaky Linda Lovelace, who comes off as someone who lies to obscure her deep regret for poor choices. For instance, she states that Sammy Davis Jr. engaged in gay sex with her ex. And her ex-husband, Chuck Traynor, represents himself as a long-time manipulator of women who doesn't even know his own sleaze factor.) Even the FBI agent who lost himself in his undercover persona doesn't hide from the fact that he faltered, and his accounts are some of the most interesting.

Sharon Mitchell, a former pornateer now known for heading AIM, the organization that monitors STI-testing and counsels porn actors, shares through most of the book (and her story is intriguing because she seems to have turned out pretty well...). Some other contributors are Annie Sprinkle, John Waters, and Bunny Yeager. Because some use the book as a platform to insult others or to justify their misdeeds, consider the "apparent frankness" with skepticism.

The basic morals of the stories are: people will compromise their ideals for money (who knew?); there's always a market for porn; and all kinds of peripheral problems are likely when dealing with porn and money and illegitimate businessmen.

A suggestion: I purchased XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits, by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, at the same time. It is a nice accompaniment.

This is basically an oral history of the porno movie business. The authors seemed to have talked to everyone who is anybody in the business. I guess that I find myself as fascinated with what these people have to say as anyone else. It is literally one of those books you don't want to put down.

At the same time, this certainly doesn't make me think that this is in any way the kind of a business in which I would like to get involved. The story comes through that these people are just people. They happen to have a somewhat strange life. To call it unsettled would be a gross understatement.

Also what comes across is what I see as a strange indictment of our society. The book starts with the Nudie-Cutie movies from just after World War II. It covers the people, the movies, the story of the move from simulated sex to nearly anything goes as the laws and the attitude of the people changed. So did the world of drugs, and AIDS.

The Government aspects are quite ridiculous. Do the Christian Right really think they are going to stop anything. Of course, this is presented mostly from the viewpoint of the people in the industry, so you just get one side of the story.

In The Other Hollywood, Legs McNeil exposes the sleazy, hidden history of the porn industry. The book is organized in the same manner as Please Kill Me, in which McNeil documented the New York punk rock scene.

Each chapter is a collection of interviews that tell about a particular event. The storytellers include actors, directors, mobsters, gophers, John Waters, Larry Flynt, accountants, feminist activists, cops, FBI agents, IRS agents, and tons of porn merchants. The interviews are chopped up and organized so that each story gradually unfolds and is told from several points of view. The result is a fast-paced read that has the same feel as a well-made documentary film.

This sleazy tome has it all - porn stars, rock stars, drugs, crack heads, pimps, gangsters, bestiality, peep shows, strippers, live sex shows, swing clubs, prostitutes, HIV/AIDS, greed, betrayal, uncover investigations, extortion, money laundering, suicides, bombings, robbery, revenge murders, mob hits, Linda Lovelace, John Holmes, John Bobbitt, myriad porn stars, mountains of cocaine, and every conceivable form of sexual activity.

What more do you want in a book? The style is electric. It's compulsively readable and impossible to put down. So if you are uncertain about buying this book, don't hesitate. It's worth every cent.

"The Other Hollywood" is a compulsive read of a provocative subject, taking us on a tour through the sordid world of straight pornography, starting with the "nudie cuties" of the 1960s and ending with in the AIDS-scarred present. I found the book impossible to put down, even as it covered such overly familiar territory as "Deep Throat" and the porno chic era, the Mafia's ties to the industry and the FBI's subsequent undercover MIPORN investigation, the rise and fall of John Holmes (including the grisly Wonderland murders), and fast-living casualties Shauna Grant and Savannah.

But fascinating as the book is, as an authoritative history it misses the mark largely because of its oral history format. In his introduction, Legs McNeil (who co-wrote the book with Jennifer Osborne) writes he wanted to tell the history of pornography "without the cheap put-downs and hip moralizing that every magazine reporter who went slumming in the porn ghetto had already exhausted." But while letting those involved speak for themselves eliminates the risk of authors imprinting their own perspectives on the subject, it also makes for a very sloppy history, especially when you consider that many of those involved are recalling pasts blurred by drug addiction. Details get muddled and people contradict each other left and right. Plus, in several instances one has to consider the source, like when convicted child pornographer Lenny Camp says of Linda Lovelace's one-time husband-manager Chuck Traynor: "Ninety percent of what Chuck says is just total [b.s.]." Which may be true, but I couldn't say I believed Camp's version of events, either. (If McNeil and Osborne were hoping to debunk stereotypes with the oral history format, the plan backfired. Many of the porn producers are so sleazy you can smell their cheap cigars and hear the clinking of their gold chains; FBI agent Bill Kelly is such a prototypical G-man he sounds as if he stepped out of "Dragnet.") Further muddling the events is McNeil and Osborne's blending in archived material with their own interviews, often not citing when the switch is made (there are extensive source notes in the back of the book). Many of Linda Lovelace's quotes are taken from the late porn star's contradictory autobiographies "Inside Linda Lovelace" (1973) and "Ordeal" (1980), in which she claims writing "Inside Linda Lovelace" was one of the many things she was forced to do. Had the authors intervened, they could've dealt with such contradictions as they arose and maybe wrestled key events into a more cohesive and focused account.

Many of porn's most outspoken stars from the '70s and '80s are included, such as Marilyn Chambers, Georgina Spelvin, Fred Lincoln, Gloria Leonard, Veronica Hart, Tim Connelly, Annie Sprinkle and the incomparable Sharon Mitchell. With the exception of Mitchell, who went on to form Adult Industry Medical, all of their stories lack closure, and in instances where stories overlap-like when Chambers hooks up with Lovelace's infamous ex-husband Traynor-obvious questions are left unanswered (like, if Traynor abused Lovelace, did he also slap Chambers around?). There's a smattering of quotes from porn's everyman, Ron Jeremy, and '80s video vixen Ginger Lynn, but current porn queen Jenna Jameson is only mentioned in passing. However, we get two whole chapters on porn footnote John Wayne Bobbitt. By "The Other Hollywood"'s final chapters McNeil and Osborne seem more concerned with just getting it over with, settling for anecdotes and gossip.

Though it's not the great book it could've been, "The Other Hollywood" is worth picking up for those interested in the X-biz, breezily taking the reader through the evolution of the porn industry. Maybe this will inspire other writers (paging Eric Schlosser) to do with this material what McNeil and Osborne have not: give it form, focus and context.