The Rialto Report

In 1964, Lorey Kaye, a twenty-year-old from New Haven, CT, moved to Manhattan to start a new life in the big city. Lorey was a fresh-faced, dark-haired hippie, who attracted attention as much for her headstrong, determined, street smart attitude as for her striking good looks. She was hired as a waitress in a new nightclub that had just opened in Times Square – called Steve Paul’s ‘The Scene'. The club was an immediate hit with gigs by the likes of BB King, Jimi Hendrix, and Sammy Davis Jr., regular visitors like Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick – and Lorey was at the heart of the action. Another group, The Lovin’ Spoonful, also played there regularly, and their lead singer, John Sebastian, took a shine to her. John and Lorey started seeing each other, and Lorey became his muse, inspiring him to compose a number of the group's hit singles about her, such as ‘She's A Lady' and ‘Rain on the Roof', even mentioning her by name in some of the lyrics. Lorey and John Sebastian (1967) They got hitched in 1966 – by then Lorey had started work as an insider gossip columnist at Hit Parade magazine – and now known as Lorey Sebastian, she became a popular staple in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk-rock music scene. Lorey and John's relationship was glamorous, high-profile, and short-lived. Lorey broke up with John in 1968 when they were in Ireland. The legend is that she fell in with a group of gypsies, and felt compelled to tune in, drop out, and join them instead. It was said that John never fully recovered from the breakup. Lorey (right), with John Sebastian and Mama Cass (1967) Fast forward to the mid 1970s. Lorey was back in New York, now in her mid 30s and looking for a purpose. She'd become a member of the television and film workers union, with the vague ambition of being a still photographer on movie sets. To make a little extra money, she also did work as a crew member on sex films. It was on a Gerry Damiano movie that she met Jamie Gillis. Jamie sidled up to her, pushing her in the back, and exclaiming, “What a place to bump into a girl like you!” It was corny but it worked, and Lorey invited him back to her place. The mutual attraction was instant and sexual – but, for Jamie, there was something more this time. For a confirmed promiscuous bachelor, Jamie confided to friends that, whisper it quietly, Lorey might actually be the one. He spent time with her, encouraged her photography ambitions, taking her to exhibitions and galleries, and was tickled that one of his favorite songs, The Lovin’ Spoonful's ‘Daydream,' had been written for her. Not to suggest that Jamie's relationship with New York magazine's Insatiable Critic, Gael Greene, was over. Far from it. Even if the novelty of Jamie and Gael's physical and emotional relationship had subsided, they were still intent on documenting their lives, in and out of bed, for a proposed joint-autobiographical book. They continued to go the city's restaurants, cultural events, and glamorous parties, while Jamie spent his in-between time wrestling with whether he wanted an acting career, playing poker, going to the occasional audition, and making semi-regular starring appearances in adult films. In short, Jamie wanted to pursue Lorey, but not give up the affair with Gael. This is Part 2 of the story of Jamie Gillis and Gael Greene in 1978. Jamie This podcast is 49 minutes long. Listen to Part 1 of The Porn Star and the Foodie: Jamie Gillis & Gael Greene in 1978 here. * The post The Porn Star and the Foodie: Jamie Gillis & Gael Greene in 1978 Part 2, Lorey Sebastian – Podcast 159 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

In ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976), Travis Bickle railed against social decay, moral corruption, and the depraved filth he perceived in the near-bankrupt New York City of the mid 1970s. An insomniac, alienated Vietnam War vet, his taxi trips revealed the city to him as a “sewer” filled with “scum” that needed to be “cleansed”. Around the same time, another taxi driver, a real one, Jamie Gillis, was also recording audio diaries in a similar way. Jamie worked in cabs on and off in the 70s while he acted in adult films and the occasional play. But his tapes were the opposite of Travis Bickle's: Jamie reveled in the city's seediness and the sexual possibilities it offered, and he documented his days with a detail that was as graphic as it was honest. And so, perhaps Jamie Gillis was what Travis Bickle feared: Jamie was the moral decay. He was the other Taxi Driver. Not to say that Jamie was untroubled. He was plagued by doubts, questions, and phobias – his “sickness”, he called it. He feared that the initial promise of the porn film business, that had made him a star of sorts after his leading turn in The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976), was about to come crashing down – that adult films would never live up to his high expectations, that he was turning into a sexual jester, and that he would never fulfill his potential. So what is the story behind his recordings? In 1976, Jamie met Gael Greene, a well-known character in the city. She belonged to the blue bloods of Manhattan society, having been New York magazine’s high-profile restaurant critic for the previous decade. She was a smart, sleek, feline blonde, ten years older than Jamie, well known and well-regarded in polite and cultured circles. And she was obsessed by Jamie's sexually wanton lifestyle. They first met when she was promoting her erotic novel, ‘Blue Skies, No Candy': “He knew my work. I knew his,” she later wrote. Jamie stopped, picked up the book, read a few lines, and laughed. “You’re the food writer from New York magazine,” he said to her. “And your hero has my name.” Gael replied: “And you’re that actor. From those movies.” She described him at the time as young, surprisingly shy, with shiny black curls and perfect posture. Even better-looking in person, she noted. “You were wonderful in Misty Beethoven,” she told him. “That was fun to make,” Jamie replied,” because I liked the woman in that one.” “What do you do when you don’t like the woman?” Gael asked. Jamie looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “I can always get myself in the mood.” They started a relationship that was tempestuous and torrid. They were an odd couple, but well-suited too: Jamie's business was sex and his passion was food. And Gael's interest and passion were, well, sex and food. She claimed that “the two greatest discoveries of the 20th century were the Cuisinart and the clitoris,” and she was quick to reach for sexual metaphors whenever describing the ecstasy of tasting food in the upper crust restaurants of the city. “Sex and food have been completely intertwined since the beginning of time,” she said. They saw each other often, dealing with the pleasures, jealousy, and complications that resulted. Gael couldn't get enough of Jamie's sexual explorations, and Jamie slipped into her world – overnight becoming her guest at places that had never been available to him. But Gael, the insatiable critic as she was called, wanted more from their union. She believed Jamie could, and should, be a big-name actor, and so she connected him with A-list players in the industry – auditions with directors like Mike Nichols, strategy meetings with super agents like Sue Mengers. She took him to Europe to try new restaurants, and stay with friends like Julia Childs. And came the book: it was Gael's idea. She persuaded Jamie they should write their story by documenting their hedonistic life together. It would capture the era through the eyes of two disparate people with similar lusts and appetites. Jamie agreed: he figured that with Gael's literary track record and contacts, it could be a hit, raising his profile, and enabling him to fulfill his vague dream of becoming a full-time theater actor. Gael suggested Jamie keep an audio diary for one year. He would tape his innermost thoughts, feelings, desires, and the crude, unexpurgated details of his everyday life in all its seamy detail. In return, she would add her own experiences – and they would turn it all into a biographical tale of two lovers crisscrossing 1970s New York, slipping between the city's high society events and its grimy porn film scene. So Jamie started recording: but his tapes ended up being more than a diary. They document a spiral – a downward journey into a damaged soul as he dealt with questions that plagued him: ambition, sexuality, art, talent, lust, and love. The recordings that resulted – unfiltered after hours reflections, candid and honest, are presented here for the first time. Needless to say, turn off now if you are liable to be offended. This is Part 1 of the story of Jamie Gillis and Gael Greene in 1978. This podcast is 49 minutes long. * The post The Porn Star and the Foodie: Jamie Gillis & Gael Greene in 1978 Part 1, The Other Taxi Driver appeared first on The Rialto Report.

It all started over thirty years ago. I thought it would be interesting to track down people who'd been involved in the very first adult films because I was intrigued to learn what they remembered about the time – and find out how the experience had affected their lives afterwards. Bear in mind, this was over 30 years ago, before the era of social media, search tools, and online databases, so I had no idea how difficult this endeavor would be. But I also didn't know how unwelcome my inquiries would prove – even if I did manage to find anyone to talk to. After all, most of the early pioneers used different names to conceal their identities, and therefore protect their future lives. A few of them – people like Annie Sprinkle, Jamie Gillis, or Ron Jeremy for example – were still around, quasi-public figures who'd been interviewed many times about their history. But I was more interested in finding the bit-part players, lesser-known figures, people whose involvement had been short, before disappearing, presumably blending back into more conventional 9-5 existences. What did they think about their involvement in such a salacious, unprecedented activity years earlier? One of these was the actor, Jeffrey Hurst. He'd been a handsome, friendly-looking, more-than-competent actor back in early films, always entertaining and engaging, and not just because of his standard-issue, best-in-class, 1970s porno mustache. Who was he, and what was his story? Well, his name wasn't Jeffrey Hurst for a start: I met a director who'd known him and who reluctantly told me that his real name was Jeff Eagle. I misheard him – and so for the next five years, I searched high and low – and unsuccessfully – for an ex-sex film actor called ‘Jeff Feagle.’ Not my proudest moment, and a lot a wasted effort ensued. And then I met someone who was still in touch with Jeff, and who told me that Jeff was now a massage therapist living a quiet life in Tucson, Arizona. What's more, apparently Jeff loved talking about his semi-scandalous past. I contacted him, and quickly became friends with one of the sweetest people I've ever come across. And so, when I started The Rialto Report, my interview with Jeff was one of the first that I put out as a podcast. Jeff died last November. He is much missed. This is our conversation. This episode running time is 61 minutes. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Jeffrey Hurst photographs: The post Jeffrey Hurst (1947-2025), R.I.P. appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Jeanna Fine passed away last month. If you’re a regular listener to The Rialto Report, you'll know that we like to interview a person from a different angle. It's a more intimate and personal exploration, rather than just revisiting someone's fleeting moments on camera. And it can be a challenge to convince someone to open up in that way. Sometimes it's quick and easy to persuade a person to talk, but many others are more difficult: some interviews have simply ended up being off the record, or subjects changed their minds after finishing the conversation. A few decided that their interview shouldn't be released until after they pass, while others just weren't very interesting. And then there was my interview with Jeanna Fine. We'd originally contacted her for all the usual Rialto Report reasons: Jeanna had been one of the adult industry's biggest, and longest lasting, A-list stars, and I was keen to hear her personal story. She'd first appeared in X-rated films in the mid 1980s – getting her name supposedly when Barbara Dare told her that Jeanna looked so fine. It was the tail period of the so-called ‘golden age', just as the business was changing into a more corporate, studio-driven, rinse-and-repeat video industry. But there was nothing standard about Jeanna. She stood out from pack, fiercely individual, different from many other identikit, girl-next door performers, with her short platinum-blond spiky punk hair, or later, long dark hair that turned her into a scowling femme fatale. She was androgenous, full of confrontational attitude – and her scenes bristled with a bad-ass aggression. And Jeanna's rebellious streak didn't seem confined to her appearance, and the word was that she would turn up to shoots when and where she felt like it, and sometimes not at all. Sometimes she made scores of films in a matter of weeks, and then disappeared for months, even years. She had a long-term, and volatile, relationship with fellow actress Savannah. Jeanna eventually walked away from it – just before Savannah killed herself. On one of her breaks from the world of X, she got married and had a son, only to return to making films a few years later. Her on/off career continued into the 2000s. But, and there's always a but, I wanted to know more about the woman behind the strong, confident, and forthright exterior, this character so full of piss and vinegar. I sensed a vulnerability, that her glamorous life in front of the camera perhaps masked secrets that were a world away from adult films. In short, who was the woman that created Jeanna Fine? So I reached out to her, and over the next 10 years, we became friends and confidants through a series of conversations, phone calls, emails, and texts. When we first spoke, she'd been living a rural life in upstate New York for over a decade, and was experiencing something of an existential crisis. She was at a crossroads in her life: she'd experienced recent tragedies – the suicides of both her husband and brother, she was empty-nester, and she was trying to figure out what she should do next. Intriguingly, she decided to emerge from anonymity and return to the X-rated industry. She turned up at an adult fan convention, she'd set up a Twitter account (as it was back then), and had a friend show her how she could earn money with a web-cam. But the return to the sex industry was problematic, and I could see that she hadn't expected the extent of the emotions, the old secrets and lies, that this new direction was bringing back to the surface. What was being stirred in her past, I wondered? Jeanna insisted that she was keen to do the interview – she announced it on Twitter – but I was worried that she was feeling fragile. This podcast is the result of that conversation. With big thanks to Patrick Kindlon and Self Defense Family – for the wonderful monologue, and to Steven Morowitz and Melusine – for the Video-X-Pix photographs. This podcast is 52 minutes long. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Jeanna Fine – Video-X-Pix photos * Jeanna Fine portfolio * The post Jeanna Fine: The Lost Interview – Podcast 157 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

In part two, Bud remembers his marriage with Asia Carrera and the films for Vivid and Playboy. The post Bud Lee – From Hyapatia and Asia to Only Fans, Part 2 – Podcast 156 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Bud Lee has led a remarkable life - from acting and directing adult films to his marriages to Hyapatia Lee and Asia Carrera. The post Bud Lee – From Hyapatia and Asia to Only Fans, Part 1 – Podcast 155 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

What happened after Wade Nichols became Dennis Parker, and emerged as an international disco star? The post Wade Nichols: ‘Like an Eagle' – His Untold Story Part 3: The Soap Opera King – Podcast 154 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

After a career in straight XXX films, Wade Nichols becomes disco star, Dennis Parker. The post Wade Nichols: ‘Like an Eagle' – His Untold Story Part 2: Disco! – Podcast 153 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Paul Thomas was a pioneer, winning every award and beng inducted into every Hall of Fame that the sex industry has invented. The post R.I.P. Paul Thomas (1949 – 2025) – Podcast Reprise appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Wade Nichols was a gay man in straight XXX films, a disco hitmaker, and TV soap star - but who was he? The post Wade Nichols: ‘Like an Eagle' – His Untold Story Part 1: The Early Years – Podcast 152 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

What happened to Sue Flaken, the actor originally cast in the lead role of 'The Devil in Miss Jones' (1973)? The post Sue Flaken's Sliding Doors – The Mystery of the Original Miss Jones appeared first on The Rialto Report.

The concluding part of our interview with Susan Hart - about the events that led to her leaving the business, and what happened next. The post Susan Hart – Confidences and Confidence, Part 2: Podcast 150 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Susan Hart was a prolific actress in the California XXX video explosion of the mid 1980. She has never told her story - until now. The post Susan Hart – Confidences and Confidence, Part 1: Podcast 149 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Rafael Remy was one of the forces behind Florida's XXX industry. The post Chasing Butterflies: Stories of Cubans in Exploitation-Era Florida – Part 4, Rafael Remy's Story – Podcast 148 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Dolores Carlos' was queen of nudism films. Marcy was her daughter. The post Chasing Butterflies: Stories of Cubans in Exploitation-Era Florida – Part 3, Marcy Bichette's story – Podcast 147 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Who on earth was the elusive and mysterious filmmaker José Prieto? The post Chasing Butterflies: Stories of Cubans in Exploitation-Era Florida – Part 2, José Prieto's story – Podcast 146 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Manuel was a Cuban from Spain via New York.. working in Florida. The post Chasing Butterflies: Stories of Cubans in Exploitation-Era Florida – Part 1, Manuel Conde's story – Podcast 145 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Dolores Carlos untold story, behind-the-scenes in Florida's adult films. The post Chasing Butterflies: Stories of Cubans in Exploitation-Era Florida – Prologue, Dolores Carlos' story – Podcast 144 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

What happened when Iris de la Cruz, sex worker and activist, interviewed her 10-year-old daughter? The post Iris De La Cruz – And Her Daughter Melissa: Street Walking Blues – Podcast 143 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

We remember Howard Ziehm, one of the pioneers of adult films with the groundbreaking ‘Mona' (1970). The post R.I.P. Howard Ziehm: Mona… (and marijuana, music, and M.I.T.) – Podcast Reprise appeared first on The Rialto Report.

What happened to Dian's career after the rise of the internet crippled the magazine business? The post Dian Hanson – Chronicles, Part 4: The Taschen Years – Podcast 142 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Dian's career continues in the ever-expanding and competitive world of sex publications into the 1980s/90s. The post Dian Hanson – Chronicles, Part 3: Going Solo – Podcast 141 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Part 2 of our interview with Dian Hanson - in which she embarks on a career in men's magazines. The post Dian Hanson – Chronicles, Part 2: The Peter Wolff Years – Podcast 140 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Dian Hanson was a legendary figure in the world of men's magazines in New York in the 70s that overlapped heavily with the adult film scene. The post Dian Hanson – Chronicles, Part 1: The Early Years – Podcast 139 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Whatever happened to Geri Miller? The post NYC Starlets – Part 3: An Afternoon with Geri Miller, Warhol Super-Groupie and Sexploitation Actress – Podcast 138 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Rare and unpublished on-set photographs of Pat Barrington. The post Pat Barrington in ‘Orgy of the Dead' (1965) – Unpublished Photographs and Podcast (reprise) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

David Cronenberg's 'Rabid', Linda Lovelace and Marilyn Chambers, the Nicaraguan Contra rebels and more.. The post Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 7, Endgame, Podcast 137 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

How Chuck Traynor, ex-husband of 'Deep Throat's Linda Lovelace moved on to Marilyn Chambers. The post Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 6, The Marilyn Chambers Years, Podcast 136 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

F.M Bradley died last month just a few weeks shy of his 70th birthday. We remember our 2021 interview with the pioneering 1980s adult star. The post F.M. Bradley: Hiding in Plain Sight – Podcast 113 – Reprise appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Michael Findlay's films were so single-minded - so how much did his own life influence his work? The post ‘Flesh': The Untold Origin of the Findlays and the ‘Flesh Trilogy', Part 2 – Michael's story appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Michael and Roberta Findlay's film's were more shocking that their peers. So who were they? The post Flesh! The Untold Origin of the Findlays and the ‘Flesh Trilogy', Part 1 – Roberta's story appeared first on The Rialto Report.

The dramatic second part of Lisa Cintrice's life story, covering her time in the adult film business and reveals what happens next. The post Lisa Cintrice: Not Being Afraid, Part 2 – Podcast 133 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Lisa Cintrice talks about her life inside and out of the adult film business in this candid and personal interview. The post Lisa Cintrice: Not Being Afraid, Part 1 – Podcast 132 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Herschel Savage passed away this week: Ashley West remembers him and revisits the 2013 interview with him. The post R.I.P. Herschel Savage (1952 – 2023) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

The NYPD break with code - and make an X-rated in an attempt to break into the adult film business. The post Cop Porn: When the NYPD made a Porn Film – Part 2 – Podcast 131 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

In 1977, the Public Morals Squad in New York set up an undercover porn production company. The post Cop Porn: When the NYPD made a Porn Film – Part 1 – Podcast 130 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Legendary 1960s roadie, Neville Chesters, talks about The Who, Jimi Hendrix... and his adult films. The post Neville Chesters R.I.P: How Jimi Hendrix's Roadie became a Porn Producer – Podcast 77 (reprise) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

After 'Deep Throat' is released, Linda Lovelace is suddenly famous. The post Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 5, Deep Throat Explodes (and so does Sammy Davis Jr.) appeared first on The Rialto Report.

What really happened behind the scenes of 'Deep Throat' (1972)? The post Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 4, The Making of Deep Throat… What Really Happened? appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Debbie Revenge had two adult film careers - but her life was much more dramatic that anything on screen. The post Punk and Porn in New York City – Part 2: Debbie Revenge, The Punk in the Photograph appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Part 2 of our Rialto Report interview with Sue Nero, a golden age adult performer in film, on stage, and in men's magazines. The post Sue Nero: Ain't Wastin' Time No More (Part 2) – Podcast 126 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Sue Nero was a larger than life, super-hero of a porn star - she talks about her eventful life in this Rialto Report interview. The post Sue Nero: Ain't Wastin' Time No More (Part 1) – Podcast 125 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Jamie Gillis went on a life-changing visit to Europe in 1977, and kept audio diaries of his experiences. The post Jamie Gillis in Europe, 1977 – His Audio Diaries: “Life Is Easy When You Don't Know How” appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Adult film icon, Kay Parker, passed away this week. In our podcast interview, she talks about becoming a star in the XXX film industry. The post R.I.P. Kay Parker (1944 – 2022) – The Rialto Report interview appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Kitten Natividad died in Los Angeles this last week. She was a genuine cult pop culture figure. The post R.I.P. Kitten Natividad – La Reina, Her Last Interview – Podcast 123 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Chesty Morgan makes ‘Deadly Weapons' and ‘Double Agent 73', and acts with Donald Sutherland. The post The Trials of Chesty Morgan – Doris Wishman, Fellini, The Law and Me, Part 2 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Bionca was a striking performer, appearing in over 350 films and countless magazine spreads from 1984 through the early 2000s. The post Bionca: The Daredevil Amazon – Podcast 121 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Chuck and Linda go to New York to find work in the adult film scene, and make some of the most notorious loops in adult film history. The post Deep Throat @ 50: Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 3 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

How did Linda Lovelace first meet Chuck Traynor - and what was the nature of their relationship before 'Deep Throat' (1972)? The post Deep Throat @ 50: Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 2 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Where did Chuck Traynor come from, and what did he do before he met Linda Lovelace and before 'Deep Throat' (1972)? The post Deep Throat @ 50: Svengali – The Chuck Traynor Story: Part 1 appeared first on The Rialto Report.

Harry Reems speaks for the only time about his early adult film career, 'Deep Throat,' and more. The post Deep Throat @ 50: Searching for the Real Harry Reems – Podcast 117 appeared first on The Rialto Report.