Source: Cinema Seen
By: William Margold
Cinema Seen by William Margold. ”When He Made Love…He Made History” – I christened him ”The King” in 1973. And now in the following foreword in a book about him—I have called him ”Hardcore Martyr.”
Every sociological movement has had its poster person.
But rather than belabor this foreword with lots of names and notions…allow me to offer you the image that the letter X is simply a twisted cross…and leave the rest up to your imagination.
So it’s like this…John C. Holmes came into the flickering picture in the late 1960s—just as the hardcore film industry was starting to rear its pink pulsating head—and undulated gloriously through the 1970s…and then smoldered into the 1980s.
Until his death in 1988, he was without question the most important personality in X. The fact is…and it’s made commandingly clear by Jennifer Sugar and Jill Nelson in their book—a Life Measured in Inches—that although he has been gone for 20 years—his name is still synonymous with the word ”pornography.”
He was the first X-rated superstar and truly a living legend—envied by most men because of his prodigious penis and desired by any woman who wanted to try him on ”for size.” his was a mesmerizing wand of wantonness, aimed directly at the fevered minds of all those who dared to admit that they had sexual fantasies.
Charmingly content that he was known to all but in fact known to none, John played out his life like an overage juvenile delinquent, accepting little or no responsibilities for his actions—or his activities—in a masturbatory microcosm of society that I call ”The Playpen of the Damned.”
And for one who basked in the glaring limelight of fame, it came as no surprise that he would eventually sink into the darkness of infamy. Someone had to be sacrificed and John C. Holmes was there for the staking. You’ve got to wonder, however, as you read through Jennifer and Jill’s thoroughly and, at times, very painfully researched work, if Johnny would have wanted it any other way.
And as you can see from the artwork and announcement on this page, on the calendar friendly aligning of 8’s (Friday August 8, 2008) evening of Johnny’s 64th birthday—authoresses Jennifer Sugar and Jill Nelson will be headlining their book signing event at Book Soup at 8818 Sunset Blvd. (Hmmm…even more 8’s.) A remarkably broad and controversial cross-section of ”special guests” have been invited to the Book Soup event, and the evening may well evolve into an X-rated industry reunion richly validating my sentiment ”that there is no future if in the present we fail to pay homage to the past.” For further details call (310) 659- 3110 or consult www.booksoup.com.
And in an exciting extension of paying homage to the fellow who awesomely proved that ”all men were not created equal”—there will be a free Friday midnight screening of Eruption (considered by many highly respected ”erotic sinematologists” to be among Holmes’ finest molten movie moments…and not just in the sexual actions area—but as an actor delivering a compelling dimensional performance as well) at the Silent Movie Theatre (611 North Fairfax).
Of course—a Life Measured in Inches—will be on sale throughout the evening– -both at Book Soup and at the Silent Movie Theatre.
And while I was fortunate enough to be able to help provide very personal insights and extremely raw recollections for Jennifer and Jill’s book, flipping through it now I find myself becoming genuinely excited all over again in the realization that I was a pulsating part of the carnal cinematic court of ”Outlaws on Movie Posters” over which ”The King” presided. Indeed…”When We Made Love…We Made History.”
