March 23–30, 2000

cover story

The Money Shot

A first-person journey into the curious world of a low-budget, made-in-Pennsylvania porn film.

by Jon Hart

I’M NO DIRK DIGGLER.

Five-foot-nine and modestly endowed, I’m less Marky Mark than Harpo Marx.

But a few months ago, when I overheard that a friend of a friend named Bill Margold was directing a film titled Yearning Anus, I called him to volunteer for a role. Not an actual sex role, mind you — "professional fornicator" being a bit of a red flag on the old resume — but a supporting role that would offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the seedy craft of porn.

Margold, eager for free talent, not to mention the potential to be written about, was sold.

Ten days later, I stepped off the bus in a northern suburb of Philadelphia. I’m not at liberty to say exactly what town, because what we were about to do wasn’t exactly legal.

"It’s not dangerous until you start shooting and get caught in the act," Margold would later tell me. "Then they’ll take away your equipment because you have no license to shoot, and they could bust you for pandering."

In other words, not only was I risking lifelong ridicule and shame, I was flaunting the laws of the Keystone State.

But soon I would learn that legal affairs are the least of the problems when you’re making sex films. Like, for instance, what does a supporting actor do when he gets invited to join the main event?

THE DIRECTOR

Yearning Anus is on the back burner," Margold announces on the way to the set. I’m walking with him and his affable business partner and cameraman Jack Starr. "The film is now called Frozen ASS’ets. The title means nothing but it has an ‘ass’ in it." Margold says that the plot was inspired by Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

Proclaimed "Mr. Pornography" by the film star Seka, and also sometimes compared to the Burt Reynolds character in Boogie Nights, Bill Margold is not your run-of-the-mill porn director.

During the past 25 years, he’s directed more than 100 films, written screenplays and acted, too. In Margold’s world of film smut, scripts are optional, decisions spontaneous and costs run around $20,000. Even Margold admits wholeheartedly that it’s not Shakespeare. "It’s more like herding cattle," he says.

The son of a prominent federal judge, Margold is also well known as a spokesman for the porn industry. A onetime journalist, he labors for Free Speech Coalition and PAW (Protecting Adult Welfare), which assists young porn actors. Perhaps Margold’s finest moment came on October 17, 1986, when he went before the President’s Commission On Pornography to defend the blue movie industry.

"I am honored to be part of this historical endeavor, but I feel that I must preface this statement with an ominous headline: Welcome to Salem-by-the-Pacific," said Margold. "In a society that is drug infested, violence wracked and polluted by chemical greed, might I respectfully remind this commission that no one has ever died from an overdose of pornography."

THE SET

Our three-day production is one of the few on the East Coast; almost the entire porn industry — and most of the talent — is located in Southern California. Margold says that it’s tough to make skin flicks in the East because there’s a dearth of talent.

"The East Coast has a whole bunch of ugly people," grouses Margold weeks later. "The only camera they should go in front of is in a police lineup for mug shots."

When I enter the very ordinary-looking suburban warehouse-studio, I meet the motley cast. Sitting around the sets are three women: Charlie Latour, a porn veteran, has worked on hundreds of films. With the exception of a few $50-a-shoot spanking videos, Joey Jaxson, 20, is a porn rookie. Carly Sparks, a medical supplies saleswoman turned burlesque headliner, is preparing in the dressing room.

A young married couple, acting in their second film, stand by themselves. The only performer who’s missing is the "male stud," an actor who calls himself Buck Nakyd.

Of the cast, Latour and Sparks are the most famous. Latour, the daughter of a preacher, has been in the business for decades — an actress with a legendary penchant for black men. Latour claims to have pleasured scores of professional athletes, including half a football team (on a charter flight after an Eagles game). Latour’s husband, whom I’ve interviewed several times, condones her activities.

"She’s like a thoroughbred," explained her satisfied spouse, a successful businessman, one night over dinner. "If you don’t let her run free, she is just gonna run away."

Sparks, who is also married and says she is a "swinger," has been in the business for five years, and is best known around the strip-club circuit for her "innovative" stage shows. Her business card states that she has the "wickedest nipples in North America." For one of her more creative stage acts, Sparks straps a Nerf basketball net across her crotch and encourages men to shoot baskets. For each conversion, she removes a garment. "I wear 30 pairs of panties," says the Michigan native, a community college graduate with a degree in broadcast communications.

I ask Sparks why she does porn flicks.

"I’ve doubled my [strip-club] booking rate," Sparks says flatly. "It’s dramatically increased my fan base already — the guys that write in and the number of guys that drive to see the show. It’s all a payoff in the end."

In addition to her entrepreneurial savvy, Sparks is respected by her peers for drawing the line with some directors, refusing to do certain degrading acts like massive anal gang bangs. Sparks insists on using condoms, which sit on a table next to a bag of bagels and coffee.

Today, Sparks is the highest-paid employee on the set, earning a flat $600 for her one scene. According to Sparks, female porn actresses in Los Angeles make anywhere from $400 to $800 a scene — and that’s it. "For the most part, the talent does not receive royalties," says Sparks. "It’s very old-school Hollywood style."

Meanwhile Jaxson, a Rubenesque blonde, sits across the room, looking lost. For today’s work, the New Jersey resident will take home $250. When she’s not doing porn, she cares for her newborn kid and dances at topless clubs that attract a predominantly black clientele, where she says the men appreciate her ample behind. Wearing a navy blue oversized sweatshirt that swallows her full-figured physique, she sits slumped in her chair, rarely speaking. As if expecting to be criticized, she says, "I’m trying to lose my stomach."

The married couple, meanwhile, is overjoyed. The wife, a friendly, diminutive blonde who goes by the name Shy Love, seems thrilled to be paid $250 to have sex with her husband, a silent ox with a very short crewcut.

It’s past 11 a.m. and Buck has not arrived. In lieu of a knife, Margold sticks his finger into the cream cheese and smears a bagel. I ponder all the places that finger may have probed and decide to pass on the cream cheese. I walk past the coed dressing room and catch a glimpse of Sparks clad in only a G-string. Embarrassed, I apologize. Margold informs me that there is no room for modesty on a porn set.

As we wait for Buck, Margold instructs Shy Love’s man in how to choose a stage name. Margold says that adult actors often combine two of their favorite athletes’ names. The husband seems to be leaning toward Rock Fahrenheit. Silently, he weighs this decision as if mulling over some deep philosophical dilemma.

Meanwhile, I consider using the unoriginal Johnny The Wonder Horse. But that does not meet Margold’s criteria, and it would be less than accurate. I consider using Mugsy Flutie, borrowing names from two of the greatest diminutive athletes of all time (thus managing expectations). Ultimately, I opt to combine two of my favorite wide receivers’ names: Keyshawn Chrebet. My fellow actors just call me K.C.

FOREPLAY

Sparks will fly: Carly Sparks, she of the "wickedest nipples in North America."

With the names out of the way, Margold and cameraman Starr begin the delicate art of prepping Shy Love and Rock Fahrenheit for their sex scene. The four of them are sitting on a couch on one of the studio’s three sets. This is real smut-film moviemaking, the method porn experience I’ve been seeking.

"I don’t want it simplistic. I want it innocent," preaches Margold. "I want him discovering her body for the first time, a suspension of disbelief."

Shy Love nods along, while Fahrenheit is stoic.

"You have been faithful, you have been virtuous," continues Margold. "You are looking forward to this. I don’t want any kind of affectation. The audience will be very comfortable with all of this. You look like you belong together. You look real. For all intents and purposes, you are real."

"We are real," giggles Shy Love. Fahrenheit is silent, considering this.

"I want you two to flashback in time to when you lost your virginity together," says Margold, "when you discovered yourselves, and basically treat her like that. This is a whole brand-new revelationary situation."

"He’s saying, think about it when it really happened the first time," adds Starr. "It’s a very innocent situation," repeats Margold.

"I was really scared and shy," murmurs Shy Love.

"That’s what we want," says Margold. "That’s all we want!" concurs Starr.

"I did not even talk," says Shy Love almost in a whisper.

"You don’t need to talk," yells Margold. "You don’t need to say anything. To be honest with you — and I hate to break it to you kid… "

"The audience doesn’t want to hear you talking," Shy Love cuts in. "They just want to see the sex."

"Exactly! Ninety percent of the people simply turn off the sound anyway! You can make your moans and groans, but I don’t want you carrying on about ‘Ooh now I’m gonna suck you’ or something like that. Telling someone how to screw is ludicrous. It’s like telling Don Mattingly how to swing a bat! You know what you like and since you have the advantage of knowing each other you know exactly what you like.

"It would be nice if each of you did oral sex on each other. Whatever positions are comfortable for you. Remember that a camera is shooting this. I want to see her face. Your face [Fahrenheit] is not as important — trust me. If you’re gonna do reverse cow girl have her fucking out towards the camera. Doggy sells. I hate missionary sex. It’s boring. Who gives a shit. Give them some positions they can’t get at home. A lot of oral sex…

"I don’t want to see your head covering his dick. I want to see his dick coming in and out of your mouth. As far as the pop shot, you know, if you can get off twice in the scene that’s cool."

"What you may want to do if you feel yourself getting ready to come," coaches Starr, "you gotta give me a couple of seconds to adjust the camera. If you’re going away and you feel [you’re] gonna come pretty soon, let me know."

"You’ll know," giggles Shy Love. "You’ll see his face."

With that the conversation-challenged Fahrenheit erupts.

"My head will turn purple," he growls. "And you’ll hear ‘Oh yeah!’"

"The other thing is the money shot," Margold says, turning to Shy Love. "Do you take them in the face?"

Caught off guard, Shy Love mumbles something.

"Have you ever taken a come shot in the face," inquires Margold again.

"Yeah," replies Shy Love timidly.

"Would you like one in the face?" asks Margold.

"I don’t know… " Shy Love says sheepishly. "It burns."

"I don’t want it in your eyes," counters Margold. "I want it in your face. It’s what sells. It’s the most important thing in this business. When anybody comes in your face, everybody in the audience is coming in your face!"

On that note, Buck finally bounds in. An otter of a man, he looks like an undersized high school nose guard. Buck was supposed to show up with his stripper girlfriend, but she wasn’t too keen on doing porno and bailed at the last minute. "I threw her to the curb," he mutters.

At the bagels table, Buck hurriedly mixes a combination of Gatorade and protein. "It’s good for you," explains Buck. A little later, I overhear Buck boasting that he can bench-press 400 pounds.

Finally, the cameras are ready to roll.

part 2