Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano (August 4, 1928 – October 25, 2008 ) was an American director of

adult films An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of major ...

. He wrote and directed the 1972 cult classic '' Deep Throat,'' which starred Linda Susan Boreman ''aka'' Linda Lovelace. He also directed the smash hit ''

The Devil in Miss Jones ''The Devil in Miss Jones'' is a 1973 pornographic film, written, directed and produced by Gerard Damiano and starring Georgina Spelvin and Harry Reems. It is widely regarded as a classic adult film, released during the Golden Age of Porn (19 ...

,'' which ranked #7 in ''Variety'''s list of the top-grossing pictures of 1973. (''Deep Throat'' came in at #11 that year, its second consecutive year on the list.) Damiano is one of the seminal directors of what is known as The Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984).

Biography

Early life

Gerard Damiano was born Gerardo Rocco Damiano to an Italian American

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

family in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York City. When he was 6, his father died; his mother never remarried. He was a shoeshine boy in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

and worked in an

automat An automat is a fast food restaurant where simple foods and drinks are served by vending machines. The world's first automat, Quisisana, opened in Berlin, Germany in 1895. By country Germany The first automat in the world was the Quisisana ...

. The day he turned 17, he enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and served for 4 years. After his discharge, at the age of 21 years, Damiano studied X-ray technology on the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

, and was an x-ray technician at Jamaica Hospital, in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, New York. He then opened a hairdressing salon with a friend in New York City. Frequently overhearing sexual gossip, at the salon, it convinced him that pornographic films, made to appeal to couples, would be a commercial success.

His entrance into porn

Damiano took an interest in film-making after his accountant introduced him to a producer who was making a low-budget

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

. Intrigued, Damiano began helping out as he could on the set, and went on to work as a crew member on numerous New York sexploitation films in the late 1960s.Deep Throat: Damiano, Lovelace.. and “Lovelace”The Rialto Report
September 8, 2013

''Deep Throat''

He directed the famous film '' Deep Throat,'' which was released in 1972 and starred Linda Lovelace and

Harry Reems Herbert John Streicher (August 27, 1947 – March 19, 2013), better known by his professional pseudonym Harry Reems, was an American pornographic actor and later a successful real estate agent. His most famous roles were as Doctor Young in ...

. The film is regarded as pioneering, and its success, plus that of ''

The Devil In Miss Jones ''The Devil in Miss Jones'' is a 1973 pornographic film, written, directed and produced by Gerard Damiano and starring Georgina Spelvin and Harry Reems. It is widely regarded as a classic adult film, released during the Golden Age of Porn (19 ...

,'' which starred

Georgina Spelvin Shelley Bob Graham (born March 1, 1936), known professionally as Georgina Spelvin, is a former American actress and pornographic performer who is best known as the star of the classic 1973 pornographic film ''The Devil in Miss Jones'', released ...

, the following year, is credited with helping to launch the modern adult-entertainment industry. Damiano was surprised that the film attracted such attention. The film was financed by organized crime, and Damiano did not benefit from the film's substantial commercial success. Other notable films made by Damiano included ''

'' (1973), ''

Memories Within Miss Aggie ''Memories Within Miss Aggie'' is a 1974 American pornographic film directed by Gerard Damiano and starring Deborah Ashira, Eric Edwards, and Harry Reems. The film pays homage to both Damiano's previous skin flick ''The Devil in Miss Jones'' and ...

'' (1974), ''

The Story of Joanna ''The Story of Joanna'' is a 1975 pornographic film directed by Gerard Damiano and starring Jamie Gillis and Terri Hall. The film has a sado-masochism theme influenced by ''Story of O'' (1954). It is considered one of the classics of the Golden ...

'' (1975), ''

Let My Puppets Come ''Let My Puppets Come'' (also called ''Let My Puppets Go'') is a 1976 softcore pornographic comedy film written and directed by Gerard Damiano, and starring Al Goldstein, Lynette Sheldon, Penny Nichols and Damiano. All the sex scenes are between p ...

'' (1976), Odyssey (1977), ''

The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue ''The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue'' is a 1981 American pornographic science fiction film directed by Gerard Damiano and starring Robert Kerman, Herschel Savage and Lysa Thatcher. Plot In a futuristic society called 'Alpha Blue', sexual needs are f ...

'' (1980) and ''Skinflicks'' (1981).

Recognition in ''Variety''

In 1973, ''The Devil in Miss Jones'' made the ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' list of the top ten highest-grossing pictures of the year; ''Deep Throat,'' then in its second year of release (and second year on the list), just missed the top 10, coming in at #11 for the year. ''The Devil in Miss Jones'' racked up box office receipts of $7.7 million for the year, coming in just below the James Bond-franchise entry '' Live and Let Die'' and

Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on R ...

's '' Paper Moon.'' ''Deep Throat'' grossed $4.6 million for the year, placing it ahead of the prestige picture ''

Sleuth Sleuth may refer to: * Detective *Sleuth, collective noun for a group of bears Computing * The Sleuth Kit, a collection of forensic analysis software *SLEUTH assembler language for the UNIVAC 1107 Entertainment and media *Cloo Cloo (stylized ...

,'' which featured Oscar-nominated performances by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

and

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

. In 1975, Inish Kae, the film's distributor, launched an ad campaign touting the movie for Academy Award nominations. The ads in the entertainment industry trade press touted ''Miss Aggie'' for Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Damiano) and Best Actress (Deborah Ashira). Damiano often appeared in his own films in small non-sexual side roles, and used the names "Albert Gork," "Al Gork," "Jerry Gerard," under which name he had actually produced and directed ''Deep Throat,'' or "D. Furred." He directed more than 50 adult films during his career.

Personal life

He married three times; with his second wife, Barbara Walton, he had two children, Christar and Gerard, Jr. He was interviewed for the 2005 documentary ''

Inside Deep Throat ''Inside Deep Throat'' is a 2005 American documentary film about the 1972 pornographic film '' Deep Throat'', at the forefront of the Golden Age of Porn, and its effects on American society. Content The film discusses how ''Deep Throat'' was d ...

.''

Death

Damiano died on October 25, 2008, in a

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...

hospital, at the age of 80 years, following complications from a stroke he had suffered in September.

Filmography (partial)

# ''We All Go Down'' (1969) # ''The Magical Ring'' (1971) # ''Sex USA'' (1971) (uncredited) # ''Changes'' (1970) (documentary) # ''Teenie Tulip'' (1970) # ''The Marriage Manual'' (1970) (documentary) # '' Deep Throat'' (1972; as Jerry Gerard) # ''Meatball'' (1972) (as D. Furred) # ''

'' (1973) # ''

'' (1974) # ''

Legacy of Satan ''Legacy of Satan'' is a 1974 horror film written and directed by Gerard Damiano. It stars John Francis, Lisa Christian, Paul Barry, Deborah Horlen and Sandra Peabody, who respectively portray Dr. Muldavo, Maya, George, the High Priestess, and a c ...

'' (1974) # ''Portrait'' (1974) (uncredited) # ''

'' (1975) # ''

'' (1976) # ''Joint Venture'' (1977) # ''Odyssey: The Ultimate Trip'' (1977) # ''Joint Venture'' (1977) (uncredited) # ''The Confessions of Linda Lovelace'' (1977) (uncredited) # ''Skin-Flicks'' (1978) # ''Fantasy'' (1979) # ''People'' (1979) # ''For Richer, for Poorer'' (1979) # ''Beyond Your Wildest Dreams'' (1981) # ''

'' (1981) # ''Never So Deep'' (1981) # ''Consenting Adults'' (1982) # ''Night Hunger'' (1983) # ''Whose Fantasy Is This Anyway?'' (1984) (video) # ''Throat 12 Years After'' (1984) # ''Return to Alpha Blue'' (1984) (video) # ''Inside Everybody'' (1984) (video) # ''Flesh and Fantasy'' (1985) # ''Cravings'' (1985) # ''Forbidden Bodies'' (1986) (video) # ''Ultrasex'' (1987) # ''Slightly Used'' (1987) (video) # ''Maximum Head'' (1987) # ''Lessons in Lust'' (1987) (video) # ''Future Sodom'' (1987) (video) # ''Ruthless Women'' (1988) # ''Candy's Little Sister Sugar'' (1988) (video) # ''Splendor in the Ass'' (1989; alternative title: ''Sex Express'') # ''Young Girls in Tight Jeans'' (1989) # ''Perils of Paula'' (1989) (video) # ''Dirty Movies'' (1989) (video) # ''Proposta oscena'' (1991) (video) # ''Just for the Hell of It'' (1991) # ''Manbait'' (1991) # ''Manbait Part 2 (1991) (video) # ''Giochi di Coppia'' (1991) # ''The Last Couple'' (1992) # ''The Naked Goddess'' (1992) # ''The Naked Goddess II'' (1992) (video)

Awards

*2008

XBIZ Award XBIZ Awards are given annually to honour "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult films" and have been described by XBIZ publisher and founder Alec Helmy as being "born out of ...

– Lifetime Achievement in Movie ProductionXBIZ Award Winners
''

XBIZ XBIZ is an American publisher of business news and business information for the sex industry. In addition to its flagship "Xbiz.com" website, XBIZ publishes two monthly trade magazines, hosts winter and summer Trade fair, exhibition and industry ...

'', February 2011

References

External links

*
Roger Ebert Review ("best" of genre; rated 3 of 4) of ''The Devil in Miss Jones'', directed by Gerald Damiano (June 13, 1973).

Roger Ebert Interview with ''Deep Throat'' director Gerard Damiano (July 26, 1974).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Damiano, Gerard 1928 births 2008 deaths American film directors American pornographic film directors American pornographic film producers American male screenwriters English-language film directors American writers of Italian descent United States Navy sailors Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters American film directors of Italian descent