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Art’s World – A Look Back at The Fabulous 1950’s

With all the craziness going on in the world and right here in the good old USA, I felt it was time to take a trip back down memory lane, so come along with us. We all have favorite decades, that period in time when things were fun, exciting and become great memories one day. The decade of the 50’s was a very special time for many, myself included. Here are some fun facts from back then and when you realize we are talking 60 to 70 years ago we have to wonder where did the time go?

1950 – 1959 – When the decade began a gallon of gas was 18.9 cents. By 1959 the price had jumped all the way up to 27.9 cents. How did people make it through such an increase?

1950 – 1959 – The average cost of a new car was $1,510 in 1950 (about $17,000 today) and $2,200 in 1959 (around $25,000 today). Just think what some of those classics are worth today.

1950 – 1959 -The average annual salary in the US was $3,210 in 1950 and $5,010 by 1959. That equates to approximately $36,000 and $59,000 today. Think about that for a minute.

1950 – Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang were introduced to the world by creator Charles Schultz in 1950. Yes, they have been around for more than 70 years!

1951- Power steering finally makes its way to American automobiles. The very first model to put it to use was the gas guzzling Chrysler Imperial sedan.

1952 – American Bandstand, originally called Bandstand, premiered on a Philadelphia TV station on October 7, 1952 with DJ Bob Horn serving as host. Dick Clark would take over in 1957 and turn it into a TV classic.

1953 – That was the year that the frozen TV dinner made its debut from Swanson and became a very popular item. The very first TV dinner consisted of turkey, gravy, sweet potato, peas, and cornbread stuffing. Yummy!

1954- 1955 –   The Lord of the Rings, the most influential fantasy literature work from J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy was written between 1937 and 1949 and published in three stages from 1954 to 1955.

1955  – Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA on July 17, 1955. It’s the only theme park actually designed and built under the direction of Walt Disney himself. It would change the entire amusement park experience forever.

1956  – In music a new form called rock and roll takes hold and it becomes the year of “The King”, Elvis Presley with TV appearances, #1 records, a movie and more, all to the dismay of parents everywhere.

1957 – Prices were going up. While you could still get a Coke for 5 cents, 45 RPM records were now priced at 79 cents and the Burger King Whopper went all the way up from 34 cents to 39 cents. How could people afford it?

1958 – The Packard automobile ceases production after 60 years. At the same time it is the first year that the Toyota is available in the U.S. Naysayers said Toyota would be lucky to last 2 years in the U.S. Guess what??

1959 – The United States grows by two. Former U.S. territories, Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and 50th states of the union. They are the first new states since Arizona was admitted as the 48th state in 1912.

For me personally, the 50’s meant graduating high school, serving my country in the Air Force and also getting my career in radio started. It was a decade that had so much going on, but it was also a simpler time without the world of uncertainty we live in today. In my eight plus decades on this earth that is the one decade I wish I could go back to once again. I hope you enjoyed this look back at some of the fun facts about the decade of the 1950’s.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN

 

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ART OF ADULT – Porn Classics Revisited – Eruption – Cal Vista – 1977

This week we go back forty five years to 1977.  For me and my family, 1977 was the year we made the decision to move from New Jersey to Florida. It turned out to be the right move at the right time in many ways. What do you remember?

As always, we begin by taking a look at the cost of living then. The average income in the U.S. was $15,000 a year and the average cost of a brand new 3 bedroom home was $49,000. A brand new Chevy Nova was $3,900 and gas was just 65 cents a gallon. You could by a 5” portable TV for $150 and complete stereo system for $250. Women’s tunics were in fashion and only $11 and men’s leather slip on shoes just $14. Some of the 1977 news headlines……New York City suffers a total blackout that lasted more than 24 hours……Jimmy Carter is elected President…….the Trans Alaskan pipeline opens…….The Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr……The much heralded World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City are completed……The death of Elvis Presley at age 42 shocks the entire world……..Apple introduces the first computers…….Voyager I and Voyager II are launched unmanned to explore the outer solar system………A new diet program called Slim Fast comes on the market And of course, who could forget the introduction of the Chia Pet?

In the world of entertainment some of the big hit Hollywood films include Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Rocky, Annie Hall, Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Among the pop music hit makers were The Eagles, Barbra Striesand, Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gees and Fleetwood Mac. As for TV shows The Carol Burnett Show, McMillan and Wife, Columbo, Family Feud and Welcome Back Kotter were among the big hits. In 1977 we lost a number of celebrities, among them comedian Groucho Marx, basketball coach Adolph Rupp, actress Joan Crawford, band leader Guy Lombardo, singer/actor Bing Crosby and comedian/film maker Charlie Chaplin.

In the world of porn it was becoming more popular as films continued to mesh good storylines and good acting with sex scenes. Most were still being done in New York, but there was some west coast movement. Regular movie theaters were showing porn films on a limited basis as popularity among older couples began to increase. There were some excellent adult films in 1977 such as the one we revisit today, “Eruption”.

“Eruption” – J.G. Films/ Cal Vista – Director – Stanley Kurlan – Cast – Leslie Bovee, Susan Hart, Carry Welton, John Holmes, Eric Evol, others

This porn classic went where few had gone in porn’s early days. The entire production was filmed on location in Hawaii and it had, for that time, a large budget of more than $45,000 along with a large cast. It was a solid takeoff of a 1944 Hollywood film that had been nominated for seven Oscars, “Double Indemnity” which starred Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray and Edward G. Robinson. When all was said and done director Stanley Kurlan pulled off an excellent adult film that would go on to become one of the true classics of the golden age.

In this X rated version, the story and plot centers on Sandra (Leslie Bovee) a wealthy heiress. She meets up with an insurance salesman, Peter (John Holmes) on the beach. She wants nothing to do with him the first time they meet and can’t stand his forward style. However, Sandra is a deceptive woman and begins to think he just might be the perfect partner for the plan she has. So they get to know each other and she is convinced Peter will be perfect for her devious plot. Sandra persuades Peter to sell her husband a $2 million life insurance policy. After having a sexual encounter with Sandra it’s hard for Peter to resist her in any way. Now that she has Peter hooked she easily persuades him to knock off her husband so she can get the money, they can share it and live happily ever after. He is so wrapped up with Sandra and the sex they have he gives in and does what she asks. It all goes off without a hitch, or does it?  This brings in a hardnosed P.I. and things begin to change. Peter finally puts it all together and realizes Sandra was using him and is going to betray him and leave him hanging.

So he turns to her sex hungry stepdaughter Angie (Susan Hart) to help him turn the tables on her and also Angie’s boyfriend, Scott. As they plan to expose Sandra, they become aware the boyfriend Scott, has been in cahoots with Sandra all along to get the money and then Sandra and Scott would run off together with the money after they do away with Peter and Angie leaving no chance of discovery behind.

The sex scenes are captured very well with great backdrops, lighting and pack plenty of steam. Watching Holmes huge bone getting the oral treatment from Leslie is truly something to see. In turn he gives the ladies a good ride and all of the sex scenes in this film offer plenty of sizzle from a competent cast.

The entire production is extremely well done from every aspect with the great 70’s Hawaiian background. The acting performances are convincing and well done. In probably one of his best roles, Holmes showed some skilled acting chops. Taking a major Hollywood Oscar contender and doing a porn version back then was a very big risk. However, Kurlan and the cast gave the viewers an excellent movie that still holds up today. It has your interest from start to finish because of the dramatic plot as well as the steamy sex that ties the entire production together. You can find it on DVD and I highly recommend getting one of the golden age’s true classics, “Eruption”. It is a film that has everything you could want in an adult offering.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN

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Throwback Thursday – Hall of Fame Stars – Gloria Leonard

 Gloria Leonard – Inducted 1989

A True Porn Pioneer

Gail Klinetski came into this world on August 28, 1940 in New York City. She was raised in the Bronx, went to school and got her college degree in New York. She became a successful Wall Street stocks and bonds company rep. She also worked in PR for Elektra Records as well as working for Johnny Carson’s publicist prior to entering the world of porn.

This was her very corporate life before becoming one of the great legends of porn’s golden age as Gloria Leonard. She was one of the most popular names back in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. Though she was successful in her various PR roles a chance meeting with a friend in the booming adult film business in New York changed everything. She gave up her corporate career and got into the growing world of porn in New York.

Tall (5’ 10”), and with an all natural 40-33-37 knockout figure, brown hair and eyes that had a sensual, seductive look, Gloria was a natural in front of the camera. She made her hardcore debut in the 1976 film “Sex Maniac”, but it was in “The Opening of Misty Beethoven” that her career really took off. During her time in front of the camera Ms. Leonard did about 70 films that included “The Trouble With Young Stuff”, “Fortune Smiles”, “All About Gloria Leonard” , “Intimate Desires” and “Heat Wave” among them until she left in 1984.

Her seductive look, a seemingly nonstop sexual appetite and the fact she was a natural as an actress made her a very popular performer. Gloria wasn’t content to just be in front of the camera and would be one of the first females to go behind the camera and direct. In 1981 Gloria married well known porn producer Bobby Hollander and they remained married until divorcing in1990.

After she left the film part of the industry Ms. Leonard became the publisher of the popular men’s magazine, High Society. She basically oversaw every facet of the magazine and held that position for 14 years. She also brought many innovations to men’s magazines. She created the genre of “Celebrity Skin”, along with pioneering the phone sex industry. It was Ms. Leonard who took her fight for this innovation all the way to the Supreme Court and won. That ruling and this new business created by Ms. Leonard would open up another lucrative door for adult entertainment to be a major part of in the years ahead. The phone sex industry became very popular and a big money maker for a number of years and is still in existence today.

In 1993 Ms. Leonard moved to Hawaii to settle down with her daughter, who ran a very successful art gallery. In 1997 she returned to California and went to work for the Private Media group for a time. She was also president of the Free Speech Coalition and stayed active in many First Amendment battles appearing on TV talk shows to fight for the causes she strongly believed in.

She was living a good life in Hawaii then on January 31, 2014 she suffered a massive stroke. Ms. Leonard was transported to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. As a result of the stroke, Gloria suffered very extensive brain damage. This wonderful lady passed away a few days later on February 3, 2014, at the age of 73, after having her life-support systems disconnected.

Gloria Leonard was an award winning actress and a member of both the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. She was truly one of porn’s early female pioneers in many areas besides films. Her fan website www.glorialeonard.com  is still a very popular and busy one. Through today’s technology, most of her films are available on DVD. She is considered as the “grand dame” of porn and when you see some of this exquisite lady’s great performances you will understand why Gloria Leonard is so well regarded to this day by both the industry and fans young and old.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN

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