In 1972, an adult film was released that rocked the country: Deep Throat.  Written, directed, and produced by filmmaker Gerard Damiano, Deep Throat was one of the first hardcore films to reach the general public, premiering in theaters across the country, and grossing an estimated six million dollars. It was a film that changed the face of modern porn forever.

Reputedly written for its female star, Linda Lovelace, Deep Throat tells the story of a young girl who has an unidentified medical condition where she finds the act of oral sex more satisfying than regular intercourse.  The film, shot in six days, spent years being dragged through the court system, being banned, unbanned, and rebanned due to charges of obscenity and gained even more notoriety when its title was used as the code name by the Washington Post for William Mark Felt, Sr., a deep-background source during the Watergate scandal.

Damiano, who passed away due to complications from stroke 2008, originally ran a hair salon in his native New York.  Listening to his patrons gossip, he became convinced that adult films needed to expand their target audience from the male demographic into that of couples.  Through an introduction to a low-budget horror film producer, Damiano began to help on set, learning the ropes of movie making before launching into his own project, the infamous Deep Throat.

After Deep Throat’s success, Damiano moved on to direct other films, creating classics like The Devil in Miss Jones (1973), The Story of Joanna (1975), and Night Hunter (1983) among others, for a total of forty-seven movies before his retirement in 1994.

Recognized as one of the most accomplished executives in adult entertainment, Darren Roberts announced today the first in a series of books on the adult entertainment industry.

In The Unsexpected Story, Roberts speaks candidly with the key professionals behind one of the world’s largest and most profitable trades. The Unsexpected Story delivers unique insight into the minds of the industry executives, stars, marketers, and technology mavens who are responsible for the creation and management of the most successful and enduring brands in adult entertainment.

As unique as the products they make, their influence remains instrumental to the growth, profitability, and sustainability of one of the most provoking and controversial businesses in the modern world.

“The adult industry’s journey, development, and challenges have made it what it is and will carry it into the future,” says Roberts. “Regardless of the roadblocks it has faced or the controversy it inspires, there is little doubt the industry will work to maintain a platform that not only makes money, but also stays at the forefront of new media and technological advancements.”

Engaging, conversational, and smart, The Unsexpected Story goes where other industry tell-alls don’t, tracing the economic and technological lifespan of the vast adult entertainment industry through the personal experiences of the individuals who have made a lasting impression on this forever green, multi-billion dollar empire.

Unlike many entering the world of porn, Steve Hirsch was not a stranger to the industry.  The son of Fred Hirsch, an adult industry veteran, Hirsch worked as a salesman for his father, duplicating and mailing out 8mm adult films before joining Cal Vista, a studio that was a major player in the ‘80s.  This is also where Hirsch met his first business partner, David James.

Working with James, Hirsch founded Vivid Entertainment in 1984.  At the young age of 23, Hirsch knew he needed to find a way to set Vivid apart from other adult video production companies.  He wanted higher-budget movies with talent who could act and storylines that would hook an audience.  Hirsch felt that, in order to be successful, he needed to totally reinvent the way adult videos were produced and marketed.

Taking his cue from the old-school Hollywood studio system, Hirsch decided to focus not on a single movie, but on a girl.  With this in mind, he hired Ginger Lynn, who starred in the December 1985 release of Ginger.  The video­, and Lynn, were an overnight sensation, and the concept of the “Vivid Girl” was born.

Yet even as Lynn’s popularity grew, Hirsch realized that his star wouldn’t be in front of the camera forever.  He began to recruit more Vivid Girls, snapping up talent like Jamie Summers, Barbara Dare, and Christy Canyon, and focused on raising the value of his films.  For the release of the third Ginger Lynn movie, Ginger’s Private Party, Hirsch retained an art director talented enough to build a solid brand for the rapidly-growing company.

Through the years, Hirsch’s passion for excellence and desire for mainstream production values have fueled his company’s success.  He continues to recruit and develop new talent, expanding his company in ways that, to this day, make Vivid a benchmark for innovation and class in the adult entertainment industry.

You can read more about Steve Hirsch and Vivid Entertainment in The Unsexpected Story.