Marilyn Chambers
Encyclopedia
Marilyn Chambers was an American
pornographic actress
, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate. She was best known for her 1972 hardcore
film debut Behind the Green Door
and her 1980 pornographic film Insatiable.
, and raised in Westport, Connecticut
in a middle-class household. It is often reported that she was born in Westport, however in a 2007 interview Chambers confirmed she was born in Providence but grew up in Westport. Her father was in advertising and her mother was a nurse. She was the youngest of three children, including a brother, Martin Briggs (keyboardist for 1960s Boston Band, The Remains), and a sister, Jann Smith. Chambers attended Burr Farms Elementary School, Hillspoint Elementary School, Long Lots Junior High School, and Staples High School
. Her father tried to discourage her from pursuing a modeling career, citing brutal competition. Chambers said in 2005, "When I was about 16 I learned how to write my mother’s name on notes to get out of school. And then I'd take the train into the city to go to auditions". This initiative while in high school landed her some modeling assignments and a small role in the film The Owl and the Pussycat
(1970), which starred Barbra Streisand
and in which Chambers was credited as Evelyn Lang.
for more work. She did not receive any roles except for a low-budget film, writer-director-producer Sean S. Cunningham
's Together
(1971), in which she appeared nude. She left Los Angeles for San Francisco, California
, where she held several jobs that included topless model and a bottomless dancer. During her early career her most visible modeling job was as the "Ivory soap girl" on the Ivory Snow
soap box, posing as a mother holding a baby under the tag line "99 & 44/100% pure".
Chambers saw an advertisement for a casting call and rushed to the audition, only to find it was for a pornographic film, Behind the Green Door
. She was about to leave when producers Artie and Jim Mitchell
noticed her resemblance to Cybill Shepherd
and agreed a wholesome blond actress was needed for the film. After filming concluded, she informed them that she was "the Ivory Snow Girl"; the Mitchells capitalized on this by billing her as the "99 and 44/100% pure" girl. Although she said at the time that the film would help "sell a lot more soap", Procter & Gamble
quickly dropped her after discovering her double life as an adult-film actress, and the advertising industry was scandalized. The fact that Chambers image was so well known from Ivory Snow boosted the film's ticket sales, and led to several jokes on television talk shows. Nearly every adult film she made following this incident featured a cameo of her Ivory Snow box.
Unusually, Chambers does not have a single word of dialogue in the entire film. After engaging in lesbian sex with a group of women, she has sex with the African-American boxer Johnny Keyes
. This possibly makes BTGD the first U.S. feature-length hardcore
film to include an interracial sex scene. The porn industry and viewing public were shocked by the then-taboo spectacle of a white woman having sex with a black man. Chambers was relatively unknown prior to BTGD; however, the film made her a star. Critics have since debated whether she was really having orgasms in her scenes or just acting. She stated in one early interview that they were real, but denied it in an interview many years later.
Following Behind the Green Door, the Mitchell Brothers and Chambers teamed up for Resurrection of Eve which was released in September 1973. A documentary by the brothers called Inside Marilyn Chambers was released in 1976. Chambers wrote an autobiography, My Story, in 1975, and co-authored Xaviera Meets Marilyn Chambers with Xaviera Hollander in 1977. Both were published by Warner Communications.
Chambers dreamed of having a career in non-porn, mainstream endeavors. In 1974 she starred in the dinner theater production of "Mind With the Dirty Man" in Las Vegas and later starred in Neil Simon
's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers." The one-woman show "Sex Surrogate", in 1979, caused controversy in Vegas as it featured full-frontal nudity, which at the time was banned from all casinos. Chambers won the starring role in film director
David Cronenberg
's low-budget Canadian movie Rabid
, which was released in 1977. She returned to hardcore pornographic films with Insatiable, which was the top-selling adult video in the U.S. from 1980-1982. She still hoped to launch a successful mainstream acting career, but was unable to do so.
In a 2004 interview, Chambers said "My advice to somebody who wants to go into adult films is: Absolutely not! It's heart-breaking. It leaves you kind of empty. So have a day job and don't quit it".
s, including her last role in Solitaire
. Chambers claimed that the more laid-back pace of these roles suited her as "there's a lot less pressure on you to perform [and] you don't have to be young and skinny." Among these were Bikini Bistro, Angel of Heat (with Mary Woronov
), Rated X
, Party Incorporated, and Breakfast in Bed.
on the Roulette Records
label.
, Chambers ran for Vice President on the Personal Choice Party
ticket, a quasi-libertarian
party. She received a total of 946 votes. In the 2008 United States presidential election
, she was again Charles Jay
's running mate, this time as an alternate write-in candidate
to his primary national Boston Tea Party
running mate Thomas L. Knapp in the states of Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah.
. Documents found with her body identified her as Marilyn Ann Taylor, presumably the name she assumed after a marriage. She was discovered by her 17-year-old daughter, McKenna Marie Taylor. The coroner
's autopsy
revealed that Chambers died of a cerebral hemorrhage and an aneurysm
related to heart disease
. Chambers was ten days away from her 57th birthday. Painkiller hydrocodone
(Vicodin
) and anti-depressant Citalopram
were found in her bloodstream but not enough to cause death. Upon her death the Associated Press reported that she was survived by her daughter, sister, and brother.
played Chambers in the cable television biographical film
Rated X
, about the Mitchell brothers' film and strip-club career.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
pornographic actress
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate. She was best known for her 1972 hardcore
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
film debut Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door is a 1972 feature-length pornographic film, widely considered one of the genre's "classic" pictures. It was the first hardcore film widely released in the United States. It was the first feature-length film directed by the Mitchell brothers and starred Marilyn Chambers...
and her 1980 pornographic film Insatiable.
Early life
Born Marilyn Ann Briggs in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, and raised in Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
in a middle-class household. It is often reported that she was born in Westport, however in a 2007 interview Chambers confirmed she was born in Providence but grew up in Westport. Her father was in advertising and her mother was a nurse. She was the youngest of three children, including a brother, Martin Briggs (keyboardist for 1960s Boston Band, The Remains), and a sister, Jann Smith. Chambers attended Burr Farms Elementary School, Hillspoint Elementary School, Long Lots Junior High School, and Staples High School
Staples High School
Staples High School is a public secondary school, that opened on April 26, 1884 located in the town of Westport, Connecticut, USA. Staples High School is named after its founder Horace Staples who founded the school in 1884. The school was first located at Riverside Ave. and moved to its current...
. Her father tried to discourage her from pursuing a modeling career, citing brutal competition. Chambers said in 2005, "When I was about 16 I learned how to write my mother’s name on notes to get out of school. And then I'd take the train into the city to go to auditions". This initiative while in high school landed her some modeling assignments and a small role in the film The Owl and the Pussycat
The Owl and the Pussycat (film)
The Owl and the Pussycat is a 1970 romantic comedy film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Barbra Streisand and George Segal. Barbra Streisand plays the role of a somewhat uneducated actress, model and part-time prostitute. She temporarily lives with an educated aspiring writer . Their...
(1970), which starred Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and in which Chambers was credited as Evelyn Lang.
Career
She moved to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
for more work. She did not receive any roles except for a low-budget film, writer-director-producer Sean S. Cunningham
Sean S. Cunningham
Sean Sexton Cunningham is an American film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for creating the Friday the 13th series of horror films, which introduced the fictional killer Jason Voorhees...
's Together
Together (1971 film)
Together is a 1971 film directed by Sean S. Cunningham. Cunningham's first film attracted Wes Craven who wanted to be in the film business. This was Craven's first credit. Cunningham and Craven would later work on The Last House on the Left.-Production:...
(1971), in which she appeared nude. She left Los Angeles for San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, where she held several jobs that included topless model and a bottomless dancer. During her early career her most visible modeling job was as the "Ivory soap girl" on the Ivory Snow
Ivory (soap)
The name "Ivory" refers to a series of products created by the Procter & Gamble Company , including varieties of a white and mildly fragranced bar soap, that became famous for its pure content and for floating in water. Over the years, the bar soap has been altered into other varieties...
soap box, posing as a mother holding a baby under the tag line "99 & 44/100% pure".
Chambers saw an advertisement for a casting call and rushed to the audition, only to find it was for a pornographic film, Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door is a 1972 feature-length pornographic film, widely considered one of the genre's "classic" pictures. It was the first hardcore film widely released in the United States. It was the first feature-length film directed by the Mitchell brothers and starred Marilyn Chambers...
. She was about to leave when producers Artie and Jim Mitchell
Mitchell brothers
The brothers James "Jim" Lloyd Mitchell and Artie Jay Mitchell were pioneers in the pornography and striptease club business in San Francisco and other parts of California from 1969 until 1991, when Jim was convicted of killing Artie.They opened the O'Farrell Theatre in 1969 as an adult cinema...
noticed her resemblance to Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L...
and agreed a wholesome blond actress was needed for the film. After filming concluded, she informed them that she was "the Ivory Snow Girl"; the Mitchells capitalized on this by billing her as the "99 and 44/100% pure" girl. Although she said at the time that the film would help "sell a lot more soap", Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
quickly dropped her after discovering her double life as an adult-film actress, and the advertising industry was scandalized. The fact that Chambers image was so well known from Ivory Snow boosted the film's ticket sales, and led to several jokes on television talk shows. Nearly every adult film she made following this incident featured a cameo of her Ivory Snow box.
Unusually, Chambers does not have a single word of dialogue in the entire film. After engaging in lesbian sex with a group of women, she has sex with the African-American boxer Johnny Keyes
Johnny Keyes
Johnny Keyes is an African American pornographic actor. He is among the earliest African American porn stars. He was also a boxer prior to working in porn....
. This possibly makes BTGD the first U.S. feature-length hardcore
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
film to include an interracial sex scene. The porn industry and viewing public were shocked by the then-taboo spectacle of a white woman having sex with a black man. Chambers was relatively unknown prior to BTGD; however, the film made her a star. Critics have since debated whether she was really having orgasms in her scenes or just acting. She stated in one early interview that they were real, but denied it in an interview many years later.
Following Behind the Green Door, the Mitchell Brothers and Chambers teamed up for Resurrection of Eve which was released in September 1973. A documentary by the brothers called Inside Marilyn Chambers was released in 1976. Chambers wrote an autobiography, My Story, in 1975, and co-authored Xaviera Meets Marilyn Chambers with Xaviera Hollander in 1977. Both were published by Warner Communications.
Chambers dreamed of having a career in non-porn, mainstream endeavors. In 1974 she starred in the dinner theater production of "Mind With the Dirty Man" in Las Vegas and later starred in Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers." The one-woman show "Sex Surrogate", in 1979, caused controversy in Vegas as it featured full-frontal nudity, which at the time was banned from all casinos. Chambers won the starring role in film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
's low-budget Canadian movie Rabid
Rabid
Rabid is a 1977 horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. It features Marilyn Chambers in the lead role, supported by Frank Moore, Howard Ryshpan, Joe Silver and Robert A...
, which was released in 1977. She returned to hardcore pornographic films with Insatiable, which was the top-selling adult video in the U.S. from 1980-1982. She still hoped to launch a successful mainstream acting career, but was unable to do so.
In a 2004 interview, Chambers said "My advice to somebody who wants to go into adult films is: Absolutely not! It's heart-breaking. It leaves you kind of empty. So have a day job and don't quit it".
Independent films
Near the end of her career, Chambers appeared primarily in independent filmIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s, including her last role in Solitaire
Solitaire (film)
Solitaire is an independent coming of age drama film in pre-production from director Victor Franko and Rand Alan Sabatini of Rand Alan Studios with a planned cast of 10. This was late pornstar/actress Marilyn Chambers' final film.-Featured cast :-External links:**...
. Chambers claimed that the more laid-back pace of these roles suited her as "there's a lot less pressure on you to perform [and] you don't have to be young and skinny." Among these were Bikini Bistro, Angel of Heat (with Mary Woronov
Mary Woronov
Mary Woronov is an American actress and writer. She is primarily known for her roles in independent and cult films. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies, as well as numerous appearances in mainstream television series, such as Charlie's Angels and Knight Rider.-Early life:Woronov was born in the...
), Rated X
Rated X (film)
Rated X is a 2000 film starring brothers Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, with the latter also directing. It is based on the nonfiction book X-Rated by David McCumber which chronicles the story of the Mitchell brothers, Jim and Artie Mitchell, who were pioneers in the pornography and strip club...
, Party Incorporated, and Breakfast in Bed.
Singing career
Chambers had some chart success with the disco single "Benihana" in 1976, produced by Michael ZagerMichael Zager
Michael Zager has produced, composed, and/or arranged original music in a wide range of musical idioms, including commercials, albums, network television, and as a source for theme music for films....
on the Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
label.
Efforts in politics
In the 2004 United States presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Chambers ran for Vice President on the Personal Choice Party
Personal Choice Party
The Personal Choice Party is a United States political party whose presidential candidate for 2004 qualified for the ballot in the state of Utah....
ticket, a quasi-libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
party. She received a total of 946 votes. In the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, she was again Charles Jay
Charles Jay
Charles Jay was the Presidential nominee of the United States Boston Tea Party in the 2008 United States presidential election. He was the presidential nominee of the Personal Choice Party in the 2004 election, achieving ballot status in Utah, and received 946 votes in the general election, coming...
's running mate, this time as an alternate write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
to his primary national Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party (political party)
The Boston Tea Party is a U.S. political party named after the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Its ideology is libertarian.A group of former Libertarian Party members founded the party in 2006...
running mate Thomas L. Knapp in the states of Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah.
Death
On April 12, 2009, Chambers was found dead in her home near Santa Clarita, CaliforniaSanta Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
. Documents found with her body identified her as Marilyn Ann Taylor, presumably the name she assumed after a marriage. She was discovered by her 17-year-old daughter, McKenna Marie Taylor. The coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
revealed that Chambers died of a cerebral hemorrhage and an aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
related to heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
. Chambers was ten days away from her 57th birthday. Painkiller hydrocodone
Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from either of two naturally occurring opiates: codeine and thebaine. It is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive...
(Vicodin
Vicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol is a combination of two analgesic products hydrocodone and paracetamol used to relieve moderate to severe pain...
) and anti-depressant Citalopram
Citalopram
Citalopram brand names: Celexa, Cipramil) is an antidepressant drug of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It has U.S...
were found in her bloodstream but not enough to cause death. Upon her death the Associated Press reported that she was survived by her daughter, sister, and brother.
Fictional portrayal
In 2000, Tracy HutsonTracy Hutson
Tracy Hutson is a television personality and one of the original style consultants on ABC TV's television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Hutson grew up in Richardson, Texas.-Acting career:...
played Chambers in the cable television biographical film
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
Rated X
Rated X (film)
Rated X is a 2000 film starring brothers Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, with the latter also directing. It is based on the nonfiction book X-Rated by David McCumber which chronicles the story of the Mitchell brothers, Jim and Artie Mitchell, who were pioneers in the pornography and strip club...
, about the Mitchell brothers' film and strip-club career.
Filmography
- The Owl and the PussycatThe Owl and the Pussycat"The Owl and the Pussycat" is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1871.- Background :Lear wrote the poem for a three-year-old girl, Janet Symonds, the daughter of Lear's friend poet John Addington Symonds and his wife Catherine Symonds...
(1970 - credited as Evelyn Lang) - Behind the Green DoorBehind the Green DoorBehind the Green Door is a 1972 feature-length pornographic film, widely considered one of the genre's "classic" pictures. It was the first hardcore film widely released in the United States. It was the first feature-length film directed by the Mitchell brothers and starred Marilyn Chambers...
(1972) - RabidRabidRabid is a 1977 horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. It features Marilyn Chambers in the lead role, supported by Frank Moore, Howard Ryshpan, Joe Silver and Robert A...
(1977) - Insatiable (1980)
Awards
- XRCO Hall of FameXRCO Hall of FameXRCO Hall of Fame lists some of the most notable adult entertainment works and workers. The list is managed by X-Rated Critics Organization and inducted annually during the XRCO awards.-Actors:* 1985 John C...
- 1985 XRCO Award – Best Kinky Scene -Insatiable II (with Jamie GillisJamie GillisJamie Gillis was an American pornographic actor, director and member of the AVN Hall of Fame....
) - 2005 FOXE Award – Lifetime Achievement
- 2008 XBIZ AwardXBIZ AwardXBIZ Awards are given annually to honor "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult entertainment". Organized by the adult industry trade magazine XBIZ, the awards were first given in 2003...
– Lifetime Achievement for a Female Performer
External links
- Interview at RogReviews.com
- Biography at LukeIsBack.com
- "Marilyn Chambers, 56, Star of 'Green Door' Hard-Core Porn Movie," Obituary, The Washington Post, April 14, 2009
- Marilyn Chambers - Daily Telegraph obituary