"Deep Throat" Director Dead At 80
Pioneering 1972 Porn Film Gained Mainstream Success, Lent Its Name To Watergate Whistleblower
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Gerard Damiano directed dozens of adult films, including "The Devil in Miss Jones," but the 1972 "Deep Throat" was his most famous. (Documentary Productions/Universal)
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In an era before home videos and DVDs, "Deep Throat" played in theatres for years; it ran in Los Angeles for a decade. (Documentary Productions/Universal)
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The film featured Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems and was reputed to have earned an astounding $600 million — a disputed figure, as it would have made the film more successful than "Titanic." (Documentary Productions/Universal)
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"Deep Throat" was shot for $25,000 and earned millions in the 1970s as it became a cultural hot point. (Documentary Productions/Universal)
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Interactive Deep Throat Naming names in a historic scandal
Damiano died Saturday at a Fort Myers hospital, his son, Gerard Damiano Jr., said Monday. He had suffered a stroke in September.
"He was a filmmaker and an artist and we thought of him as such," the younger Damiano said. "Even though we weren't allowed to see his movies, we knew he was a moviemaker, and we were proud of that."
Damiano's "Deep Throat" was a mainstream box-office success and helped launch the modern hardcore adult-entertainment industry. Shot in six days for just $25,000, the 1972 flick became a cultural must-see for Americans who had just lived through the sexual liberation of the 1960s.
The film's title also became associated with one of the most famous anonymous sources in journalism.
While investigating the Watergate scandal, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein used it as a nickname for their source, former FBI official W. Mark Felt. Information from Felt helped bring down Richard Nixon's presidency.
Born in New York in 1928, Damiano worked as a hairdresser, spent time in the Navy and directed several adult films. The younger Damiano said he would often accompany his father on film sets as a child, but would be ushered out during "nitty-gritty" scenes.
Even though we weren't allowed to see his movies, we knew he was a moviemaker, and we were proud of that.
Damiano's son, Gerard Damiano Jr.After "Deep Throat" opened in Times Square, attention from media critics and outraged conservatives - including repeated legal challenges - helped turn it into a hit.
"My father never dreamed that it would get that kind of attention," the younger Damiano said.
But despite the attention, the son said the film was not his father's favorite.
"He was fond of it for what it was, but in terms of filmmaking, he would never call it a great film," he said.
Gerard Damiano is survived by his son and daughter. No formal services are planned.
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