In the late 1960s, Gerard Damiano was known as a devoted family man who also ran a successful beauty salon in Queens, New York. During daily visits, many loyal female clients would share their frustrations about intimacy with their husbands. This insight sparked a curious and controversial experiment: Damiano began filming in the salon environment as a way to address a topic rarely discussed in public. He released a low-budget film in 1969 titled We All Go Down, which contained provocative scenes. A few years later, he pushed a bolder project forward.
explosive premiere
After meeting a mysterious agent named Chuck Traynor who showed him a private tape featuring Linda Boreman, who would later become known as Linda Lovelace, Damiano decided to cast her as the lead. The collaboration began to take shape rapidly. He crafted a script for his new muse that combined sensationalism with a surprising twist: a young woman discovers her capacity in a way that felt both daring and provocative. The project was initially contemplated under a different title before settling on a name with a powerful hook. It was ultimately titled Deep Throat.
Its premiere at the World Theater in New York on the night of June 12, 1972 became a landmark event. In the weeks that followed, it played in various cinemas across the city, drawing audiences from all walks of life, including notable public figures. The phenomenon drew attention from major newspapers, with The New York Times running articles about its cultural impact and profitability.
The film’s production cost was modest, with some funds reportedly linked to organized crime influences. The salaries paid to the main performers were modest by mainstream standards, highlighting the surprising contrast between the film’s enormous box office success and the earnings of its stars.
Tracked by the FBI
Conservative politics of the era framed the film within a broader cultural debate. President Richard Nixon initiated a commission on obscenity and pornography, a move that signaled government interest in the subject. The commission’s report examined whether exposure to explicit material influenced criminal behavior and found limited evidence supporting such a link. Later, in 1973, the Supreme Court took a harder line against the distribution of explicit content, shifting the legal landscape. Law enforcement actions included seizures of copies of the film and the arrest of a key actor on charges related to the transport of obscene material across state lines.
Despite the legal challenges, the case drew broad attention and ultimately led to a notable legal outcome. A coalition of civil liberties advocates and prominent film figures helped advocate for the reversal of a lengthy sentence for the involved actor. The public debate around Deep Throat thus became a touchstone in the evolving conversation about censorship, freedom of expression, and the economics of adult entertainment.
Lovelace Complaints
Linda Lovelace’s account became a central part of the narrative. In her later writings, she described coercive and dangerous experiences surrounding her involvement in the film and related productions. Advocates and critics alike used her story to argue about agency, exploitation, and the risks faced by performers within the industry. Across multiple interviews, Lovelace positioned the film within a wider feminist critique of the adult entertainment sector, arguing that power dynamics and control played a significant role in her experiences.
Over time, Lovelace married, started a family, and faced ongoing scrutiny of her legacy. She remained a weather vane for discussions about fame, coercion, and the responsibilities of studios and directors. Her lasting influence in cultural conversations about sexuality and media continued long after the film’s initial release, leaving a complex footprint on how society views adult cinema. When she passed away, the public memory of her work and its implications for performers persisted in debates and documentary explorations.