On this episode, Melissa and Cheyenne track the indoor move of Times Square's sex trade. And we screen one of the first porn features of this era, Behind the Green Door. Our special guest is Annie Sprinkle, who, in addition to being an internationally known artist, worked as a prostitute and porn actress in New York City during porn’s golden age.

Listen and download. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508366470836-NT7G08RHLS97UUUAB4JM/times-square-1972.jpg?format=1000w">

On this episode

Crackdown season's here / everyone's on the take / obscene courtroom boredom / porn defies definition / into the parlors and off the streets / "not really in the holiday spirit" / a weak Mob / a good soldier / inventing the private porn viewing booth / the Velvet Underground is always on somewhere / Behind the Green Door / Lynch, Kubrick, and the Mitchell Brothers / the WPA of porn / so Northern California / watch Flaming Creatures / call us! / become a patron / so long

Further reading and viewing

• "Supreme Court Rejects Appeal In Ginzburg Obscenity Case," New York Times, June 22, 1971 (court-rejects-appeal-in-ginzburg-obscenity-case.html">online archive) 

• "Behind the Green Door," Roger Ebert, December 11, 1973 (online archive)

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508367286349-76PRLFK7ZAGOP8M761KW/PA-8632156.jpg?format=1000w">

WAR IS OVER!, 1969

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508369178231-7L5VV5D3R5HC2GZB5XI3/i625566.jpg?format=1000w"> cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508369126714-AWVBGMLF6OWSFI7IFWIG/566d7251606a79fe6888fc101c5e24c4--sprinkles-annie.jpg?format=1000w">

Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle (1981)

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508369031335-NLWZN3JZ966J7XXPO39U/3645716.jpg?format=1000w">

M*A*S*H'D (!976), featuring Annie Sprinkle

• Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle, d. Annie Sprinkle; 1981 
• Club 90
  • "Annie Sprinkle on Reuniting with Golden Era Porn Legends for CineKink’s “A Tribute to Club 90”," Filmmaker Magazine, February 24, 2015 (online archive)

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508368218052-WAKI8JUOANBRJ7PCUPYO/2416_f9434673-3cf0-407f-b25a-933aedf115e7.jpg?format=1000w">

Behind the Green Door, 1972

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508368257734-4S7G4WM3NLQ2SKW8A8C5/03ad617f44ffaf8ec366c28ac4ea65da.jpg?format=1000w">

Marilyn Chambers

“She is the most beautiful porno actress yet. (You may find her smiling out at you from the front of our Ivory Snow box.) And there’s no denying that in the movie’s trapeze scene she qualifies as the busiest actress in porno history.”

— Roger Ebert, December 11, 1973 cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508368149227-ATJVMJN5M91DC4FB1VII/au-0317-944532-910362-back.jpg?format=1000w">

Behind the Green Door

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508368188627-P02DXF64F6B5ZFPSWR02/96be682cfd60d7f209f73189dfaa817c--snow-girl-box-photo.jpg?format=1000w">

Marilyn Chambers

• Behind the Green Door, d. Artie J. Mitchell,  James L. Mitchell); 1972  
• "‘Behind The Green Door’ (1972): The Unpublished Story By George McDonald," The Rialto Report

cdn.com/content/v1/5995e1cc17bffc71afa19074/1508368299790-5C7N7923ES8W8522BMUE/a20c8428356cf2f300cca945dcc2bc47--city-photography-times-square.jpg?format=1000w">

Times Square 

Featured Music

• "Shannon," Henry Gross; 1976 
• "We Want Mine," Crack the Sky;1976 
• score, Behind the Green Door; Eyes Wide Shut

Credits

TERRIFIC CITY is hosted by Melissa Gira Grant and Cheyenne Picardo. The show was recorded and edited by Cheyenne Picardo, and it was produced by Melissa Gira Grant. (Thanks to Bradley Robinson for helping with music supervision.)

TERRIFIC CITY is 100% listener-supported. Become our patron and help us make more seasons.