I Shoot Porn: Other than The Minion, you’re the only dude I’ve interviewed on this blog. Doncha feel special?

Herschel Savage: Yea, but get this. I just got paid — and was sent first class — to Vegas, celebrating the 30 year anniversary of Debbie Does Dallas. I was the lead male talent in that movie. I also helped coordinate a lot of the locations. But I never got to fuck Bambi Woods…only one actor did, at the end of the movie.

ISP: Damn…trumped again. When did you shoot your first scene, and who was it for?

HS: I don’t remember who my costar was…I remember her face. I shot it for Ted Snyder in March of ’76. It was a loop. Pretty big crew. Years later he was murdered in LA over a drug deal.

ISP: When you showed up on set, were there a bunch of mobsters lurking around? And what kinds of places were they shooting smut back then?

HS: I didn’t notice any mobsters. There were quite a few people there. I was too nervous to worry about mobsters. I didn’t know how I was going to even perform. I come from a very conservative background. I wasn’t one to walk around naked. And the whole atmosphere in the NYC porn scene was skeevy. Dark. Forbidden.

ISP: Ever fear for your well-being?

HS: There were some uncomfortable situations. Sets in seedy lofts. I remember this one Czech dude I worked for just reeked of sleaze. A real scumbag. Doberman Pinscheres on chains in his loft, barking. The kind of situations where normal people couldn’t get an erection…but I never had that problem.

ISP: You shooting primarily in New York?

HS: Yea…up till about ’79.

ISP: How did the talent show up? All hung over from Studio 54? Did the girls bring douches? Condoms? Enemas?

HS: First off, there was almost no anal scenes produced at that time. I mean the cleanliness factor wasn’t there like it is today, but we weren’t worried about HIV/AIDES, either. We didn’t really even have lube then. In fact, the lube of choice for male performers then was Albolene make-up remover. It almost looks like Vaseline, but not as heavy. Washed off with water. Good stuff. Got the job done.

ISP: Did you go to a theater to see Deep Throat?

HS: I didn’t. I remember walking on the street in Manhattan and seeing couples lined up around the block to see that movie. First time in the history of porn. Men in suits! It got a lot of publicity cause of Watergate…you know, “Deep Throat”. Same reason why Debbie Does Dallas did so well…the real Dallas cheerleaders has just broke out and were becoming a hugely popular.

ISP: No Viagra on set meant…

HS: In the old days? No stimulants to help you get hard. That’s why there were only a handful of guys in the biz. I mean maybe 20 or 30 total, nationwide. That was it. Today the guys in their 20’s are taking Viagra. I mean if you can’t get it hard with a hot girl when you’re in your 20’s, what’s wrong with you? Before Viagra, these guys wouldn’t gotten 3 shots and then they woulda been out. Even then there were a lot of guys trying to get in, but they failed all the time. When the camera starts rolling, there’s pressure. I never felt it.

ISP: Tell me something about John Holmes no one already knows.

HS: I don’t think I can…well, OK. The last big feature he did — Nasty Nurses — I was the male lead, and they rented out a former medical facility. Like an old hospital they fixed up to shoot the movie. When it was time to find John, he was nowhere to be found. It took us three hours, and when they found him, he was holed up in a closet smoking coke. It was the drug of choice in 1983.

ISP: I’m assuming getting into the biz in 1976 was all word-of-mouth?

HS: For me, I was dating a girl and I was looking for work, and she said to me, “you know, you should talk to my girlfriend’s boyfriend.” It turned out to be R. Bolla. He turned me on to a theatrical agent in Manhattan who did mainstream bookings, but on the side she booked for porn flicks.

ISP: Ever go to CBGB’s after a scene and catch The Ramones? Or Television?

HS: I probably went a couple times. But I was never into the Studio 54 crowd. Unless I was assured of getting in, I wasn’t standing in any fucking line to be approved to get into a club. From the Mamas and the Popas to the Stones to the Moody Blues, I listened to the great groups. But I was never really into the punk thing.

ISP: Other than getting laid, why did you get into the biz?

HS: I needed money. I kept getting involved with girls, but I wasn’t really a confident guy, but I wanted to find hotter girls and money. Non-committal sex. I was a Buddist then, as I am now. So I’d chant “Nam myoho renge kyo” and hope for the best. The idea, of course, is to be a happy person. Can’t blame anyone else for your misfortune.

ISP: Ever bang Marilyn Chambers?

HS: Yea. First time I fucked her was on Up and Coming…I’m pretty sure. She was a country singer, and I was a last-minute replacement. The other guy was fucked up on drugs. I played her manager. We shot in two cities — SF and LA. The SF location is in Tiburon, very wealthy neighborhood. This home was unreal. I walk in and Marilyn is just giving orders. “THIS LIGHT IS WRONG! THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED!” So she goes on and on and finally I tell her to shut the fuck up. The room gets quiet, and everyone’s looking at her, and she just burst out laughing. I said it in a nice way, of course. Turned out to be a hot scene.

ISP: Traci Lords?

HS: Yes. Early. No one knew she was 15. Not that she looked old, but no matter what she says now, she was into it. HOT. She was being interviewed right before our first scene, and the interviewer asked her, “So you’re working with Herschel Savage…how do you feel?” and she thought I was hot. Which is always good. So it was an amazing scene. To this day I have people calling me a lucky fucker over that scene.

ISP: Savannah?

HS: I was out of the business when she was in, but I know her story.

ISP: Jenna Jameson?

HS: I did not fuck her. I acted in a few big Wicked productions, but I did not get a chance to work with her. I probably didn’t make the grade for her.

ISP: In general, why do you think most guys get into the porn biz?

HS: I think initially they’re obsessed with porn, or they want fame and recognition. They have no dreams of any other kind. For many guys, they think I’ve got the greatest job in the world. But in reality, it’s the greatest part-time job in the world.

ISP: What is the difference between the young dudes just getting into the biz and the older cats that have been in the game?

HS: There’s so many now…I guess if I was forced to generalize I’d say there’s a lot of dopes. A lot of the guys from my generation had strong personalities. They were the kind of guys you didn’t dismiss right away. And there were only a few of us. There just weren’t that many, you know? I mean when you’re chosen to fuck Anette Haven in her prime, that’s kinda special. Or to be on Marilyn Chamber’s approved list…or Annete’s list…that meant work. I never fucked up, either…except a few times when I went on a coke binge.

ISP: The best pussy you ever nailed on set?

HS: So hard to say. So many…

ISP: The craziest girl you ever worked with?

HS: They’re all fucking crazy. No one’s gonna remember Renee Summers. This is like early 80’s. Oh wait…Lysa Thatcher. She’s now living with the Mitchell Brother who’s still alive. Sexy girl, snaggle front tooth. Sexy. Can’t forget her. Crazy.

ISP: Over the last 50 years, porn’s gone from Stag Nights at the Lion’s Club and Nudist magazines, to dirty theaters, to VHS, to DVD…to the internet and iPods and cell phones. What’s next?

HS: Um…well, I always think of the movie Brain Storm. Natalie Woods’ last film. Virtual reality taken to a sexual level…you can actually feel the pussy….but then human productivity would probably come to an end.