One very hot, talented redhead!
Rene Bond, and that was her real name, was born in San Diego, California on October 11, 1950. She got into the porn scene in San Francisco in the late 60′s and early 70’s. She had some friends who did sex films and loops and decided to give it a try. Rene began doing soft core sexploitation films and some bondage style loops in 1969 before she decided to take the leap into doing real hardcore sex. She was very up front about her reason for doing porn, it was all about the money that she could make. Rene wasted no time being a hit with producers because of her youthful, girl next door look. Her look would allow her to play roles of teens or young daughters with a lot of believability. In addition she did have one other quality that made her stand out and become so popular and that was her truly unbelievable oral talents. They were on display in every film but it was when she took on John Holmes in 1977’s “Teenage Fantasies 2” that elevated her as one of porn’s premier oralists.
She also quickly became a regular fixture in the early days of southern California’s porn movement. In addition to her incredible sexual talents Rene also was blessed with natural acting chops and could handle dramatic roles as well as light comedy. Those acting skills in front of the camera added a very big dose of realism and believability to every role she played.
By the mid 70’s porn had gained quite a foothold with adults and I remember seeing “Teenage Fantasies 2” at a Times Square adult theater in New York City one afternoon and watching Rene’s unbelievable oral talents on Holmes and my jaw just dropped! You could hear several “OMG’s!” in the theater as well. The talent she possessed orally was the most awesome thing I had seen and probably one of the big reasons I’ve had a thing for redheads all these years!
During the ten years she spent in the adult business Ms. Bond did a total of about 300 loops and features while also managing a couple of firsts along the way. One was getting a breast enhancement done and reportedly was the first porn actress to have her breasts enlarged at a time when the look was all natural. She said she had it done because men preferred women with large breasts which she did not have naturally. While it was something new to have done it did help her get a lot of work after they had been enhanced. While she mainly went by her real name of Rene Bond in the great majority of her films, she did use several others in her porn days including Lily Lovetree, Karen Small, Mindy Brandt and Mary Lee. Back then it was fairly common practice for some porn actors.
Rene Bond was also way ahead of the times in the 70’s when she made the very smart decision to incorporate herself. She was among the first porn stars to sign autographs and pose for photos at an appearance for a fee. She then went about setting up a mail order business so fans could purchase her photos, a move that became quite lucrative. In addition to doing porn she was also an excellent feature dancer and again, one of the first, if not the first, female porn stars to go on the road and feature dance at various clubs around the country to packed crowds. She also appeared regularly at the Ibar Burlesque Theater in Hollywood with a well put together singing, dancing and stripping act. No question Ms. Bond was not only a great performer when it came to porn films, but also knew how to market and promote herself as well.
Among the classic Rene Bond films are “The Dicktator”, “Fantasm”, “Do You Wanna Be Loved” and “Sex Asylum”. Thanks to that youthful, just out of school look, she also starred in titles like “Hot Teenage Lovers” and “Teenage Sex Kitten” along with many others. There were also many of the early loops and those can be found on Blue Vanities series and a number of compilations discs as well.
In 1980 she decided that the time had come to retire. She had done well financially and left the business, moved to Las Vegas to raise a family and lead a much more normal life. She stayed in touch with a few friends in the industry and would occasionally make an appearance at a trade show but never had the desire to return to the business. She left behind quite a library of great films that satisfied an extremely large fan base that still exists today along with many new fans through a website http://www.renebondonline.com Today, some 35 years after she left the adult scene, many of Rene Bond’s films are available on DVD and worth the time to see and enjoy. In the ten years she was part of the industry, the firsts she created as a pioneer would pave the way in years to come for other porn stars.
Unfortunately Rene Bond, who was just 46 at the time, passed away on June 2, 1996 due to complications from cirrhosis of the liver which she had been battling for several years. This talented lady was another of the golden age porn greats we lost too early in life. For all the entertainment and pleasure she gave to the industry and the fans during the golden age of porn Ms. Bond is enshrined in both the AVN Hall of Fame (1998) and the XRCO Hall of Fame (1985) and in 1999 was also inducted into the famed Legends of Erotica Hall of Fame. Be sure to check out some of the titles we mentioned here and enjoy the talents and performances of this very sexy redhead, Rene Bond, who brought adult film lovers many memorable hours of pleasure, enjoyment and entertainment.
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN
