This week we go back thirty seven years to 1983, in a decade filled with a lot of highs and lows. If you were around then how much do you remember? Let’s begin, as always, with what the cost of living was back in 1983.
There was no question in the 80’s the cost of living was on the rise. The average yearly income was now $22,000 a year, the cost of a new 3 bedroom home averaged $89,000 and you could buy a new Ford Mustang for $6,600. A gallon of gas was now at its highest level at $1.24. As for some food prices, a dozen eggs were just 86 cents and a gallon of milk was $1.75. You could buy a Sony Walkman for $229 and an RCA VCR player for $399 and up, depending on the style and the Atari 5200 game was $200. In some of the news headlines for 1983…..The newly elected President of the U.S. was former actor Ronald Reagan…..The area of unemployment in the U.S. rises to 12 million, the highest since 1941…..The UK is the first country to make automobile seat belts mandatory……Terrorists bomb the US Embassy in Beirut killing 239 Marines and Sailors…….The Supreme Court reaffirms its 1973 (Roe Vs Wade) right to abortion…….The first mobile phones are introduced by Motorola……Microsoft Word makes its debut……Peoples Express is a new “no frills” airline…….Sally Ride becomes the first woman astronaut as part of the crew on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
In the world of entertainment some of the top movies from 1983 were Tootsie, Flashdance, Octopussy and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. In music among the hit makers were The Police, Black Sabbath, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran and Culture Club. In the world of TV Simon & Simon, Dynasty, Cagney and Lacy, Dallas and The Love Boat were some of the hit shows. Celebrities we lost in 1983 included football coach Bear Bryant, TV host/entertainer Arthur Godfrey, actor Buster Crabbe, actress Gloria Swanson and former heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey.
As for the porn industry the switch from productions in New York to the west coast continues to grow. New technological advances make filming more updated. Some female porn stars begin getting breast enhancements and the clean shaven look. The year would also produce some top notch adult films such as the one we take a look back at today “Dixie Ray Hollywood Star”.
Dixie Ray Hollywood Star – Caballero Films – Director – Anthony Spinelli – Cast – Lisa De Leeuw, Veronica Hart, Juliet Anderson, Kelly Nichols, Samantha Fox, John Leslie, Cameron Mitchell, Tom Reese, Steve Marlow, others.
Let me say right here that as a porn classic this is one of a few from back then that could have stood on its own as a solid B mainstream movie mystery minus the hardcore sex scenes. Technically and visually it is an incredible piece of film making. The story revolves around the disappearance of Hollywood star Dixie Ray’s (Lisa De Leeuw) husband. She brings in top investigator Nick Popodopolis (John Leslie) to take on the case and find the answers. It is set in Hollywood circa 1942 and the attention to every detail was covered perfectly. The clothes, undergarments, hairstyles and settings are very well executed. There are the old cars of that time period and the set design and details like phones, appliances, wall photos, etc. are all spot on. Add the excellent acting chops of the cast with very realistic and sharp dialogue and all together this is terrific film.
The opening quickly sets the mood for this “film noir’ style movie with the appropriate 40’s music playing in the background as the opening credits roll. You see Nick in his office and catch a glimpse of him having an argument with some female. We hear him talking to the woman and then we hear shots fired and the scene fades out then comes back with a caption ‘Friday, 7:10 PM, February 12, 1943’. Here is Nick sitting at his desk, a knock on the door, then the Lieutenant and his partner enter the office. There is some small talk before Nick points to the female body lying on the floor. So now the cops want an explanation of what happened and Nick begins the story, which is mainly told via flashbacks.
The way this story is laid out and played with the various flashbacks, the viewer knows the case involves Dixie Ray but not to what extent, at least for a while. There are a few twists and turns along the way that will keep you guessing and keep the interest level high. The sex that takes place in the scenes might be considered tame by today’s standards as they are pretty normal without all the acrobatics and in your face style. What does come through in the sex scenes is they are potent, powerful and actually have a part of the story line and plot. There is a flashback as to how the shooting took place that offers up a few humorous lines. But they still need more to go on, so Nick takes them all the way back to the beginning and how everything about this got started with Dixie Ray.
She wants to hire him because she is being blackmailed by her husband who she threw out of their fancy home. It seems during one of their sex parties he took pics of her. She tells Nick that she paid off a gangster to get the negatives back, but her husband still has the prints. She tells him where her husband is staying and gives him the negatives to hide. When Nick gets to the motel where the husband is supposed to be, he sees Leslie (Kelly Nichols) but no husband. Leslie teases him about it and that leads to Nick getting himself off with her. No idea where the husband is, Nick goes back to the office, gets a call to come to Dixie Ray’s. He gets there and she is getting a massage from her secretary (Juliet Anderson) and they get into more before Nick arrives to put an end to their pleasure. Dixie wants to know if he located her husband and the prints. He tells her no and as she begins to make a play for him, who walks in but Leslie. It turns out that Leslie is Dixie’s daughter from a previous marriage. Naturally Nick and Leslie do not let on that they have already met and had an encounter.
What takes place from that point on till the end of the film is filled with a lot of gangster style action. Nick getting knocked around, sex and twists and turns. Just when you think you have it all figured out and who is who and what is what, you get thrown another curve ball. There is blackmail, there is the mob, there is the police Lieutenant and his detective and assorted females. The movie runs at a good pace and the flashbacks pull this story together without a dull moment. The action is fast and furious and any minute I expected to see Bogart and Bacall come on the screen. But the ending is not what you might think, as director Spinelli keeps you guessing right until the very end.
As I said at the top, the attention to every detail for this period film was impeccably done. In addition to the crisp writing, fluid directing and great settings, it is the acting that really pulls this film together tightly. Leslie, long one of the best actors in porn, shines in the role of Nick displaying a true Hollywood mainstream star quality. Leslie’s female co stars (De Leeuw, Anderson, Nichols) also show off some excellent acting skills in their roles.
The film won AFAA Awards for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Director in 1984 and from AVN Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Screenplay. It is very much a true classic of the golden age. With all those awards “Dixie Ray Hollywood Star” is a classic on the “must see” list. I will say, I have watched this film three or four times and always find a little something I missed and still enjoy every aspect of it. I highly recommend you find a DVD copy of this great film and enjoy some extremely well done adult entertainment
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN
