From Porn to the “Gong Show”
Carol Connors was born in New Jersey on November 13, 1952. With blonde hair, blue eyes and sporting 36F twins, Carol was easily noticed. She began her career as an actress and performer in mainstream films and productions. Carol’s big-screen debut came in Howard Hawk’s 1965 film “Red Line 7000”. However she found consistent work in mainstream difficult. So with her looks and body as a great calling card she decided to try her hand in the adult film world in 1971.
That would turn out to be a move that would keep her very busy between 1971 and 1982 when she retired from the business. She would star in some iconic films and roles. It was Carol who played the nurse to Harry Reems physician role in the 1972 classic, “Deep Throat”. Connors gained even more recognition for her roles in Gail Palmer’s popular “Candy” series, which consisted of the “Erotic Adventures of Candy”, “Candy Goes to Hollywood”. She also appeared in the first porn adult western “Sweet Savage”.
In addition to starring and co starring in a variety of adult films, she also became a director. She directed and starred in “Desire for Men” in 1981. She would then move on to do one more adult film, “Consenting Adults”. After ten years in adult she decided it was time to retire and concentrate on being a wife and mother.
However, her time in the spotlight didn’t end after porn. It didn’t take very long before she would appear on national television on one of the period’s most popular shows, which was pretty racy for the time. Ms. Connors famously made several appearances on “The Gong Show” as a singer and dancer. But that was only the beginning on the show.
She made quite an impression on the producers, the cast which included Jamie Farr, and especially Jaye P. Morgan, who was a terrific singer in her own right but also a very bawdy lady who took an immediate liking to Carol. (Check out some of the booby shots of Jaye P. from the show). Chuck Barris also was a fan of hers so she was invited back to be one of the hostesses who would introduce Barris at the beginning of the show.
Between her beginnings in mainstream, then going to adult it was quite a switch but worked well. Then to add to all that and become part of one of TV’s biggest shows really was quite an accomplishment. Back then, even though she was known as a porn star, appearing on network TV was not a problem and her appearances were always a lot of fun for everyone. After the “Gong Show” Ms. Connors did totally leave the entertainment industry to be just a wife and mother.
Today, Carol and Jack Birch are still married, live in the Hollywood area and the parents of mainstream actress Thora Birch. Carol has totally stayed out of the spotlight preferring to just be a wife and mother and lead a very normal life. While she has yet to be elected to either the AVN or XRCO Halls of Fame, I sincerely hope the day will come when her contributions to porn will be recognized and rewarded with an induction into both halls..
With a lot of the classics now on DVD, you can find many of Ms. Connors films available. If you have not seen this creative force from porn’s golden age, be sure to check out some of her films you are in for quite a treat. Carol Connors was, and is, a very important part of the great early growing days of adult films.
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN
