R.I.P. Marilyn Chambers

[Precious Doll]

Here is a piece that written on Marilyn Chambers by someone who went to the same high school as Marilyn. I've included comments made by bloggers at the end of the piece as they give some insight into the real Marilyn Chambers.

Remembering Marilyn Chambers by Dan Wong
April 13, 2009

Marilyn Chambers died today.

Tomorrow the newspapers will call her a “former porn star.” They will mention the scandal that erupted when Marilyn — the “99 and 44/100% pure” model holding a baby on the Ivory soap box — moved into hard-core films. They may say that some of her movies were produced by the infamous Mitchell brothers, or that she worked with legendary male porn star Johnny Wadd.

They might even mention that she grew up in Westport, Connecticut, the daughter of an advertising executive father and a nurse mother. The obituary writers will describe Marilyn Chambers, but they will focus only on her titillating past. That’s natural; they didn’t know her.

I did.

And as a Westporter a grade behind Marilyn Briggs at Long Lots Junior High School and Staples High, with plenty of friends in common, I knew her when it counted — when we were young. She was a field hockey player and cheerleader. She was cute — very cute — and outgoing. And though she was way ahead of most of us even then, and was already modeling in New York, she was still just “Marilyn.”

Her 1970 Staples yearbook writeup says: “likes digging on life, being happy, ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’” — she had a bit part in that Barbra Streisand film during high school, though she was credited as “Evelyn Lang” — “her dog, the city…dislikes school, commuting to New York, running out of gas, making decisions.”

She was a Homecoming Queen nominee. She did not win — but in a class poll, she won “Best Student Body.”

Her nickname, the yearbook said, was “Briggs.” “Marilyn Chambers” was off in the future.

That future came quickly, though. She made “Behind the Green Door” — the first hardcore pornographic movie widely released in the United States — in 1972. I saw it, of course — knowing her made me a celebrity with my college friends — but watching it filled me with both intrigue and sadness. She was 2 years and a continent removed from Westport, but it seemed she was now a lifetime and a universe away.

Marilyn made over 25 porn films. She also ran for vice president of the United States in 2004 (on the Personal Choice Party ticket). The years in between were not kind to her. She battled drug and alcohol addiction, and her three marriages ended in divorce.

But as far away as she drifted, she never really left Westport behind. She loved attending Staples reunions, and her former classmates loved seeing her. Sure, it was cool having their pictures taken with her (their wives were not as pleased) — but once the cameras were gone, nothing had changed. She — everyone — was back in high school school again. They remembered old times, good times, times before anyone peeked behind the green door.

The media will have a brief feeding frenzy on Marilyn Chambers. I’ll spend my time remembering Marilyn Briggs.

14 RESPONSES SO FAR ↓
P. // April 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm | Reply

Wow that was amazing. Your POV is so sincere and refreshing…Westport needs you now more than ever. I had no idea Marilyn attended Staples reunions. RIP Ms. Briggs.

First time poster, long time lurker.

alan Bravin // April 13, 2009 at 9:17 pm | Reply

Good write-up Dan. I was sad to hear of her passing, but it’s nice to remember the old days when we were young and somewhat innocent, like you said.

Stretch // April 14, 2009 at 12:41 am | Reply

Thanks for you blog.

I had the chance to meet Marilyn on a couple of occasions at model conventions in the Los Angeles area. She was very nice and down to earth person. She told me she was just trying to raise her two daughters.

My prayers are with them and trying to cope with the loss of their mother.

Chip Stephens // April 14, 2009 at 11:25 am | Reply

She is now up there giving Principal Caulkins a well deserved back massage, rest in peace…

FYI Obituary from LA Times from Scott G.
http://www.latimes.com/news....7.story

Linda Gramatky Smith // April 14, 2009 at 11:42 am | Reply

Dan, this is the Marilyn I knew, so thanks for your memories. Marilyn lived just a couple of houses from us on Roseville, since her house was on the corner of Marc Lane. I’m a lot older, but sometimes I helped my mom teach Sunday school at Greens Farms Church, and Marilyn was in that class. She was such a darling, and I was so so sad to hear the news of her death yesterday. Like you, I will continue to remember the Marilyn Briggs I knew and celebrate the talent that she showed.

Bruce Fernie // April 14, 2009 at 12:06 pm | Reply

Very, very nice.
I have said elsewhere that I saw the movies…who didn’t?
But the Marilyn I remember the cute as hell blonde from Long Lots JHS with the really cool big brother.
RIP

Top Posts « WordPress.com // April 14, 2009 at 8:23 pm | Reply

[...] Remembering Marilyn Chambers Marilyn Chambers died today. Tomorrow the newspapers will call her a “former porn star.” They will [...] [...]

David Abrams // April 14, 2009 at 10:39 pm | Reply

I, too, have memories of her walking to and from Staples. She walked up Pumpkin Hill. Four years younger, I had a crush on her just watching her walk by.

marc bailin // April 14, 2009 at 10:42 pm | Reply

OK. This one’s too good not to share. I met Marilyn in 3rd grade at Burr Farms Elementary We had just moved from Nwlk. An immediate coindidence was the Lennie Metalitz (” Metal Tits”) was a guy my mother, Harriett Fried Bailin knew from Bridgeport. OK OK. SO what.
Harriett was a songwriter. SO she wrote us a 3rd grade play/musical. Marilyn Briggs was cast as a “pussycat”. WIth some minor singing and movement. MANY YEARS LATER, after Harriett had moved to Athens Greece (after the premature death of my dad Jack Bailin in 68) Mom somehow stumbled into a theatre showing “Behing The Green Door” the Mitchell Brothers Classic. The next time I visited Harriett in Athens, and she recounted her experience of seeing Mar in the “movie”, she couldn’t stop laughing. At what a surreal experience it was. I couldn’t stop laughing with her. GOD BLESS MARILYN. She was a bright light on this trouble planet and I loved her.
MLB

Rich Dobos // April 15, 2009 at 5:43 pm | Reply

A wonderful remembrance. I attended second grade in 1957 at Northfield School. This was located in a rather blue collar section of Litchfield. One of my classmates was a very happy girl whose name was Marlilyn Briggs. She was only there for one year but most of us in the class remembered her. In the early 70’s we wondered if Briggs was Chambers because somebody knew that Chambers had grown up in CT. Apparently, the innocent, charming, and pretty young girl I knew grew up to make some tough decisions in life. Bless her and may she rest peacefully.

Marianne Pettee Churchwell // April 16, 2009 at 12:54 pm | Reply

Nice rememberance Dan. Marilyn was always happy to run in to old school friends on the streets of Westport.

Peter Yannone // April 16, 2009 at 8:55 pm | Reply

Hi Dan,

I like and appreciate your well written article. I posted my condolences on the westporters.com website this morning, and perhaps you may relate to my experiences. Thanks.
========

I met Marilyn in our senior year. We sat adjacently in Mr. Miller’s ECCP class.(Engineering Curriculum and Concepts Program) I was spending my weekends in Boston investigating campus life and sampling the various forms of riotous living they had to offer. Marilyn was spending her weekends in New York diligently working, at that time, on “The Owl And The Pussycat” On Mondays we would briefly exchange accounts of our disparate weekends. That was in 1969 and 1970.

The next time we met was on a lonely stretch of highway between Waco and Temple, in central Texas. It was 1997, and my wife of fifteen years brought it to my attention that Marilyn was coming to the area to promote a new composite video of her past works. Marilyn was on the road and working just as hard as she was when I saw her twenty-seven years earlier.

When the day arrived, my wife, two daughters and I drove the twenty miles south, in the brilliant blue skied morning, to Love’s Video. Located on the service road of Interstate 35, surrounded by little other than grazing pasture, was the small building housing an establishment which presented itself as a family video store — with an adult section. A crowd had gathered at the rear of the building. We parked at the edge of the gravel parking area, half on the weeds, with about thirty other cars and pickem-up-trucks.

Inside a line had formed. Some men and women were leaving proudly, holding in one hand, autographed Polaroid photos of themselves at Marilyn’s side, and in the other a video or two. The line was not moving because, we were told, Marilyn and her crew were taking a small break.

As we waited the four of us chatted with the folks around. My wife was adamant that our children not be kept in the dark about the realities of humanity such as the porn industry. Her father had owned and run a triple X theatre when she was a child, and she always valued this experience as a privileged insight into human hypocracy. She spoke of how the town’s elete had their own special rear parking lot and entrance to her family’s theatre. Now, just as her mother had done, she protected her children by dissipating any intrigue all this may hold, by yanking it out of the shadow and into the bright Texas sunlight.

When Marilyn and her road crew emerged from behind a whitewashed, cracked hollow-core door of the ten by ten break room, she looked as sharp as a tack, especially in contradistinction to her roadies who were followed into the room by thick, oily hemp fumes. She took her place at the front of her fans and the autographing and polaroiding resumed. After a couple of dozen bright flashes we were at the front of the line.

There she stood, looking splendid in her leopard skin costume, in front of empty red wire wall racks, in a bleak, little, forgotten room on the side of a highway designed to get you from nowhere to nowhere in no time at all. This was hardly a suitable setting, in my mind, for this celebrated American icon. But Marilyn was about her work and knew her fans and the happiness she brought them by coming to see them personally in the American heartland. Her spirits were up and she conveyed a love for what she was doing.

My admiration for her and her willingness to put in a hard day’s work were at once renewed. She did not recognize me, and even her memories of Mr. Miller’s class were lost among far more significant ones. We did have enough common memories to connect. She immediately related to my children, who were absolutely enamored by her. To them, Marilyn was a real live Barbie: Wow! I will not forget how sweet she was to the girls.

When I heard of her death the other day, I was shocked and could not put pen to paper. I slowly realized that there was really too much to say about Marilyn and the respect she deserves, for having done what she did in life: choosing it, doing all the hard work it entailed, but most of all, standing up to the misunderstanding and hypocracy of popular misconcensus. I believe she knew most of us better than we are willing to know ourselves. I cannot help but think that this was a burden she willingly bore for the rest of us.

I hope and trust that Marilyn’s daughter knows that she has much to be proud about regarding her mother’s accomplishments. Marilyn did not sit on the sidelines of American culture, as most of us do, but got in there, willing to work hard, tough it out, and define America as we find it today.

It speaks very well of Staples High School that Marilyn is of our company. Heads up everyone!

Bob Horn // April 17, 2009 at 3:03 pm | Reply

Peter, that was one of the best things I’ve read about Marilyn, and I have scoured the net through countless postings. Although, I didn’t know her like you, I had a profound sadness about her passing. I have the same feelings as you without really knowing anything about her personally. It is just wired inside me for some reason. I couldn’t agree more with every word you wrote.

JimmyC. // April 19, 2009 at 8:23 pm | Reply

Thank you for the heartfelt tribute. Like every other celebrity, she was a human being and you helped illustrate that page of her life. My heart is filled with sadness for her and her family.

[Precious Doll]

Here is the obit from Variety which has some more about her work.

Porn star Marilyn Chambers dies
Former soap model found dead in L.A. home
By VARIETY STAFF

Adult film star Marilyn Chambers, star of hit film "Behind the Green Door," was found dead Sunday at her home in Canyon Country in northern Los Angeles County. She was 56.

Her friend Peggy McGinn said Chambers was found by her 17-year-old daughter and the cause of death has not been determined.

Chambers starred in the 1972 film "Behind the Green Door," directed by the Mitchell brothers; pic was more widely distributed and attracted a more mainstream audience than the usual adult fare.

Variety, which reviewed adult films for several years when they first became big business, said in its "Behind the Green Door" review, "Unlike the crones who used to populate pornos, Chambers may be remembered as the fresh-faced 'innocent' in 'Together.' In this, she does everything, quite realistically. Unfortunately, she never has enough to say to judge whether she qualifies as an actress."

Born in Providence, R.I., Chambers, whose given name was Marilyn Briggs, was once a model for Ivory Snow, although the soap company quickly ended her contract when she became a porn star. She was among the first porn superstars when the stag films of the 1940s through 1960s gave way to the more polished sex films of the 1970s.

After rising to fame with "Behind the Green Door," she starred in dozens of adult films and in several non-adult titles including David Cronenberg's "Rabid" and "My Therapist."

She continued to work in adult films such as "Little Shop of Erotica" and upcoming "Porndogs." More recently she performed in low-budget features such as "Solitaire" and "Stash."

She also released a disco single, "Benihana," in 1976.

[Sonic Youth]

I didn't have time to cut and paste the whole thing, that's all.

Posting a link is a tease? You make it sound like people were sitting there waiting for something to happen and not knowing what to do.



Edited By Sonic Youth on 1239656188

[Big Magilla]

Why the tease? Here's the actual obituary:

Marilyn Chambers, a former Ivory Snow detergent model who became a porn star, died Sunday at her Canyon Country home. She was 56.

Chambers, whose real name is Marilyn Ann Taylor, was found unresponsive at 8:51 p.m. at her residence it the 16000 block of Vasquez Canyon, said Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Ed Winter. The cause of death is under investigation but foul play was not suspected and an autopsy is pending.

Chambers became a pop culture phenomenon when she gave up work as a model advertising Ivory Snow laundry detergent to star in the X-rated "Behind the Green Door" in 1972.

The movie also sparked a buying frenzy on boxes of Ivory Snow soap, then graced by Chambers' angelically complexioned face.

-- Andrew Blankstein

[Sonic Youth]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow....me.html



Edited By Sonic Youth on 1239649522