Next week, The Rialto Report presents an in-depth podcast about the original ‘Porno Star’, Tina Russell.
Tina Russell was born Linda Marie Mintzer on September 23, 1948, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
She moved to New York City in the late 1960s along with her husband Jason Russell (born John Sanderson) where she enrolled in a degree course at New York University. After quitting college she began modeling in sexually oriented photographs, and performed in loops and live sex shows in the Times Square area. Her 1973 memoir, Porno Star, was the first to describe life in the New York adult film industry.
In many ways, she provided the original blueprint for the adult film star that has continued to today – yet in this era of streaming and free internet porn content, Tina Russell remains largely forgotten,
In the Rialto Report, we’re pleased to present previously unpublished photos documenting Tina’s life – from the collections of her family, friends and former husband Jason Russell.
In next week’s podcast – our most detailed podcast yet – we tell the story of Tina Russell and speak to 25 of her friends, family members, and adult film cohorts.
Who was she, how did she become the first porn star, what impact did it have on her, and what happened to her?
All photos belong to the Rialto Report.
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Beginnings: Linda Mintzer
Linda as a young girl in Williamsport, PA
Linda met John Sanderson (later Jason Russell) – a local photographer – when she was in college in Williamsport, PA
Tina Russell: The New York Years
In front of Linda and John’s first New York apartment in Brooklyn Heights
Linda and John settling into New York life
Linda’s portfolio of pictures auditioning for hair product commercials
First Nude Modeling
Linda and John begin nude modeling to raise bail money for a friend arrested for marijuana possession
Linda and John graduate to magazine spreads
Linda retires (temporarily) from the adult industry – and moves to Peru
Linda’s passport photo when she and John tired of New York and decided to travel to Peru
Porn Star
Linda and John return to New York and turn to adult films: Tina and Jason Russell are born.
The Publication of ‘Porno Star’ (1973)
Adult Films take off
Tina Russell: Fall of a Porn Star
Linda with her father in Williamsport
Your ‘most detailed’ podcast next week…?!
You’re gonna have to achieve something to make that possible because you guys are truly the last word in any subject you cover.
I LOVE this site. It is simply unbelievably good.
Thank you so much JJ!
I have admired your work for the last three years but have not left a comment before, but I feel compelled to write and complement you on finally getting around to Tina Russell! I bought her book in 1973 and it was a revelation. For the first time we could find out about the relationships and intrigue behind the scenes of the (then) new adult films. I followed Tina’s career on and off and found out about her passing within days of her death in 1981 when it received a surprising amount of press coverage.
Since then… nothing. The current IMDB entry is full of errors (for example it states that she died of cancer which I have heard is incorrect) and so I am hopeful that the experts at the Rialto will finally set the record straight. Time and again you have exceeded all expectations (the Navred Reef expose’ was worthy of high awards) so please don’t let me down!
Yours, in Rialto,
GR
Thank you so much George – we will do our best to do justice to Tina’s story and look forward to hearing what you think.
The Marcia Rose set immediately reminded me of the Seinfeld episode with the Merv Griffin set
Great photo essay. Thank you for all you do in this field of research.
Thank you for taking the time to comment Patrick!
Did you manage to speak to Jason Russell?
The Legs McNeil book ignored Jason when it was being written and his memories would be valuable to capture.
Hi – we’re proud to have conducted one of the only interviews with Jason Russell. You’ll be able to hear the results next week!
Outside of The Rialto Report I’ve never heard of Tina Russell. But when I read she’s the subject of next weeks podcast and it includes interviews with 25 people, I know it’s going to be an epic ride and I very much look forward to it.
Thanks for your confidence Bondurant! I hope you like it – it’s taken us 12 years to collect all the interviews for this one!
Both Tina and Jason were guests of mine at The Underground Tonight Show at the Cafe Wha in ’74 as well as Tina being one of the ‘guests of honor’ receiving her ‘Tonguey’ Award during my Eros ’75 at the Hotel Diplomat on W. 43rd St..
Tina Russell is and still remains one of my favorite actresses of the Golden Age. I am eagerly excited for next week’s podcast to hear from those you interviewed and listen to the stores of those who knew her well. Tina is largely unknown and hopefully after next week, more people will know who she is. Excellent scrapbook article!!
Thank you Philip!
Dear Rialto,
I am happy to now that you are doing the right job as an art historian preserving erotic art form as part of our culture, I hope you soon get invited by mayor university for a lecture about “art outside of sin”
You are blessed
Thanks Raimundo – we appreciate it!
Looking forward to next week!
Also receiving a Tonguey Award that night were ‘Let My People Come,’ most erotic theater piece, Tina Turner, most erotic female music performer, Mick Jagger most erotic male music performer,Doug Johns, most erotic scultor; he designed and created the Tonguey. An honorary Tonguey was given to Fanne Foxxx the Argentine Bombshell who gave a public BJ to Congressman Wilbur Mills . It was the NYC fans that voted the winners and Betty Dodson presented several of the Tongueys.There were 4,000 people there on this nite of debaucery in Time Square
***fyi from Roy Karch.
Thanks as always for weighing in Roy!
Tina Russell is ground zero for me. would love to read her auto-bio, but I’m sure it’s impossible to find. i feel she was the flashpoint for loops into golden age. this might be the most historical podcast you’ve done.
It’s not impossible to find DC – you can get it on Amazon second hand for about $40. But we have the rights to the book and hope to republish it. When we do, we will offer it at cost like we did with Harry Reems’ book so more people have the chance to read it!
Looking forward to the book.
Looking in my files, I found .pdf of a scan of the paperback.
It wasn’t easy, but I found it is still available at file-sharing sites.
You can do better by buying the book and cutting it up.
Let me know if you want to know more about optical character recognition.
more on Eros “75..The First American Sex Festival…
Darby Lloyd Rains took home the award for most erotic female in an adult movie along with Marc Stevens for the male counterpart to that category, the most erotic magazine that year went to Oui Magazine with Christy Hefner receiving the trophy. Other luminaries participating were Calvin Culver ,Larry Rivers, Steve Ostrow, and Barney Rosset.
***again from me , Roy Karch, the co-producer.
Tina was the most beautiful, intelligent, and classy of all the first generation of actors in the industry.
It is so sad that she has largely been forgotten today, but I know that this amazing site will change that.
Bring on next week! I can’t wait for this one!
I was a little surprised to see that it has taken the otherwise amazing Rialto project so long to cover Tina Russell. She was one of the first, one of the most important, and one of the most beautiful.
Better late than never however, and I’ll be in line next Sunday waiting for this one with eager anticipation.
Being from Williamsport, Pa myself I first found about her from looking up on Google famous people from Williamsport, Pa. What a shock to find a pioneer in the porn industry was from my home town. Since then I have sought out her movies and she was hot and I will for sure be seeking out more of her movies & pictures. I can hardly wait for the next podcast, thank you.
Amazing!
The guy on the left in the Marcia Rose shot is a ringer for what the love-child of Don Knotts and Steve Buscemi would look like.
Tina, Darby Lloyd Rains, Helen Madigan and Georgina Spelvin all worked for me in “The Erotic Memoirs of a Male Chauvinist Pig” in 1972. I think she was about 23-24 and it might have been one of her early feature films. She played a sort-of stoned hippie girl in a satirically funny but somewhat brutal and bloody rape scene (wrap your head around that!) and was fantastic in the part and wonderful to work with! I think she (thankfully) nailed the messy part in one take. Hope she is well! The restored, remastered director’s cut can be streamed at eroto.com if anybody is interested. A DVD is also available from Distribpix.
Wow! Guess she’s not well. I didn’t know. She was a great lady.
Not being very knowledgeable of vintage adult films, I never heard of Tina Russell, until I was lucky enough to “find” an original copy of “Porno Star” in a box of stuff purchased at a local estate sale recently. I figured I’d read it first before getting rid of it, and quickly I found myself so fascinated by her, and her story. And actually more-so by the off-camera day to day stuff she wrote about, then the on-camera details. So, having to find out more about this woman, and her life, I began searching on-line for more information.
I quickly found that her bio info is pretty well documented from the 1969-74 time period, but really drops off considerably after that, to almost nothing from 1976-80, like she just fell off the map, except for reports of excessive drinking and drug use during that time. No interviews, photos, nothing! It seems no one is even certain how she actually died!
I’m also really amazed how she managed to write such an intelligent, thoughtful detailed book, and during the busiest time in her career, when being featured in so many films.
I’m so glad I did find your site, and just in time it seems, and hear the up-coming podcast about her.
Questions I have, that I hope will be addressed are –
1. I read she wrote 2 more books after “Porno star”. Do these books exist, and what are the titles?
2. Also, I read she was in a loop in 1976. I assume her final appearance on film? Does that exist, and what was the title of that?
3. And of course, the true details of her last days.
It’s unbelievable to me how, despite all the pitfalls of the profession at that time, such a bright, beautiful seemingly well-grounded woman could have just destroyed herself so quickly, just like that. It just doesn’t make any sense.
I guess I find myself needing a bit of closure on a story about the life of a woman I never heard of, and just recently discovered in the last few months, and really look forward to your podcast.
Thank you.
Bob B.,
Tina did quite a bit of loops in 1976 or 1977. She worked with stars like John Leslie, Suzanne McBain, Bethanna, Jenny Baxter, and Alexandra, among others. Some of these can be found on loop compilations “Tina Russell Classics”, “Flesh Fantasy”, “Ebony Erotica II” and “That’s Erotic”. There are probably also more to be found on some VOD sites and on Blue Vanities compilations.
12 years in the making with a cast of 25?
This is going to be EPIC.
Is that Don Knotts on the talk show?
This Tina Russell podcast is like a Pandora’s Box full of info, background, interviews and memoirs. Ashley, you really ask some spot on questions and stitch it all together with some creative journalism. Love the music clips as well. Bravo to the Rialto Report another winner.
I know this might be off-topic or irrelevant, but part of the thrill of a “scrapbook” like this is getting to see all these original 70s styles and clothes: beards and unruly., long hair, the loudest checks and patterns. It was the decade of express yourself, no holds barred.
Linda (Tina) and I were neighbors at a young age. She was one of my first friends growing up. Both of us were quiet girls. One of our favorite past-times was hiding being her couch and coloring. We lost touch and connected at high school for a short time. She was a gentle soul. Her parents and mine were also friends.
I sorta knew her briefly thru friends that were in her business in the early 70’s. I quite liked her and judged her as quiet and gentle. I recall, at a small gathering of those friends, her sitting off by herself either knitting or sewing. I loved the contrast of that with her professional image.
i was reminicing of my days of running a porno shop in hbg pa. in the 70s&early 80s.i also sold womens sexy night clothes and go-go out fits which i had displayed on manaquines.we had the old Warner hotel on the square,next to the old Senate theatre that showed “x” rated films.to make it short,tina danced at the warner 2 times a month(it was a go-go joint and kind of a low budget hotel.but it was a great place& bar.tina and john would come into hbg. the nite before her schedule and first thing they would do was come to my shop and buy all my outfits,it was great.john would go about his things he had to do and tina would hang out at the store with me and the patrons loved it.
She was a beautiful person and i am glad i knew her.i am glad i was going thru this stuff and got reminded of her.i am a cancer patient and play on the pc alot.i was born 5/19/48.she was my age and died one day before my b-day.i am honored to have met her and got to know her.she was a very special girl.and taken way-way too soon.
“THANX FOR YOUR TIME—-BOB”
Towards the of June, 1968, besides graduating from High School, I found myself on 42nd Street, famously known as the “Strip”. From 7th Ave. to 8th Ave., you found the Adult Movie houses, Adult Book stores, and if you were really lucky, you caught sight of some of the Adult film actors and actresses. Thus was my luck, i was walking down the right side of the street, and spied a young lady, brunette hair, in jeans just wandering around. I caught up with her passed her and turned around the young lady was none other than Tina Russell. I walked up to her and asked her for her autograph. She smiled asked me what i would like her to sign and i pulled out of my wallet, a $20. bill. She looked at me i handed her a pen and she signed that Twenty.
I recently read that beside writing her autobiography, “PORN STAR”, Ms Russell also wrote a 2nd book. Can you please tell me what the title is?
I lived at 334 Adams St., Williamsport, PA in a brick double. Linda lived (briefly) in the same double at 336 Adams St. I was 12-14 years old in 1965 to 1967, when, if memory serves me correctly, Linda was my neighbor. She seemed outwardly, to be a quiet, reserved teen. My experiences regarding Linda are quite different than might be generally “accepted” for a teen in the 60’s.
Not sure if this will go thru or not.
There was a full length porn movie in the early 70’s that had Tina Russell in it. The only name I remember for the movie was “I A Woman”. I saw the movie in Oxnard Calf. And then perhaps a year later in NC.
Do I have the name for the movie correct or was it something else.
The part I remember was Tina on stairs with another woman. There was also a girl in the hospital and the Dr was getting milk from her.
Is that movie available anywhere?
Please respond.
Eugene West
eugenewestfamily@gmail.com
Text 252-414-7094