The Rialto Report has always been intrigued by the little-known New York adult film Alexandra (1983).
It starred an impressive cast of favorites of the time, including Rachel Ashley, Joanna Storm, Lauren Wilde, Veronica Hart, Sharon Kane, R. Bolla, Eric Edwards, and Michael Gaunt.
But what is even more intriguing were the people behind the scenes – which reads like a who’s who of filmmakers who got their start in the business via 1960s sex movies:
- Dave Friedman was one of the producers alongside Bondi Walters, daughter of legendary Time Square theater owner Chelly Wilson
- Radley Metzger was an un-credited on-set consultant
- The script was written by Don Walters, who directed the early sex films Snow Job (1969), Felicia (1969), How Many Times (1969), and Franchette: Les Intrigues (1969). Don was also the assistant director on Monte Hellman’s cult film Cockfighter (1974). Don also appears on-screen as an actor in ‘Alexandra’ billed as Reg Wilson
- The film was edited by Ron Wertheim, who’d started out directing softcore films such as Invitation to Lust (1968), The Spy Who Came (1969), It’s Not My Body (1970), and Gabrielle (1970), as well as writing the scripts for Memories Within Miss Aggie (1974) and Through the Looking Glass (1976)
- Larry Revene, maker of 8mm loops in the early 1970s and subsequent director of feature length adult films, was the cinematographer
After a number of years of research, The Rialto Report recently unearthed a series of previously unseen documents and production stills from the film, which we present here for the first time.
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‘Alexandra’ (1983)
Joanna Storm as Diane Ballard
Rachel Ashley as Pat Cooper and Steve Douglas as Cliff Ballard
Rachel Ashley
Steve Douglas and Joanna Storm
Joanna Storm
Steve Douglas and Joanna Storm
R. Bolla as Foster Halloway and Lauren Wilde as Jennifer Halloway
Eric Edwards as Martin Cooper and Rachel Ashley
Joanna Storm
R. Bolla and Lauren Wilde
Rachel Ashley
Eric Edwards and Rachel Ashley
Rachel Ashley and Michael Gaunt as Jason Starrett
Lauren Wilde
Joanna Storm and Lauren Wilde
Joanna Storm
Michael Gaunt
Rachel Ashley and Michael Gaunt
Sharon Kane as Anita
Sharon Kane and Rachel Ashley
Michael Gaunt, Sharon Kane and Rachel Ashley
Don Walters (Reg Wilson) as Nick Booth and Lauren Wilde
Don Walters, Rachel Ashley and Joanna Storm
Rachel Ashley and Lauren Wilde
Joanne Storm, Rachel Ashley and Lauren Wilde
Veronica Hart as Darlene and Michael Gaunt
Lauren Wilde and Eric Edwards
Michael Gaunt and Lauren Wilde
Don Walters and Michael Gaunt
Eric Edwards and Rachel Ashley
Lauren Wilde and R. Bolla
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Every single week you provide us with new stories from the golden era.
This site has single-handedly re-told the history of the industry, in the words and images of those who were there.
Amazing, wonderful, thank you.
We so appreciate that Nils!
Aaaah Rachel Ashley. There’s someone I’d love to hear a podcast with 😉
Love you Rialto Report!
Thank you David!
Looking forward to the next podcast interview you’ve got. Make it a good one as it always is!
LOVE IT ALL!!!!!
Interesting!
Where can the movie be seen? Online?
You can usually find places offering the film at the bottom of the movie’s associated IAFD.com page.
This movie was the porn version of the Joseph Mankiewicz film, “A Letter to Three Wives”, and a pretty decent adaption considering the budget and other constraints the producers would have been working with.
Where is Steve Douglas today?
No doubt somewhere saying “Welcome To Walmart”.
This is my favourite adult movie of all time. My only disappointment was it didn’t include Samantha Fox or Annette Haven. However, that would be all movies. A very good adult version of “A Letter To Three Wives” with Kirk Douglas.
I think Samantha Fox RIP would have been great in this film considering she was a great character actress. I also would have liked to have seen Chelsea Blake in this film too. I believe this film was shot in 1983, and Chelsea didn’t enter the business until 1984.
I wonder how Lauren Wilde got casted for this film? I thought she was a California based actress?
Wow. Wasn’t expecting a piece featuring Lauren Wilde/Tina Ross!
She, to me, was a classic Cali model from those days. Suze Randall sure liked her. Sadly, her life ended abruptly (1984).
I agree with Mr. Puppybreath, Tina Ross was so pretty, thought for sure she would be a big star in the VHS video explosion of 1984 and would be doing dozens of films with the stars of that time like Crystal Breeze, Melissa Melendez, Kari Foxxx, Gina Carrera, Kimberly Carson, Angel , Gina Valentino, Tamara Longley etc. But she died too young in 1984.
Wasn’t Ava Leighton also involved with this film ?
Just looking at the stills and the list of quality people involved in the production of this film make it a must find/see for me!! Rachel Ashley is gorgeous!!
1983 was a bit before my time of becoming a fan of adult films (my fave era is the mid 80s Ginger-Amber-Christy-Keisha-Tom-Peter glory days!) It was fun discovering the small “shot on film” stickers at my local video store to let me know what the good stuff was. I liked actual films with a story line, acting and hot sex! Wall to wall shot on video was not my thing very often.
Anyway, thanks again April for another solid posting (as always!) You are the greatest!!😎
I’m sure this gets asked often and I’ve heard he is reluctant to do it but an interview with Peter North is up there on my list of icons for you to interview.
‘1983 was a bit before my time of becoming a fan of adult films (my fave era is the mid 80s Ginger-Amber-Christy-Keisha-Tom-Peter glory days!).’
So good to hear this, though you left out Jeannie Pepper! 😉
Please don’t take offense, April & Ashley, but this era was also my gateway (starting with discovering Christy in mags) to all this.
I much prefer the films of the 1970s and the early 1980s, and my list of favorite adult actors mostly comes from that time. I must admit, though, that the second half of the 1980s was a great period for female actresses. In addition to the names you two have mentioned, there was Shanna McCullough, Tracey Adams, Taija Rae, Siobhan Hunter, Nina Hartley and Ona Zee. They have made exploring the VHS era of adult movies worthwhile.
‘Alexandra’ is yet another film to track down. That fireside scene with Rachel Ashley and Eric Edwards is one I have come across before.
Thank you for another great post, Rialto Report.
Great site and amazing content as always! Can’t figure out how you can access all these great stills.
Request for future interview: Don Fernando. He’s a real mystery with his long history from the 70s and later extensive work for Salieri in Europe. Gotta be some good stories there.
Thanks Bob!
What is most noteworthy is how stunningly attractive the ladies are when clothed. The shot of Joanna and Lauren going shopping could’ve been taken outside the highest end store on 5th Avenue. I do hope life has treated them both well.
God bless you Rialto-always an essential part of my week , (especially during Lockdown). You are all top class in every sense of the word!
We appreciate that Paul!
I always thought Lauren Wilde aka Tina Ross was beautiful, and despite almost being young enough to be R Bolla’s daughter, I thought they had great chemistry in this film and were a very believable couple. Sadly they have both passed away.
It looked like Lauren Wilde/Tina Ross was going to be a big star in the 80’s, she was in all the mens magazines. But I remember reading she died in 1984, to this day there are some who say suicide, OD, and even car accident?
I found this on the internet about Lauren/Tina.
“Porn Star Laurien Wilde is an adorable young sex star who blazed across hardcore screens like a sexual supernova during the early 1980’s. Laurien Wilde exploded onto the scene at the age of 19 in 1982’s ‘Let’s Talk Sex,’ where she got lots of attention due to her stunning beauty and lewd appetites. She had one of the best bodies in early ’80s hardcore, a tight and delicious delicacy of desire whose youthful looking frame got her lots of roles as the debaucher schoolgirl.
Laurien Wilde’ gorgeous features and slightly innocent look made her nasty, down and dirty romping all the more erotic and startling. Laurien Wilde could take over a scene by sheer force of sexual will, and never let a moment pass in which she wasn’t in provocative motion. One of her best scenes can be found in 1984’s ‘Golden Girls, The Movie,’ in which Laurien Wilde plays a coy young model who gives photographer Jamie Gillis the oral workout of his life.
Laurien Wilde’ all-time best sexual performance, though, is in 1983’s ‘Tomboy.’ Laurien Wilde wears out Tom Byron with her energy and enthusiasm in an early scene, then tears the roof off the flick with an incendiary and aggressive romp in the back of a van with Alex Stuart. Fans who want to know a little bit more about Laurien Wilde will want to check out Bobby Hollander’s ‘Centerfold Celebrities,’ where she participates in an enlightening and then erotic interview session. Sadly, Laurien Wilde’ rise to the top of the porn world was cut short in 1984, due to a fatal car accident. She was just 23 years old at the time, with ten hardcore features under her belt.Was Creameted and given to her best friend.“
Rachel Ashley has got to be one of the most beautiful women to ever do adult films. I hope to see you guys interview her someday.
I would add Brigitte Monet and Melissa Melendez to that list, they had no plastic surgery, just a natural beautiful face
This is a very well done movie for its time–exquisite cinematography, very well written, dynamite locations and a great cast–outstanding in every way. I never realized how many wonderful and talented people were responsible for putting it all together…Thanks, Rialto Report for bringing it back to the forefront.
Thanks as always Eric for the support!
Rachel Ashley is my all time fave actress. She looked hot in every single movie. Loved the scene with Michael Gaunt. They dont make movies like this any more, sadly.
Quality films like this make it clear how much garbage today’s adult industry pumps out.
AMEN!
I’ll add my voice to those who would love to have a Rachel Ashley interview. Joanna Storm would be a great “get” also, and probably much easier, given her return to the business.
Dude…… the Rialto folks have already interviewed Joanna Storm!
Rachel Ashley in this classy film was just gorgeous! Just like she was in all her other movies. One of the all time beauties in my view.
Rachel Ashley has somehow removed herself and any trace of her. I heard she had a drug problem. I hope it didn’t kill her. As said on most posts she was beautiful and had a “look” very few women have.