From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Harry Reems |
 |
| Birthdate: |
August 27, 1947 (1947-08-27) (age 62) |
| Birth location: |
Bronx, New York |
| Birth name: |
Herbert Streicher |
| Eye
color: |
Brown |
| Hair color: |
Brown |
| Stage
name(s): |
Harry Reams, Harry Reemes, Bruce Gilchrist, Charles Lamont, Tim
Long, Ned Reems, Herb Streecher, Herbert Streicher, Herb Streicher,
Herb Stryker, Bob Walters |
| Harry Reems at IMDb |
| Harry Reems at
AFDB |
Harry Reems is the stage name of one of the
best-known porn stars of the 1970s and star of the
1972 cult classic Deep Throat.
Early life
and career
Harry Reems was born Herbert Streicher[1] to a Jewish family
in Bronx, New York, on August 27, 1947. He
served briefly in the United States Marine Corps
before electing to pursue an acting career, principally in off-Broadway theater.
Looking for ways to support himself, Streicher began to appear
in dozens of short, silent stag films, often referred to as "loops,"
during the early 1970s. He eventually went on to appear in
approximately 140 feature-length sexploitation and hardcore films between 1971 and
1989, with Deep Throat (1972) and The
Devil in Miss Jones (1973) being the best known, as well
as roughies like Forced Entry (1971) and Sex
Wish (1976). In the former, he plays a sadistic Vietnam veteran
hellbent on rape and murder; while the latter has him as a husband
turned vigilante to seek
revenge over the rape and murder of his wife. In 1975, he published
a memoir, Here Comes Harry Reems, in which he details the
early years of his experience as an adult film actor. He had
sex (in hardcore pornographic film) with
the underage Traci
Lords.
For the production of Deep Throat in Florida in January 1972, Streicher was hired to
be part of the lighting crew, but the director was unable to cast
one of the roles and asked him. He was paid $250 for the one day of
acting work. Streicher was unaware that the director had given him
the name "Harry Reems" until
he saw the movie.[2]
Reems's appearance in Deep Throat led to his arrest by
FBI agents in New York City in
July 1974,[3
] and indictment in Memphis, Tennessee in June 1975 on
federal charges of conspiracy to distribute obscenity across state
lines.[4] He was
convicted in April 1976 with 11 other individuals and four
corporations.[5] His
conviction was overturned on appeal in April 1977, because his
activities in making the film occurred before a U.S. Supreme Court
ruling on obscenity in 1973 (Miller v. California), and
Reems was granted a new trial.[6] The
charges against Reems were dropped in August.[3
] Reems's defense claimed that he was the first
American actor to be prosecuted by the Federal government merely
for appearing in a film, and he received considerable support from
established Hollywood and New York celebrities during his
trial.[7] His
successful appeal was handled by attorney Alan
Dershowitz.
Later
years
After years of alcohol and drug abuse, Reems began recovery from
alcoholism in 1989. He
married and converted to Christianity. "Being the low-bottom drunk
that I was, I started going around to churches," said Reems, who
was raised Jewish. "I called myself a church gypsy." Reems credits
his conversion to Rev. Mark Heiss, a former pastor with Park City
Community Church in Park City, Utah. Heiss was abruptly
replaced at the church by someone else, for reasons Reems says were
never explained, causing Reems to leave the congregation in the
belief that it was "about putting money in the coffers." Today,
outside organized religion, he continues to meditate, pray and
offer gratitude to God. "If I didn't put God in my life, I'd be
dead now," he said. "I am not religious. I'm spiritual, 100
percent." [8] He
continues to identify himself as "Harry Reems."
Reems was interviewed in the 2005 documentary Inside Deep
Throat.
In popular
culture
- Harry Reems and his legal battle are featured in episode 105 of
the series Swingtown.
See also
References
- ^
Richard Corliss (2008-10-27). "Porn's Pied Piper: Deep
Throat Director Dies". Time. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1854297,00.html. Retrieved
2008-10-27.
- ^
Jim Gallagher, "Porn fame is a trying experience for Reems", Chicago
Tribune, October 14, 1976, p. A1.
- ^ a
b
Inside Deep Throat:
Timeline.
- ^
U.S. v. Battista, 646 F.2d 237, 241 (C.A. Tenn., 1981).
The federal district court in Memphis had jurisdiction and venue
because Deep Throat had been transported across state
lines to be shown in Memphis in February 1974. U.S. v.
Peraino, 645 F.2d 548, 549 (C.A.Tenn., 1981). Reems called it
forum
shopping.
- ^
"'Deep Throat' Obscene, Jury Rules; 12 Convicted", Los Angeles
Times, May 1, 1976, p. 11. "Notables Aid Convicted 'Deep
Throat' Star", The New York Times, June 29,
1976, p. 26.
- ^
"Judge Grants New Trial for 'Deep Throat' Star", New York
Times, April 12, 1977, p. 12. The jury instruction at Reems' trial had
improperly used the post-Miller definition of
obscenity.
- ^
Among them: Jack
Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Shirley Maclaine, Richard
Dreyfuss, Gregory
Peck, Colleen Dewhurst, Rod McKuen, Ben Gazzara, Mike Nichols, Julie Newmar, Dick Cavett, George
Plimpton, and Stephen Sondheim (Inside Deep Throat:
Timeline). Nicholson, Beatty, and Louise Fletcher were ready to testify
on his behalf at his trial.
- ^ Harry Reems - 'Throat' star
thanks God for new lease on life, The Salt Lake Tribune
Autobiography: Here Comes Harry
Reems!, 1975, Pinnacle Books (OOP); ISBN 978-0523004594
External
links
| Persondata |
| NAME |
Reems, Harry |
| ALTERNATIVE
NAMES |
|
| SHORT
DESCRIPTION |
Actor and United States Marine |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
August 27, 1947 |
| PLACE OF
BIRTH |
Bronx, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH |
|
| PLACE OF
DEATH |
|
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