The star of “Deep Throat” died on Tuesday.
There are far too many jokes to be made about a porn star’s death. Sure, death is no laughing matter. But it’s hard not to crack a smile when rather conservative media goes into the work history of 1970s porn star Harry Reems. Herbert Streicher, his birth name, was widely known for his roles in pornographic films like “Lust in Space”‚ “Deep Throat” and “Double Agent 73”.
“Deep Throat”, of course, is the most popular of the three. In a time when bush babes had a totally different meaning and porn stars only made a few hundred dollars per film, Herbert Streicher played the role of Dr.Young, a role with less talk and more action.
Herbert Streicher and a few others from the adult film gained even more popularity after they were charged with conspiracy to distribute obscenity across state lines. It was the first time in history that actors were being legally held responsible for film distribution. The Times, a noted constitutional lawyer and some Hollywood actors came to Herbert Streicher’s defense with articles and funding for his legal bills.
Though the charges were dropped, “Harry Reems’” legal trouble led to career trouble that eventually landed him on the streets of Los Angeles and then in rehab for alcoholism. He later married and became a successful real estate broker.
Herbert Streicher fell into his adult career when the director of “Deep Throat” handed him a white jacket and instructed him to play the role of the Doctor. He had initially joined the film set as the light technician but later became the star after the male lead decided to take a day off without notice. “Harry Reems” starred in the adult film classic alongside the ever popular Lisa Lovelace (Linda Susan Boreman) who played a patient who had a “hot spot” at the back of her throat.
A documentary following the lives of Lisa Lovelace and “Harry Reems” is set to release later this year.
The actor, real estate broker and ex-marine was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer, though that has not been confirmed as his cause of death. He died in a Salt Lake City veterans hospital.
