All About Gloria Leonard

Perhaps this movies' title is slightly inappropriate as few other stars of X-rated entertainment could have had such a full and active life outside the industry as had Gloria Leonard. A single mother who'd had spells as an art dealer and then stockbroker, she entered the fledgling adult industry partially to make a better standard of living for herself and her daughter, but also to nail her colours to the mast of sexual freedom including the right of women to defy convention, enjoy recreational sex and work in whatever field they chose.

A vociferous opponent of censorship, she did a 15 year stint as promoter, publicist and writer for the sex magazine High Society, taking pride in pushing back the boundaries of what could be shown, but always stated that she wouldn't ask anyone to do anything she wouldn't do herself.

ALL ABOUT GLORIA LEONARD benefits from the co-direction of veteran Joe Sarno and shares one or two similarities with his earlier INSIDE JENNIFER WELLES. But it is very convincing in depicting the enterprising Ms. Leonard as a spirited and independent woman who takes life by the balls - sometimes literally - and lives it on her own terms, and is a celebration of female lust.

Having weakened the resistance of the majority of her audience with a display of her luscious legs, she proceeds to recollect a number of her sexual adventures, commencing with an intimate investigation into just why the office boy is so popular with the female staff. Next, in the most memorable scene, and the most evocative of the late 1970s, she visits a nightclub and after being turned-on watching exotic dancer Gloria Todd, tentatively asks her for a date via waitress Ming Toy, which leads to a very erotic encounter between the three women in an apartment. Following a scorching session with David Morris with a voice-over by Gloria describing her physical sensations whilst having sex, she experiments with a sex-toy while reading a letter from a female admirer in another erotic scene. She looks on as one-time husband Bobby Hollander proves he was no slouch in the sack in his sensual encounter with another woman and helps out a middle-aged call-girl who enjoys her work. After ensuring that three gamblers come up trumps at the same time, she finally learns from the late Mark Stevens and Jamie Gillies why 'two heads are better than one'.

A fun film about a smart, sophisticated and sexy woman.

Gloria Leonard, the actress introduced to adult films at an already mature age by Radley Metzger in his 1976 classic THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN, remains famous for her remark about the difference between erotica and pornography being all about the lighting. For this movie, the second in the half a dozen somewhat lavish Evart profile skin flicks (following Jennifer Welles and preceding Seka, Annie Sprinkle, Little Oral Annie and Angel Cash), she's in luck as it proves to be the best-produced of that lot with sound technical credits all across the board. Just as on the other installments in this series, directorial credit is bestowed upon the featured star though it's common knowledge by now that veteran filmmaker Joe Sarno helped out behind the scenes.

Premise has Gloria on her last day as editor of High Society magazine, clearing out her desk and reminiscing about various sexual exploits jogged by the objects she comes across. In her late thirties at the time of shooting, it's obvious she had a say in casting as none of the other women are exactly spring chickens either ! Proof positive that the experience that comes with age can be a good thing is sultry Monica Devon, whose only other credit was an appearance in the none too memorable Merle Michaels vehicle SILKY, as a call girl tempting Gloria into taking a stab at the oldest profession. The only younger women on display are black starlet Gloria Todd (best remembered for portraying the evil Sultana in Shaun Costello's salacious SLAVE OF PLEASURE) and Oriental Ming Toy (also in Beau Buchanan's CAPTAIN LUST AND THE AMOROUS CONTESSA) who join the star for an interesting three shades of flesh Sapphic sonata.

Claiming to tell the truth and nothing but, as per written statement at movie's end, our matronly minx merrily romps with the likes of well-endowed office boy Peter Andrews (as Horace, nicknamed "Horse" for obvious reasons), porn stud royalty Jamie Gillis and Mark Stevens ("Mr 10 and a Half", gee, could our girl be something of a size queen ?) and, in a scenario torn straight out of the Jennifer Welles portrait, printer David Morris prepping the proofs of our heroine's latest nude shots. David Pierce, who made such a strong impact as the downright evil Mr Sweet in Roger Watkins' excellent HER NAME WAS LISA, is the guy she makes very romantic love to while acting out the prostitution gambit and her real life husband, the late Bobby Hollander (a decent adult filmmaker who made NEW YORK BABES and the popular PERSONAL TOUCH video series), appears in the final scene.

Outspoken as well as fiercely intelligent (qualities NOT always found in combination), Gloria makes for an interesting if not obvious subject for this type of "sex in every scene" dirty movie diva dissection. Very much her own woman, she rarely appealed to an adult movie-going majority weaned on pliant platinum princesses even if her intimate involvement was unquestionable.