Page 22 - AVN February 2017

WHO’S WHO
A LEGEND OF EROTICA
William ‘Papa Bear’ Margold passes
‘BILL MARGOLD WAS A BIT OF
A RENAISSANCE MAN WHO
SPANNED ALMOST THE
ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE
ADULT INDUSTRY. HE WAS AN
ACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTOR AND AN INDUSTRY
SPOKESMAN
AND HISTORIAN.’
—PAUL FISHBEIN, PLAUSIBLE FILMS
IN MEMORIAM | By Peter Warren and Dan Miller
Angeles apartment. He was 73.
not suffer.”
A
ADULT INDUSTRY LEGEND and AVN Hall of Famer William Margold died January
17 during the broadcast of his program on XXXPornStarRadio.com from his Los
Close friend Joanne Cachapero told AVN, “It was sudden and apparently he did
Getting started as a performer in some of the most celebrated movies of triple-X
cinema—including 1978’s Lust at First Bite (aka Dracula Sucks), 1979’s Olympic Fever
and 1982’s Pleasure Dome—Margold went on to become the head of trade advocacy
group the Free Speech Coalition, as well as either founded or co-founded the
X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO), Fans of X-Rated Entertainment (FOXE)
and the PAW Foundation. He also for years hosted his own Legends of Erotica
induction ceremony during the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at Raymond
Pistol’s Showgirl Video on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Of all his ventures, Margold was particularly proud of PAW—an acronym for
Protecting Adult Welfare—which he created to assist adult performers in all areas
of their lives. Once married to 1970s porn actress Drea, Margold was in the 2010
documentary After Porn Ends, which is about life after being in the porn industry.
AVN Founder Paul Fishbein reflected on Margold’s unparalleled impact on
adult: “Bill Margold was a bit of a renaissance man who spanned almost the entire
history of the adult industry. He was an actor, writer, director and an industry
spokesman and historian. I respect him most for his PAW foundation, as he
worked tirelessly on behalf of industry performers, in particular young girls who
were in need of help or mentoring.
“I also served with him on the board of the Free Speech Coalition for almost 10
years,” Fishbein continued. “He was a contrarian and a pain in the ass, but it was
all for the common good for First Amendment protection, which he cared about
very deeply.”
X-Rated Critics Organization chariman “Dirty Bob” Krotts, who charged
Margold with overseeing the Hall of Fame induction portion of the annual XRCO
Awards Show for many years, echoed Fishbein’s comments, offering, “Bill’s love
of the adult industry was often masked by his gruff exterior. Industry history was
near the top of his list of important aspects—he was entrenched in tradition. Now
Bill is a real Legend of Erotica. He will be missed.”
Veteran adult journalist Jared Rutter, who was closely involved with the XRCO
from its early years, commented, “He was really a one-of-a-kind person. He’s
going to be missed by a lot of people in a lot of areas.”
Rutter noted that Margold co-founded XRCO with the late Jim Holliday, who
long was considered the go-to adult industry historian. Then when Holliday
passed away 10 years ago, Margold inherited the mantle.
“He certainly has a legitimate claim to be called an industry historian,” Rutter
said. “He was pretty much there from the beginning. He saw many changes
happen, many people come and go. I think he’ll be most remembered for his work
with talent. He was very fond of talent. He respected them and he helped guide
quite a few careers. People like Amber Lynn. I think he was influential with Nina
[Hartley] too. I think more than a historian, he was really an active part of history
and I think that’s what he will be remembered for.”
22 | AVN.com | 2.17
Rutter added, “Of course he was very vocal about everything. It’s a shock. I
thought he’d just go on forever.”
Contemporary Richard Pacheco told AVN, “Bill Margold was a huge personality.
Abrasive as poison oak when he wanted to be and as charming as your favorite
uncle when he wanted to be that.”
“It’s a big loss and shock for the industry, his friends and everyone that knew
him,” said performer Amber Lynn. “For many, Bill was always who you called if
you had a problem, gossip, or any other issue, for lots of people in the industry.
I’ve known him since I was 19 years old, so to think of the industry without Bill is
hard to imagine.”
Nicknamed Papa Bear, Margold from 1972 to 2007 appeared in more than
250 movies, including several dozen as a non-sex performer. He is also credited
for giving Ron Jeremy his nickname “The Hedgehog,” and appeared in the 2001
biopic Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy.
Born in Washington, D.C., Margold graduated from California State University
at Northridge, with a degree in journalism. He was the son of Nathan Margold,
a Harvard Law School graduate who went on to become solicitor general of the
Department of the Interior under President Harry S. Truman. Nathan was also
the author of a landmark study commissioned by the NAACP that studied public
education for African Americans.
Before getting into XXX, Margold reportedly worked as a probation officer, and
later worked with agent Reb Sawitz in the office of Reb’s Pretty Girls modeling
agency, helping ease actresses’ entry into the industry and helping to find work
for them with a then-small but growing number of directors and production
companies. It was there that he gained a reputation among performers as a “go
to” advocate for them—a description many talent veterans, both retired and still
working, continue to hold.
The Adult Performers Actors Guild (APAG) and Adult Film Crew Local 424
posted this announcement on their joint Facebook page: “It is with extreme
sadness and remorse that the officers of the adult performers actors Guild have to
announce the passing of adult industry historian, Bill Margold. Bill should always
be remembered for the contributions that he gave this industry most importantly
by recognizing and appreciating the actors and actresses from the golden era and
beyond.”
Hall of Fame actress Brittany Andrews added, “Wow, just heard the news that
an old crony has passed away. A Legend among Legends in the Adult Business.
Jeesh, I met him when I first got into doing films, over 20 years ago. I hosted a
talk show called ‘Talking Blue’ for 9 years, that he participated in quite often. I
know over the years, one might say he had a bit of a crass side. However he was
always super sweet to me. He very much was an important and integral part of the
business, with a loud voice that took action. As a crass bitch myself, I appreciated
his demeanor, especially since it was never directed at me LOL I for one, will miss
him. RIP Babe.”
Veteran director Luc Wylder posted, “Ok, Bill, William Margold passed away at
work, not in a hospital with tube down his throat. This is exactly how he would