Celebrating An Adult Film Legend!
In profiling some of the great Cult Movie Queens of all time, I continue to come across empowered women who had short but provocative careers – and that’s the story of C. J. Laing!
My “2021 Sex Kitten Countdown” is celebrating these cult movie queens, so let’s take a look at C.J. Laing’s fascinating career, both in film and on stage!
C.J. Laing was born Wendy Miller on August 1, 1956 in New York City.
This is a terrific photo of Laing from the website “The Rialto Report” – I will explain later why I shared it, but first, let’s dig into the early career of this Adult Movie Queen!
Laing first became involved in the adult film business after moving at a teen to San Francisco – online biographies say she was a “groupie” for The Grateful Dead!
She made her debut in a series of loops called “Juke Joint” made by San Francisco’s Mitchell Brothers – they will come back to be an important part of her career again.
C.J. returned to New York and made her adult film debut in 1975.
In just a five year period, C. J. acted in over 50 adult films and loops!
She was a very popular Actress who also received tons of magazine coverage:
C.J. appeared in films by a wide array of acclaimed Adult Directors of that era, including one of the most empowered women in adult film:
Actress / Director Roberta Findlay was a renowned female Director – see her story here:
C.J’s most memorable roles include her lead role in Findlay’s erotic classic:
“Anyone But My Husband”
This is a classic from the “golden age of porn!”
After her husband rejects her, Nora Pelham is advised by Dr. Malcolm to have an affair. Soon enough, even the fortune teller Madame Chaney convinces Nora having sex with her is already determined by fate.
C.J. also starred in this 1976 shocker, which also starred Vanessa Del Rio:
Vanessa had a legendary career as well and you can see it all here:
Here are more of C.J.’s biggest hits:
She was the sexy Reporter in the 1977 film “Barbara Broadcast”, and here are posters for several other films:
She had a real “everyday” look to her, but an empowered one as well: confident and unafraid!
In the late 1970s, C.J. performed in live shows at the Mitchell Brothers’ infamous O’Farrell Theatre and several other San Francisco area strip clubs also owned by the brothers.
The terrific “Rialto Report” has the story of her work in San Francisco’s notorious “Ultra Room” – see their great story here:
As always, The Rialto Report has terrific articles and interviews with some of the biggest names in the adult film business…bravo to them!
As for Laing, she openly admits drug issues during her 1970s work and never took acting in adult films seriously.
As she said once:
“I purposely would not act. I despised the people in these films that said they were actors. I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding me! This is about fucking and sucking!”
C.J. was inducted into the X-Rated Critics Organization Hall of Fame as a film pioneer and into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2005 and is living happily in San Francisco! Great to see one of the great Adult Film Queens living happily after their adult career ends:
Empowered Icon Christy Canyon is also living a great “post-porn” life – click here to see her story:
I’m so happy that Christy has had a successful post-prom career…another iconic Adult Star also managed to retire from the business in a positive way:
Marilyn Chambers went from “Ivory Snow” girl to “Behind The Green Door”, and even appeared in a few mainstream films as well!
Read all about her great career by clicking on my story here:
And here’s an Adult Icon who crossed over in mainstream cult films as well:
Ginger Lynn had a great, empowered career – see her story here:
Unfortunately, many adult stars have not been so lucky:
Shauna Grant was also a hugely popular Adult Actress, but she had a shocking, tragic end…you can read more of her compelling story by clicking on my link here:
If you like these stories, you can go to my website’s front page and sign on to follow me – there are NO ads at all, just lots of stories to come about the wild world of exploitation and cult films!
Click here and see the “follow” button on the upper right!
Let me know if you are familiar with C.J. Laing!
Categories: 70's Films, Books / Media, Cult Classics, Exploitation Films, Extreme Cinema, Grindhouse, JRsploitation, Nudity, sex kittens, Sexploitation Films, Talent / Celebrites
JR-Sploitation! 
I hadn’t heard of her, but I like her attitude to the ‘acting’. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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