Synopsis
"The tree of life represents the roots of man. The branches are the different directions a man can take, live or exist. When you're dead, those that you leave behind will put you in a part of that tree. It represents what was, what is and what will be. It's eternal." -- John Holmes. Most people might, understandably, predict that the world's first porn star was a woman, but they would be wrong. John Curtis Holmes was just a simple country boy from Ohio when he moved to California in 1964. It was the infancy of hardcore, so in Holmes' wildest dreams, he could not have predicted the turbulent ride on which he had embarked by publicizing his private parts. With the fame he achieved by playing his most famous character - a gun toting detective named Johnny Wadd - came money. Holmes was pleased to spend it on his wife and mistresses, but soon was in over his head after he became addicted to cocaine. Unfortunately for Holmes, in the years that followed, his addiction led him into several desperate choices - including setting up a robbery at the home of Ed Nash, a powerful L.A. nightclub owner. The robbery resulted in one of the most gruesome, unsolved, multiple-murders in Hollywood history. Amazingly, before his untimely death in 1988, Holmes regained his momentum, remarried and rebuilt his life and career. However, the grave consequences of his addiction, his association with the Wonderland murders, and his AIDS-related death made him an infamous figure in pop culture. Digging past the stigmas, John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches - the first biography about John C. Holmes - unearths the human being behind the penis and proves that there was more to him than could be measured in inches. This biography includes material from the authors' new interviews with: Laurie Holmes, Bill Amerson, Bob Chinn, Julia St. Vincent, Detective Tom Lange, Detective Frank Tomlinson, Paul Thomas, Ron Jeremy, Seka, Marilyn Chambers, Candida Royalle, Rhonda Jo Petty, Dr. Sharon Mitchell, Bill Margold, and many others! Also included is additional source material containing extensive interviews with: Sharon Holmes, Dawn Schiller, Dr. Vonda Pelto, Ph.D., and L.A. Times film critic, Kenneth Turan. With 114 reviews of John's most notable feature films, 86 loops synopses, 3 photos sections including rare nudes, and a comprehensive 21 page filmography.
About the Author
Jennifer Sugar and Jill C. Nelson
On August 8th 2004, 21 year old Jennifer Sugar attended a pivotal event in Hollywood that set her on the path toward co-authoring her first biography titled, John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches. The event, "Fit for a King" was a posthumous, honorary 60th birthday celebration for Holmes, whereby Sugar, a Michigan University student, networked with several people who proved to be instrumental in helping her to accomplish her goal. Ironically, Sugar was only 5 years old when John Holmes passed away in 1988, at age 43, from AIDS-related causes.
After meeting online through their mutual interest in their subject, Sugar invited 49 year old Canadian Hearing Instrument Specialist and mother of two, Jill Nelson, to join her as a collaborator. Sugar and Nelson were both inspired to learn more about the details of John Holmes' turbulent life and the specifics of the Laurel Canyon murders after having watched the Hollywood feature film, Wonderland, starring Val Kilmer as John Holmes. Interestingly, neither Sugar or Nelson had any previous affiliation with the pornographic movie industry, yet, they succeeded in establishing trust and confidence within the adult entertainment community.
Over a period of four years, Sugar and Nelson researched their subject extensively while conducting interviews with 35 people who had known, worked with, and/or loved John Holmes. Presented as an oral history, their intensive project consisted of compiling their own new interviews with previous interviews, along with other resources, in order to produce the consummate and comprehensive: A Life Measured in Inches -- the first and complete biography about the erotic film legend and pop culture icon.
The critically acclaimed, John Holmes: A Life Measured in Inches is the first book for authors Jennifer Sugar and Jill C. Nelson.
For members of the media interested in contacting the authors, please address all correspondence to:
info@johnholmesinches.com "About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
