Studio City 'Deep Throat' Playwright Holds Memorial for Harry Reems

Notables in the adult entertainment industry plan to gather Saturday night to commemorate the passing of Deep Throat star Harry Reems, who died Tuesday at the age of 65 of pancreatic cancer in Salt Lake City, Utah.

StudiThe Deep Throat Sex Scandal, which is still showing after two months in Hollywood, said he is holding a memorial on Saturday night at the Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood.

"We all in the cast and crew are saddened by the passing of Harry," Bertolino said. "We are especially sad that he never got to see the play."

Reems wasn't well enough to see the short run in New York two years ago after it opened, and then when it came to Los Angeles, he said he didn't want to see the play. "He never really realized how important he was to free speech issues for what he did," Bertolino said.

Longtime friend and fellow porn star Bill Margold said, "Harry always thought that he was being exploited about his involvement with Deep Throat. I tried to get him out a few times to show how well he was being portrayed, but he hung up on me, and then he would call me back."

Margold portrayed the judge who convicted Reems in a rotating cameo role in the play.

Other co-stars such as Georgina Spelvin, who starred with Reems in The Devil and Miss Jones, were also among the cameos in the play, as well as Bruce Vilanch, Christopher Knight and Sally Kirkland.

Cast members as well as adult film stars Veronica Hart, Herschel Savage, Ron Jeremy, Hyapatia Lee, Tom Byron and Nina Hartley—all of whom knew or worked with Reems—plan to be at the memorial, said Bertolino.

The play is about Reem’s life, the true story of Herb Streicher—who became Harry Reems—and his legendary co-star Linda Lovelace, following the strange and bizarre journey of the creation of the movie, its impact on audiences (it is said to have grossed more than $600 million, and is possibly the most profitable movie of all time) and on films and American culture is told in The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, along with the subsequent raids, arrests and banning of the film. 

The play is scheduled to go through April 14.

The memorial, at the Zephryr Theatre, located at 7456 Melrose Ave., is opened to the public. The "Dr. Susan Block Show" will be broadcasting live from the Zephyr.

Visit deepthroattheplay.com for more information about the performance or by calling 800-838-3006.