Born in Providence R.I. Marilyn Ann Briggs April 22nd, 1952
and died suddenly of yet to be determined causes and found unresponsive
Sunday evening at 8:51 pm April 12th, 2009 on the floor of
her Vasquez Canyon home in Los Angeles. No cause has been ruled thus
far but no foul play or suspicions were sought, an autopsy and
investigation is underway as we give you this sad news. We all will
miss her as she was a friend to many and a true pioneering spirit in an
otherwise un naturally famed life in the adult industry. She had a true
devotion to fans and critics alike always seeking the common ground and
setting off a truly glamorous iconic persona.
Marilyn had a great connection to her friends, fans and co workers. As
an aspiring young starlet she sought after many modeling contracts,
small parts in shows, and gave 110% to any role she undertook. As a
before adult themed acting and during shooting contrast an excerpt was
noted of her saying “I have been stigmatized by the roles I have done,
and I would love to move on, but it is something very difficult to get
past when screening for non-porn parts.”
A breakthrough public showing would be in her accepting the modeling gig from Proctor & Gamble in a detergent advertising their soon to be infamous Ivory Snow product (as the “99 and 44/100ths percent pure” girl). This would be short lived however once the news hit the wires about the starlet’s upcoming role in the timeless Green Door film. Soon after followed a supermarket run on all remaining boxes of Ivory Snow detergent that featured a likeness printing of Marilyn on them. This action was sealed in time as a notably worthy response, being that from then on all agents were to institute a “Marilyn Chambers Clause” within their future contracts to the tune of ‘models not allowed to pose topless or nude or perform, act or be included in any adult film or Playboy type of layouts.’
The snowflakes reference goes back to her debut as a teenage model for Ivory Snow, which featured her on a laundry detergent box as a young mother cuddling a laughing baby. According to journalist Warren Hinckle, chronicler of the Mitchell Brothers era, she grew up in Connecticut as the daughter of an ad executive. "She went to all the right schools and was doing all the right things," Hinckle said.
At age 18, she had made her way to San Francisco and answered an ad placed by the Mitchells, who were making films to show in their movie theater. "Behind the Green Door," released in 1972, was one of the first adult movies with a plot, of sorts. In their promotions, the Mitchells didn't mind that their star had a previous affiliation with the cleansing powers of soap.
"Without this Ivory Snow thing, they might have stayed with these small-time performers," said Rita Benton, marketing director for the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. "It hit all the major news media in 1973. Then they promoted the movie as 'starring Marilyn Chambers, 99.44% pure.' That's what the Ivory Snow line used to be."
Chambers won our hearts with her performance in the 1980 hit “Insatiable,” a movie which may be so thoroughly ingrained in our subconscious that We hear the synthesizer theme from its lesbian scene at least a few times every day.
Controversy would follow Marilyn closely as the times for these types of roles in the early 70’s were not exactly accepted with open arms. To state on career defining incident as being – catching the attention of the former San Francisco Mayor Diane Feinstein whom is now a Senator. The underlying (near witch hunt) fervor that this former Mayor had, in the relentless pursuit of cleaning up the “Evil Empire of the Adult Industry”. A natural objective would be to target the popular first and try to set precedence for her massive abuse of police powers. Marilyn being a stand out in rising stars of that period made the perfect example by arresting her at the club owned by the producers of the ground breaking film Behind the Green Door, during a live performance. In what some described as a publicity stunt, the brothers invited Ms. Chambers, then 32, to travel north from her home and help raise morale.
Ms. Chambers did as she was asked on a February night in 1985, undressing and taking an "undulating stroll through an appreciative audience," according to a Chronicle report, an audience that included five undercover police officers. In all, it took 13 officers to make the arrest. "The force ... that took me to jail was appalling," said Ms. Chambers, who then expressed concern that she wouldn't know how to tell her mother she had been detained. "She just got over the X-rated films," she said.
"Timing is essential
for someone's career," Chambers said in a 2007 interview with Rhode
Island's Providence Journal.
"That's what did it for me. The controversy of both those things
happening at the same time," she said.
A few years ago, Ms. Chambers made her last appearance at the Mitchell theater during a tribute to her. The place was packed, recalled Hinckle, who was there and got a photo of Ms. Chambers with his basset hound, Melman.
Ms. Chambers never lived full time in the Bay Area and was never a regular performer in the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre, which started live shows in 1976. Some stated she had moved various times back and forth from Las Vegas and a few other towns throughout the Southwest. She would come back for guest performances over the years.
"She certainly was one of the first famous porn stars," said Mark Kernes, senior editor of Adult Video News.
"In her day, there was really Linda Lovelace, obviously for 'Deep Throat,' and Marilyn Chambers," he said.
1975, Artie Mitchell produced a semi-documentary, "Inside Marilyn Chambers."
Ms. Chambers also appeared in theatrical features, including David Cronenberg's thriller "Rabid" in 1977.
But by 1980, after appearing in a cabaret act as a singer and dancer and cutting a disco-flavored record, she returned to adult films, including "Insatiable" and the film series "Marilyn Chambers' Private Fantasies."
Her last screen appearance was in filmmaker Victor Franko's low-budget independent movie "Solitaire," which was filmed in Rhode Island in 2007.
In the PG-rated film, which has yet to be released, she plays a Providence police officer in pursuit of a group of teenage petty thieves.
She was married and divorced three times, according to the Associated Press, and is survived by her daughter, McKenna Marie Taylor; her brother, Bill Briggs; and her sister, Jann Smith.
Chambers also made news when she ran as a vice-presidential candidate for the Personal Choice Party in 2004 and 2008. Personal Choice asserts that everyone has free agency and individual rights. Personal Choice expresses the philosophy of "live and let live." Personal Choice demands that, "as long as I am not hurting anyone else, only I have the right to choose how I spend my time, my wealth, my life, my honor." It could be considered a libertarian party. These values held true to Marilyn’s personal commitments in her own objectives and the pursuits of Life.
