Judith Carr, BHS 1956

Judith Carr, BHS 1956

Judith Carr, an adult film star known as "the original cougar" and regarded for her sensual and sincere approach to sexuality, died in her Berkeley home Jan. 10, 2010. She was 71.

Carr, better known by her stage name Juliet Anderson, starred in more than 70 films throughout her career. She pioneered a niche in pornography with the character "Aunt Peg," described in her autobiography as "a unique persona exemplifying the lusty, intelligent, self-assured older woman who genuinely loves sex."

Graham Hill, a freelance writer who has covered Hollywood for 30 years and was a friend of Carr's, described her as "totally unique in her time." "The passing of her was a big loss," he said. "There's nobody even resembling her that you can point to. She's a legend, I can say with no reservation."

Carr was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on July 23, 1938. She attended Burbank High School, where she excelled academically, according to her autobiography. She went on to become an art major at California State University, Long Beach in 1957, where she lost her virginity. Carr was known for her fierce independence, and traveled extensively throughout her life. She worked as an English teacher in Mexico City in 1965 and Athens in 1967, before moving to Finland in 1971, where she worked as a radio producer and photojournalist. Intending to work in documentary film, Carr settled in the Bay Area in 1978. But at the age of 39, she was discovered by hard-core film producer Alex d'Renzy, and after delivering her first adult performance in "Pretty Peaches," she went on to become "one of the most famous actresses in the golden era of X-rated films," according to her autobiography.

Though she was a highly prolific actress, Carr earned a meager wage. She made between $60 and $200 for her performances, according to Hill, which he said was typical for most porn actresses in that era. In fact, Carr had to make most of her living by acting in a traveling one-woman comedy show, assuming the role of five different characters.

"The biggest screwing she ever got wasn't on film, it was in the pocketbook," Hill said. "But she was unique in that she could be a comedienne." Hill described Carr as a pioneer for women's sexuality. "The people who knew her, and she knew so many people, they will miss her terribly," he said.

The Daily Californian, Monday, Feb 1, 2010