Editing Gerard Damiano

{{Infobox person
| name             = Gerard Damiano
| image            = 
| caption          = Damiano in 2005 during the filming of ''Inside Deep Throat''.
| birth_name       = Gerardo Rocco Damiano
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1928|8|4}}
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|2008|10|25|1928|8|4}}
| occupation       = Film director, screenwriter, producer, editor
| years_active     = 1969–1994
| known_for        = ''[[Deep Throat (film)|Deep Throat]]'', ''[[The Devil in Miss Jones]]''
}}

== Overview ==
'''Gerard Damiano''' (born '''Gerardo Rocco Damiano'''; August 4, 1928 – October 25, 2008) was an American film director who is credited with launching the "[[Golden Age of Porn]]". He wrote and directed the two most famous films of the 1970s "[[Porno Chic]]" era: ''[[Deep Throat (film)|Deep Throat]]'' (1972) and ''[[The Devil in Miss Jones]]'' (1973).

Damiano was known for bringing a sophisticated, "auteur" sensibility to adult cinema, often utilizing complex narratives, professional lighting, and psychological themes that were previously absent from the genre.

== Early Life and Career ==
Born in the Bronx to an Italian-American family, Damiano served in the U.S. Navy before working as an X-ray technician and later as a hairdresser in New York City. He often claimed that the sexual gossip he overheard in his salon convinced him there was a massive, untapped market for adult films that would appeal to couples and mainstream audiences.

He entered the film industry as a crew member on low-budget horror and "sexploitation" films in the late 1960s, often working under pseudonyms such as '''Jerry Gerard''' or '''Albert Gork'''.

== The "Auteur" of Adult Cinema ==
Damiano's work is distinguished by his refusal to treat adult films as mere "loops." 

* '''Deep Throat (1972):''' Shot on a budget of $22,500, the film became a worldwide phenomenon. Damiano’s focus on comedy and high production values helped the film achieve massive crossover success.
* '''The Devil in Miss Jones (1973):''' This film proved Damiano was more than a "one-hit wonder." Inspired by existentialist philosophy, it was the 7th highest-grossing film of