L.A. Coliseum’s secret life as a porn star

So, it turns out L.A.’s Memorial Coliseum truly is the home of the Trojans.

I mean, not since USC star Anthony Davis’ six-touchdown performance against Notre Dame in 1972 has there been this much scoring on the Coliseum’s hallowed turf.

Though, to be fair, Davis’ feat was in a day game, while “The Gangbang Girl #32” was under the lights.

In case your local video store is out of it, “The Gangbang Girl #32” is the title of a 90-minute hard-core pornographic movie shot in 2001, which featured 40 minutes of group sex on the Coliseum’s gridiron turf. (Coincidentally, and apropos of nothing, 32 was O.J. Simpson’s number.)

Fight on!

Not that the historic nature of the stadium was lost on one of the stars:

“I was just in awe that we were at the Coliseum,” said a star of the film, who goes by the name Mr. Marcus. “I’ve made movies for about 20 years and I’ve done a lot of things, but that one really stands out.… I mean, who gets to have sex on the Coliseum floor?”

Who, indeed. And how?

Now, I know what you’re thinking (and it’s not “Where can I get a copy of the movie” because this is a family newspaper site). You’re wondering, “How could something like this happen in an anti-business, liberal, Democratic, union-loving city”?

It goes to show, though, that we don’t have to be so concerned about “runaway production.” (Although I suppose since most porn production is concentrated in the Valley, this might still be considered a runaway.)

Regardless, who says L.A. isn’t film-friendly?

OK, sure, there are other questions. As The Times’ story says:

How the crew got permission to use the national historic landmark -- which was built as a memorial to World War I veterans -- is unclear. Attempts to reach a representative of the production company, Anabolic Video, were unsuccessful.

The Coliseum is jointly run by the city, county and state, which owns the land. A spokesman for the California attorney general’s office said Tuesday that he did not know if it is illegal to film pornography on state property.

Well, of course it is! But when we elect a Republican governor again, it won’t be, because he (or she) will be committed to removing burdensome government regulations that are driving business out of California and into the arms (oops) of other states.

And let’s not forget just how far L.A. has come as a law-and-order city. As Mr. Marcus remembers:

[A] clearly marked Sheriff’s Department helicopter startled the cast when it appeared overhead in mid-shoot. The whop-whop of a chopper’s blades is heard in the movie.

Marcus said he remembered looking up and thinking: “There’s going to be, like, this intercom saying, ‘Hey, this is the … Sheriff’s Department, you guys must cease.’

“But none of that came. They just circled, like they were trying to see what was going on.”

Talk about prying eyes in the skies. But at least the Sheriff’s Department, which is having trouble with the county jails, has its act together on porn shoots on very public property.

Although perhaps the sheriffs were confused, given the problems with a previous Coliseum tenant: Was it a porn shoot or just a rehearsal for a Raiders halftime show?

Not surprisingly, L.A.’s officialdom is pretty quiet right now on this story. Nobody seems to know anything about anything.

So let’s just let Mr. Marcus have the final say:

“You can be mad all you want, but it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime types of opportunities.”

Although maybe someone -- uh, hello, Coliseum commissioners -- might want to check that out.

Heck, who knows, maybe there’s money to be made.

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