In 1986 I got a call from my agent that I had received an offer to appear in my first mainstream movie being directed by one of Hollywood’s most famous directors, John Frankenheimer.
It was to be the screen adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s acclaimed novel “52 Pick Up” and set to have the same name attached to the film. The film was to star just a few of Hollywood’s top actors of the 80’s; Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, John Glover, Kelly Preston – (Travolta), & Vanity, who was dating Prince at the time.
This was, by far, the most extraordinary opportunity I had received outside of the adult film industry. To say I was excited is an understatement. I was flying high. Absolutely thrilled and ecstatic to be apart of something so cool, edgy, and popular with such an all-star level cast in the ranks. And myself among them. A true dream come true.
Yet despite this all I was still terribly nervous. I was exploding onto the scene of adult film like an atom bomb. Making my mark. And raising my game. I had a done a few mainstream films prior to this one, “Evils of The Night” with John Carradine and Julie Newmar two years earlier, but nothing at this level. And though I had acquired some serious credits as a mainstream model up until that point and had already been immersed in this world my head was still spinning.
Though I was only on set for a few days I had the pleasure of getting to know John Frankenheimer. A fantastic human and effervescent artist of the highest caliber. John did something for me on this film which had been unheard of for adult film stars prior. He Taft-Hartley’d me.
The act of providing a non-union actor the opportunity to be apart of the Screen Actors Guild by a producer is common place in the mainstream industry when the talent is desired for a certain project. But in the 80’s it was almost unheard of for an adult film actor or actress to acquire this type of privilege. This was huge for me and John was such a power of amazing to work with who had expressed to me that he was a big fan of my work which is why I was there to begin with.
Along with the distinct honor of working with John my scene work on the days I was on set were quite specifically a party scene where I was playing myself in the home of the character of Barbara Mitchell played by Ann-Margaret, who I had the joy of being introduced to. One of the most severely elegant and powerful actresses of all time in her own right as well as being the one of most illustrious sex-symbols of the 1960’s.
I also got to meet John Glover, a chameleon of magnanimous acting proportions while being equally and thoroughly a generous gentleman to me and so many others, and to add to this point of beauty I also became best friends with the phenom known as Vanity, the Canadian model and lead singer of an all girl band known as Vanity 6, that day which lasted many years after until her untimely passing in 2016.
In the scene that I have spoken of I will say this. It was a party. A wild one. And I was one of the wild and free party goers. And being that type of wild and uninhibited type of party goers that John was looking for in this particular scene I did something extraordinary for the times. And when I say times I mean the 80’s.
I flashed my boobs.
In 1986 to flash one’s boobs on screen was unheard of. Something that is considered absolutely nothing to the “general audiences” of to date. But back then this was beyond the curve of what they expected or accepted in the world of mainstream cinema that was to be seen in all the drive-in’s. It was bold. It was flare. To some, it may have seemed to be what you’d call extraneous or gauche.
But taking that moment and doing what I did was extreme. It would become the moment where it was considered the flash that was seen and talked about around the world. And it made Amber Lynn instantly famous in a world I was not quite familiar with. I didn’t realize this because I was doing this daily in adult films. It was nothing to me. But it was everything to everyone else and their own.
I was an adult film star. Not a mainstream movie star. This moment brought me a tremendous amount of exposure that I wasn’t quite prepared for. But I embraced it with all my being. I’ve talked of moments. Moments in my life. Concise and poignant moments of clarity for me that encapsulate the energy I have felt over the years and energy I now still feel as I continue to write my autobiography. And my current flow energy as the moments from my past come into crystal clear acuity once again is 100% positive and fluid.
The time I spent on the set of “52 Pick Up” was brilliant. An extremely thrilling experience that I’ll never forget. And a time where I look back on as a pivotal moment in my career as a performer that elevated me rather than devalue me.
Power comes with perception. That is mine.
