LOS ANGELES — A 2001 porn film shot on the grounds of the Los Angeles Coliseum, home of the USC Trojans football team and built as a memorial to World War I veterans, is raising questions as to how the producers got permission to “play” on the historic field.
The Los Angeles Times reported that although the Coliseum was not named in Anabolic Video’s “The Gangbang Girl # 32,” the film clearly shows the venue at night where 40 minutes of hardcore sex took place under the lights.
Also evident was the stadium’s signature tunnel and entrance arches — along with Anabolic jerseys and banners draped along the stands.
Aside from speculation as to how Anabolic got access to the stadium — that's got the city scratching its head — the shoot reportedly took place within a week of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, adding fuel to the fire.
Veteran star Mr. Marcus, who had a major role in the movie told the Times, “I was just in awe that we were at the Coliseum. 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?"
It’s not clear if Anabolic received permission to use the location as company reps didn’t respond to TImes inquiries.
Marcus also recalled an L.A. Sheriff’s Department helicopter that hovered above the field during the shoot.
“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,” Marcus said.
When the cops left without incident, Marcus said he felt as though the crew must have had permission. "Honestly, when I started to shoot there, I thought, 'How the hell did we pull this off? And does everyone know about it?,'" Marcus said.
He’s not the only one who had questions.
What’s raising concern is who gave permission to Anabolic for access to the locked stadium that’s jointly run by the city, state and county? Usually, a top-level manager must give the green light.
A spokesman for the California attorney general's office told the Times that he didn’t know if it’s illegal to shoot porn on state property, but the paper noted that agencies such as the California Department of Parks and Recreation prohibit porn shoots on properties they control.
Although it’s still a mystery as to how Anabolic scored the location, the Times pointed out that Coliseum honchos have recently been under fire for a number of backdoor deals.
Patrick Lynch, who was an executive at the Coliseum at the time the movie was made, resigned in early 2011 and was indicted in March, 2012 on corruption charges that included alleged kickbacks from Coliseum contractors.
Lynch plead guilty and had to return $385,000.
But Lynch’s attorney, Tony Capozzola maintained that his client had no knowledge of the shoot and said, "That's disgusting. He would never allow that."
The article also noted other shady Coliseum executives including ex-events manager Todd DeStefano who has pleaded not guilty to bribery, embezzlement and conspiracy charges along with other members of the sports arena’s commission, who were also indicted for spending thousands of dollars of public funds on personal luxuries.
Some commissioners, including county supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas still hold their positions at the stadium and were on the panel when the film was shot, according to the Times.
XBIZ requested a comment from Anabolic but received no response by post time.
