Credited to one "Leslie Brooks", but presumably the work of prolific gay porn pioneer Tom De Simone (alternately known as "Lancer Brooks"), PASSAGE THRU PAMELA stands as a curiously misguided attempt to downplay its main selling point a transsexual leading "lady" by eschewing inherent freak show potential in favor of a matter of fact, middle of the road approach which ultimately fails to distinguish the results from other porn of the period. De Simone's lengthy career has been all over the map, stretching from some of homo hardcore's acknowledged classics like SKIN DEEP and the truly bizarre 3D outing HEAVY EQUIPMENT via classy switch-hitter BI-COASTAL to "real world" cult oddities like CHATTERBOX (a musical comedy about Hollywood BOULEVARD's Candice Rialson's talking and, yep, singing vagina !) and effective little Linda Blair chiller HELL NIGHT. If he is indeed this picture's perpetrator, then he had definitely folded up his freak flag for the time being
Betrayed by boyfriend Manny (hunky Johnny Nineteen, the uptight neighbor from Ron Sullivan's immensely enjoyable SHE'S SO FINE), "Miss Buenos Aires" Pamela flies off to New York where an exclusive contract at fancy modeling agency Jabot awaits her. Long-suffering representative Ashley Prentis (formidable Sharon Kane, stealing acting honors as usual) immediately puts her to work on a lingerie campaign any excuse for frilly undies, right ? with "can't keep his hands to himself" shutterbug Snapper, played by swarthy Joey Santini (from Jack Remy's underrated DOWN AND OUT IN NEW YORK CITY) in customary wooden fashion. Taking back door liberties with the new arrival, he doesn't even notice Pam's prominent protrusion creating a bulge in her panties ! Ashley's the one who literally uncovers her secret as a spur of the moment Sapphic slurp unexpectedly takes a straight turn. Rival advertising entrepreneur Victor Newman (veteran stud Ashley Moore) tries to steal Pamela away from Jabot and sends his girl Friday secretary Niki (box office draw Kimberly Carson, who was starting to show the mileage around this stage) to ply the easily influenced Ashley with booze 'n' boinking. The resulting threesome with Sharon, Kim and Joey proves the sexual highlight of an otherwise largely ho-hum endeavor. Unsurprisingly, it proves adequate incentive to make Kane spill the beans, leading to a "revealing" climax and the promise of a sequel that failed to materialize.
Coated with a sheen of surface gloss, courtesy of cinematographer Steven Kaman (a/k/a "Sven Nuvo") who swapped camera duties on several of the '80s best porn epics including Howard Winters' double whammy of FIRESTORM and SNAKE EYES for the director's chair on straight to tape or cable action fare (including O.J. "house guest" Kato Kaelin's ill-fated attempt at stardom SOUL OF THE AVENGER), PAMELA's main surprise is just how run of the mill it turns out to be. Though the star gave it her/his all, so to speak, in three separate scenes, the only real "tranny" footage occurs in the salvageable scene with Kane who's clearly game for anything. In Pamela's encounters with Santini and Nineteen, her appendage remains "tastefully" obscured, which kind of sabotages the flick's reason for being. He/she (whose only other screen credit was a one scene bit part in J. Angel Martine's unpleasantly sleazy video GIRL BUSTERS) did bring an engaging screen presence to this botched little project though, luminous beauty "she" could really "pass" making up for an impenetrable accent and exaggerated acting which may be the result from digesting too many "telenovelas" in "her" home country.
Supporting cast is fleshed out and you can take that literally by a number of hardworking yet nowadays barely remembered (with one exception) New York performers of the mid-'80s who were struggling to keep up even then when the action had largely shifted to the West Coast. Barbie Dahl was a hard-faced brunette whose classiest credit remains Gerard Damiano's overlooked CRAVINGS. She's the hooker with Johnny in the snappy opening sex scene. Pam's revelatory party sequence is enlivened by two couples giving in to nature's call (for copulation, not urination, mind you !) with smoldering Latino stud Frank Serrone, who was "Anthony Casino" on early Femme features, laying pipe with Annette Heinz lookalike Sheer Delight, who appeared as "Kathlyn Moore" in Larry Revene's fluffy CANDY STRIPERS 2. The dueling duo consists of Sarah Bernard, best remembered for playing Hollywood director Joey Silvera's swinging spouse on Ron Sullivan's magnificent multi-part TABOO American STYLE, and David Christopher, who would of course find his fornication film niche over the next decade crafting and appearing in the insanely popular PUSSYMAN series.
Betrayed by boyfriend Manny (hunky Johnny Nineteen, the uptight neighbor from Ron Sullivan's immensely enjoyable SHE'S SO FINE), "Miss Buenos Aires" Pamela flies off to New York where an exclusive contract at fancy modeling agency Jabot awaits her. Long-suffering representative Ashley Prentis (formidable Sharon Kane, stealing acting honors as usual) immediately puts her to work on a lingerie campaign any excuse for frilly undies, right ? with "can't keep his hands to himself" shutterbug Snapper, played by swarthy Joey Santini (from Jack Remy's underrated DOWN AND OUT IN NEW YORK CITY) in customary wooden fashion. Taking back door liberties with the new arrival, he doesn't even notice Pam's prominent protrusion creating a bulge in her panties ! Ashley's the one who literally uncovers her secret as a spur of the moment Sapphic slurp unexpectedly takes a straight turn. Rival advertising entrepreneur Victor Newman (veteran stud Ashley Moore) tries to steal Pamela away from Jabot and sends his girl Friday secretary Niki (box office draw Kimberly Carson, who was starting to show the mileage around this stage) to ply the easily influenced Ashley with booze 'n' boinking. The resulting threesome with Sharon, Kim and Joey proves the sexual highlight of an otherwise largely ho-hum endeavor. Unsurprisingly, it proves adequate incentive to make Kane spill the beans, leading to a "revealing" climax and the promise of a sequel that failed to materialize.
Coated with a sheen of surface gloss, courtesy of cinematographer Steven Kaman (a/k/a "Sven Nuvo") who swapped camera duties on several of the '80s best porn epics including Howard Winters' double whammy of FIRESTORM and SNAKE EYES for the director's chair on straight to tape or cable action fare (including O.J. "house guest" Kato Kaelin's ill-fated attempt at stardom SOUL OF THE AVENGER), PAMELA's main surprise is just how run of the mill it turns out to be. Though the star gave it her/his all, so to speak, in three separate scenes, the only real "tranny" footage occurs in the salvageable scene with Kane who's clearly game for anything. In Pamela's encounters with Santini and Nineteen, her appendage remains "tastefully" obscured, which kind of sabotages the flick's reason for being. He/she (whose only other screen credit was a one scene bit part in J. Angel Martine's unpleasantly sleazy video GIRL BUSTERS) did bring an engaging screen presence to this botched little project though, luminous beauty "she" could really "pass" making up for an impenetrable accent and exaggerated acting which may be the result from digesting too many "telenovelas" in "her" home country.
Supporting cast is fleshed out and you can take that literally by a number of hardworking yet nowadays barely remembered (with one exception) New York performers of the mid-'80s who were struggling to keep up even then when the action had largely shifted to the West Coast. Barbie Dahl was a hard-faced brunette whose classiest credit remains Gerard Damiano's overlooked CRAVINGS. She's the hooker with Johnny in the snappy opening sex scene. Pam's revelatory party sequence is enlivened by two couples giving in to nature's call (for copulation, not urination, mind you !) with smoldering Latino stud Frank Serrone, who was "Anthony Casino" on early Femme features, laying pipe with Annette Heinz lookalike Sheer Delight, who appeared as "Kathlyn Moore" in Larry Revene's fluffy CANDY STRIPERS 2. The dueling duo consists of Sarah Bernard, best remembered for playing Hollywood director Joey Silvera's swinging spouse on Ron Sullivan's magnificent multi-part TABOO American STYLE, and David Christopher, who would of course find his fornication film niche over the next decade crafting and appearing in the insanely popular PUSSYMAN series.