Anthony Spinelli


Anthony Spinelli was an American mainstream actor and producer, who later became a pornographic film director.
Spinelli was born Sam Weinstein, to a Jewish family.
He was the brother of actor Jack Weston and the father of porn director Mitchell Spinelli.
Under his original stage name, Sam Weston, he produced the mainstream films Gun Fever and One Potato, Two Potato. As an actor, he appeared on several TV shows in the 1960s, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Green Acres, and That Girl. After those films, he was unable to find further work in mainstream entertainment, and became an encyclopedia salesman to support his family. After seeing a pornographic film in an adult theater, he decided to try his hand in the genre, starting with Diary of a Nymph.
Spinelli produced and directed scores of pornographic films, occasionally also appearing in non-sex roles, usually uncredited. From the mid-1980s, most of his work was direct to video. David Jennings, a cinematographer and director who worked with Spinelli during this phase of his career, describes him as a "master" and an "actor's director":
Jennings says Spinelli focused on the "meticulous direction" of dialogue scenes, sometimes leaving sex scenes to be completed by his assistants. Nothing to Hide is one of Spinelli's most highly regarded X-rated films, ranking number two in a 2001 list of all-time greatest adult movies published by AVN.

Filmography

Selected credits only.
YearTitleRoleNotes
1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourTaxi DriverSeason 1 Episode 13: "Bonfire"
1964The PatsyMan on PhoneUncredited
1964One Potato, Two PotatoJohnny HruskaProducer
1971Sexual TherapistDoctorVoice, uncredited
1971Journal of LoveDr. MarinerVoice, uncredited
1972Diary of a BedThe BedVoice, uncredited
1974Youthful Sexual MadnessNarratorVoice, uncredited
1976Night CallerPoliceman at DoorVoice, uncredited
1977Sex WorldDirector
1978EasyMan in BarDirector
1979China SistersMan on Tape RecorderVoice, uncredited
1980Talk Dirty to MeHerbieDirector
1980Skin on SkinJ.J.'s FatherDirector
1981Vista Valley PTAFriend in the BarDirector
1981ExposedMax Green
1981Nothing to HideHerbieDirector
1981Between the SheetsBedVoice; director
1983Dixie Ray: Hollywood StarHotel ClerkUncredited; director
1990SizzleDirector

Awards