Adam Film World and its affiliated publications are reportedly on hold pending a potential sale to an undisclosed buyer. The magazines will fold if the sale is not completed, according to a source.

Current Status and Potential Sale

Tod Hunter on Xbiz.com reports that Adam Film World owner Bentley Morriss is attempting to sell the publishing company to an unnamed Las Vegas investor. The publications are currently "on hold" as this potential sale is being pursued.

Adam Film World (AFW) and Adam Film World Guide (AFWG) are American magazines focused on pornographic film. Knight Publishing Corp. launched Adam magazine in 1956. Adam Film Quarterly was spun off from Adam magazine in 1966 by William Rotsler to cover the sexploitation film industry. The publication was renamed Adam Film World in 1969 and began to be issued monthly.

The first issue of Adam Film Quarterly had a cover price of US$1 and featured a cover story about The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill, an erotic movie directed by Peter Stootsberry and produced by Bradford Hallworth. Initially, the publication covered mainstream films and included features on stars such as Orson Welles and Judy Garland, similar to Playboy.

History of Adam Film World and Affiliated Publications

Adam Film World was founded in 1966 as The Adam Film Quarterly. It was published by Knight Publishing Corp. and based in Los Angeles. The magazine's final issue was Vol. 17 No. 1 in 1998. Former editors included Edward S. Sullivan and John Zeus, with Tim Connelly (as Jeremy Stone) listed as editor.

Adam Film World Guide, also published by Knight Publishing Corp. and based in Los Angeles, was founded in the 1950s, with its first issue appearing in May 1981. Its final issue, Vol. 21, No. 6, was published in August 2008. Anthony Petkovich was the Editor-in-Chief, with Tim Connelly (as Jeremy Stone) and Edward S. Sullivan listed as former editors.

In 1981, Knight Publishing company began to publish a series of trade publications for the adult film industry under the banner of Adam Film World magazine. These publications were intended as guides for both retailers and consumers, providing detailed information on the availability of adult films. These guides had various names, including XXX Movie Illustrated, Directory of Adult Films, Porn Star Annual, Annual Guide to X-Rated Movies and Video, and X-Rated Movie Handbook.

The 1984 Adam Film World Guides featured stars such as Georgina Spelvin, R. Bolla, Kay Parker, Veronica Hart, and John Leslie. Kent Smith, the main editor, stated that the Directory contained reviews of nearly 300 top adult movies, broken down into various categories, listing major stars, directors, and ratings of basic film aspects. The Directory also included the entire catalogs of major videotape companies, providing addresses for tape purchases.

Adam Film World was described as "one of the industry's leading trade publications" by the Associated Press in 1994. Joseph Slade, in his 2001 book Pornography and Sexual Representation, referred to the reports, reviews, and gossip of Adam Film World and Adult Video Guide as "extremely valuable" and among the oldest American publications covering adult movies.

The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) originated from Peter Van Aarle, who started keeping notes on index cards in 1982 on adult movies he had seen or that were reviewed in Adam Film World.

Key Facts

  • Adam Film World and its affiliated publications are reportedly "on hold" pending a sale.
  • Bentley Morriss, owner of Adam Film World, is attempting to sell the company to an unnamed Las Vegas investor.
  • If the sale is not completed, the magazines will fold.
  • Adam Film World was founded in 1966 as The Adam Film Quarterly and published by Knight Publishing Corp.
  • Adam Film World Guide's first issue was in May 1981, and its final issue was in August 2008.
  • The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) began with notes on adult movies reviewed in Adam Film World starting in 1982.