From www.sfbg.com – 69-year-old Dave Cummings, the oldest active porn star in America, has filmed over 500 movies and performed over 1,200 sex scenes in his 15-year career in the adult entertainment industry. He swears he doesn’t use Viagra, and when he’s not filming hardcore sex scenes in movies like Screw My Wife Please 32: And Make Her Sweat Like A Pig, Dave works as an educator and speaker, offering online classes on getting into the porn industry.

Dave will be giving a seminar at the Cybernet Expo (1500 Van Ness) on June 27 called “Producing and Directing Adult Videos with Dave Cummings,” and spoke with the SFBG about sex, life, and his career in ‘old man porn’.

San Francisco Bay Guardian: First of all, congratulations on being 69! You are at arguably the most apropos numerical age for doing pornography and not many porn stars stay in the game long enough to get there.

DC: Thanks! I love my present life and age, and wouldn’t alter my past or present life at all!

SFBG: Nice name by the way! It can’t be your real name, right?

DC: No, it’s a stage name. Almost everyone in the porn industry uses a stage name.

SFBG: When did the idea of doing porn first occur to you?

DC: It happened as part of my swinging experience, specifically while Playboy Television was including me in a segment they were filming about swinging; that led me to a husband-wife team that filmed amateur porn, and my very first day as a crew member I was forced into doing a “stunt” money shot for the actor who was unable to do it that day. Subsequently, I performed in a few amateur movies, and then decided to try becoming a porn actor. I liked the fun of having sex with hot girls, AND getting paid for it. It was Heaven!

SFBG: What’s the market like for the kind of pornography you make?

DC: Aside from the present financial challenges foisted upon us by rampart piracy and copyright infringement, the market for my porn is unlimited. Although I’m a “niche”, people of both genders and of all ages seem to patronize my movies. The fantasy is that if an old, wrinkled, overweight, bald guy like Dave Cummings can have sex with such beautiful young actresses, then viewers can more easily envision that they themselves could indeed also have sex with the woman if they ever had an opportunity to meet her.

SFBG: Describe the sort of fan base you have.

DC: Mostly men looking for women to masturbate to while fantasizing that they are actually the one in the sex scene (not Dave Cummings!); couples looking for movies that show respect and caring for women; gays who appreciate older males (although I am heterosexual, I fully support their right to enjoy whatever sexual preference they want with other consenting adults); women who want to assert their right to get turned on sexually; and, women into the “daddy thing”.

SFBG: A lot of your titles have words like “Daddy” in them. “It’s a Daddy Thing,” “Sugar Daddy,” and “Dirty Dave’s Sugar Daddy”. You also have sex with much younger women in some of your movies, like “Barely Legal”. Your website talks about “teens getting drilled by Dave Cummings”. Yet the people you have sex with are, obviously, of legal age, and basically you’re just playing out a fantasy for viewers of an older man sleeping with younger women.

DC: Bingo! You have hit the nail on the head. Yes, the actresses are 18 year olds or above, but I never try to make them seem under the legal age of 18; also, I will never have sex, either on film or in my private life with a female who is under 18, or one who is under the influence, no matter how slightly, of alcohol or drugs of any kind.

SFBG: Why do you think some people have this fantasy?

DC: It makes them feel younger, and attractive to women who would make them feel totally “alive”.

SFBG: Are there are any Freudian implications for what you do?

DC: Certainly not intentionally. Also, as a personal moral-ethical matter, I refuse to be involved in any scenarios depicting or even hinting at incest.

SFBG: You also shoot a lot of movies about MILFS, like the “Screw My Wife Please” series. Usually in pornography about MILFs, what you see is a much younger man sleeping with an older woman. But there’s still a market for porn between two older people. A MILF and a DILF, if you may. What do you think the appeal is, of watching more mature talent perform on one another?

DC: The main fantasy is for guys (usually younger males, though males of all ages can be MILF fans) who have fantasized during their lives about having sex with a sexy and attractive school teacher, nurse, porn starlet, neighbor, co-worker, etc who is old enough to be a mother—and old enough that the guy might learn something sexually, and/or enjoy sex with a “experienced” woman who is of an age that connotes sexual know-how. There is no age limit to being attracted to MILF. Mature folks seem to also enjoy MILF fantasies/sex, too; perhaps it helps both parties feel younger and attractive! Although the male is normally the one pursuing the older MILF, older males sometimes also are attracted to younger MILF. Also, there are “Cougars”, where older women chase younger guys, and enjoy the physical looks, stamina, and the idea of being desired in a sexual way by younger guys. Some fans have related that watching me with any/all ages of women makes them less afraid of getting older themselves!

SFBG: Between the younger and older porn stars, do you have a preference between who you’d rather work with? Or are you an equal opportunitist?

DC: Most producers try to book me to perform with the younger porn actresses, mainly as a means of showing the age contrast. In my private life, I like all ages; if the woman is breathing, consenting, and somewhat attractive, I’m sexually ready!

SFBG: How do you prepare in advance for a porn shoot?

DC: Sometimes, I’m a “sorta” pervert who enjoys seeing photos of the my co-star off of an agent’s website or elsewhere; it helps to get me anticipating and mentally excited for the next day’s shoot with her (but, I try not to get so turned on that I end up masturbating; rather, I save “it” for the actual shoot.

Because I’ve noticed that my alcohol tolerance has been affected by my aging, I do not drink the night before a shoot. I might get a haircut (ALL three pieces), especially if I’m playing the role of someone who is expected to be well groomed. If needed, I’ll trim my pubic hairs so that the cameras view is unimpeded. I try to get at least seven hours of sleep the night before a shoot, and have a nice breakfast the next morning.

The morning of the shoot require meticulous personal hygiene preparation. I shave my face closely, including “against the grain” so as to not scrape the actress during on-camera cunnilingus. A VERY thorough shower is an absolute necessity, and tooth-brushing and using mouthwash is important. To keep from feeling stressed, I leave for the set in plenty of time to arrive on time, preferably early just in case of traffic or other delays.

SFBG: How do you mentally prepare for shooting, while on set?

DC: On set, I meet the girl I’m “working with”, usually in the make-up room. Just seeing her and knowing that I will soon be having sex with her mentally gets me excited and “ready”. We’ll review each other’s HIV/STD test documents, and discuss each other’s “no-no’s; and, we’ll visit and try to create some rapport. Then, when the Director is having her “box-cover” photos shot, I accompany her to that portion of the set so I can enjoy the visuals of her posing in various stages of undress, thus sexually getting me even more charged up. Just before the sex scene begins, I rewash my crotch area, and gargle. Being a guy, the “visuals” of the actress help me mentally prepare for the moment when the Director calls “Action!”

SFBG: What’s a typical shoot like?

DC: The Director normally meets with us a few minutes before the camera(s) roll, and briefs us on his expectations concerning the sex positions he prefers to film, our character/roles, whether or not we will also be shooting a “cable” (non-hardcore) version, how much footage he needs us to provide, and where he wants the money shot placed. Then, we go to work, so to speak; I try to sense the actress’s reactions, and provide her with pleasure that she can show, hopefully in a natural not-faked way, via sounds and facial expressions to/for the camera. Depending upon the Director, we might stop for still photos after each action, i.e., the oral, and each of the different positions; or we might do all of them at the end of the required footage, just before the money shot. My job is to make the girl look good, and for her to be happy and enjoying the shoot; I continually realize that I am merely a prop, even though I am having fantastic sex with a gorgeous porn girl. Sometimes, we might agree to make believe that we are making love, not just having sex in a porn film. But, usually, I get into a “let’s have sex fun” mode, and try to facilitate a good outcome.

SFBG: What are the conditions on the set and how, as an older performer, is the experience different for you (if at all) than for younger performers?

DC: Basically, we are “working”. The conditions are varied, but the goal is to provide a good sex scene. If we have decent rapport, things go easy; if not, part of my job is to gently move the actress from one position to the next without blocking the lighting or creating shadows, and in such a way as to facilitate her being able to sexually excite the viewers. There is generally no difference between what happens on set just because I am so old.

SFBG: What was the most difficult scene you had to shoot, and why?

DC: One time, while shooting outdoors near Simi Valley, bees were constantly bothering us. I am allergic to bee stings, so my attention was not totally focused on the job at hand. The actress suffered a bee sting on her upper thigh, and protecting my penis from the bees became a distraction. Eventually, as the sun was going down, and the girl had recovered from her bee sting, we struggled through the scene. All part of a day’s work!

SFBG: Describe the best experience you have had in shooting porn thus far in your career. What was it like?

DC: While selected for Sex Survivor 2000, a 7-day shoot starting out with 17 girls and 17 guys shot at a Hollywood Hills mansion, I had the best week of my life. We shot 2-3 sex scenes every day, each one involving all remaining “survivors”, plus we performed for 30+ Internet cameras mounted throughout the mansion and around the pool. It seemed like constant sex. Internet viewers and the crews voted off 2-3 girls and guys each day. I lasted until the 6th day. Truly, it was non-stop sex with top-notch porn actresses. As I type this, I have a huge grin on my face. Not only was I in a fantasy, I LIVED a fantasy!

SFBG: What are your future plans in the porn industry?

DC: Simply put, more of the same—just new/different actresses.

SFBG: What are your career goals from here on in?

DC: I was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in early 2007, so I’ve already accomplished my most important personal goal. Now, I’d like to keep being in front of the camera, keep enjoying my private life which includes swinging and some “groupie girls”, and spend more time with my family and friends. Performing, however, will continue to be my main focus and goal.

SFBG: When working in the pornography industry, a social stigma exists regardless of age. Did you wonder or worry about possible social repercussions for jumping in the porn game at your age?

DC: Indeed, getting into porn as a performer at age 54 wasn’t easy. It seemed so impossible to do that I made it my highest priority, and eventually got an opportunity to perform in a movie calling for an older guy, followed the very next day in a different film where I played a “Sugardaddy” in an orgy scene where I had sex with five beautiful young actresses. That was many hundreds of movies ago. Once I initially “proved myself” (including doing scenes with older actresses, and with some who weren’t as sexually attractive as I wished for), I became a niche in demand.

SFBG: I read that you rarely use Viagra unless performing back-to-back sex scenes or when working with demanding producers. So let me ask you, how has your experience of sex changed from the age of 54 to now, as a 69-year-old? You are known for your stamina, but do you notice any difference in the way you feel while performing sex acts?

DC: Being an avid group room swinger helped me avoid the “performance anxiety” problem that many new guys experience, and since I was divorced at age 45 and serving in the U.S. Army stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco as a new bachelor, dating and swinging was plentiful (I love San Francisco, and am looking forward to being there in a couple of weeks to attend www.cybernetexpo.com ). Because of the swinging and bachelorhood experiences, from age 45 to now has provided me with constant and totally enjoyable sexual satisfaction. I personally feel no difference in my sex-self over the past 25 years—it’s ALL fantastic!

SFBG: While you were married, did you ever think of it in the back of your head as a possibility?

DC: No, It never occurred to me. I was married from 1963 to 1985, so porn was not as prevalent as it has been since I entered it in 1994.

SFBG: You have said that your children think it’s really cool that you’re a famous porn star. Were you immediately open with them about your work, or was it something that came out once your career took off?

DC: Once I got into it, I almost immediately told my son about it; as my career grew and I became somewhat well known, he used my celebrity as a way to get laid by girls he’d date who seemed to be impressed that he was the son of a porn star. My daughter supports my occupation—her attitude is one of, “I love you, Dad, and just want you to be happy”.

SFBG: You had a successful military career for twenty-five years, and retired as an Army Lieutenant Colonel. At one point you were even based in a military base in San Francisco’s Presidio in the 1980s!

DC: I was on that great real estate in the beautiful San Francisco from 1985-1988.

SFBG: What do your ex-military colleagues think of what you do?

DC: Most have been happy for me, and seem amazed how I’m still an active performer; a few have indicated that because of their religious beliefs they are praying for my salvation!

SFBG: Do you date?

DC: Yes, but I don’t make it a priority activity (after all, the swingers/groupies and my work are quite satisfying, sexually and socially). I’m friendly and gracious to everyone, but I don’t “need” a full-time woman in my life. Candidly, I like being with my best friend—me! Yes, I like myself.

SFBG: Are you dating anyone at present?

DC: Not actively at present; rather, I use access to swinging women and groupie girls. In the past, I’ve had a couple of sorta-serious relationships (one with a now-retired MILF porn performer).

SFBG: If you do date, what is it like for you? How do women react when you tell them what you do?

DC: I never “hit” on women, but I am friendly without being flirty. Now days, many women recognize me from the Internet, HBO and Playboy Television, etc—they sometimes approach me and strike up a conversation. If a women who doesn’t recognize me asks what I presently do for a living, I usually say that I’d be happy to tell them but I don’t want to risk offending them, to which their curiosity pushes them to push me into answering. With very few exceptions, most act like they are fine with it; some even have lots of fun questions, and sometimes I end up in a “one night stand”, or a semi-relationship. Interestingly, many seem to want to know what I think of them in bed, almost like they want to validate their dieting and gym workouts. I never “use” women, but I don’t mind “playing” if they want to!

SFBG: What’s the fan reception like?

DC: Many want to ask questions about the Industry and/or their fantasy porn girl, or my favorite co-workers; some want to congratulate me on my career; some want to have me “do” their wife or girlfriend while they watch and/or take cell phone photos or video; and, many are amazed about my work. Some want me to get them onto a porn set or into porn (I usually send them the attachment I wrote—feel free to use/publish it if you want)!

SFBG: Do you get fan letters?

DC: I get them almost every day, and I get many, many, many emails each and every day, all of which I personally answer.

SFBG: Have people ever recognized you on the street?

DC: On an average day, I’m recognized a number of times.