| Who is it? | Director, Writer, Editor |
| Birth Day | March 15, 1921 |
| Birth Place | Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States |
| Age | 99 YEARS OLD |
| Died On | April 26, 2010(2010-04-26) (aged 89)\nManhattan, New York City, New York, United States |
| Birth Sign | Aries |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter |
| Notable work | Inga (1968), Laura's Toys (1975), Abigail Lesley Is Back in Town (1975) |
| Spouse(s) | Peggy Steffans (m. 1970) |
Joseph W. Sarno, a multi-talented individual recognized as a director, writer, and editor in the United States, is projected to have a net worth ranging between $100,000 to $1,000,000 in 2024. With an extensive career in the film industry, Sarno has showcased his exceptional skills in various roles, leaving an indelible mark on cinema. His creative contributions have not only earned him critical acclaim but also financial success, placing him among the esteemed professionals in his field. As a versatile filmmaker, Sarno has undoubtedly left a lasting legacy within the industry and continues to inspire aspiring filmmakers around the world.
Sarno was born in 1921 and grew up in Amityville on Long Island.
Sarno emerged from the proto-pornographic sexploitation film genre of the 1950s & 1960s; he had written and directed approximately 75 theatrically released feature films in the sexploitation, softcore and hardcore genres as well as a number of shot-on-video features for the 1980s hardcore video market.
Sarno, a pioneer of the sexploitation film genre, completed his first adult-oriented feature, Nude in Charcoal, in 1961. Among his best-known films in the genre are Sin in the Suburbs (1964, which was about wife swapping), Flesh and Lace, The Swap and How They Made It (1966, in which his wife appeared), and Moonlighting Wives (1966). Sarno's work of the sexploitation period was typified by stark chiaroscuro lighting, long takes, and rigorous staging. He was also well known for scenarios centering on issues of psycho-sexual anxiety and sexual identity development.
After 1968, Sarno's soft-core work was divided between films produced in the United States and films produced in Europe, principally Sweden, Germany, and Denmark. Many of Sarno's European features were made with American backing. In Europe, he was known for having worked with actresses Marie Liljedahl, Christina Lindberg, Helli Louise, and Marie Forså.
Singled out for praise by critic Andrew Sarris during the 1970s, Sarno's work has been acknowledged in recent years by tributes at the New York Underground Film Festival, the Torino Film Festival in Turin, Italy, the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, and The Andy Warhol Museum.
Sarno's first hardcore feature was Sleepyhead (1973) featuring Georgina Spelvin and Tina Russell. Reluctant to be associated with the hardcore genre, Sarno began directing explicit films under various pseudonyms, like "Karl Andersson" in Touch of Genie (1974). He acknowledges being the uncredited Director of such adult features as Inside Jennifer Welles (1977) starring Jennifer Welles and Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle (1981) starring Annie Sprinkle. Over the course of his hardcore career, Sarno worked with such adult film stars as Harry Reems, Eric Edwards, Jamie Gillis, Marc Stevens, Marlene Willoughby, Gloria Leonard, Sonny Landham, Seka, and Ron Jeremy.
Virgile Iscan interviewed Joe Sarno and his wife shortly before Sarno's death in 2010. The interviews appear in Iscan's documentary The Divine Joe Sarno.
A Life in Dirty Movies is a 2013 Swedish documentary about Sarno and his wife, and their attempt to make one last film.
