LOS ANGELES—Larry Field, a 33-year veteran of the adult industry, passed yesterday after a 13-month illness, according to his son Scott. The cause was the combined effects of lung cancer and kidney failure, which had been diagnosed in August of 2014.
"The last 13 months have been a really bad year for him, but today was the day; enough was enough," Scott Field said yesterday. "My dad was a big part of this industry for many, many years, and he loved this industry, so right now, I just want to let his friends know that he's gone, but he lived a great life and he's in a better place now. I think he'd really enjoy knowing that his friends have been informed that he's gone."
Larry and Scott Field began in the adult industry in January of 1982, when Larry first joined Arrow Productions as their sales manager, working directly for Butchie Peraino. After leaving Arrow, Field joined production company RSVP, then worked at Essex Video before joining Russ Hampshire at VCA Pictures in 1988, again working in sales.
"He loved it there because of Marty Turkel and Ed Kail; he loved working with them and there was always something going on with the three of them," Scott Field said, describing the late Turkel and Kail as "my father's very best friends."
Field left VCA after a couple of years to start Pipeline Video, but within a year, Pipeline and two or three other adult production companies were burned to the ground under what have been described as "mysterious circumstances." But Field salvaged what he could and, in 1991, opened Fat Dog Productions, Field's final stop in the adult entertainment business, where he again worked with Scott.
"I talked to my father every day," Scott recalled. "I'm 54 years old, so let's be realistic: from the time I was 10 years old, I would probably remember that far back, there was probably not one day that I didn't talk to him, even if only for a minute. I am really going to miss that."
Fat Dog released a new video roughly every six weeks until Field sold the company in 2004 and retired. It was during Field's tenure at Fat Dog that he became ill and received a heart transplant in roughly 1998.
Besides Scott, Larry Field is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sheri, as well as Scott's wife Sue and their son Anthony.
"I know he was my dad but he was really a great father who was there with me and taught me how to be a good man," Scott said. "He was a great husband, and my mom and him really loved each other. He was also an amazing grandfather to our son Anthony. My wife Sue and him had the best relationship; he loved her like she was his daughter. I guess I could not ask for more. I was blessed to have him with me this long.
"I want to thank everyone who called to say they were going to miss my dad; it means a lot to my family," Scott added.
"Larry was a pioneer in the adult business," recalled longtime friend Bruce Mendelson, one of the founders of Legend Video. "He was a true friend. He would always stand by his word. I will always remember him at the Sahara Hotel at the trade shows. Everyone knew him; he was a fixture there and we still talk about those good ole days in Vegas. He was well liked by all his customers around the globe and his peers especially, and I know they also will remember Larry as a true gentleman with a keen business sense. He will be greatly missed by us all. My deepest sympathy goes out to Scott and Sue and the rest of his family."
Another veteran who knew Field since the 1980s is Kevin Beechum, founder of K-Beech.
"He was just a great guy all the way around. He was into sports and softball," Beechum said, recalling how Field orchestrated a softball league for various adult companies. "He had a team for Century Distribution and I had a team for Visual Entertainment. Caballero had a team, VCX—eight or ten companies had teams. He got everyone to get a team together ... we played after work and on the weekends."
Beechum said wistfully, "That was one of the most fun times that we in the industry all shared."
"I have known Larry for 30 years," said industry veteran Howard Levine. "He was one of the originals. He loved life, he loved golf, he loved this business and most of all, he loved his family. He was an example of doing it the right way. My condolences to his family. He was much loved."
