One of the adult industry's most beloved figures, Dick Miller enjoyed a colorful and prolific career in porn that spanned four decades.

Born Richard Mills on June 29, 1945, Miller was an orphan since childhood and spent his formative years in foster homes. As a young adult living in Minnesota, he enlisted in the military.

Miller broke into the adult film business in New York during the mid-'70s, directing movies under the name Richard Mailer (not to be confused with Richard Mahler, another XXX director of the same period.) He was billed on some of these titles as "Mr. Mustard" or "Grey Poupon."

Miller directed Vanessa Del Rio, Marlene Willoughby, Sharon Mitchell and other stars of porn's Golden Age in such films as "Victims of Love," "In Too Deep" and "Marlene's World." One of his early cameramen was future Hollywood director Barry Sonnenfeld.

Among Miller's most acclaimed directorial efforts was the 1983 feature "A Taste of Money," starring Constance Money of Radley Metzger's classic "The Opening of Misty Beethoven." Another high point was "Centerfold Fever" (1981) with Kandi Barbour, Annie Sprinkle and Samantha Fox.

With the home video boom, Miller migrated to California and started his own company Island Home Video, which became Intropics Video after Island Records filed suit over the name. He brought '80s starlet Angel into the business and directed her in a series of high-profile releases: "Angel of the Night," "Angel's Revenge," "Angel Rising" and others.

In 1990, Miller started up Soho Video with his sales rep Sylvia Twigg and Intropics partner Barry Marks. The label debuted with Henri Pachard's feature "Victoria's Secret," starring AVN Best New Starlet winner Victoria Paris.

Miller handed Soho and Intropics over to Metro in the early '90s, preferring freedom to the hassles of running the small boutique labels. At the time, Metro was poised to expand its product line after acquiring Sidney Niekirk's company Cal Vista.

In the late '90s, Miller moved to the Czech Republic. He happily lived as an expatriate for a decade, producing and directing adult movies in Prague for WIcked Pictures and other top manufacturers. In 2005, he launched Blue Lights View, a gay video label handled by Pulse Distribution.

Miller died June 28, 2008 on the eve of his 63rd birthday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been struggling with professional setbacks as well as an escalation of the effects of Myasthenia Gravis, the neuro-muscular disease he had suffered with for several years.

Miller's circle of friends was extensive and well-established, both in the United States and in the Czech Republic. He is fondly remembered as an erudite raconteur, bon vivant, world traveler and avowed lifelong bachelor.