I’m writing a series of articles spotlighting influential figures, whom I’ve dubbed “Scene Saints,” to honor and recognise their vital contributions in laying the foundational building blocks of the kink community.
Mary Millington – Counter-Cultural Icon
Saint Mary Millington 30 November, 1945 – 19 August, 1979
The Rise of Women Creators
In 2025, women dominate OnlyFans, making up 84% of creators globally (Social-Rise.com, 2024; SimpleBeen.com, 2025). But who was the first woman to produce and sell her own content directly to fans? Meet Mary Millington, the UK’s pioneering female creator who, as early as 1978, blazed a trail for today’s female-led adult industry revolution. Boldly crafting and distributing her own erotic content to a devoted audience, Mary capitalized on an eager (repressed) market, setting a powerful precedent for women in the adult industry.
Mary was far more than a provocative image or stereotypical blonde bimbo, she was a fearless disruptor. Challenging censorship, hypocrisy and societal norms, she famously published police and government contact details in her magazines to protest raids on her sex shop. Earning a conditional discharge and a lasting reputation as a defiant superstar.
In the repressive 1970s, when sex was stigmatized as a hushed, “lights-off” affair and pornography was deemed sleazy, Mary Millington’s bold vision and fearless attitude ignited a transformative shift in societal views on sexuality and sexual imagery. Her pioneering efforts started the move that has led to today’s women controling their erotic imagery and incomes through modern platforms, a legacy we continue to celebrate.
Meet Mary
In the 1970s, there was a pretty English girl-next-door whose rise to the top was meteoric, controversial and scandalous. Her name was Mary Millington Britain’s then only sex superstar. Born Mary Ruth Quilter in 1945 in Middlesex, England, Mary rose from a modest background to become Britain’s top adult film star of the 1970s. After a quiet childhood and brief marriage, she entered glamour modeling in magazines like Knave and Men Only, and starred in adult films. Her girl-next-door charm and bold persona, amplified by her partnership with pornographer David Sullivan, made her a household name tied to the era’s sexual liberation.
Come Play with Me
Mary Millington’s breakthrough came with the 1977 British sex comedy Come Play with Me, directed by George Harrison Marks and produced by David Sullivan. This risqué, Benny Hill-style romp, light on plot but heavy on full nudity, daring for its era and X-rated, became a cultural hit. Mary’s charisma shone, making her the film’s star. Its 201 week run at Soho’s Moulin Cinema earned a Guinness World Record for Britain’s longest continuous theatrical run, cementing her enduring allure.
Beyond Come Play with Me, Mary Millington starred in soft-core comedies like The Playbirds, modeled, and ventured into hardcore pornography. Her bold bisexuality, advocacy for sexual openness, and claims of high-profile lovers, from Prime Minister Harold Wilson to Diana Dors (likely publicity exaggerations), fueled her mystique. Mary’s defiance of 1970s Britain’s prudishness championed sexual openness, aligning with the era’s evolving attitudes toward sex and censorship.
Mary Millington’s International Sex Centre
In May 1978, Mary Millington opened her own sex shop, Mary Millington’s International Sex Centre, in Tooting, South London. The store, which included a 50-seat basement cinema, sold adult magazines, sex toys, and illegal hardcore pornography, drawing significant attention from both customers and authorities. Mary relentlessly promoted her shop in adult magazines beaming “Meet me there!” Her Admirers and customers sought autographed magazines, rubber toys, polite pecks on the cheek, and the hardest-core Continental pornography she boldly stocked. Her vocal criticism of censorship and willingness to stock explicit material led to frequent police raids, which she claimed involved harassment and demands for protection money. These relentless raids, coupled with her public defiance, such as publishing police and government contact details in her magazines, intensified her legal troubles and fueled her growing paranoia, contributing to the downward spiral that marked her final years.
No Happy Ending
Mary Millington’s fame came at a heavy cost. Legal battles, including a 1977 obscenity trial at the Old Bailey, compounded by depression, drug addiction, and financial woes, overwhelmed her. On August 19, 1979, at age 33, she died by overdose at her Surrey home, a tragic end to a vibrant but brief life.
Her films, though seen as lowbrow by some, delivered unpretentious fun, resonating with audiences weary of Hollywood gloss. Mary Millington, one of the wealthiest and most prolific women working in the 1970s sex industry, left an enduring legacy as a British Counterculture icon and sex symbol. Her prominent campaign to relax Britain’s strict anti-pornography laws, despite triggering police harassment and multiple trials, cemented her as a fearless trailblazer and advocate for sexual freedom.
A Very “Blue” Plaque
Mary Millington was honored with a blue plaque at the former Moulin Cinema (now a cocktail bar) at 42–44 Great Windmill Street, Soho, London, where her iconic soft-porn film Come Play With Me ran for a record-breaking four years. Unveiled in April 2016, the plaque celebrates her impact on the British sex industry. David Sullivan, her former partner and West Ham United co-chairman, told The Mirror in 2016,
“She would be very proud. It’s probably the first recognition for any woman from the British sex industry. To set up a record that stands 40 years later, we’re all very proud of it. She was a liberal and as long as the act was legal and between consenting adults she felt people should be able to see whatever they wanted.”
Though styled like an English Heritage plaque, the organization clarified it was not involved. Here at TEM, we say kudos to those who honored her legacy!
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