The adult entertainment industry may be going through a tough time both economically and in terms of the respect it gets from the world at large, but one old friend still appreciates the relationship, good times and bad. That town, of course, is Las Vegas.

Case in point, Today’s posting to The Moveable Buffet, in which Richard Abowitz waxes about the rich history between porn and Vegas, a reminiscence brought on by the tragic and untimely passing of Marilyn Chambers.

“In October 1974, according to “Cult Vegas” by Mike Weatherford, Chambers appeared at the Union Plaza (now the Plaza and located at one end of the Fremont Street Experience) in a play: ‘Mind With the Dirty Man,'” he writes. “Chambers even got good reviews, according to Weatherord, before returning to her day job. That was not the fate of Linda Lovelace, who arrived three years later with a show called ‘My Daughter’s Rated X’ at the Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood). According to Weatherford, that show did not survive the scheduled four-week run before closing.”

These day, the porn stars aren’t appearing in plays, but they are appearing. “Last month, for example, Sasha Grey held her 21st birthday party at Tao. And some projects matching porn stars to Vegas are efforts that are extremely ambitious. The Hard Rock, I reported last year, was seriously considering a gaming area themed around Tera Patrick (pictured). And Patrick herself told me this year that she was planning a burlesque show for Vegas.”

Abowitz ends with the warm assertion that the Vegas porn connection is “here to stay.” It’s nice to know that some people (and cities) will always appreciate what you have going on.