Circus Maximus
Men Haven’t Had It So Good!
Not to be confused with the show-stopping Las Vegas revue where Ann-Margaret kicked her heels, Circus Maximus was a notorious massage parlor in West Hollywood.
Mark Roy — born Maurice Henry Roy on February 7, 1930, was a former Arthur Murray dance instructor, and ran a production company in West Hollywood. Before opening his eponymous West Hollywood parlor, the aspiring Connecticut-born massage maven was involved with the chain of Eileen Feather Salons, which briefly had a location at 9908 Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills.
Toga Clad Goddesses
Under the name The Robe Corporation, the place for love and warmth opened on North La Cienega in West Hollywood in the summer of 1970. Located on the site of the Gerard Theatrical Agency ("topless dancers"), the building was connected to architect Stephen G. Oppenheim.
Over in Hollywood, another place inspired by Orgiae Romanae venereae opened in 1977, and bore the same name — but would soon add the word “disco”.
Writing about Mark Roy in his 1981 novel Thy Neighbor's Wife, author Gay Talese wrote, "He occupied a large three-story house half a block south of Sunset. The house had a parking lot for eighty cars. Like Caesar's Retreat in New York, the Circus Maximus had a decor that evoked Roman hedonism. Its thirty masseuses wore purple, gold, or white crepe mini gowns. And his motto proclaimed: "Men have not had such a good time since the days of Pompeii."
However, not everyone was embracing the rise of massage parlors, which authorities viewed as fronts for illicit activities. The questionable establishments didn't go unnoticed by Newsweek magazine. For their April 26, 1971, issue, they reported "In Los Angeles alone, some 150 parlors are now flourishing to the jingling tune of $50 million a year."
In the article, There's The Rub, a Los Angeles vice cop told Newsweek, those places "have now become houses of prostitution". Brushing off the claim was Mark Roy of "gaudy Circus Maximus", who responded, "President Nixon could come in here, and I'd tell him, 'you'll get a fine massage — and that's all you're gonna get."
Despite the lack of Presidential visit, Mark Roy's chain of Roman revelry was expanding. Locations appeared in Montclair, Fullerton, San Bernardino, Tarzana, and the short-lived Holiday Spa on Melrose Avenue, which closed around 1974, only to become The Penthouse — a discotheque operated by Countess Coco Ruffino.
By early 1972, Roy was looking toward Ventura. However, the coastal city introduced a new ordinance banning massage parlors, a first for the city of Ventura.
Roy told local newspapers he had spent $30K remodeling a building and was ready to proceed without a permit. After a two-month moratorium, Mark Roy and business partner Travis Lehman opened their spa on East Main Street — a site used by the Los Angeles School of Massage and Physical Therapy.
After twelve years, the Ventura site became a furniture store. Today, not even the TV cabinets are oiled — the place is now home to a book shop. Roy's former partner, Travis Lehman, later moved into the casino business, operating Fantasia in North Hollywood. Formerly home to the discotheque, Star Baby, the Northridge hotspot was raided by police in 1988 for illegal gaming.
Ya Got Trouble
On July 20 1981, Mark Roy — recently divorced, married 29 year-old widower, Judalon Rose Smyth. At the time, the couple were living on Curson Avenue in West Hollywood.
In his 1994 book, Bad Blood, author Don Davis described their marriage; “To prove her love, she made a sexy videotape for her new husband, in which she wore little or no clothing and masturbated for the camera. They divorced three years later when Roy discovered she was taking full advantage of their agreement to have an open marriage.”
Judalon Smyth later crossed paths with Dr. Leon Jerome Oziel, sex therapist to the Menendez Brothers.
After close to fifteen years, Circus Maximus in West Hollywood was shut down, when local ordinances, led by Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, curtailed massage parlor hours. Citing the importance of cleaning up the city in time for the Olympics, Gates enacted a sting operation known as "Express West," which operated from a storefront in Encino. Gates alleged that the popular Grecian health spa was a house of prostitution, claiming the parlor took in around $8000 daily.
The sting operation included other locations within the Circus Maximus chain.
That same year, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a city ordinance limiting massage parlor hours — which forced them to turn away customers from 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Appealing the ruling alongside Circus Maximus were West L.A. Massage, Tender Loving Care, and Tokyo Massage.
But by 1985, Circus Maximus, then calling itself a health spa, was ultimately evicted by the landlord who owned the 1200 block of North La Cienega. Today, the parcel of land is luxury condos.
Maurice Henry Roy passed away on February 18th, 1992, at the age of 61. While noting he was a pioneer in the creation of health and fitness, his obituary omitted any mention of Circus Maximus.
Requiescat in Pace
