Noted adult and exploitation cinema filmmaker Roberta Findlay was born Roberta Hershkowitz in 1943 in New York City, specifically in the heart of the Big Apple. As the youngest of three children, Roberta grew up in a tenement apartment in the Bronx, surrounded by the vibrant energy of the city.
Roberta's Hungarian immigrant parents had aspirations for her to become a pianist, hoping she would follow in the footsteps of her musical inclinations. However, Roberta's life took an unexpected turn when she met her future husband, Michael Findlay, while attending the City College of New York. She volunteered to be the accompanying pianist for a silent movie program that Michael was running on campus, which marked the beginning of their collaboration.
The couple tied the knot at the tender age of eighteen and went on to co-create several sleazy and sadistic exploitation features together in the 1960s, including the notorious "Flesh" trilogy. After parting ways with Michael in the early 1970s, Roberta continued her journey in the film industry, directing a handful of explicit hardcore movies for producer and distributor Allan Shackleton.
In addition to her work behind the camera, Roberta also dabbled in various other roles, such as editor, composer, producer, and cinematographer. Her directing career came to a close in the mid-to-late 1980s, where she focused on low-budget horror and grindhouse fare.
In a surprising turn of events, Roberta and her late partner Walter E. Sear founded the recording studio Sear Sound in New York City, showcasing her versatility and talent beyond the realm of filmmaking.
