DERRICK STANTON Talks About Life on the Set Part 2: 1982-1997

By Josh Eliot

This is officially my 100th blog for Bijou World and I could not be more happy than to present my continuation of Derrick Stanton: Life on the Set. We are discussing his movies from 1982 and beyond that he shot for director William Higgins – These Bases Are Loaded (1982), Members Only (1982), Printer's Devil (1982), Class Reunion (1983), and Route 69 (1984) – plus a couple of later productions after his time with Higgins. Our Q&A in 2026 marks a 50 year anniversary from the first time Derrick Stanton set foot on a movie set for his first film, Hardhat, shot in 1976 and released in 1977. I want to thank Derrick for being so candid regarding his experiences while making many of his hit movies from yesteryear.

Derrick Stanton today at age 70, surrounded by some of his hit movies

THESE BASES ARE LOADED (1982)

JE: In These Bases Are Loaded, you sported a different hairstyle than we were used to – shorter on the sides. It was a good look! Take us into the locker room, where beers were passed out and the team (Chris Burns, J.W. King, Jon King, Jack Burke, David Hix, Tony Prince and yourself) started a simultaneous jack-off session on the benches. What do you remember?

DS: We all connected in that moment. Most of us had already worked together previously. For me, watching J.W. and Jon together was mesmerizing. Jon had a crush on J.W. but it was not mutual. I could see on Jon’s face that he was a bit hurt.

JE: The ending orgy contained everyone from the opening J/O scene minus Chris Burns, and with the addition of Steve West. It’s a lot for anyone to handle when shooting an orgy; did Higgins get overwhelmed or was there any drama?

DS: Higgins had become quite nimble moving around the set. He caught some amazing moments along with his co-cameraman, Barry Knight. He was strict when directing and asked us individually to call out when we were ready to cum. He would often say, “Watch out, Derrick cums a lot – don’t miss any cum ropes.” Haha.

MEMBERS ONLY (1982)

JE: In the opening of your threeway scene, you were sucking both Greg Hanson and John King in the hot tub. This was Greg’s one and only movie and he looked like he had a large dick. The three of you appeared totally into it. I’ve never seen Jon King harder in a movie, especially without a dick in his mouth. Greg Hansen topped you first, then he topped Jon King, then you inserted your dick – all the way, I might add – into Jon at the same time. Was double penetration a thing in films back then or were you trend setters? It felt like it was happening in real time, where normally it’s a real hassle to capture double penetration on film. How did it all play out?

DS: Jon and Greg really connected hot and heavy. Jon was riding on Greg’s cock and deeply making out with him. Higgins, in the spur of the moment, asked me to do a double penetration. I was worried about hurting Jon but he mumbled, “Go for it.” I slowly got it in and felt Greg’s cock surging and sliding against mine. Higgins shouted, “Get the fill light, I can’t see it clearly!” The fill light was a simple, very hot, thin tube. Barry accidentally brushed it against my skin, which hurt like hell. I stayed hard and kept pumping despite the burn. It felt amazing. I had never been a top in a double penetration. Suddenly Jon loudly came on Greg’s chest. Higgins missed it and loudly cursed Jon. It was another “great golden copulation.”

JE: I remember that cumshot of yours on the mirror while standing over Greg and Jon’s faces from when I first saw the movie as a twenty-year-old. No doubt on my first VHS machine. Just a general question: did you go to see your finished movies at the theaters or was it not until they came out on VHS that you could view some of your work?

DS: I usually went to the Century Theater for premieres or on my own. Once I sat in a dark row next to a Filipino guy (he told me later) for one of my films screenings. We gave each other mutual hand jobs, as one does in dark porn theaters. At one point he looked at me, then the screen, then back to me and said, “OMG that’s you!” I nodded and then gushed a mega load, as did he. Unfortunately, he pointed my dick into my pants that were around my ankles. I had to walk to the lobby with cold cum in my shorts. Oh well, it was worth it.

PRINTER'S DEVILS (1982)

JE: Your scene with Mike O’Leary in the room with the mirrored tiles and red couch featured some incredibly strong fucking from you as the top. Was there a special connection with the co-star?

DS: I was rarely a top. When I was, it was due to what Barry called "rubber dick " of the designated top. I tried to get to know who I was going to pair with a little before we were on camera. It helped to put both of us at ease in that very artificial setting. I wish I was still a mega loader today… but hey, I’m 70.

JE: Your cum shots in all of your movies were over the top!

DS: I had a routine at home before a shoot where I edged myself several times to help fill my proverbial reservoir. I took large doses of Vitamin E to help build that load, as it seemed to help. On set, I would continue to edge myself in order to create the mega-load fireworks.

CLASS REUNION (1983)

Regarding the movie Class Reunion, I’ve always heard that all of the stars agreed to work for free in exchange for a lottery ticket for a drawing to win the motorcycle shown in the movie. Is this true?

DS: I insisted on being paid. That many guys on the set was unwieldy, to say the least. I really couldn’t get into the mood with this film. Too many bitches.

JE: When Leo Ford won the motorcycle, what were your co-stars' reactions?

DS: We knew it was going to be him. That’s why I insisted on being paid.

JE: I’d always heard that it was rigged for Leo to win. What are your thoughts on that?

DS: No big deal, really... Years later, I was on a small yacht owned by some wealthy... ahem, benefactors for an afternoon cruise out of San Pedro, and lo and behold, Leo was there. We chatted and connected warmly with each other. He was a really cool guy. It was devastating to hear a few days later he died in a motorcycle crash.

JE: Any standout memories while making that movie?

DS: It was annoying as fuck to be on that set. Halfway through, Higgins told me he regretted the whole set up for this film.

JE: In the “circle suck” portion of Class Reunion, who where you sucking and who was sucking you?

DS: I don’t remember, other than I wanted to be with Giorgio Canali. I really, really wanted to be paired with Giorgio, especially on Class Reunion… I wanted to suck that glorious large, uncut cock. Unfortunately, it never happened. 😢

ROUTE 69 (1984)

JE: It's listed that this as your last movie for Catalina and William Higgins. Here’s my impression of the Frat House orgy scene you were in with Todd Eagles, Danny Parks, Tim Lees, Daryl Thompson and Mike Gibson. It looked like you were all stuffed into the tiniest living room in Hollywood, and the only one I saw giving energy to the scene was you. You seemed to take the initiative to drive the scene forward, keep it interesting and elevate the sex. Your experience as a well-seasoned performer was evident, and I dare to say if you weren’t there to rally the troops, it would have been a big yawner. What is your recollection?

DS: Your observation is spot on. The group of actors who were sometimes worn out tired from escort work the night before were just looking to get it done and get paid. So, I attempted to rally the troops. One of the actors had a huge dick, which I tried to focus on. I attempted a 69 with him, though I realized that 69-ing was way overrated and uncomfortable. I didn’t do it in real life. After a bit, I thought that just for fun (John Waters' influence) I would add some over the top dirty talk. Fans later on said it was distracting to them, but it was a hoot to emulate the spirit of Pink Flamingos. It was filmed in Higgins' house on east Melrose Avenue, and yes, in a tiny room. I can say that Bill Higgins and I got along quite well, which wasn’t always the case with others. He could be quite temperamental on the set, but never with me. I was proud to introduce him at his Hall of Fame ceremony in 1999.

JE: After Route 69, you no longer worked for William Higgins and it appears that the Al Parker-directed Surge Studio production Strange Places Strange Things was your final movie for many years in 1985 – is this correct?

DS: Yes, Strange Places Strange Things.

STRANGE PLACES, STRANGE THINGS (1985)

JE: What was the vibe on the set?

DS: Barry Knight asked me to come along to be his sound man. One of the actors didn’t show, so I moved in front of the camera that day. My co-actor, Tony Kennedy, couldn’t get hard, as it was his first film and he was so nervous. I topped him on the fake window washing scaffold. They needed a cumshot from Tony and he was just too nervous to get hard. We waited for maybe two hours, which added extra pressure on him… poor guy. Barry concocted some fake cum using egg white, cream and flour, which I held in my mouth until Tony got half hard, put his dick in my mouth then pulled out while I simultaneously released the sticky brew from my mouth. It actually looks like he came in my mouth. Maybe I shouldn’t have shared that? Hahaha. On another scene, I was once again Barry’s sound man and observed Scott Taylor's dick pumping. After pumping up his now ginormous cock with air, he slid a pencil shaped plastic tube down his urethra, slowly sliding it in and out of his dick hole, then pulling it out followed by a gusher of cum. Later Barry asked him how he got his dick hole large enough to take the plastic shaft. He conveyed to Barry, who told me, that he allegedly numbed his hole while really high and sliced it with a razor, and then taped a guitar pick there to keep it from healing over. He barely recovered from this. Scott was the king of gay kink and did many live pumping shows in San Francisco. Pumping became the rage at the time. Allegedly, Al Parker cornered the dick pump mail order market and became quite wealthy from it. Who knew?

JE: Can you tell me why you left the industry?

DS: I had a boyfriend at the time who asked me to stop, so I did. I do regret this now, as the boyfriend was a secret cheater. I mean, an open relationship would’ve been fine with me. Everyone has an opinion about it, open relationships vs monogamous. I would say to anyone in a relationship to have an HONEST conversation with your partner! Men are wired differently to be more sexual, more often. At a minimum, don’t be lazy, just pay attention to your partner with loads of daily affection and recognize that men truly value genuine regular intimacy. Today the young’uns call this being a “side” and lots of cuddling, where penetration isn’t always necessary. Okay, I’ll get off my gay daddy soapbox.

JE: With any of your features back in the day, did you hit the road and do public performances? If so, can you tell me about some of those experiences?

DS: Before too long, I realized I had made a lot of films and didn’t realize or even believe I had a growing fan base until I was asked to strip dance at the Follies in NYC. Sex on stage could be quite satisfying for my exhibitionism. My dance routine was emulated in the movie Performance (Steve Scott), where I cum on Al Parkers husband’s face. At the Follies, I chose my own music. The last song in my set was Blondie’s Atomic, which was perfect to cum to… as in, “Oooh ooh, Atomic, Atomic.” New York City’s Times Square was gloriously filthy back then. I got to meet Divine at an afterhours club named Magique, where she performed while a massive amount of down feathers were released. I also experienced Studio 54, albeit not in its prime.

JE: You were well known for your reliability to show up and put on a great show with a very happy ending for any director. Were you ever in a situation where you were called on to stunt dick for a movie? Was there ever a time in a scene where a stunt dick was called in to top you?

DS: I was definitely known as Mr. Reliable – especially if someone didn’t show, they knew they could count on me to show up. Never a stunt dick for me or anyone else.

JE: What porn icon, that you didn’t work with, did you have the hots for, either while working in the industry or after retirement?

DS: Melchor Diaz. He was cast in Strange Places, but I was not granted the opportunity to pair with him. Some directors, unlike Higgins, were quite strict about whom you paired with. I’m attracted to opposite looks.

JE: You were entered into The Gay Erotic Video Awards Hall of Fame in 1995. Tell me about that night, what it meant to you and who you went to the awards with that evening.

DS: It was fun, especially to hang out with all the folks in the business. Jeff Stryker opened the show by walking out on the runway fully erect. He did a penis injection prior to his entrance. It was a great opening act, for sure. It took place at the Hollywood Palace, now Avalon. My supportive partner went with me.

JE: Is that where you met Jerry Douglas, who would later cast you in Family Values for a comeback? Or had you stayed close to the players in the industry all along?

DS: We met at the GayVN awards.

FAMILY VALUES (1997)

JE: For the movie Family Values, what was the vibe on the set after not being in front of the cameras for so many years?

DS: I was calm and appreciative to work at age 39 with my pal, cameraman Barry Knight, again. He loved his porn craft and made everyone look good.

JE: Jerry Douglas had a reputation for prioritizing the storyline over the sex scenes. Some models have said that they were so exhausted from all the takes, that by the time they set up to shoot the sex, the models weren’t that into each other anymore. Any signs of this with your scenes?

DS: Well, the story was a bit freaky, in that I played on older gay player who never fell in love with his tricks until he met Kurt Young, who eventually finds out that I’m his long lost father. To prove my love, I finally let him top me in the end on a boat drifting off into the sunset. Kurt and I connected well – he was soft spoken, a little shy and a sweetheart, for sure, and of course, quite sexy. Jerry was a fastidious director, for sure. His final edit was always superb on screen. Steve York was brought back [from retirement], as well, but looked a bit weathered, as did I. He couldn’t get hard and Jerry was having a loud meltdown, which made matters worse. I was often called on as an emergency fluffer. I had a scene with Steve in the past, and in speaking with him prior he said his favorite sex was getting sucked. He would sometimes go to bookstores in the Midwest to get sucked off at gloryholes. I knew what to do and began worshiping that huge, magnificent cock. He got hard, and Jerry and Steve thanked me profusely. Look, porn sets are artificial and not often conducive to sex. Kurt Young was not that into me, as far as I could tell, and I mistakenly took Dramamine to ward off sea sickness. Unbeknownst to me, Dramamine causes impotence. My last cum shot at the end of the scene had to be before the sun actually set. I struggled mightily against the Dramamine. Of course, Jerry was freaking out loudly. I finally found the right fantasy in my mind to cum… whewww! There was no Viagra available then; you had to have the right state of mind to literally pull it off on the set.

JE: During the long gap between Strange Places Strange Things and Family Values (1984 – 1997), how had you reinvented yourself and your everyday life?

DS: I worked as a public employee and became a successful union organizer. I was one of the founding members in 1994 of Pride at Work AFL/CIO, the still active gay constituency group with the AFL. I think I survived porn in that I had a regular job. Many other actors had to rely on prostitution to augment their income, and it was quite lucrative if you were a porn star. My last partner, who is Vietnamese, embraced my porn identity and actually played an extra in a Family Values orgy scene.

JE: What was your biggest takeaway after shooting Family Values?

DS: Kristian Brooks, a beautiful muscular blonde, and I were paired together. There was time to get to know each other in another room on the house boat. We played for real – but had to hold back on cumming. The tight quarters on the boat, wearing condoms (necessary), all the technical shit around us and a sometimes grouchy director made it rough, but our scene together in the movie looked quite natural. He expressed interest in getting together another day. Unfortunately, I was in a relationship and my boyfriend, Quan, was on the set. BTW, he never interfered with the process or got in the way. A strict condition for his presence. Years later, I heard Kristian committed suicide in Europe. Very sad, indeed. Our scene together in Family Values was a bit magical. Also, I spoke on the phone with Jerry in NYC at the end of the pandemic. He was on his deathbed. We had grown fond of each other over the years. My last words to him were that I loved him.

JE: Having this amazing career behind you, have you ever given into the idea of returning to the screen as a “Hot Daddy?“ Or will Derrick Stanton be remembered as an early pioneer who became a gay adult film icon and stepped away gracefully?

DS: I could return, but I am 70, although in decent shape, and HIV+ (undetectable), which might be a concern. Stigma still exists in 2026. Many, many gay porn stars did not survive the plague years… I almost didn’t. Hot Daddy? I remember I was in the shower at the 1350 bathhouse in Long Beach, California ten years ago, when a guy came up and called me a hot daddy. I embraced it. I embrace my age. I never hid in shame from my porn career, if you will. No one could ever blackmail me. Like any job I did in life, I did it well, including this one. Stonewall veterans said to me at the 25th reunion in 1994 that they fought for sexual freedom that was denied to gay people then. I would not and did not let them down. “GREAT GOLDEN COPULATIONS,” indeed (Jim Morrison from his American Prayer spoken word album).

Derrick Stanton aging gracefully through the years

 

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.

 

You can read Josh Eliot's previous blogs for Bijou here:

Coming Out of my WET SHORTS | FRANK ROSS, The Boss | Our CALIGULA Moment | That BUTTHOLE Just Winked at Me! | DREAMLAND: The Other Place | A Salty Fuck in Saugatuck | Somebody, Call a FLUFFER! | The Late Great JOHN TRAVIS, My POWERTOOL Mentor | (Un)Easy Riders | 7 Years with Colt Model MARK RUTTER | Super NOVA | Whatever Happened to NEELY O’HARA? | Is That AL PARKER In Your Photo? | DOWN BY LAW: My $1,000,000 Mistake | We Waited 8hrs for a Cum Shot... Is That a World Record? | Don't Wear "Short Shorts" on the #38 Geary to LANDS END | How Straight Are You Really? | BEHIND THE (not so) GREEN DOOR | The BOOM BOOM Room | CATCHING UP with Tom DeSimone | Everybody’s FREE to FEEL GOOD | SCANDAL at the Coral Sands Motel | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Castro Theatre | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Midnight Sun | RSVP: 2 Weeks Working on a Gay Cruise Ship | VOYAGER of the Damned | I'M NOT A LESBIAN DIRECTOR | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: THE FOLSOM STREET FAIR | Diving into SoMa/Folsom: A TALE OF TWO STUDS | BALL BROTH | My 1992 “Porn Set” Diary | Out of Print | There’s a Gloryhole WHERE??! | LUNCH HOUR: When the Big Boys Eat | IN and OUT and All ABOUT | UNDER the COVERs with Tom Steele | 8 Is Enough on Sunsex Blvd | Steve Rambo & Will Seagers For Breakfast | The Many Faces of Adult Film Star SHARON KANE | The ALL-MAN Magazine Interview: The Man Behind Catalina Video | Captain Psychopath | BAD BOYS SCHOOL | VAMPIRE'S GRAVE | The Making of CatalinaVille (PART 1) | The Making of CatalinaVille (PART 2) | Private Dick & The Young Cadets | Meet RAY HARLEY | The GOLD COAST Gold Rush Boys | Colt Model MARK RUTTER: In His Own Words | Bringing in the BIG GUNS | “WHAT THE F@CK?” Moments | You So RUSSO | Bond, SCOTT BOND | I Just Watched: KILLING ME SOFTLY | Sex in Tight Places | Calling GLORIA | DOWN FOR THE COUNT | More Than a Mouthful | When JON KING Returned to Catalina Video | Junior Meets the BEAR Patrol | A Taste for Leather and Fur | Straight to Bed | The Hills Have Bi’s | The Malibu Pool Boy: Cody Foster | New England Summer | The Making of RUNAWAYS 1989 | The Making of FULL SERVICE 1989 | Hot Buttered Cop | The Making of HARD TO BE GOOD 1990 | The Real CONJURING HOUSE | It’s Not a Crime, It’s a SCORE | I Just Watched: Steve Scott’s SCREENPLAY (1984) | Wet and Wild | 69: Discover the Secret | What Really Happened BEHIND THAT BARN DOOR! | I Just Watched AL PARKER & WILL SEAGERS in WANTED | Secret Boys Club | Jawbreaker Pt. 1 | Jawbreaker Pt. 2 | I Just Watched CRUISIN’ THE CASTRO | 80s/90s Porn Star RYAN YEAGER | ADAM Film World’s GAY VIDEO GUIDE | ERIC STONE: Ranger in the Wild | THRILL ME with a SINGLE WHITE MALE... | The SPOILED BRAT | BUSTER & STEVE YORK | LANCE, TEX ANTHONY & MICHAEL GERE | KIP NOLL: The First Real Twink Superstar | THE GREASE MONKEYS | The "Other" Idol | The AMERICAN Way | DERRICK STANTON Talks About Life on the Set, Part 1