BijouBlog

By Josh Eliot

[Originally published 02/14/25]

The year was 1970. I was nine years old and my parents were getting ready to leave for the cinema with my Uncle Normand and Aunt Irene to see Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. I actually remember spotting the advertisement for the movie in the entertainment section of the newspaper, which I was known to scale up and down. Looking at the movie ads always got my imagination going, thinking about what they were about. When they told me the movie they were going to see, I recall yelling out to my parents, “Are you going to see an X-rated movie?!” My mother, looking for a good cover story, said the movie was rated X because of the language. With that, they rushed out the door, obviously not wanting to talk about it. Even at nine years old, I knew what an X-rated movie was - well, sort of. They did take me to see The Graduate when I was seven, after all. This would be one of only two X-rated movies my parents have seen, as far as I know, the other being A Clockwork Orange. Oh and one XXX movie, Deep Throat, but that wasn’t really their thing, so I think the list ended there. The next day, my mother couldn’t say enough bad things about “Beyond,” and I think they actually might have walked out. I guess, thinking about it now, if that generation was expecting a real sequel to Valley of the Dolls and got “Beyond,” it would have been a bit of a turn off. I had no idea at the time that this was my first real introduction, in conversation with my parents at least, to the world of Russ Meyer.

The very first Russ Meyer movie I ever saw was Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! (1965), when our make-up man, Buddy, brought a VHS of it to the Catalina Studio set in 1988. He was surprised that I hadn’t seen the movie, even though it always played once or twice a year at the Castro Theater and also at the Strand on Market Street. When my roommates and I watched it, I was sold the moment Tura Satana appeared on the screen. Russ Meyer's cult favorite follows sadistic go-go dancers Varla (Tura Satana), Rosie (Haji) and Billie (Lori Williams), who escape the nightclub where they perform and head out to the desert to start random acts of violence. Varla, a karate expert, kills an innocent man, and then along with her two friends takes his girlfriend hostage. They run into an old man and his brain-damaged son and problems erupt when they try to rob them blind. The movie is shot in glorious black-and-white, even though the movie poster says it’s shot in “Black-and-Blue.” Blue movie, get it? Russ Meyer’s trademark nudity is nonexistent, but the movie is filled with campy performances, sexually-charged bad-ass vixens and a ton of brilliant one liners! I think the incredible dialogue was what pulled me head-first into the world of Russ Meyer more than anything. I’d be totally lying if I didn’t admit to lifting and rewording a bunch of Mr. Meyer’s “one-liners” at least a dozen times over the years, especially in my bisexual movies. With a budget of only $43,000, Meyer’s stylish camerawork and flair made Pussycat look much more like a big budget movie. Japanese born actress Tura Satana’s original movie debut was a cameo as Suzette Wong in Irma la Douce with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. In Pussycat, she did her own stunts and received critical acclaim for her aggressive character portrayal of “Varla.” She also designed her own costumes, make-up and martial arts sequences. For me, I found the strong sexual female character on screen a role model for the type of female lead I would like to create for my first bisexual movie, which I knew one day my producer would approve for me to make.

Over the years, I literally watched every Russ Meyer movie ever made. I fell in love with Lorna, Up!, Mudhoney, and Blacksnake, but I would say the two standouts were Vixen! and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens. They were the most influential to me when developing my bisexual movies. Vixen! (1968) is a softcore sexploitation film starring Erica Gavin. Gavin plays the nympho wife of a pilot who flies tourists around on wilderness expeditions in Canada. While he’s away, she has a bunch of adventures with a Canadian Mountie, a married couple, and even her biker brother. In my personal favorite, Beneath The Valley of the Ultra Vixens (1979), Meyer pulls out all the stops with a cast headed by starlets Kitten Natividad, Uschi Digard and Anne Marie and a cameo by Candy Samples. Candy Samples, during the 1970s, was a mostly R-rated starlet with roles in Prison Girls 3D (directed by Tom DeSimone), Super Chick (1973) and Flesh Gordon (1974). Candy Samples went on to make hardcore adult films from 1980 to 1989, most notably John Homes and the All Star Sex Queens (1980) and Inside Candy Samples (1984). I would say I watched this movie more times than any of the others because of the downright campiness of its female leads. Little did Sharon Kane know that I would be taking elements from all of these ladies and sprinkling them into the characters she would play in future roles for Cracked, Switchcraft, The Rascal and especially for the three different characters she played in Night of the Living Bi Dolls.

I had very mixed feelings when I first viewed Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) many years after its release, but I can say that it grew on me over the years. I bought a VCD copy (from Japan, on two discs that also play in DVD players) of the movie and still to this day I’ll pop it into the DVD player to play in the background because of the incredible musical soundtrack! Especially the song “Look On Up” I would let it play while doing my “spring cleaning” or some other projects, stopping every now and then to watch the scenes. The music by The Sandpipers, Strawberry Alarm Clock and Stu Phillips is the best, and quite addicting to listen to. In fact, I found most of those songs on Spotify and now have my “Beyond Playlist” for when I am really feeling nostalgic. The Vixen, herself, Erica Gavin joins lead Dolly Read, Cynthia Meyers and Edy Williams in this “Psychedelic Sexual Shocker” that couldn’t be any further removed from Neely O’Hara, Jennifer North or that big screen bore Anne Welles.

A decade or so ago, there was a full set of DVDs from Japan that I purchased on eBay, which contained all of the Russ Meyer movies. The packaging was Japanese-designed, but the movies were great beautiful prints with and without Japanese subtitles. It was a bargain for around $50, but now I see that fantastic offering is no longer available anywhere and the individual movies are selling substantially higher, which is great for the Meyer legacy. Back in the day, we would see Russ Meyer in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show personally selling the VHS, then DVD versions of his movies at a premium cost of around $79. I remember stopping to talk to him once with co-worker Chet Thomas (Sal). He was incredibly nice and was very open with all of our questions. He personally signed each copy he sold during the convention and was on the same floor as the adult companies. I’m pretty sure that’s where Chet purchased his Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens movie poster that he had hanging in his editing room at the Catalina offices. Bosomania was the company name Russ Meyer used for the VHS / DVD / Laser Disc packaging of his library of movies.

A true one-of-a-kind filmmaker whose work has undoubtedly influenced and molded not only myself, but also both the mainstream and adult industries. Passing away in his home on September 18, 2004 at the age of 82, Russ Meyer became one of the first moviemakers in his particular genre to move to mainline cinema without altering his style. Credited with inventing the "skin flick," he also drew praise for the artistic vision and raw energy he brought to his films, many of which are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

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.

By Josh Eliot

Can we find a “gay” amongst any of our friend groups who didn’t absolutely love Kathy Bates' performance in Misery? I remember it happening in real time as her Annie Wilkes character struck a chord with America and beyond. I would venture to say that even to this day, 36 years later, whenever I see Kathy Bates' name in a movie I get a certain tingle, drawing my thoughts back to seeing Misery for the first time. That’s an impression she made! As a young director coming into my own in the 1990s, I can easily admit that some of the slightly psychotic characters of the era, like Glenn Close’s Alex Forest in Fatal Attraction, Rebecca De Mornay’s Peyton Flanders in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Kathleen Turner in John Water’s Serial Mom really made going to the movies a lot of fun. I don’t know why I, along with half of America, tend to flock to “stalker themed” movies, knowing full well that there will be a crazy psycho causing chaos, but something inside me just loves to watch how the whole mess plays out.

It’s no secret that my love of the psycho-sexual genre played a big role in my career while making movies for Catalina Video. The trick was to make the stories work seamlessly with the sexual encounters, and have the characters be believable. There has always been a stigma associated with the acting abilities of the gay adult film actors, and I would sometimes pull my hair out trying to get them to show emotion, but the majority I worked with really pulled off their characters, especially the psychotic, off-the-wall roles. Rob Cryston in Single White Male won best actor, Andy Hunter in His Terrible Twin played a good and evil version of himself. Even a relatively unknown actor, Eric Marx, played his psychotic role in Sexual Suspect so precisely that I didn’t get in too much trouble for making the movie in the first place. In fact, it opened the door in my producer’s eyes to let me do more movies with an edge. The biggest surprise for me was with Ty Fox, who looks like a million bucks, but when it came to acting he could never really pull it off. That was until I wrote and shot him in Ty Me Up! based on the Pedro Almodovar classic Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! He played a character fresh out of the asylum who stalks and kidnaps his favorite adult film star! I was very proud of his work in that movie. Anyone who knows me is familiar with my love affair – mentally – regarding Sharon Kane, and the many movies she’s worked in for me with all kinds of quirky, and one might say psychotic, characters. Her role as Joan in Cracked comes to mind, where she plays the ax-wielding killer, based on Joan Crawford in Strait-Jacket and the Patty Duke movie You’ll Like My Mother. I may have made “off-the-wall, crazy-themed” movies a big part of my career, but I certainly wasn’t the first.

BijouWorld.com has a collection of iconic, pioneering directors who shot some really great films with a psychotic edge. Films that, in addition making a certain body part stand at attention, also make the hairs on your neck rise up. For example, Jack Wrangler’s partner in Killing Me Softly (1979) wasn’t just a rough trade top, he also dabbled in a little serial killing, but Jack put a stop to that in the end. The director of Killing Me Softly, Francis Ellie, also came out with The Death of Scorpio (1979), where the premise was somewhat different but the ending was remarkably the same! Shawn Gregory plays a scorned lover who seeks revenge on his ex and his ex’s “playthings,” one of them being the model Scorpio. Gregory invites the playthings over to pose for him, which then turns into full on sex with, let’s say, a not-so-happy ending for them. Gregory’s ex, poised to be the final victim, figures out what is going on and gets bitter Shawn Gregory to drink the poison-filled glass of sparkling wine by switching glasses. A much earlier movie from director Spencer Logan called Boynapped (1975) has a character obsessed with Michael Hardwick’s butch blond jock character, but to up the ante there’s also a couple of kidnapping psychopaths thrown into the mix. Icon straight adult performer Jamie Gillis (aka James Rugman for his boy/boy movies) and singer Dennis Parker (aka Wade Nichols for his adult film work) kidnap the blond stud and do all kinds of crazy things to him! It’s raw, wild and makes the viewer a little bit squeamish. Exactly what we look for in these mainstream or adult psycho-sexual works of art! Wade Nichols aka Dennis Parker released an album for Casablanca Records entitled Like An Eagle (1979), which was produced by the Village People's producer/creator. He had a mainstream career directly coincided with his adult film career. His outstanding good looks afforded him major roles in mostly straight adult movies like Barbara Broadcast (1977), Maraschino Cherry (1977) and Blonde Ambition (1981).

Currently celebrating its 45th Anniversary, and featuring an obsessed, stalker-ish lead character of its own, is the super big budget George Payne, Eric Ryan, Scorpio movie Centurians of Rome (1981). Eric Ryan plays the role of the obsessed, neurotic-erotic Supreme Commander with power and fury. He basically stalks the poor, and not so innocent, Scorpio and gets his psycho oversexed guard dogs to take out their frustrations on George Payne. But who wouldn’t turn into a rabid oversexed dog around George Payne? When done well, psycho-sexual can really work with the eroticism of a sex film and not against it.

Flash forward to modern day, as we look at a mainstream series that really blew me away: Baby Reindeer, written and directed by Richard Gadd. In the series, Richard’s character is the victim of a stalker named Margaret, played by actress Jessica Gunning. Gunning plays her character so well that she earned a Prime Time Emmy, Golden Globe Award, a Critic’s Choice Award, British Academy Television Award and European Actor Award. In addition, writer and lead actor Richard Gadd won a ton of awards as well for acting and writing including a Prime Time Emmy and Golden Globe Award for Best Limited Anthology Series. His acting career started modestly with a stint in Season 1, Episode 4 of Scot Squad in 2014. Ten guest and recurring roles later, he completed Baby Reindeer, which was based on his “one-man dark comedy show.” That’s right, he does comedy, as well, even receiving an Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show in 2016 for Monkey See Monkey Do. Well, guess what? He’s back and with a vengeance in Half Man, a six-part British television series that premiered on HBO on April 23rd and BBC One April 24th. Homoerotic as fuck, with tension that is always present, this show is frequently over-the-top shocking. Everything we could ever love in a series or movie while taking the stalker theme to where it has never gone before. Gadd brilliantly wrote and developed these characters to perfection, and I honestly have never seen an LGBTQ+ movie or series with this depth of obsession mixed with fear and eroticism . At just 37 years of age, Gadd and co-star Jamie Bell both should get nominations, as well as their younger selves played by Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Robertson. Jamie Bell won a BAFTA for his lead role in Billy Elliot (2000), which launched his career. Half Man serves up a super-dark premise with a crazier than crazy lead character that, in some ways, is totally endearing simply by the way he stares at his victim, who honestly is just as obsessed with his stalker.

Like Jessica Walter as “Evelyn” in Play Misty For Me, Gadd as Rueban and Bell as Niall are both a little batshit crazy, which makes the series extremely watchable! There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that if this series came out 20 years ago, before I retired from the adult industry, I would be writing the parody triple X version of it right now and thinking up my pitch as to how I could propose the idea to the GM at Catalina. Not that you asked for it, but I am putting Half Man on your LGBTQ+ must-watch-list. It’s a frighteningly good time!

Watch these original trailers by Josh Eliot!
Centurians of Rome 45th Anniversary Tribute Trailer
Combo Teaser: Death of Scorpio / Boynapped / Killing Me Softly
Single White Male
Sexual Suspect
Ty Me Up!
Cracked

And catch the Bijou Classics mentioned here on DVD & on our Video on Demand site:
Centurians of Rome (DVD | Streaming)
Killing Me Softly (DVD | Streaming)
Death of Scorpio (DVD | Streaming)
Boynapped (DVD | Streaming)

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.

Hi Folks - Will here with another installment of my musical journey. This time, I will share my thoughts on what led me to DJing and what led me to move from New York City to San Francisco in 1976.

For any of you that have been following my blogs over the past couple of years, I apologize in advance for any repetitions or redundancies. Hopefully, these memories will explain how the parts of my musical puzzle fall into place.

In the summer of 1975, I "worked" on Fire Island in The Pines in many capacities. I say this with tongue in cheek because I was everything from a houseboy to a live-in sex worker over that incredible summer. "The Island" and The Pines were where I wanted to be - by hook or by crook. But, I wanted to be there on my own terms and not be hindered in any way from discovering its magic.

"La Isla del Fuego"

 

Twice a houseboy and twice it didn't work out, as some of my implied duties were not to my liking. The first of these two jobs was so limiting that I hardly had any time to experience the Island. The second time morphed quickly into a problem when my sexual "duties" became non-stop. I made a pact with myself not to get into any more "sticky" arrangements like that again. Okay... Enough of the melodramas of a pretty 24 year old and onto a fateful meeting at Cherry Grove's Ice Palace.

Inside The Ice Palace... anything but chilly.

 

It was at a Tea Dance at The Ice Palace where I met Roger. He looked like a page right out of a Tom of Finland book! Muscular, bearded, and with all the right moves on that tea dance floor, too! We tore back to his place and didn't come up for air for what seemed like days! That night turned into that weekend and ultimately the rest of that summer.

I do remember us taking a break from the Island to come into the City (NYC) to see the LaBelle "Night Birds" concert at the Harkness Theater adjacent to Lincoln Center. The concert was extremely well attended. We were in the balcony, which seemed to be the default gay section! When they sang their national hit, "Lady Marmalade" (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir?), our balcony exploded into a sing along with such fervor that the ushers tried to calm us down as they feared structural damage! What a night!

Nona, Sarah & Patti tearing up that balcony.

 

At the end of the season, Roger told me he was moving to San Francisco. I was sad... to say the least. But, fate had more in store for the two of us.

Now, with no real plans for the upcoming fall and winter, I helped out my old friend and former roommate from Puerto Rico, Denis. He received a scholarship to Arizona State University located in the Phoenix area. Although one of the brightest people that I have ever known, he had NO street smarts. His parents knew this and were panicked about him being 1700+ miles from their Northern New Jersey home. They asked me to be "chaperone" and keep an eye on him. So, off we drove across country, hitting every gay bar and club on the way. What a hoot!

As my friend settled into his academics, I tended bar at a couple of local clubs. It was a great way to get to know the local boys and keep in touch with music. Meanwhile, I stayed in touch with Lew Thomas (of Target Studios fame) and did some "Western" site scouting for him. I found a great desert locale that Lew liked. Wearing chaps, cowboy hats and not much else, it turned out to be a rather hot and popular magazine and video.

In the heat of the desert.

 

My connection with Lew paid off again. Serendipitously, at the end of my friend's college stay in Arizona and with me not having any plans after that, Lew contacted me and asked if I might want to work for John Whyte at the Boatel in Fire Island Pines... home of the legendary Pines tea dance. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of Mr. Whyte in full leather (chaps shown above) being interviewed for the job. He was taken/amused by my appearance stating this was a first - interviewing in full leather! For the next three summers that's where I called home.

Me on the busy deck on John Whyte's Boatel. All hands on what?!

As this first summer was coming to an end in the Pines, serendipity struck again. I met Chuck Holmes (of Falcon Studio fame) and was offered work in San Francisco. As fate would have it, the wonderful waitstaff with whom I had worked at the Boatel were all headed to San Francisco, too. Armed with only the promise of a job from Mr. Holmes, I took a leap of faith and joined them. Only one of these guys actually had an apartment in San Francisco. I slept on his floor for my first three nights in town... But, hey, it was in the Castro - the gay crossroads of the world! Soon we all found flats and apartments in the area. The new adventure had begun.

San Francisco's naughty neighborhood.

Within the first month or so I met my boyfriend, Tommy. He had such a sweet face and huge brown eyes... among other things. Little did I know that he was a fan of my porn. We remained together in our little South of Market apartment for the next thirteen years.

Coincidentally, guess who Tommy knew? And, guess who he shared his May 22nd birthday?... Roger... my friend from Fire Island! We instantly became a trio. And, the two of them started to familiarize me with all things San Francisco. I had never before felt so "at home" in any other place in my life.

As the iconic San Francisco disco divas The Two Tons of Fun sang, "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven!" And, I was about to find that out... stay tuned! Will.

It sure can be.

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2

By Josh Eliot

The Castro Theatre's interior, before & after renovation

In the mid 1980s until 1990, I called the Castro Neighborhood in San Francisco my home. We lived in the middle flat of a three-floor Victorian just a few houses up from the corner of 19th and Castro - 629 Castro Street, to be exact. Only two blocks from my flat, at the corner of Market and Castro Street, was what I always considered a magical place called The Castro Theatre, where the community came together to celebrate new and classic films. Back in January 2023, I was working with Will Seagers as we developed a series of blogs about iconic locations throughout San Francisco. In one specific blog, "Deep Inside The Castro: The Castro Theatre," I wrote about how the venue was the heart and soul of the neighborhood. Even though the interiors were already dated in the 1980s, the theatre felt majestic because of its astounding architecture. With the fact that one third of the seating was the “smoking section,” it’s no wonder that the once shimmering gold leaf covered columns and ceiling always seemed dull and faded. My favorite memories in the theatre were when I went there to watch the movies Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Suddenly Last Summer. The packed audiences at the Castro Theatre were never shy about howling at the screen or screaming out one-liners that always got the audience riled up! That was part of the fun, but as years went by the allure seemed to fade, much like its interiors, at least for my friends and me. As an avid moviegoer, there was really no place like it back in its hey-day. On February 4th, 2024, after screening the classic Victor/Victoria (1982), the newer owners, Another Planet Entertainment, enacted the plan they announced back in 2022, stating that they were closing the theatre down to start a major renovation. The goal was to reinvent this icon of the LGBTQ+ community into a treasured space for film, music and live performances.

Jump ahead to Friday, February 6th, 2026: a large rainbow colored ribbon is extended across the entire width of the entrance to the newly restored and elevated theatre. The 41 million dollar two-year project had reached its completion. The renovations were extensive, and in order to make the historic venue profitable, they removed the permanent seating, flattened the floor and installed motorized risers with removable seating. By doing this, they could adjust the occupancy floorplan to set up for concerts. The completed configuration allows 1150 seat capacity for movies and 1400 patrons for concerts. There was strong opposition regarding the proposed configurations, which tied things up for well over a year, but eventually the plans were approved by City Hall. The fact that APE was committed to hold true to their promise of continuing queer representation through movies and scheduled performers helped them to win over wider support. The Nasser family, who originally owned the theatre since its opening in 1922, also spoke out in support of the changes. The original designer of the theatre, Timothy Pflueger (1892-1946), was a top architect in the Bay Area who also created the Transbay Terminal and The Bay Bridge. APE was determined to preserve as many of the original elements as possible. Most of the murals with dragons, cherubs and wreaths were covered in up to two inches of dirt, varnish and nicotine. All were painstakingly cleaned and preserved to their original pristine condition. Honoring all of that work with a ribbon cutting were Mary Conde, VP of Another Planet, Senator Scott Wiener, CEO of Another Planet, Greg Perloff, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Luire, Drag Performer D’Arcy Drollinger and Rafael Mandelman of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Just prior to cutting the ribbon, Ruby Day, from the famed long-running musical Beach Blanket Babylon, sang our national anthem. Cheers and applause followed as they made their way into the theatre. Once they entered the auditorium, the stunningly restored ceiling with its original chandelier, designed by Pfluger, drew everyone’s attention. There was a forty minute pre-show prior to the special screening of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, hosted by Dirty Carol, Sista Roma and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Castro Theatre was always known for the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ that would rise from the floor prior to the beginning of any movie they were playing. The age-old classic song, “San Francisco,” would fill the room, and on most days the audience would sing along with it before quieting down for the beginning of the film. Today was no different, but gone was the Mighty Wurlitzer and its large, ominous pipes. Now a new one million dollar, 2000 pound digital organ emerges from the stage, and at the helm is organist David Hegarty, who has played proudly for the theatre since 1978. He collaborated with the organ builder regarding specifics for its finished design. The sisters never missed a beat and promptly escorted David Hegarty from his instrument to center stage, where they presented him with an award and proclaimed him “Saint Mellifluous!” The energy of the theatre was reminiscent of the Castro in its heyday, and to finish out the pre-show, the sisters and others gathered on stage where fourteen drag queens started a sing-a-long to “Mamma Mia.” When the 35mm print of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert began to play, the audience broke into applause and cheers at the first appearance of lead actor, Terrence Stamp, who had recently passed away.

David Hegarty trying out the new organ & receiving award from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

 

A few days later at the official grand opening on February 10th, artist Sam Smith started the first concert of his twenty-day residency. With all shows sold out way before that date, his final concert at the Castro was planned for March 14th. The diverse acts on the upcoming schedule include: Trash Talk with John Waters: Serial Mom, The 30th Anniversary Opening Night of the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival, musical acts The Breeders, Indigo Girls and Lucy Davis, comedian Robby Hoffman, Clara Bow in the silent movie It, a sing-a-long to The Sound of Music, Showgirls with guest star Gina Gershon and the multi-night 29th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival. The show certainly does go on now that the Castro Theatre is back and better than ever. I could not be more thrilled for my old neighborhood!

Day 1 of Sam Smith's residency, Gershon, Hedwig, Clara Bow & John Waters Trash Talking Serial Mom

 

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| DERRICK STANTON Talks About Life on the Set, Part 2

Hi folks! Will here. Today's blog will be a bit of a departure from the last few in that it will be primarily a "Photo Essay" courtesy of my trusty Pentax K-1000. Although considered a beginner's 35mm SLR, it was good quality and easy to use! From the mid-70s 'till the mid-80s, when it was replaced with a Nikon SLR. Yes! I used some of that "pin money" from my porn adventures to buy lots of nice toys! LOL.

Although this was not the first S.F. Pride parade, it was my first. I had only been in town since September of 1976. And, during the weeks leading up to this event, I became increasingly excited to see it. My partner Tommy as well as many of our friends went on and on about how festive it was going to be and all of the beautiful people that were going to attend. So, I immediately got out my Pentax and made sure it was in perfect working order.

Pride parade and all of its political beginnings.

The glee and beauty exposed at the parade!
 

Fashionable footwear on the floats.

Roger Magan (left) and Tommy (right) both high as a kite! Roger was instrumental in my move to SF. And, Tommy was there when I arrived!

A dear buddy and laser mouth cut up – DJ Tom Junnell from Oil Can Harry's disco.

Tommy's bestie Crysler wearing an original Stud t-shirt.

The very political theme of this year's parade equating Anita Bryant and Hitler.

The “Orange Lady” Anita Bryant was getting more pie in her face!

 

 

June in San Francisco is one of the most stellar months, weather-wise. The sky could not be any bluer nor the Sun any brighter. With the temps climbing into the mid-70s, it was shirts-off weather for sure. And, that is exactly what happened - with both men and women! Although it took a decade or two for S.F. to reach the Sodom and Gomorrah heights of the Folsom Street Fairs, this parade for its time was pretty "edgy!"

Tommy and I had a leg up on a lot of the parade revelers in that we lived a mere two blocks from Market Street - the parade route. We decided to walk a few blocks downtown where the crowds were really piling up. I climbed atop a (Walk/Don't Walk) traffic signal for my photo perch. I guess I was up about 8' – 10'... a perfect vista. Although I got a lot of choice photos, I did miss out on taking pics of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone who both attended. As this was the era of Gay Empowerment both fiscally and politically, it was great to have our heroes with us!

One star that did not escape my lens was Sylvester. At this time he was quite a rising musical talent. Originally, he performed in neighborhood venues. But, that soon morphed into national and international attention! As I mentioned in a former blog about The Castro, Syl and I became friends. He came into the bar where I spun records (The Badlands) to say hello and drop off new releases (that I was delighted to play - on the spot!).

 

Sylvester at the 1977 SF pride parade.

A long shot of Market St. (the parade route) and the many revelers!

The ever popular women's contiengent from Oakland, “Dykes on Bikes!”

Carmen Miranda – move over!

On this sea of floats talent abounded.

San Francisco's royalty of the day in all of their splendor.

Voicing our rights!

Again!

So many wonderful names and faces were in this crowd! Many became life-long friends. The experience was dazzling and it became an annual affair for me. It has been great to recreate this time capsule. I hope you enjoy! Will.

Thank you to Will Seagers for use of his photos.

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, recent photo

 

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret