BijouBlog

By Josh Eliot

Arguably the best movie director William Higgins ever made was the bestselling hit Big Guns. Released in 1987, it quickly became the movie to see and to share with friends. Big Guns was the winner of Best Gay Film at the 1987 XRCO Awards and honored again in 2003 at the Grabby Awards for Best Classic Video. The lead, and featured constantly throughout the movie, was Mike Henson. The A-list co-stars include Jeff Quinn, John Davenport, Kevin Williams, John Rocklin, Chris Gray, Mike Ryan, Jeff Boote and Rocky Armano. The two other co-stars, Chad Douglas and Kevin Wiles, had the “show-stopping” scene that, at least in our San Francisco flat, was played, rewound, played again and rewound over and over again. Freeze frames sucked on a VHS machine, so you could never really use that as an option to fantasize over. I’m pretty sure I remember being pissed that the rental tape had creases throughout that scene from other renters, prior to us, doing the same wind and rewind. Big Guns was a defining moment for Catalina Video as a company and the wave continued with its sequel, Hot Rods: The Young & The Hung 2. I started working with Catalina Video in October of 1987 and was very well aware of who they were as a company and the history of William Higgins' work, thanks to my local video store on 18th and Castro. I literally felt like I hit the jackpot when Dan Allman (Cameron Leight) told me exactly what company was hiring me. Something left out of the conversations in my two previous interviews with Scott Masters and John Travis before getting their blessing and having a final interview with Dan. Talk about not feeling worthy!

I slowly got used to life on the set. In the beginning, we were not pumping out two to three movies a month like we did starting a few years later. I continued my job as an insurance claims adjuster and got Norma, my manager, to agree for me to have days off when Catalina booked me for shoots. She and her husband owned a franchise video store called National Video and she was just as thrilled as I was when I told her I got my dream job to work in video production. Of course I never told her it was porn; she would not have been on board with that. I told her that tired old story I felt the need to tell time and time again - that I was working on corporate training videos. It worked and she made the accommodations for me. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I got all the employees to throw her a 20th anniversary surprise party to celebrate her time with the insurance company. I got her consent a few days later. I know how to time things! So shoots were sporadic, maybe a few days a month. After getting a few movies under my belt and starting on second camera, Catalina asked me to work at the studio in between productions with Dan Allman for a salary instead of day-pay. I accepted and before we knew it production was increasing. Scott Masters would schedule at least two scenes for two different movies for every set that we built. For example, we built a shower for The Young Cadets and also used it for Black Force, a biracial movie.

In 1988, John Travis made a movie with one hell of a cast called My Best Buddy. This year, My Best Buddy is celebrating it’s 35th Anniversary. To celebrate it and my memories working on it, I cut a little PG trailer for my YouTube Channel and Instagram. Here’s the link if you’d like to check it out.

Dan and I spent a few days putting together a woodsy set. We went to Golden Gate Park and got lots of greenery from the ground as well as fallen tree limbs. We also worked out a deal to rent trees from a local nursery. The set looked incredible; with our night back drop, it came across as very realistic. We shot a scene for Dan’s movie Black Force, which he directed under the name Freddy Murphy instead of Cameron Leight; you know, different era.

A day or so later, John Travis showed up with Doug Niles and his co-star, none other than Big Guns lead Mike Henson. We were never told in advance what models were flying up from L.A . with the directors and this was the first real “star sighting” for me. I knew him from Big Guns, but also In Hot Pursuit, Hot Rods: The Young & The Hung 2, Full Load and Bad Boys Club. It really felt like porn royalty was walking through the door. It turns out he was one year younger than me, born in 1963, and could not have been more down to earth and friendly. He and Doug Niles really hit it off and I was suddenly shown what a real performer behaved like on the set. Totally into the scene, bonding with his partner and knowing how to work a camera. Very little direction needed except for repeating some actions to get different angles. I was lucky enough to work with him again when I directed Sailor in the Wild 2 in 1990 and Powertool 2, co-directing with Chi Chi LaRue in 1991. If you remember, Powertool ends with Jeff Stryker cruising Mike Henson across the street. In the sequel, we opened the movie with Stryker cruising Mike Henson, but replaced the shots of Mike Henson with new ones that we shot, looking a bit older. We intercut it with Styker seamlessly, then he turns and sees Lex Baldwin. Henson bids adieu to Stryker and goes off with Baldwin. (Click this link for a look at the Powertool 2 extended trailer on my channel.) We almost got Stryker for Powertool 2, but negotiations broke down. It’s too bad; I wanted to change his look utilizing a hairy chest and facial hair, but it was not to be.

Another great set that we did not build, but rented, for My Best Buddy was a passenger bus. Kurt Bauer, who I knew from my very first day on the set, and Mike Gregory, who I knew from Young Cadets, were cast for a three-way on the bus. A bus on which, by the way, we also shot a scene for Scott Masters' The Main Attraction and a scene for my first directorial debut video, Runaways. Their co-star was John Davenport, winner of the Best New Stud award at the 1986 XRCO Awards. Another shake-in-my-boots star sighting famous for his giant piece and outrageous cum shots. I remember Dan throwing on a hat and sunglasses when he shot the underneath angle, and he told me to stand back with the fill light or it was going to get a soaking. I first saw him in The Bigger They Come, then Big Guns, Powertool and Innocence Lost, to name a few. It’s amazing what huge hits he was a part of. He was a lot more intimidating than Mike Henson. I want to say John Davenport was more straight-acting than most gay-for-pay guys and really needed constant direction to pull the performance out. The giant hard dick was not the issue, it was up and ready to go, it was more like the energy level didn’t match that of hot Mike Gregory who was always ready to go and Kurt Bauer who, bisexual himself, really let himself go and enjoyed himself while playing with the boys. John Davenport was on the set again the next year in John Travis’s Powerline in 1989, this time with even lower energy or desire to be there. I’m not sure why, but we never saw him again after that. To round off my first set of star sightings, Mike Ryan, another Big Guns star, showed up one day for the yellow bedroom scene in My Best Buddy with the Young Cadet himself, Chris Williams.

Even though the movie Big Guns really featured a packed cast, the movie My Best Buddy was noted by many for having a top notch cast, as well led by newcomer Doug Niles. Niles is the true star of the movie, and if you happen to watch his scene with Greg Stevens, let me know if you notice the flub. Between day one of shooting their scene and day two, Greg Stevens met some trick in the Castro and didn’t make it back to the “models apartment” that night. He was MIA the next morning and we had to wait in the studio until John Travis contacted us saying he returned, which was sometime early afternoon. Everyone was annoyed and stressed, especially John Travis. It was obvious to all that he had partied all night and whomever he tricked with gave him and extreme punkish haircut. Like a tweaker got a pair of scissors and went to town. John Travis was beside himself, breaking his own record of chain smoking. He asked the make-up man (whose nickname was “Wolf-Pussy,” don’t ask me why) to try and make his hair match what it looked like the day before. We even re-shot his close-ups from the day before so it would “kind-of” match! I think we were done with Greg Stevens after that movie. Other than that hideous day, working on My Best Buddy with some real Big Guns was an experience that always stuck with me, as a positive exciting time.

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

I am writing this on Saturday January 13th, 2024. I specifically blocked out time on this day as it was exactly 25 years ago that my partner (from 1992-1999) Yves-Claude Theriault aka Mark Rutter passed away. When I was pulling photos for my last blog about the Gold Coast Bar and writing about Mark working there, I discovered it was the 25th anniversary. I’ve spoken about our relationship in the past (“7 Years with Colt Model Mark Rutter”), but this time I think it would be special for Mark’s words to do a little story telling. I re-discovered a diary Mark had started to work on but never got to complete. I never thought his words in writing would ever find an audience, but thanks to BijouWorld and this blog excerpts now will. The passages I will share may not read like a story and have a beginning, middle and end like a blog should, but it makes me really happy to give them some life, with an audience.

Mark Rutter was born Yves-Claude Theriault, on October 8, 1951, a French Canadian growing up in Maine. After shooting a photo layout with Al Parker for the Surge Studio magazine Pit Stop, he was introduced to Jim French at Colt Studios and worked exclusively for them in films. Mark passed away at the age of 47, leaving siblings who include his sister Charlene, his brother Rick, nephews Pierre and Jeremy and his Mom. We had his ceremony at The Little Brown Church in Studio City, where celebrities Marlon Brando, Debbie Reynolds and Mickey Rooney were married and the Reagans renewed their vows in 1992. He was cremated and buried over his father’s grave in Maine. Here are some of his thoughts, as written, with only punctuation, spelling and my real name changed, along with a ton of pictures!

*****

I knew I was HIV+ in 1982 without actually going to see a doctor or being diagnosed. Something was going on with my body that let me know I was positive. I can almost pinpoint the day I feel I was infected. It was through intravenous drug use and I knew the dangers at the time but was not very knowledgeable that it could happen to me. I went into denial for 5 years because there was so little help out there and decided to not go on whatever medication was available. People were going through terrible side effects and were still dying left and right. One day in 1987 while walking to work I noticed a small purplish dot on the inside of my elbow. I knew right away what it was, Kaposi Sarcoma, a type of cancer associated with HIV. I freaked out but was not the least bit surprised. I kept it to myself for 3 or 4 weeks and finally told Rick, my brother, who was my roommate at the time. I was still against any medication. I was going to let the process take its course. I finally called my sister and found the nerve to tell her about it. We discussed it at length but I was still determined not to do anything about it. She got very angry with me and said I was being irresponsible.

I decided to go to the Gay & Lesbian Center on Highland Blvd to get tested and be told all my options. Two weeks later I returned for my blood results as instructed. By then I had developed two more lesions on my right arm. A counselor took me in this little room and informed me that my test results were back and my results were negative. My mouth dropped to the floor and I had chills up and down my spine. I said to the counselor, showing her my arm, “Then what is this?” She proceeded to shuffle papers around and her face turned ghostly white. She was very upset and told me that she was looking at someone else’s results. She was devastated and did not know what to say or do next. I told her not to worry, that I had known about my results, and I ended up counseling her.

Mark ended up being referred to a research program for treatment using Tran Retinoic Acid, a derivative of Vitamin A. Eight pills three times a day for one year until the KS went into full remission. In the next excerpt, we jump ahead a number of years. Mark’s brother Rick confessed that he too was HIV+. The two shared an apartment until a falling out over Mark’s partying too much, with his friend Kelly, so Mark moved out. Kelly was a fellow bartender at the Gold Coast and was also dealing coke. Mark was hanging out with Kelly and his partner Don all the time.

*****

I was hanging around my friend Kelly a lot and was doing a lot of cocaine, while my health was getting worse and worse. My T-cells were dropping at an alarming rate. By this time by an act of God I met someone at the Gold Coast and we made plans for dinner. I was a little apprehensive and felt awkward, we were to meet on safe grounds at Rafters (bar) and then go to dinner from there. I asked my friend Valerie and her girlfriend (Michelle) to join us for a drink before dinner. When I walked into Rafters he was there wearing a denim shirt, jeans and a black leather jacket. I was wearing a denim shirt, jeans and a black leather jacket, the only difference was that mine was pressed and starched and his was wrinkled. HaHa. His name was (Josh) by the way. I asked him if he wanted a line and his eyes lit up and he said yes, and off we went to the bathroom. I thought… there goes dinner. We stayed at the bar until closing, by then Valerie and Michelle were drunk and obnoxious. I asked him if he wanted to come over and he answered yes.

The next morning we took showers and he said he would take me to breakfast since we missed dinner altogether. We went off to Silver Spoon, one of the worst places to eat in town, but I was not really bothered by it because something was happening. Shelly Winters was sitting next to us and was yelling and being obnoxious. She needed butter for her fucking toast. After breakfast I drove (Josh) back to his truck which was parked down the street from Rafters. We exchanged phone numbers and promised to call one another.

We started meeting a few times a week for dinner. I was showing (Josh) the fine art of dining and expanding his horizons. He kept my feet on the ground and in control, it was a perfect match. I remember Kelley saying: “If you fuck this up I’ll kill you.” Kelly and Don were very fond of him. I remember we had a date to spend Easter together. I stopped by Thrifty’s and got him an Easter basket to impress him. Well when I got to his place he had a dozen roses and a box of Godiva chocolates. I felt like a fool with my little basket from Thrifty’s.

One thing led to another and we started dating exclusively. We really got along very well together. It was my first serious relationship since I was a gay man and it felt good. He’s fun to be around and is very compassionate and takes very good care of me. We are complete opposites but complement each other. After dating for a year we started talking about getting a place together. That scared me a little since I had been living on my own since I was 16 years old. I was very good at changing the subject and I managed to avoid it for another year.

It literally took months of being together before I was able to wean Mark off his addiction to Kelly and their cocaine lifestyle. I knew he was a party animal from the start but I wasn’t about to buy into it. I was not into the whole drug as a lifestyle thing and made it very clear from the get go. We cut our visits to their place to once a week, if that, but I’m sure they were doing coke while working their shifts at the bar. I did eventually convince him to look at a great condo in West Hollywood that I strong-armed him into moving into with me, finally conquering his fear of living with a partner. Later that year. Kelly’s partner Don passed away and Kelly ended up moving back home to Tennessee. Shortly after moving there, he was riding on the back of a friend's motorcycle when it went off the road and they both were killed. Mark was devastated, naturally, but by this time his health was better and he stopped drinking and drugging. His HIV was under control and we had a good number of years ahead of us.

When Mark started these writings it was not long before he started having issues with CMV, which affected his eyes. He was let go from the Gold Coast at this time, leading to depression as his failing health got the best of him. Unfortunately, his brother Rick passed away a few years later. I’m just happy to be able to get a couple passages of his words in print somewhere even though they are minimal. I’ve had these writings in a file for 25 years and the timing of this blog could not be more appropriate. Reading Mark’s writings, it was almost as if I could hear him reciting the words. Twenty-five years is a long time ago, but in the case of so many of the adult film and video actors who entertained and aroused us over the years, their performances are eternal. Thanks to companies like Bijou, their work is being preserved, allowing them to live on for future generations to enjoy.

Thank you to Josh Eliot for use of his photos.

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

When I saw a recent special offer on the BijouWorld email for the restored and remastered movie Gold Rush Boys, it reminded me instantly of a West Hollywood gay landmark bar called The Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is no longer operating, in fact it closed its doors in 2020 because of COVID-19 and rent negotiation gone south. The property sat vacant for quite some time, but is now beautifully restored and slinging cocktails once more as OR Bar.

First things first, the 1983 Steve Scott directed movie Gold Rush Boys features a great cast led by Michael Braun and featuring: J.W. King, Nick Jarrett, Kurt Williams, Joe Reeves, Paul Monroe, Brian Nichols, Ben Barker, Lee Adams, Jay Cole and Rick Faulkner. Taking place mostly in an all-male house of ill repute, this authentic looking western is even more of a feast for the eyes thanks to the amazing restoration it received at the hands of Jules and Steven at Bijou. The cast is dressed in authentic garb from the period and the movie is full of rock hard pieces, beautifully photographed. I personally feel this movie was one of Steve Scott’s finest. I have to admit, I never heard of it prior to recently seeing it on the BijouWorld site and when I watched it I wondered why it was never one of those “staple titles” on any gay collector’s list. It certainly deserves to be. It has a strikingly handsome cast for that time period and perfect camera work and lighting. The more movies I see from director Steve Scott, the more impressed I am with his body of work. When I referred to him in a previous blog as gay porn’s Martin Scorsese, it couldn’t be any more accurate. In fact, I might go a step further in saying that the next generation of gay porn directors - with the exception of some - couldn’t hold a candle to the quality of Scott’s work.

Steve Scott's Gold Rush Boys (Available on DVD & Streaming through Bijou) and star Michael Braun

The Gold Coast Bar, some might say, was another place of ill-repute. It opened in 1981, making it the oldest gay bar in West Hollywood, keeping its doors open for 39 years. It also featured an authentic wood and brick façade that looked like it was straight out of a western. The place was a goldmine for spotting porn stars and a throw-back, even in its day, to the “drinking man’s bar” like you find in San Francisco. The drinks were strong and the prices low, the bartenders in the 1990’s when I hung out there were friendly and flirty. I met my first long term partner, Mark Rutter, there as he was one of the bartenders. I remember first locking eyes with him when I ordered a drink for my friends and I. Before pouring the drinks that I ordered, he threw two shot glasses down, made a couple of kamikazes, pushed one to me then held his up to toast. We both shot them back. No words, but I knew exactly what he was saying to me. When he gave me the drinks I ordered, he shoved the money back at me and, without missing a beat, turned and walked off to get someone else’s order. Attitude for days - I was so impressed. Later on, I saw him at a party in the condo of the Manager Karl Ethridge, real life uncle of Melissa Etheridge, and within weeks we were locked into a seven year relationship. You can read more about that on my blog “7 Years with Colt Model MARK RUTTER.”

Mark Rutter during his Colt years and bartending at the Gold Coast

Porn Star Anthony Gallo and my spouse of 23 years, Tony (ten years legally married), were partners at the time when they both worked as bouncers for the Gold Coast back in 1995. For the most part, everyone who worked or hung out at the bar were in good spirits. It was famous for being a very social neighborhood place to hang out, listen to music, play darts and do shots. Although one night, a new face showed up acting strangely and making inappropriate statements to the patrons. When Tony tried to escort him out, he got pushed, then the guy picked up a barstool to hit him. The bartender on duty, our good friend Mark, jumped over the bar and, along with the help of Anthony Gallo, they threw the assailant out the door and onto the street. The lunatic grabbed a brick from his pocket and hit Anthony in the forehead, causing a scar you will see in any of his movies shot after 1995. The nut job ended up being arrested by the West Hollywood sheriff’s department.

Newspaper headline about the Gold Coast Bar attack

All in all, there were many more great times than negative ones. Mark Ferguson and Yves-Claude (Mark Rutter), as Gold Coast bartenders, were responsible for starting the Red Dress Party in 1997. Mark Ferguson and Mark Rutter had a secret agreement that whomever passed away first, the other would wear a “red dress” to their memorial. Mark Ferguson passed away while Mark Rutter was out of town, and when he returned, he asked one of the Gold Coast owners, Bob Hastings, to throw a charity event for individuals living with HIV and AIDS. At the event, everyone invited was asked to wear a red dress to celebrate Mark Ferguson’s life. The event was a huge success and the Red Dress Party is still a yearly event, not only in West Hollywood but many cities, with the Gold Coast hosting it for 23 years straight.

Red Dress Party photos

The Gold Coast was located kitty corner to the famous Circus of Books (watch Ryan Murphy’s documentary on the subject) so the porn star vibe dominated the area. Aside from the fact that Kevin Williams had sex with my partner Mark Rutter in the toilet, most of the porn star memories are fun and cheery ones! Steve Regis and Cole Philips pulling raffle tickets one night, Eduardo and Sam Carson (real life and on-screen lovers) frequented the place. Blue Blake from England, Daryl Brock from Vancouver. I want to say that Chi Chi and Ryan Idol came with us there after we shot the scene for Idol Thoughts. The West Hollywood Cheerleaders hosted the Sunday Beer Brunch, which was a huge hit until the state of California stopped it because there was no way to control how much beer any given person was served. Cheerleaders simply walked around constantly refilling everyone’s mugs. My friends Lenny, Jerin and I were there every Sunday, just like church. It was even at the Gold Coast where the GM of Catalina offered me Scott Master’s position of producer, once Scott Masters quit. I remember one night over drinks convincing my friend Rosalyn to go to dinner with straight (gay for pay) porn star “Ty,” who had tagged along after a shoot. It turns out she cut the date short because he actually licked his plate at the restaurant, freaking her the fuck out.

Josh with Lenny & Jerin | Anthony Gallo, Sam Carson & Eduardo | Article: "Gold Coast Bar Supports Aid for AIDS"

The neighborly feeling of the Gold Coast and its patrons in the 1990’s is nearly impossible to replicate these days. About 30 or so of us patrons even went camping together - a few times! A great historical landmark for sure, a goldmine of memories. Hopefully the building absorbed all the love, lust and wicked behavior that was the Gold Coast, and the new bar, OR, has the same wonderful run.

Check out Gold Coast Bar Group on Facebook for some great historical posts.

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 Will Seagers

Hi folks! Will here.

We're taking a little bit of a break after the two year run of my blog with Bijou.

To celebrate the two years of fun that I've had, here is a gala video for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Will Seagers in L.A. Tool & Die, stylized image

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

By Josh Eliot

I’m not sure what is going on, but it seems that “breakfast with the porn icons” is an ongoing occurrence! Maybe this should be a new show for HEREtv. I’ve talked about Catalina Exclusive Ray Harley numerous times in my past blogs - the fact that he was discovered at the host hotel of the International Mr. Leather Contest, the fact that he is a proud Toronto Canadian, and the fact that he was one of the sweetest most genuine guys to ever grace the set. One thing I didn’t mention was that he was also involved in a successful long-term three way relationship. A “throuple” that passed all the trials and tribulations you would associate with such a relationship. I haven’t seen Ray since around 2003, so there is so much about his present situation and life that I do not know about. However, I might just get informed really quick. I received a DM from Ray saying that he was in Palm Springs for Christmas and New Years and would like to meet up for breakfast or lunch. He also reached out to Peter Romero and Brad Austin, two other Catalina directors who also live here in the Coachella Valley. We decided to meet at Rick’s Restaurant near the tram in Palm Springs the next day at 10am. Rick’s is probably the best “gay adored” breakfast spot in the desert, yet very unpretentious. I personally love to order the “Paul Bunyan Breakfast Platter” that is so big it comes on two plates, a large, thick ham steak occupying the second plate. Since there will be a large group at our table, I don’t want to take up too much space or come across like a glutton. But secretly I will feel “deprived” not having my Paul Bunyan for breakfast!

I will talk about my get-together with Ray in the second half of this blog, but in the meantime here is a bit from his bio. Ray is a Capricorn and was born in 1967, making him 56 years old. His debut movie for Catalina Video was Meet Ray Harley, released in 1997. His final movie was 69: Discover the Secret, released in 2004. Ray featured an image that was very different from the majority of those cast in Catalina productions, and his striking good looks allowed him starring roles in some of the biggest features we released - titles like 1998's CatalinaVille and Big Guns 2 (where Ray was awakened in the middle of the battlefield one night and overpowered by three hung and horny guys in gas masks); Thrill Me! (1999), co-starring alongside Steve Rambo in a sexually charged murder mystery; Score (1999), featuring Steve Rambo, Blake Harper and Jason Branch who played two Hollywood power couples at odds with the law and each other; Voyager (2000), where Ray was with us every step of the way on that cursed cruise ship from hell, otherwise known as Tampa.

Vermont Reunion (2002), Party in Provincetown (2002) and His Terrible Twin (2003) all featured Ray in leading roles as he joined us on our road trip to the East Coast. Honestly, he was the best model to travel with. I think Brandon Webber (The Rascal Series) was on that trip, as well, to shoot scenes for The Rascal Stows Away, and he wasn’t that great to travel with, if you get my drift. It was like night and day comparing him and Ray on and off the set. The best feeling I had the whole trip was when I put “The Rascal” on the plane in Burlington, VT to fly home. Boy, I guess he still gets under my skin, considering the fact that just mentioning his name sidetracked my whole train of thought.

Ray was definitely a power bottom who could hold his own with the biggest of boys, like another Catalina Exclusive at the time, Maxime Cannon. Their scene in 69: Discover the Secret was pure magic! It’s quite a bio he has, for sure, with supporting roles in movies like Stag Show, Ride ‘Em Cowboy, Junior’s Nude Cleaning Service, Harley’s Crew and Boy Band. I can’t say that I wasn’t a bit anxious and nervous on my way to the restaurant, having not crossed paths in the last twenty years, but when we pulled into the parking lot and saw Ray getting out of his car all that anxiety went away.

We met up in front of the restaurant, exchanged hugs and got ourselves a nice large booth. Brad Austin arrived shortly after, but unfortunately Peter Romero was a “no-show” - still not sure why. It turns out Ray has been living in London, England for the past eighteen years. He showed me a picture of his long-term partner and they make a sweet-ass looking couple. I’d love to share their photo, but they are both very private people when it comes right down to it. Ray clarified to me that it wasn’t really a “throuple” he was in - he was actually the boyfriend of half of a couple, with the permission and blessing from the “other half.” Makes perfect sense now. As fans of Ray Harley already know, he is a classically trained pianist who worked for the ballet in Toronto and now again in London. He wrote and performed the theme song for my movie Score. It was a beautiful number with a haunting melody that really elevated my movie. It turns out his ex-boyfriend and his partner have a home in Palm Springs, so he tries to get out here at least once a year around the holidays.

Of course, Brad Austin showed up with tons of energy, as per usual, and was the first to start throwing out quotes and belly-laugh memories from past days on the set. Ray confessed to me that when we were shooting his first scene for CatalinaVille in Breckenridge, Colorado, he was watching me shoot the four-way scene on a day he wasn’t working. He said he was standing next to me when I shot one of the cum shots and then the facial of the model pretending to cum. He said he was just interested in seeing how I shoot my angles, as it was all new to him. He remembered that the model really over-acted the climax facial reaction, and after I said “cut” I turned and whispered to him, “Geez… That was so dramatic I thought an alien was going to pop out of his stomach.” Sounds like something I’d say, and now that he mentioned it I kind of remember saying it. It’s funny what people remember. Around mid-breakfast, Brad Austin was telling a gross “off-set” story very loudly, so we had to shush him because the guy in the next booth could hear him and was eating re-fried beans. That might tell you something about his disgusting story. At this point when our banter took a turn for the worse, he kept saying that we need to do a podcast. Ray agreed to take part if we were able to one day pull it together. One thing's for sure, when the Catalina Crew and models reunite, there is no lack of storyline to talk about. We snapped a picture outside the restaurant and said our goodbyes. The connection we all have from working together for nearly seven years will always be there, like those amazing screen performances Ray Harley gave to the Catalina audiences in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

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.