BijouBlog

Producer Scott Masters was able to secure some great talent to work for Catalina Video in the 1980s and early 1990s. One of his main discoveries was Matt Powers, who I wrote about in the blog “Some Real What The Fuck Moments While Making Scott Masters' LIFEGUARD ON DUTY.” Scott signed Matt to an exclusive contract, moved him into his home and started a romantic relationship with him. When their breakup happened and Matt moved out of the residence, Scott suffered from separation anxiety and put out the feelers for a new exclusive model to replace him.

This new exclusive model came to us from the state of Colorado and was signed to a multi-picture deal in 1991. The model was Cody Foster, 21 years old, born October 9th, 1970. His very first scene was a J/O in the video Stargazing, which featured solo performances from all of the up-and-coming Catalina stars. He was personable, very friendly and fun to be around. Then we started production on Malibu Pool Boys (1992), his first full feature, which received more attention and instant success than many movies before it. Malibu Pool Boys made Cody an instant star and led to a staggering amount of magazine covers to follow, essentially turning him into the “It Boy” of 1992. Cody was poised to have a long successful career and an exciting life as one of Catalina’s dancers who toured the country. His multi-picture contract and company backing almost guaranteed that. In addition, his Colorado agent had national and international connections with all the gay clubs and event promoters.

I’d say some red flags were glaring to myself and the crew from working with him on Malibu Pool Boys. Shooting the movie started off smoothly, with Scott Masters, Cody and myself taking a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, shooting exterior shots and having a fantastic seafood lunch on the shore. Spirits were high and everyone was excited to start this movie that we hoped would be a “star-vehicle” to make Cody a success. Shooting the first day with Chad Knight was going excellently - who didn’t love shooting a scene with Chad! His dick was always up and ready, so the oral went great. The real trouble started with the fucking. Scott Masters would never - absolutely never - put the full power and finances of the company behind a new exclusive star who was a “bottom,” no way no how. That’s how he felt, and he often verbalized it. This was years before popular power-bottom Joey Stefano hit the scene.

The shooting of Malibu Pool Boys was a classic lesson on how not to start off a working relationship. You see, Cody Foster was a bottom, through and through; he verbalized it to all of us and even tried to reason with Masters, but to no avail. Scott Masters was going to have this hot new exclusive fuck Chad Knight, come hell or high water! Well, I can tell you, that went over like “a fart in church.” Cody would get hard, run into the shot, try to stick it in and go soft almost immediately. This literally went on for hours and hours, and you could visibly see Cody’s spirit dimming and his hostility growing. Still photographer Jeff Burton and I were even a little frightened by certain personality changes we witnessed. It was more than just frustration we were seeing; his anger filled the room, though Scott Masters didn’t seem to notice. Yes, we got some shots in the final movie of Cody fucking, but at what expense? Cody became angrier and angrier and probably felt like his voice wasn’t heard, and his first time with the full crew was probably embarrassing for him. There was no Viagra then, and you could just see him almost losing it every time he had to penetrate Chad. I felt bad for Chad, too; how do you finish a scene with someone who is obviously in distress and ready to explode? Jeff and I both tried to get Scott Masters to just have Cody bottom to release some anxiety on the set, but it all fell on deaf ears. He waited until both models were absolutely exhausted to finally let Chad fuck Cody. Of course, Chad fucked like the star he is and saved the scene. But the damage was done. From that very first sex scene on his very first movie, Cody acted completely different in every single conversation with Scott Masters and the crew.

A couple of days later, it was time for Cody’s second scene in the movie with Arik Travis. Can I just say that Arik Travis never got the full “star-treatment” he so deserved! He is tall, dark and handsome, with a chiseled face and fat piece. I think the only cover he graced was for Fan Male, by Chi Chi LaRue, even though he worked on and off from 1992 to 2003. Total star potential with him! In any event, everyone showed up with a good attitude and the scene went off without a hitch, with Cody doing all the bottoming and no topping. Even though things went well that day, there was this weird tension in the air, almost like Cody was super annoyed to be around all of us.

The next time we saw Cody was when he came to town for his role in Chi Chi LaRue’s Bi-ology: The Making of Mr. Right (1992) with Lois Ayres and Dean Glass, and his role in Reunion (1992). I was shooting Down Bi Law downstairs while Chi Chi was working with Cody upstairs for Bi-ology. Chi Chi later told me that it was a bit tense at moments, where Cody would kind of get a bit pissy and she was scared that I would see Lois’ head rolling down the staircase. Lois Ayres is a strong woman, and the kind of starlet that you don’t fuck with. She might have pushed Cody’s buttons once or twice, causing another tense set. We split the crew in half to shoot simultaneously, and photographer Jeff Burton would run up and down the stairs to cover the still photography for both movies. He kept plopping down and sharing the nightmarish behavior happening upstairs with me. For the movie Reunion, I was the head videographer and we shot it at the 8 Is Enough TV show house in Universal City. All I truly remember is that it was tenser than tense! I’ve blocked out why and how, but Cody became very dark and slightly scary. I was so happy to have never had to direct him - I could always stay on his good side by being just the cameraman, plus a good listener when he wanted to go off.

By mid-1992, when Masters and John Travis departed the company, Cody had one movie left on his contract: Cody Exposed (1993), which I passed on to Brad Austin to direct. He never forgave me for that! Cody’s contract was not renewed, despite his becoming immensely popular with the public. He then went on to work with numerous companies like All Worlds (Hard as Marble, 1992), Falcon (Basic Plumbing, 1993) and Pleasure Productions (Ripped, 1992), despite having numerous run-ins with the law in Colorado. In 1992, a civil suit was filed and in 1993, he had a restraining order against him and was convicted in Colorado for prohibited use of a weapon. I remember hearing that he fired his gun at a government building. In 1994, despite his legal troubles, he worked on three movies: The Bigger the Better 2 (HIS), Workin’ Stiff (Falcon) and Grease Guns (Studio 2000). In early 1995, his popularity was finishing its peak when he worked on Tradewinds (Huge) for Matt Sterling and Whitefire (All Worlds). After those movies, suddenly and without warning, all productions of movies featuring Cody Foster ended.

In 1995, he began serving a four-year prison sentence in a Jefferson County, Colorado jail for retaliating against his wife, who had previously filed charges against him for battery. His wife divorced him while he was in jail. Once out of incarceration he tried to revise his career, this time in the bondage market of adult entertainment as a submissive bottom taking punishment under restraint, which included whipping and spanking. In 2003, despite the change in his looks and image after getting out of jail, he went on to work in Open House (Massive Studios) and Goldenrod (Studio 2000) for producer Scott Masters. Go figure.

He was not seen on screen again until 2006, when he was featured in Tough-Man Bondage (Grapik Art Productions), where he was hanging from all fours from the ceiling while John Bondi sweated his ass off while brutally whipping and spanking him. Those who have worked with Cody state that he had a very poor childhood, suffered from physical abuse when he was young, got married at age 20 and struggled with being in the closet.

On June 7th, 2007, he passed away from liver cancer at age 37. A difficult story to tell, for sure.

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

Hello Folks. Will Here! The title of this piece refers to a philosophical retrospective on my life and what I thought were catastrophic events, but turned out to be the flow of good fortunes that followed... "Life Goes On."

I am an emotional and caring individual who, over the years, has developed an actual talent of hiding my feelings lest they be taken advantage of or manipulated. Suffering from an almost "Pollyanna" belief in the goodness of humanity, I have had some rude awakenings.

As a child, I endured painful events both physical and social. The physical was having two congenital inguinal hernias. At the age of seven, I had my first hernia repair. Back in those days, the procedure left me with what I called a Frankenstein scar and a lack of mobility for several weeks. But, my scar healed I and moved along my path of life with few, if any, people noticing this scar even with the close up lenses of cameras to come.

On this path of life, personality traits started to surface that were sort of androgynous... the "gay thing" was starting to happen. One memory early in my childhood was having my father enroll me in little league. I liked the t-shirt and cap I wore and that's where it ended. I was terrified of throwing, running and all of the activities that would have given away my little secret. My parents saw my anxiety and let me off the hook... Life strangely move me onto another sports arena... track and field. I could run, leap and bound my way into acceptance.

In middle school, my appreciation and participation in the arts brought me further into expressing myself. And, it was at this point - a point of no return - that I said to myself: "to hell with what other people think of me!" If I appeared to be gay... so be it.

With the flurry of hormones one experiences in adolescence, it was a good thing that I had made friends with myself and enjoyed the encounters of boys discovering themselves and other boys. No longer willing to be stifled, there were some heavy encounters with my parents. Without saying it, I let them know that this is who I am. Mind you, it did not come from a place of defiance. I knew that it was a more difficult path to walk. And, one that felt right to me.

The first romantic encounter that I can remember happened in my early twenties. Although sex had been plentiful, it was just sex. Then, a most beautiful fellow entered into the picture who stopped me dead in my tracks. At that time, I was a steward in the airlines. We met in a local Jersey Shore gay club. I was thrilled when saw that our attraction was mutual. The sex was crazy - and like I had never had before. I fell head over heels in love. Tall, very well built and with a full flaxen head of hair, I thought I had met my soulmate. This was my "Pollyanna" talking. The depth of my feelings were countered by the superficiality of his. The relationship lasted only long enough for him to take notes. In short order after we parted ways, he became a steward and I was not surprised when I saw him gracing the pages of several Colt magazines. Only now do I feel the pleasure of having been a role model.

After we split up, I had a bit of a breakdown and actually got sick. This emotional and physical malady eventually faded away. I learned a lot about him, but even more about myself. It was years before I was romantically involved again. I really needed to let life go on without any entanglements.

It was about five years later when I moved to San Francisco and had my first true love affair. Tommy and I met almost immediately after I arrived in the city by the bay. It was the first time that I felt a mutual love. We moved in together after a few short weeks of courting. We remained together until his passing fourteen years later in 1989. Here is when I thought for the first time that life wasn't moving on. Losing a true partner is devastating. It took almost five years before I felt comfortable enough to experience that special feeling again. But, life moved on, after all.

Seven years later, in 1995, my spouse and I met at the Roxy Dance Hall in the Chelsea section of New York. That night, we had a lot of fun dancing up a storm and flirting like crazy. At sunrise, when we left the club, I told him that I really wanted to see him again. As overly dramatic as it seemed, I could feel that this was the person that I really wanted to be with. Life did go on for us. We became the couple of my dreams, living in NYC and then moving to the Southwest, where we bought a home together and ultimately got married in 2022.

In my mid seventies, I do a lot of recollecting and reminiscing. I am grateful for my life, my dear friends and especially my spouse. I guess I am forever that "Pollyanna," still looking forwards to the future as life goes on!

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

One of my absolute favorite movies of all time is Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes (1977). In the movie, a typical American family, with all their faults and neurosis, gets stranded in the New Mexico desert when their RV breaks down. To complicate things, they took the wrong “dirt” road and have no idea where they are. It turns out they are smack dab in the middle of some radioactive area that a local “inbred” family of hillbillies calls home. Oh, and did I mention that the hillbilly family is deformed from all the radiation and also appears to be psychotic? This heartwarming film features the actress who played the mother character from both Cujo and E.T. - Dee Wallace. She got the role in The Hills Have Eyes a couple years after making her minuscule debut in The Stepford Wives (1975). She really stole the show for me in The Hills Have Eyes and I found myself spotting her in countless movies throughout the years, with her newest, to debut this year, called Stream (2024). When someone has screen presence and can stop a scene cold I really take notice. She is one of those actors.

A show-stopper that I worked with ever since Valley of the Bi Dolls (1993) is Sharon Kane. She is also one of those scene-stealing performers to me. Naturally, I knew Sharon Kane would have one or two show-stopping scenes when I cast her in The Hills Have Bi’s (1996), but I had no idea that the supporting cast I compiled would also surprise me with their outstanding “drop the mic” performances. Yes, the script was probably one of the best I’ve written since Revenge of the Bi Dolls (1994), but little did I know how fun, cheeky and campy this movie would turn out to be. So much so that it won Best Bisexual Picture and Best Sex Comedy at the Gay Erotic Video Awards.

Every good bi movie needs a straight scene and a gay scene; I’ll start with the straight. Ever since shooting straight porn star “Bad Boy” Sean Rider in Straight To Bed 2 (the sequel to Straight To Bed, read the blog), we all wanted to get Sean Rider and his fat cock in front of our cameras again! Sean started his career as an adult performer at age 22 in 1993 and retired in 2002. Chi Chi LaRue, who plays a non-sexual role in Hills, was still in deep with Vivid Video and had inside access to the stars of the straight industry. Sean Rider had turned us down numerous times before, but this time he had an interesting proposal. He agreed to perform in the straight scene if and only if I could secure a new starlet on the porn scene named Lexi Erickson. I quickly went to work and drove my ass down to the valley to meet with the main agent in the straight porn industry. He was very welcoming and didn’t hesitate to reach out to Lexi Erickson on our behalf. Like I said, he was a powerful player in the industry and within that initial phone call he got her to commit to the booking, just like that! I couldn’t wait to call Sean and let him know! When the agent hung up the phone, he looked over to me and said, “Okay, who else do you need?” I told him I was also looking for an actress who would agree to do a bisexual scene. He said he had a few, then pulled out a giant book of photos and we started looking at the girls together. The industry was more open to bi movies at this point, but I was surprised that he didn’t “grimace” when I mentioned a bi scene. He was very cool and didn’t even flinch over the idea. The role I was casting was for the cheeky character called “Lupe,” the maid to an affluent Beverly Hills family. She needed to be a knockout, and actress Taylor Dante was just that! From the moment she walked onto the set, her confidence and sexual aura was evident. She ended up stealing the show every time she was on camera! Especially when she had a tit for tat with Chi Chi LaRue and Moist Towelette’s characters. Taylor Dante’s incredible looks and body that popped out of her maid’s uniform commanded attention while she shot attitude in every direction with her eyes and facial expressions. Her big moment was in a threeway with Paul Carrigan and Dylan James, two painters charmed by her beauty! She looked so incredible in that maid’s uniform, she asked if she could keep it, which of course I said yes to. Even though the two actresses were not on set together, her interactions with Sharon Kane were hysterical.

Lexi Erickson was 23 years old, stood 5’5” and had piercing hazel eyes and blond hair. When I first saw her in person, I was blown away by her beauty, looking very down home country girl. I can see why Sean Rider was chomping at the bit to work with her! She looked so pure and natural that I changed her character name to Sara Lee, from whatever it was before. She was meeting the Beverly Hills couple, Sharon Kane and Sean Rider, who were the parents of her fiancé, played by Drew Andrews. Getting Lexi in this role was a game changer, like Spelling getting Sammy Jo in Dynasty, except Sara Lee was sweet and kind. I was also pleasantly surprised that Sean Rider had grown his hair out since performing his J/O in Straight To Bed, where his head was shaven. He really fit the role of the family patriarch. The set up was that Sara Lee’s family was coming for the wedding and to meet her new in-laws. The problem was her family. Chi Chi LaRue, Moist Towelette (Chi Chi’s lover), and their sons from an unknown “daddy,” Alec Powers and Mason Walker, were a hillbilly family so backwards just them being themselves turned the household upside down.

When the father, Sean Rider, sneaks into Lexi Erickson’s room, we all were treated to some crazy fucking so wild that it ripped the condom in about twenty seconds and I felt guilty to even say the word “cut,” because I didn’t want to intrude on their crazy chemistry just to replace the condom, reset lights and move the camera. So we just jumped around the best we could while they fucked and fucked and pounded and pounded! It was hands down the hottest chemistry we ever caught on tape! I remember photographer Jeff Burton coming up to me all concerned because Sean was fucking her so hard. I chimed in and asked Lexi if everything was okay and she let out a big laugh and said, “You bet!” So we carried on; it was very impressive seeing that fat cock penetrating her tight pussy. Sean was like a rabid dog. I was so happy that he was pleased, as it showed in his rock hard boner!

Not to leave the gay boys out, Jake Taylor played the best man to groom Drew Andrews. The twelve-bedroom house was just so small that they were forced to share a bed for the night prior to the wedding. The groom found himself needing just one more hot juicy cock before resigning himself to a life of eating and pounding pussy. There is a great seduction scene between the two guys and I don’t think either of them ever looked better on the screen.

Last but not least, Sharon Kane as the matriarch Clarice, a pissed off, mentally drained wife who has reached the end of her rope with her cheating husband, Sean Rider. She tries to embrace the fucked up hillbilly family by offering afternoon tea, of sorts, but when Chi Chi tastes the caviar and Clarice explains what it is, Chi Chi freaks out and spits it out of her mouth, giving Clarice a face-full. The look on Sharon Kane’s face, full of caviar, is priceless!

Sharon Kane’s acting talents are not the only thing she brought to the table for this movie. She collaborated with Clint Yeager on a duet, which she performs in the middle of the night when she wakes up and realizes her husband is not in their bed. The song, “Desires of the Heart,” is a moody ballad that is a departure for both Yeager and Kane, and they nail it. Clint Yeager sings the opening title song, “White Trash,” which is a rocking tune more his style, and Sharon Kane sings the closing tune, “The Hills Have Bi’s,” as she’s driving off with her new hillbilly family after leaving her husband forever. I’ve linked the songs to this blog, should you like to take a look!

Clint Yeager, who worked in our Catalina offices in the art department, was lead guitarist in the Los Angeles based band GAYC/DC, and was a longtime bartender at Eagle LA. Unfortunately he passed away on August 15th, 2023 at the age of 53. We are all very proud of him and the vast history and legacy he left behind.

To me, The Hills Have Bi’s is so much more than a great viewing experience - from the story, to the sex, to the amazing cast, and all that great music. To me, it’s a celebration of how, when it all works and everyone is on the top of their game, a porno – yes, a porn movie – can be pure magic!

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! This week's endeavor deals with one of the seven deadly sins - Pride. I hope to convey some of my personal thoughts about pride, whether it be personal pride or collective pride - AKA Gay Pride.

Regarding personal pride, I looked to my family in my early years for role models. My mother and father were a stunning couple and took a great deal of pride in the genetic hand they were dealt. On my father's side was a mixture of Scots and Irish. Our family clan - my real birth surname was one of the largest in Scotland. I studied that in my 30s and attended gatherings while living in California. On my mother's side, her mother was second generation Irish and her father was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Graced with good looks, they showed their appreciation by a lifetime of self preservation and preening!

I noticed a different level of hereditary pride in the generation of my great-uncle (and godfather). He was Irish and was proud enough to burst! LOL. I will never forget when JFK was elected... he was ecstatic! I spent a great deal of time with him and my aunt (my godmother) during my youth. As a child at family gatherings, I was obliged to sing Irish folk songs and dance the jigs! It was fun and challenging, looking back now.

By my teens, I started to notice my hereditary traits were showing up. Like my folks from generations past, I took pride in them and made the most of them in later years (wink!). It was not an easy journey in high school, however. I was gay and knew it. I didn't flaunt it. Nor did I try to mask it by "fitting in" and hiding anything. That was my form of pride that never wavered throughout the rest of my life. Being myself.

I was never a fan of forcing my beliefs on anyone. I felt it set up two battlefields: 1) making someone else uncomfortable and 2) not taking into consideration whether the other person(s) had the intellectual capacity for that kind of difference. As a result, I made a broad spectrum of friends throughout my life. With my straight friends and in various work situations, I always liked to inject self deprecating humor to keep things light. It never bothered me to place myself as the butt of a joke... I knew better!

Enter living in gay communities. I was always drawn to NYC because of my close proximity in northern NJ. And, NYC was a great testing ground for living in a gay community. Mine was the West Village and the Upper West Side. It wasn't so much acceptance as it was a feeling of no one caring about me being "different." Living in NYC was a great lesson. You could observe all sorts of people together without conflict. People thrived on and were proud of their differences.

Then onto living in a gay ghetto. When I moved to San Francisco in 1976, I quickly learned that there were distinct neighborhoods. My first was The Castro followed by South of Market. It was a double dose of concentrated gaiety, to say the least. What had seemed eccentric and outlandish were quite the norm in these neighborhoods. I really liked how much I was learning about the "culture" in my first few years. And, it fit like a glove! However, I did bring along my own form of pride, as mentioned earlier. I figured the best way for the whole town to get along was not to force a lifestyle down anyone's throat. Be accepted by not being obnoxious. It worked for me, and once again in work situations, too.

I am proud of who I am and what I have accomplished over the decades. I have done everything from bringing home boyfriends for my parents to meet (regardless of their reactions) to getting legally married to my current spouse. I also have pride in the work I've done in adult media. It was a colorful and wonderful decade, where once again I didn't want to force any ideas. My point was to be as “sex-succesful” as possible. As you can see, I have had nothing to hide and plenty to share. So, whether it's a Giorgio Armani suit or chaps... I have tried to wear it well!

Double-breasted suit or birthday suit?

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 M. Webster

Today, we're flashing back to the late '70s/early '80s for a peek at a much earlier time for Bijou. This was within the era when porn features were still at their cinematic height, playing in theaters in major cities across the U.S. In Chicago, the Bijou Theater & Sex Club (which later expanded into Bijou Video), projected many of the great gay porn classics of the time on its screen. The Bijou Theater was in operation from the earliest days of the hardcore film industry, opening in 1970, until its closing in September of 2015, making it the longest-running gay adult theater in the country. It screened countless movies, keeping the classics in frequent rotation up through its final day in operation.

At Bijou, we have an archive of vintage gay newspapers, including larger publications and smaller regional papers, particularly with a large stash of gay papers local to our home base, Chicago. A number of years ago, we scanned in a stack of vintage issues of Chicago gay newspaper GayLife, where the Bijou Theater frequently ran advertisements for the movies playing, improvements to the theater, live performances by big stars (including Peter Berlin, Richard Locke, Casey Donovan [more on his stage appearances here!], and Lee Ryder), video sales (by the later point of the VHS/Beta home video era), and more.

An August 31, 1979 GayLife interview with Steven Toushin, owner of Bijou Video and the Bijou Theater, gives some insight into the business at the time. Here, journalist Dennis Kouba asks Steven a few questions about the Bijou (before reviewing Tom DeSimone's The Idol, a 1979 Hand in Hand Films classic, which had recently opened at the theater, recommended to the writer as being one of “the best [films] in the genre,” a reputation which it still deservedly holds.)

Following are some excerpts from the interview.

"Mr. Toushin proved to be a relaxed and informative gentleman. Originally from New York, he has been active in Chicago's gay business community for several years, owning and managing several establishments... Mr. Toushin is an admitted film buff, seeing at least two films a week. He is well-versed in the film business and appears to be using his knowledge to provide quality entertainment for the gay community.”

GayLife: Why do you play films for only one week?

Toushin: We cannot afford to play a film for more than one week. We die if we play a film two weeks in a row. Frequently, if a film is popular, we will bring it back for a return engagement. Quite a few of our regular customers actually come to the theater weekly to see the films, and they complain if we play the same film more than one week.

GayLife: Where do you advertise?

Toushin: The Chicago Tribune, Gay Chicago, and GayLife. Actually, we have found that the Chicago Tribune attracts the biggest audience. We discovered that advertising in the Chicago Sun-Times did not bring in more patrons.

GayLife: Do you have have difficulty obtaining new films to exhibit at the Bijou?

Toushin: It is difficult to book good new films every week since the gay film market is limited and supply is scarce. We find it easier to book films from New York, especially from Hand in Hand. [Bijou now owns and distributes the Hand in Hand catalog on DVD/Streaming.] It is much more difficult to book films from California since the suppliers do not understand our situation in Chicago and present us with stiff, unrealistic terms. We simply can't afford to book films for several weeks and certainly not at the terms they constantly demand.

GayLife: What is the average cost of a gay film?

Toushin: Twelve to fifteen thousand dollars. The most expensive film to date was Dune Buddies [a Hand in Hand film directed by studio co-founder Jack Deveau, released in 1978], which ran $30,000. That's too much, since the market is limited.

GayLife: Do you have any future plans for the theater?

Toushin: Yes, next spring we plan to elaborate on the Bijou garden, giving it more of a legitimate garden atmosphere. Beyond that, I'm considering bringing in a video viewer so patrons have a choice of two films.

GayLife: Have you ever considered exhibiting any major commercial film?

Toushin: Yes. Immediately after viewing La Cage Aux Folles (Birds of a Feather) [a 1978 French film from director Édouard Molinaro, adapted into the 1996 Robin Williams/Nathan Lane movie The Birdcage], I contacted the studio – United Artists. I asked about the possibility of running it as a midnight show on weekends. At this point, I have received no answer. Other theater exhibitors in Chicago are considering the same.

GayLife: How seriously do you take the interests and demands of your clientele?

Toushin: I feel there is a legitimate need for a theater of this kind. I have a responsibility to our public to keep the theater clean, comfortable, and attractive. I take my responsibility to the gay community seriously.

The Bijou Theater did indeed wind up playing La Cage Aux Folles, a popular mainstream film of the era with a story focused on gay men, for an extended run the following year (1980). Numerous full-spread ads Bijou placed in issues of GayLife that year feature the French film in the mix with its typical fare of gay porn features. Particularly since the work of Hand in Hand was markedly highlighted during the late '70s/early '80s era at the Bijou, the cinematic, artistic, and narrative quality of gay porn films in rotation at the theater was of a high caliber and would have blended well with this addition of a piece of non-pornographic cinema.

In our scans, we have a couple of GayLife articles and letters to the editor praising the Bijou's decision to feature La Cage Aux Folles on the theater's screen.

GayLife, August 22, 1980 letter to the editor:

“I wish to compliment Steven Toushin, the owner of the Bijou Theater, for making an evening at his establishment enjoyable. Usually, a trip to the Bijou is serious business: serious porno viewing and serious cruising. But last weekend, at midnight, Steve scheduled a screening of La Cage Aux Folles, the Italian/French comedy that has been such a hit the last year or so. For the first time in my memory, the theater was jammed with people having a good time. People were actually watching the movie and enjoying it. People were laughing, smiling, and talking to each other at the end of the film. And best of all, there were all types of people, including people who would never have been seen at the Bijou before. I am told that the Bijou will lose money with each midnight show of La Cage, but I'm sure they'll more than make up for it in good will.”

As mentioned in the 1979 interview with Steven Toushin, Bijou's garden did see improvements by the following year, which is also spotlit in Bijou Theater advertisements of 1980.

Bijou maintained this mixing of various types of movies and materials of gay interest in the late '80s and 1990s through its mail order catalog, the most comprehensive gay porn print catalog of the time. In addition to an extensive listing of available gay porn films on VHS/Beta, the catalog expanded to feature an array of other types of video tapes, including LGBTQ documentaries, documentation of LGBTQ events and competitions (such as Mr. Drummer, International Mr. Leather, the Gay Games), sex educational videos, lesbian porn (particularly a large selection from important early lesbian porn studio Fatale Films), and a number of non-pornographic films of interest to an LGBTQ audience, from those popular in gay culture (George Cukor's 1939 film The Women) to LGBTQ underground, arthouse, and independent films (Donna Deitch's 1985 lesbian classic Desert Hearts, John Waters' 1972 Pink Flamingos, and more).

This spotlight on the Bijou Theater's original publishing date coincided with our 2024 re-release of the classic 1994 Bijou Video production Fulton Street from director Mike Donner, unavailable for decades, and now newly restored and re-released on DVD and Streaming! This narrative gay porn feature was set and shot in Chicago. Its complex storyline thoughtfully incorporates weighty thematic material, romance, and character development - and, of particular interest here, its Chicago locales include an extended cruising/sex sequence filmed in the Bijou Theater, itself!

This Fulton Street scene shows action in a couple of spots in the theater that those who have visited are likely to recognize: the lobby where VHS/Beta sales and, later, DVD sales took place (catch glimpses of tons of box covers of Bijou classics, many of which we still carry) and in the maze of interconnected gloryhole booths on the second floor. (Only fellow Bijou Video production A Winter's Tail, an intense 1984 S/M video from Dave Nesor, also illustrates the Bijou Theater's interior.)

Catch Bijou's Fulton Street, plus peek at the mini-documentary on the Bijou Theater page of our website and these tales of events at the Bijou Theater over the decades for more flashbacks!