BijouBlog

Interesting and provocative thoughts on gay history, gay sexual history, gay porn, and gay popular culture.

Steve Rambo & Will Seagers For Breakfast

By Josh Eliot

 

The first time I met Steve Rambo was in 1992, when our general manager Mike sent him over to the set of Nutt Crackers to fill in for a model who never showed up to work. Steve knew Mike from Drake's Bookstore, which Mike also managed. I think he worked there briefly as a cashier, but I’m not entirely sure. He showed up to the set, a complete porn virgin, with no experience in front of the camera at all. He was personable, friendly and cock-hungry as hell. What started off as a bummer of a day due to the no-show ended up turning for the better once Rambo’s hungry hole(s) started doing their thing. Little did any of us realize that on that day Catalina’s new exclusive was born, and he would end up shooting 67 movies for our company. He won Best Actor at the Grabby Awards in 1999 for his amazing performance in CatalinaVille. The last time I worked with Steve Rambo was around 2006, when his contract ended and he retired from the business.

 

Nutt Crackers VHS & DVD covers featuring Steve Rambo

Nutt Crackers VHS & DVD covers featuring Steve Rambo

 

The first time I saw Will Seagers in a movie was when my roommate Brian brought home the Joe Gage classic L.A. Tool & Die on VHS from a video rental store in the Castro. I think it might have been a double bill that night as I believe we also watched, re-watched, re-wound and watched again The Biggest One I Ever Saw starring Dave Connors, Lee Ryder and Rick Donovan. As I’m sure most of you are aware, Will Seagers had an amazing career, with a couple of his earliest films being 1978's Dune Buddies (Hand in Hand) and Champs (Falcon). 1979 was a very good year for Will with headlining roles in both Fire Island Fever (also Hand in Hand) and L.A .Tool & Die, two instant gay classics. In 1980, he was in Steve Scott's Wanted (Mustang) with Al Parker. I was invited to watch the filming of the jailhouse scene, at age 18, but my nerves got the best of me and I didn’t accept the invitation from producer Frank Ross, who was my boss at the time when I sold tickets at San Francisco's Screening Room Theatre. You can read all about that and the great Frank Ross in my previous blog, “Frank Ross: The Boss.” Will brought his hotness to the screen in many more movies until he retired in 1994, according to IAFD. Will, If I’m wrong about any of this forgive me!! It wasn’t until some point in 2022, when Steven and Jules at Bijou asked me to be a contributor to their blog page, that I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to meet Will Seagers face to face.

 

Hugh Allen & Will Seagers on vintage Dune Buddies poster
Hugh Allen & Will Seagers on vintage Dune Buddies poster
 
Champs front & back cover

Champs front & back cover

 

Being out of the industry since 2009, I kind of left “all of it behind” and focused on re-imagining my future. I worked as a manager at an incredible spa for the JW Marriott and the Westin Mission Hills in the Palm Springs area and was very happy. It was tough at first, as I had worked in the gay adult industry for 22 years and didn’t really know anything else. But slowly I adjusted, not missing the stress of production one bit! But for me it was always the creative part of developing and making movies that gave me the most joy. Being so far removed from it all, you can imagine how delighted I was when in 2023, within three weeks of each other, I sat down with both Steve Rambo and Will Seagers for breakfast, separately.

After his contract was up, Steve Rambo moved back to Rochester, NY where he was born November 25, 1956. I hadn’t heard a peep from him or about him until Covid-19 when I discovered The Catalina Collection channel on YouTube. It seemed that the movies CatalinaVille and Boy Band had gone viral, with thousands of straight and gay fans around the world watching and commenting on the camp dialogue in the PG versions posted on the channel. There were also dozens of memes created from a Boy Band scene between Rambo and Brad McGuire, one even created with AI showing them singing in Russian. Around the same time, I discovered Instagram, during those long days of staying home due to the virus. I discovered @Jeffreymixed, whose Instagram was featuring Steve Rambo Saturdays, with clips from his movies. Somehow, @Jeffreymixed was the go-between with Rambo and myself and arranged a breakfast at Palm Springs Elmer’s Restaurant for a reunion a few weeks ago, while Rambo was in town on vacation. Seeing Rambo again after 17 years was incredible, it was like we were never apart. Rambo has this intoxicating laugh that hits you like a freight train and trust me, the heads were turning at Elmer’s every few seconds. I think it's gotten much louder now that we are older! We reminisced and had such a great time; after all those years working on the set together, we really became family.

 

CatalinaVille cover; Josh & Steve Rambo before and 20 years later

CatalinaVille cover; Josh & Steve Rambo before and 20 years later

 

I started communicating with Will Seagers through Jules at Bijou when they got together over the holidays. After that, Will and I worked together on a few joint ventures for Bijou Blogs like our Deep Inside the Castro series and Diving Into SOMA/Folsom series. When my partner Tony and I planned a trip to Santa Fe to see our friends and go to the Pride event there, I contacted Will to see about meeting up for breakfast when we passed through his city. I was thrilled when he agreed, and we met up at a little restaurant joint named Weck’s. I recognized him immediately as he was walking through the parking lot; I have to say, he is very statuesque in height and still features his leading man good looks. We had a great time getting to know each other, sharing stories and learning about each other's interests. I was thrilled to see his blog with all of his plants, which I wish we had time to see in person, as well as his bird collection. Breakfast was yummy, of course, and it was a little surreal being surrounded by so many families who hadn’t a clue about our past histories or what we were discussing. There was definitely an alignment of the stars this summer for me to be able to catch up with both Steve Rambo and Will Seagers in the same month. I’m happy to say they both look great and are in a good and happy place!

 

Will Seagers in character; Will with Josh & Tony

Will Seagers in character; Will with Josh & Tony

 

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

  506 Hits

8 Is Enough on Sunsex Blvd

By Josh Eliot

 

Living and working in Hollywood / West Hollywood in the 1990s for Catalina Video was very different from shooting movies at the studio we had in San Francisco in the 1980s. Most tourists come to town hoping for a sighting of their favorite celebrity when they purchase a “map to the star’s homes” from a  vendor on the border of WeHo and Beverly Hills. I know I was a little star struck when I had celebrity sightings that happened quite by chance. Once in the Century City mall, my friends and I spotted Michael Nader (Dex Dexter from Dynasty 1981-1989) after the show ended production. In LAX the timing was just right for me to pass Elizabeth Taylor, being pushed in a wheelchair on her way to the gate. I positioned myself just right to get close to her as I passed. I started my stare, and when our eyes locked onto each other I said, “I love you, you're fabulous,” and she replied, “Thanks sweetie.” It was a moment for sure! Helen Hunt used to be a regular for breakfast at Hugo’s Restaurant, and Shelley Winters pulled up and parked her ass at our table one morning for breakfast at the Silver Spoon. It started when she asked us to use our ketchup, then when she finished her meal and her friends left, she sat at our table and chatted with us. Cell phones and selfies weren’t a thing yet, and how I wish I had a photo!

 

Vintage image of a young woman selling maps to stars' homes

 

Working with Catalina and shooting on location opened itself up to some close encounters – not with celebrities, but with their homes. Fatty Arbuckle was a silent film actor at the top of his career with Paramount, earning three million dollars over three years to star in eighteen silent movies. In the summer of 1921, he was accused of slaying 25 year old actress Virginia Rappe at a gin party in a suite at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Finally acquitted after three trials and his career in ruins, he worked behind the scenes directing under the name William B. Goodrich and died of a heart attack at age 46 on June 29th, 1933. Somehow, Scott Masters got us access to one of Fatty’s previous homes in the Hollywood Hills to shoot the movie The Bite, Directed by Chi Chi LaRue and starring Jon Vincent. I swear the people occupying the place were squatters, because there was little to no furniture, sleeping bags in an upstairs room and we needed to use generator power. It was a bit sketchy, but the character of the gothic interior was perfect for the vampire theme, and a little creepy at the same time.

 

Headline: Arbuckle Faces Gallows, Fatty Arbuckel mugshot, and Virginia Rappe

Fatty Arbuckel and Virginia Rappe

 

The show Eight Is Enough starring Dick van Patten and Betty Buckley ran from 1977 to 1981 and I remember watching it loyally while in my teens. When Masters and I went to scout the location, I was thrilled to see the front of the house (the inside, not so much) where the cast stood in the opening credits. I found out later that they also used the house exterior for episodes of Murder She Wrote (as a mortuary), Quantum Leap and the Rockford Files. For the Scott Master’s movie Reunion (1992) starring Cody Foster, we shot the main sex scene right there on the front porch, showcasing this famous house that was unfortunately bulldozed in 1996. Cody passed away from liver cancer in 2007, but lived a tumultuous life once leaving the industry in 1995. He had numerous run-ins with the law, ending up with a four year sentence in Jefferson County, Colorado for retaliating against a person he had victimized. He was a bit of a loose cannon on the sets and could turn on a dime. I was glad that Scott Masters was directing him, not me. We heard at some point that he’d been arrested for shooting a gun at the State Capitol in Colorado. I have no way of knowing if that was true or not. He returned to the industry in 2000 and 2001 in a couple of bondage movies from Grapik Art Productions.

 

Reunion cover and Eight Is Enough house

Reunion cover and Eight Is Enough house

 

On a lighter note, Orson Welles  had a beautiful home just a block or two up from Hollywood Blvd. We shot the Brad Austin movie Sunsex Blvd (1993) there with Zak Spears as Norman Desmond, the Gloria Swanson role. Brad worked for some time as the personal assistant to Ms. Swanson prior to coming on board as my right hand man and head of the crew. This movie was very personal to him and a huge success. We cast Max Stone as the character Max, Norma(n)’s driver, as he was a dead ringer. Scott Masters had connections and we rented another one of Groucho Marx’s vintage automobiles for Max to drive Norman in. We had previously rented a different vintage car formerly owned by Groucho for my movie Object of Desire. The reenactment of the shooting scene with the William Holden character falling in the pool and the scene of Norman coming down the stairs for his “I’m ready for my close-up” cum-shot were brilliantly shot in black-and-white. It’s a fun movie to check out!

 

Sunsex Blvd cover and Orson Welles' house

Sunsex Blvd cover and Orson Welles' house

 

Last but certainly not least was shooting in Sharon Stone's previous residence. We shot Revenge of the Bi-Dolls there, and from the grand staircase to the humongous master suite, this place was divine! The rooms were so large that we had echo problems with the audio, but the look of the place made our low budget movie look like a million bucks. Chi Chi LaRue and Sharon Kane perform their incredible duet which opens the movie throughout the many rooms of the mini-mansion. I’ve attached a link so you can watch it!

 

Sharon Kane & Chi Chi LaRue singing in Sharon Stone's home in Revenge of the Bi-Dolls

Sharon Kane & Chi Chi LaRue in Revenge of the Bi-Dolls

 

Well, that’s my little contribution to the Hollywood Babylon-esque world where porn and the Hollywood elite had six degrees of separation.

 

 

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

 
  427 Hits

Once Is Just Not Enough!

By Will Seagers

 

Hi, folks! Will here with a blog for you! This time a bit more storytelling than the past few photo blogs of late. I have noticed that in my life I have a tendency to return to some of the work that I have enjoyed in my earlier life to experience "The Second Time Around."

 

Will at the Fire Island Pines Boatel in the '70s
Here on the deck of the Fire Island Pines Iconic Boatel deck is one of many times that I was a waiter in my early years.
 

I guess the most obvious of these returns is my return to the porn world. This time around, however, is more reminiscing about the great times I had doing "The First Time Around!" LOL. This second time started with a simple reply to the question, “What ever happened to Will Seagers?" Because of the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic, so many of my fellow screen stars had passed. When a death was not published, it was just assumed by many that one had! So, I emailed off a quick reply to the blog editor at Bijou to head that rumor off at the pass and fell into a deep and wonderful conversation that has lasted for about two years now! I did have the eerie experience of seeing myself listed as "passed" once in a gay publication... once was enough of that!

 

Will in screenshots from L.A. Tool & Die and Fire Island Fever
Will in Joe Gage's L.A. Tool & Die and Jack Deveau/Hand in Hand's Fire Island Fever, both 1979 releases.
 
Will in promo images for L.A. Tool & Die and Fire Island Fever

 

One of my earliest jobs (circa age 18) was selling men's clothing at a well known affiliate of Macy's on the Jersey shore. That was repeated two more times. Once in the prestigious Neiman Marcus store in San Francisco - again in the men's department (circa age 40). And, the same placement happened in New York at Bloomingdales - in the men's designer department (circa age 45). Those were tough places to work if you were a clothes horse - the temptation to spend every thing you earned was all around you!

Another realm of selling that I really enjoyed was in consumer electronics. I loved electronic gadgets of all sorts and was quite the consumer. My favorite salesman, Harold, at Eber Electronics in San Francisco, referred me to the manager for an interview. That was a slam dunk. I knew almost everything in the store already! LOL. My second time around in electronics happened in Santa Fe, NM. My partner and I had recently moved there from NYC. I was not too happy with my original job there and was on the hunt for something more satisfying. Voila. I was given a tip that the local and independently owned Video and Hi-Fi store was in need of a salesman. I arrived in a midnight blue Giorgio Armani suit (from Neimans!). The owner was from NY. and a bit taken by my dressing up for the occasion. We hit it off and I was placed as the Hi-Fi manager. Yippee! Although the owner and I would bump heads from time to time, he loved how I merchandised and laid out the sales floor.

 

Will in a suit as an Eber Electronics salesman
“Picture This!” Here standing before a wall of TVs in San Francisco’s Eber Electronics back in the mid '80s.
 

Music, music and more music! After I left San Francisco in 1991 and returned to New Jersey, I really had no planned path in terms of my next job. So, I relaxed but kept my ear to the ground for any leads. My younger sister introduced me to her fiance's brother who worked selling organs and pianos. Organs were one of my lifelong loves. So, I scored well in that job and was soon to manage two other stores. Fast forward to 2003 and spin the globe to Tucson Arizona and I find myself playing and selling organs for the second time... albeit a briefer stay. I was too used to being a manager and didn't take kindly to this manager's tactics... so, I moved along.

 

Bill and Will with Bill's organ
Friend and client Bill proudly showing off his Lowrey MX-2. (L); At Bill’s lovely Lowrey organ. (R)
 
Will playing the organ
Not selling – but giving away (my sister) and playing at her wedding!
 
Fishing boat trip
Our NJ organ store managers were invited each July on a deep sea fishing event. That’s me on the far right (pardon my back!). I had the scare off my life moments after this picture was taken when I hooked a Mako Shark! That’s one I did NOT reel in!
 

Mattresses? You know you have seen me on a few of them... But, selling them? For this I needed to consult the Stars! Yes! In my more than 50 years of being an amateur astrologer, I sometimes look to the heavens for answers. In the early 2000s, after a fiery termination at the Santa Fe electronics store, I aimed my head to the sky and mused over a few possibilities. I had a natural knack for selling, from the strong Sagittarius influence in my 6th house. And my 10th house, ruled by Pisces (the career house) dealt with cinema, the arts and affairs of the bed! Selling mattresses came quite easily to me. I started off in this trade in Santa Fe (after my fiery dismissal!), took it to Tucson till 2005, then brought it back to NM where I regained my original position with the original company until my decision to retire in 2019.

 

Santa Fe garden images

From my 1st mattress selling/management job in NM (L) and my 2nd mattress selling job in NM (R).

 
Santa Fe garden images
One of my favorite Bimmers parked in front of the store I managed for a dozen years.
 

So, in my life there have been many "full circles" - returning back to familiar turf. In each of these jobs, it was my intent to bring pleasure to the selling process and make every client feel enriched by the process. I don't miss the quotas and other related pressures. But, I will always miss the wonderful interactions I had.

 

Decorative circle

 

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 image

 


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: The Early Gyms
Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun: My Story of Sun Worship and Where It Got Me
Becoming Invisible
The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray
Pin Money
One Organ Leads to Another! Part 1
The Wheels of Steel
Feast and Famine: The 1970s to the 1980s
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!
Back to Basics: "Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture!"
A Little Secret
"I love a Parade!" Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade
Pics, Pics & More Pics... Life's a Beach
Flora & Fauna - the Flora part anyway! 

 

  293 Hits

UNDER the COVERs with Tom Steele

By Josh Eliot
 
Undercover box cover

 

The movie Undercover, directed by John Travis, won Best Picture and Best Director at the 1989 Adult Video News Awards. The year prior he also won for Powertool, which starred his discovery, Jeff Stryker. To put things in perspective, 1989 was the same year that I directed my very first movie called Runaways. We shared a few of the same cast members including Danny Wade and Jake Corbin. Recently I cut a trailer for Undercover, which I posted on my YouTube channel as part of a tribute for John Travis, Scott Masters, Chet Thomas and Cameron Leight. The four of them really influenced me with their talents, all in different ways, and they really all were the pioneers at Catalina Video, so I thought that since they are no longer with us it would be special to add clips and trailers from their movies to keep their legacy alive. When viewing the footage from Undercover, I was surprised to see how young Jake Corbin looked. It made me remember that we were about the same age when we shot the movie. I was 27 and he was 26 and we both shared the common bond of being born and raised in the state of Rhode Island. When I met Jake Corbin, I remember thinking that he was very sexy and I was impressed by elements of his personality. He was very East Providence, as we would have said about a street-wise guy back in Little Rhody. He was like that hot guy in high school who could easily have been a bully, but the fact that he was gay and not “gay for pay” made him even more attractive. His accent was much thicker than mine, as I moved to San Francisco at age 17 and he still lived back east in Rhode Island. When I discovered that he had passed away at the young age of 29, on September 27th, 1992, I was in a state of shock. Just three years after shooting Undercover and Runaways. Scott Masters broke the news to me and we were both very upset and saddened.

On a positive note, when revisiting Undercover’s footage for the trailer, I was pleasantly surprised by the fabulous sets that Dan Allman (aka Cameron Leight) and I built for the movie. Shortly after building the sets, Dan Allman broke the news that he was leaving the company. I was suddenly the studio manager and their only videographer. The pressure was on. Thrown onto main camera for this big budget movie was terrifying, but luckily those cool sets gave me a lot of ideas visually, assisting me on finding the best angles. These sets were the bomb, and in addition to building life sized sets I had to build a miniature set of the apartment complex. The miniature set blows up at the end of the movie, which was fun to shoot! The life sized sets included: a fire escape where Butch Taylor lays out overnight on a mattress to beat the summer heat, but once asleep, a hooded leatherman (played by George Madera) climbs up and over him; a rooftop set where undercover cop Brad Phillips busts Paul Coder for rolling a joint, then proceeds to bust his ass; and an alleyway set between buildings where Jake Corbin and Danny Wade chase down, tackle and attack sweet young twink Danny Bliss. All these locations are watched over by Tom Steele and Doug Niles from their stakeout apartment set on a high floor overlooking the complex. Rear Window at its finest, emphasis on “rear.” Detective Tom Steele gets hornier and hornier watching all the action around the complex, causing him to give up his “straightness” to detective Doug Niles, shoving his oversized cock right up the keister. The final set we built was an exterior apartment, viewed through a picture window that housed Michael Britten, who was hosting a play date with Rick Stryker. Rick Stryker, the real life brother of Jeff Stryker, made his debut in Undercover, and the crew was very excited to be a part of what we thought was going to be very important porn history. “Stryker’s brother?…OMG I can’t wait!”

 

Jake Corbin Rick, Stryker and Tom Steele

Jake Corbin Rick, Stryker and Tom Steele

 

Well, the hype kind of fizzled while shooting the scene, so a stunt dick was brought in to handle all of the fucking. But not just any stunt dick – one who could match the length of Stryker and was a “true closer” to get in, get busy and make some magic. The stunt dick called to service was none other than David Ashfield (Surge's Therapy and Strange Places, Strange Things), already an icon in the industry. It was surprising how quickly Scott Masters could get stunt dicks to the set, almost like he had them on standby. This was my one and only time meeting and working with David, so I don’t have a vivid memory of things, but I do remember his rock hard piece going to town on cute Michael Britten, and he was also very friendly and personable.

 

David Ashfield in Therapy and Strange Place, Strange Things

David Ashfield in Therapy and Strange Place, Strange Things

 

Tom Steele was introduced to our team by John Travis when he directed the movie Powerline a month or two earlier. The first time I met him was at SFO Airport when he arrived on the “Midnight Flyer.” Scott Masters and John Travis were arriving from L.A. the next day, so I had to chaperon him for the night at the condo Catalina rented for cast members and out of town crew. It was a great two bedroom apartment, far away from the Castro and Polk Street districts to keep the models in check. One room had two queen beds for the models and the other bedroom had a king sized bed with a $1000 Airflex mattress that Masters splurged on for himself, pissing off GM Chris Mann. These days those mattresses start at around $4000. It was really comfy, but became much more so when during the night Tom Steele poked his head in and asked if he could sleep with me because the queen beds were as hard as a rock. Of course they were – Masters only let me spend like $200 on each of them. This was Tom Steele and I was 27 so let’s face it, I was hit with some major temptation. Right from the start when I picked him up at the airport I was comfortable around him. He is exactly like the character from all his movies that you see on the screen. Not too much of an actor, just him reading the lines. For such a handsome super hung stud, his personality is really sweet and down to earth, no hang ups and no attitude ever. I tried my best to be professional by offering to just switch beds with him, but he insisted on sharing the luxurious king size. King sized was right! But I did feel guilty when I saw Travis and Masters the next morning.

 

Powerline promo shot and box cover featuring Tom Steele

Powerline promo shot and box cover featuring Tom Steele

 

Getting back on subject, Undercover, in my book, was one of John Travis’ crowning moments. Just being on the set of this movie put him in a good mood. We experimented with the dolly tracks to get some cool shots. We lit the shit out of the sets with color gels and Travis taught me the importance of backlighting the models. At one point, midway through a scene, Travis said: “You know this is all going to look like mud once it gets down to VHS.” Going from 3/4 inch source material tape down to 1/2 inch VHS really took away so much quality. Thanks to modern technology, quality loss is a thing of the past. The cast and crew all felt like we were making something very special, so we tried everything in our power to make it look sensational. John Travis’ ultra-specific direction on framing each shot, lighting each shot and directing each shot was priceless to me. When you learn from the very best, all you can hope is that you can emulate their style and somehow make it your own. I was so honored to have worked on Undercover, and am so grateful to my mentor and idol, John Travis.

 

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

 
  1382 Hits

Flora & Fauna - the Flora part anyway!

By Will Seagers

 

Hi folks! Will here for a slightly different (and a bit tamer) photo blog than the last few! This time it is about my lifelong love affair with plants and gardening - both indoor and outdoor.

 

Santa Fe garden images
A beloved garden in one of our Southwest homes. A long shot (one of my favorites!); my spouse feeding the Fishies; up close.
 

It all started when I was seven. I was in 2nd grade. Miss Garneau was my teacher - loved her French accent so much! She had invited a member of the Burpee Seed Company to visit with our class. He showed slides and narrated a nice dialog about his company and the world of gardening. At the end of this tutorial, he asked if any of us were interested in being "salesmen/saleswomen." We were offered the opportunity of selling Burpee Seeds from door to door. I don't know why but I leapt at the opportunity. We were given a small stipend for selling the seeds and were also given the opportunity to choose some seed packs for ourselves.

I took to it like a duck to water. As I remember, I came out #1 in sales for the whole class. This not only threw open the door to a selling career (where I spent nearly 50 years), but started me on my lifelong love of gardening, both indoors and out. My choice of seeds were "King Tut" marigold seeds. It was the late 50s and that naming came from the fact that Egyptologists had started making unbelievable finds in that King's tomb! There was a whole "Egypt Chic" that followed in that era.

 

Marigolds in Will's garden
It all started with these guys - Marigolds!
 

So, I proudly told my father about my recent success. He was partially pleased... being a very successful salesman, himself. But, he wasn't to keen on the fact that I wanted to start a garden with my "King Tuts." He was watching my pre-adolescent development leaning towards more artsy things instead of little league - like he wanted for me! In any case, I was granted a small parcel of land on the side of our house no more than 2' x 3'. To my delight, I had great success with the "Tuts." I don't believe that my delight was shared by my father, however. Being a headstrong young kid, I persisted with gardening in our other homes during my childhood. My father grew used to it. No future "shade" was thrown on the subject!

 

Will's lawn
Ground zero for any garden is a hearty lawn!
 

Add a decade to the timeline. I entered engineering school in Newark, N.J.; I moved in with my Aunt in nearby Jersey City. The gardening bug was still within me and I lavished my talents upon my Aunt's backyard. Her house was a duplex. The lady that lived upstairs was a childhood friend of hers and fellow Finn. I always enjoyed listening to them banter back and forth in Finnish - not understanding a single word. Ida, the lady upstairs, was very impressed with the garden that I had created and complimented me frequently. She called the local newspaper and told them about this "Urban Oasis." To my surprise, one afternoon a photographer showed up to do a little spread in the paper on my garden! I was more than proud of this little patch of heaven!

 

Will at age 18, gardening in a newspaper photo
The garden that made it to the papers! Circa 1970.
 

Without going through each and every garden that I created over the years and across the country in the following years, I would like to highlight just a few of my favorites... outside and inside as well.

From '76 through 1991, I was an apartment dweller in San Francisco. For 12 years on 10th St. in the South of Market area, I gardened on the apartment buildings sunroof as well as in my very modestly sized one bedroom flat. I shared the roof garden with several other tenants. It had a very 1970s S.F. commune vibe. And, all of the sun bathers loved this garden in the city!

 

San Francisco outdoor and indoor gardens with cats
Our beloved Siamese cat "Shelly" posing before Gazanias on our South of Market apartment rooftop! (top); Our South of Market apartment living room and its garden! (bottom)
 

Living in New York City with my current spouse, Alan, presented quite a challenge. We had a rather cook book fire escape summer garden. But, in the living room a much bigger year round tropical garden flourished. That started my adventures into the orchid world.

 

Orchid images
Recent photos. The garden corner of the living room with the orchid in bloom. (R); This performer was gifted to me by my friend George! (L)

 

Fast forwarding to the present, both indoor and outdoor gardens are a mainstay in my day to day retired life in the desert.

 

Recent photos - morning glory closeup and hollyhock in the garden
An “automatic replacement “ these Grandpa Ott variety of Morning Glories come back each Spring. (L); Another beauty that’s on auto pilot is this lovely Hollyhock. (R)
 
Desert lawn image and icicles
Summer and Winter in America's Southwest.
 

I am pleased to say that I have a lot of the original house plants that I purchased in San Francisco - some 40 to 50 years ago. About 20 years ago, an artist friend of ours gave me a cutting of his amazing 20' tall Euphorbia plant. It was spectacular in his gallery/atrium! I am proud to say that our 12 footer is doing quite well and cohabitating with one of my original Christmas cacti purchased from the Church St. Safeway supermarket in San Francisco back in 1976! TLC seems to really go the extra mile with my "planties!" And, they have brought me a lot of joy over the years.

 

Recent garden photos of two plants
Brought home from a Lowe's nursery department some 13 years ago, this Trumpet Vine thrives! (R); This rose is a perennial favorite and a bit of a chameleon, another 13 y.o. in the garden! (L)
 
Amaryllis plants indoors
A glance of winter time in my living room garden with Amaryllis ready to bloom. (L); Amaryllis celebrating Christmas! (R)
 

I am pleased to have been born with a green thumb. It has been an enriching experience to help bring beauty into this world. And, for all of you fellow gardeners, I say thank you! The care you lavish on your botanical family is the real beauty of love!

 

 

Indoor potted flower
A cherished Adenium from my late friend Mike, here thriving indoors in the winter!
 
Recent garden flower close-ups

The Adenium hails from the Arabian Peninsula and loves every bit of our desert heat waves! (L); Caught with the early morning rays, this Bougainvillea is a new comer and gift from my close friend and DJ, George. (R)

 

 

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 image

 


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: The Early Gyms
Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun: My Story of Sun Worship and Where It Got Me
Becoming Invisible
The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray
Pin Money
One Organ Leads to Another! Part 1
The Wheels of Steel
Feast and Famine: The 1970s to the 1980s
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!
Back to Basics: "Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture!"
A Little Secret
"I love a Parade!" Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade
Pics, Pics & More Pics... Life's a Beach

 

  644 Hits
GO to Top