BijouBlog

His hot hung blond self was everywhere, and here he still is at Bijou Video, appearing in a stunning repertoire of films: Philip St. John's Getting It, Nova's stunner Heroes, LeSalon's supersexed Cabin Fever, and our new release Tough Competition, among others.
 

Though physically he embodied the Falcon Studios ideal of a gay porn stud, he was no cardboard figure. Interviews from the period reveal a likable person with a healthy, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and a refreshing honesty.

Some tidbits from an interview in Male Review:

What's your favorite color?

I like electric blue, it's more modern. Beautiful!

(Someone on our copy of the interview wrote a snarky Who cares? Well, one has got to start somewhere in an interview.)
 

What was the most tempting offer you've ever had from a fan?

A really handsome man came up to me a Greg's, said “Are you Jim Bentley? And immediately gave me the biggest lip-lock, and I loved it! He reached out and took what he wanted. He was only in town one night, so he took me back to his hotel. Fortunately, it was the Beverly Wilshire.

Who is your fantasy co-star of the existing porn stars?

I have a new discovery that I'm about to release to the world …

Let's say somebody who's already active though.

I'm usually the top, but I'd like to have someone just take my ass down on screen, I'm not sure who. It's a difficult question to answer. I'd say Al Parker.

Do you show your own tapes to your friends?

Yes, I see it first with a friend. I never watch it alone. I have a couple of friends who will tell me the truth.

Do your films turn you on?

It's hard to look at myself on the screen at first. Eventually, it swings around and becomes erotic again.
 

And from Inches magazine, here's another fun fact: He used to sell figs for living. Yes, figs, of all fruit, a Biblical one!
 

He went from figs to bigs, that is, being one of the bigs in the gay porn world during a exciting and frightening time: a gay sexual liberation, revealed in well-produced, well-acted films that revealed the power and beauty of gay sexual expression; and, simultaneously, the AIDS crisis which would decimate the actors in those films.

Where is he today? He did not die like so many of his generation, but lived, according to Josh Thomas at this source, to write an autobiography, The Last Time I Drew A Crowd.
 

According to the source, he is raising figs again.

His movies available at Bijou Video still, many years later, raise dicks.
 

By Josh Eliot

Any fan of gay adult cinema, specifically movies made in the 1970’s and 1980’s, is sure to have followed the career of Derrick Stanton - spelled “Derek” in his early features, then modified for the more extensive list of titles in his film history.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1955 and standing 6’ tall, Derrick started working in the adult film business in his early 20s. Having formed a friendship with cinematographer/director Barry Knight (Brian King), and sometimes working as his sound man, Derrick was introduced into gay adult films by Barry in late 1976 with his debut film, released in 1977. The two had a steadfast bond all the way up until Barry’s death on June 16, 2005. Barry started his career in the mid 1960’s with a series of TV commercials for Salem Cigarettes, before co-founding Jaguar Films in 1971 with Monroe Beehler and Gerald Strickland. Barry Knight and partner Russell Moore worked together on such 70’s hits as The Experiment, Greek Lightning and The Insatiables.

Director Kevin Clarke connected me with Derrick Stanton, who is currently 70 years old and living in Southern California. I reached out to Derrick to see if he would be interested in a Q&A, specifically addressing the eleven movies he shot for director William Higgins, and he graciously agreed. I was personally familiar with Derrick's career and his movies from my time working at Catalina Video, as they distributed all of William Higgins' early work. I found Derrick agreeable, candid, humorous and very forthright. This 2026 interview celebrates 50 years, give or take a few months, since the young man stepped in front of the cameras, not realizing his screen presence, visibly high sex drive and stunning ejaculations made him a gay household name back then and an icon of adult cinema today.

Barry Knight, plus box cover & clips from Hardhat, Derrick's first movie, before the spelling change

JE: It shows that you started your career in the business in late 1976, working in the movie Men Under The Hardhat aka Hardhat (Jaguar Productions, 1977). But around the same time, you also worked in a number of loop, intended for the booths at adult magazine shops. Were the loops shot first or was Hardhat?

DS: Hardhat was my first “film.” I was discovered by cinematographer Barry Knight, who became a great friend. He saw filming the male body as an art. Anyone in front of his camera looked amazing. I truly miss him.

JE: Was Hardhat a “music enhanced” movie or your first “talkie?”

DS: Both actually.

JE: What was your very first day on the set like?

DS: I was working with the lead Adam Mitchell doing a romantic sailing sequence on his catamaran with soaring music. Barry Knight and his partner Russell cared about their craft and they believed in romantic gay connections. The first day was interesting, in that it was a whole new world for me. My tendency to be an exhibitionist helped me connect to a rather artificial set, as they all are. There was no Viagra then, but I could get hard by performing and showing off. I was supposed to be a bottom for Adam’s huge, girthy cock but he was too fucked up (high) and couldn’t perform. His sugar daddy was on the set and had supplied him with drugs, so for my first scene I ended up topping him. I told Barry I was going to cum and proceeded to begin to shoot on Adam’s back. Barry started to zoom back, when I told him I wasn’t finished and kept cumming even more. Barry slowly zoomed back in. That was the first day I performed as Derrick “mega load” Stanton. It was filmed in a house up in the hills above Sunset. Everyone was really nice.

JE: Regarding the “loops” you worked in, some were released years later in what is likely an out of print DVD called Vintage Gay XXX Volume 2 from Manville Classics. However, BijouWorld has preserved some of your old loops in Games Boys Play and Cruisin’. Additionally, I saw a sling scene on the internet with you and J.W. King. What do you remember about shooting those “loops?”

DS: That sling scene is quite prevalent on the internet. I was topped by the incredibly handsome J.W. King, a smooth talking, sexy Texan, a true professional on the set. I can still remember his long cock sliding in and out of me. Another loop later on was with Jack Wrangler, set in a dry sauna. I was a bit intimidated by this legend, but loved his beautiful huge cock inside me. He wore full body makeup, which would occasionally smear on me. He made sure he looked good in every aspect of the shoot… done by director Steve Scott. Steve was fun to hang out with and a decent person, but quite strict on the set. Jack and I worked seamlessly together.

JS: In 1978/79, your career really started to take off with a bang! I see that you worked in The Grease Monkeys, The Idol, Bad Bad Boys (aka Bad Boys) and L.A. Tool & Die (uncredited, with Casey Donovan). What are your recollections regarding those movies?

DS: (On Grease Monkeys): I was not the lead, but supported the stars, especially in my beach scene with Kip Noll. The shoot went long and tourists started to gather and watch. We kept going, but we knew we needed to get out of there fast because the park rangers were nearby. Kip Noll was topping me on the beach and we used Vaseline for lube, but some sand got on his dick, which really started to hurt. If you listen closely right at the edit where he pulls out and cums, you can hear me say, “Pull it out.” It was painful, but we finished and left. We could see the rangers arriving just as we began to drive away… whew!!

(On The Idol): My scene in the shower apparently became a most-watched scene. I was turned on by the literally steamy sex in the shower. I really got in to it. Did I say I was an exhibitionist?

(On Bad Bad Boys): Another movie lovingly filmed by Barry Knight. One co-star was Johnny Dawes, a super-hot sex machine who enjoyed showing off too. The two of us later did a shoot together for Joe Tiffenbach. We weren’t acting - we really got off on each other.

(On L.A. Tool & Die): My uncredited scene with Casey Donovan was at first intimidating, because again I would be working with a legend. We had a chance to chat with each other for about an hour before our scene together. What a genuinely sweet man he was. He immediately put me at ease. Topping him felt amazing, in that his ass seemed to pull my entire body into him. Pulling out and cumming without touching myself (as ordered by Joe Gage) was easy. It was, as poet Jim Morrison once wrote, “...a great golden copulation.” We filmed in an old building in downtown Los Angeles. The ground fog was created by a kind of insecticide that floated close to the ground… quite noxious. Joe Gage was quite meticulous, so the shoot went long for art’s sake.

JE: This same time period, you met William Higgins and starred in an impressive list of movies for the director: Jack Wrangler, Jocks (1979), The Boys of Venice (1979), Rear Deliveries (1980), Class of '84 (1980), Class of '84 Part 2 (1981), Brothers Should Do It (1981), These Bases are Loaded (1982), Members Only (1982), Printers Devil's (1982), Class Reunion (1983) and Route 69 (1984). How were you introduced to William Higgins?

DS: By Barry Knight.

JE: I’d like to focus on your experience while working on the eleven movies you shot for Higgins. Jack Wrangler, Jocks and Boys of Venice came out in 1979. Which one was shot first?

DS: Boys of Venice.

Derrick Stanton with Eric Ryan in The Boys Of Venice

 

THE BOYS OF VENICE (1979)

JE: In The Boys of Venice, your roller skating scene with Eric Ryan set the tone for the entire homage to Southern California beach boys. What do you remember about shooting on the Venice Boardwalk and the subsequent scene in the bathroom? Also, whose idea was it to keep the skates on for the sex scene?

DS: I already loved skating at Venice beach. The bathroom scene was actually filmed in the small restroom near the projector room at the Century Theater. It was my idea to keep the skates on. I also wanted to include me peeing in the toilet. Cameraman Barry Knight was on the floor literally cuddling the toilet bowl. I apologized to him for accidentally peeing on him a bit. Roller skates were not conducive to good aim! Barry said he loved getting peed on. Eric Ryan was a really kind person and had quite the muscular build. His fat cock inside of me felt amazing. A few months later, I went to skate at the Venice Boardwalk wearing the exact same outfit from the movie. A stranger came up to with an astonished look and said, “OMG, it’s you… you really are a boy from Venice.” I sheepishly replied, “Yup.” Great fun indeed.

JACK WRANGLER, JOCKS (1979)

JE: There are a lot of one-timers in this movie. You shot a scene with a mustached guy, not sure of his name, in front of a blank backdrop. What are your recollections of this day on the set?

DS: I do not remember this scene.

REAR DELIVERIES (1980)

JE: In Rear Deliveries, you worked with Shawn Victors in the photo developing studio. I want to add that you looked really current and trendy for the time period in your Blue Oyster Cult black t-shirt! The scene seemed to flow beautifully with lots of kissing and flip flop fucking. Shawn was hard the entire time you were fucking him, and when you came I counted nine big squirts. Was this a genuine connection between the two of you?

DS: Yes, definitely. Shawn Victors was quite sensual. Yes, I was a huge Blue Oyster Cult fan. Hey... some gays love metal.

JE: Later in the movie, you were in a threeway with Shawn Victors and taxi cab driver Guy DeSilva. You and Shawn were outside the Pacific Design Center, then followed Guy into a T-room. What was the dynamic between the three of you on the set?

DS: To be clear, threeways are almost always two and a half-ways, as one guy is kind of a third wheel. For us, it came naturally to interact to create more “great golden copulations!” At the end of the shoot, Higgins discovered that his eyepiece on the camera was out of focus. All footage was useless. He demanded we re-shoot right then and there. I told him I would have to be paid double, which he reluctantly agreed to. I did provide him with another cum shot that day. Yes, I was old reliable, indeed.

Brochures from Jocks, Rear Deliveries & Class of '84

 

CLASS OF 84 PART 1 and Part 2 (1980-81)

JE: In Class of '84 Parts 1 and 2, you and Jeremy Scott shared the sloppiest dorm room I’ve ever seen in my life. Luckily, your full scene together took place in the mountains. Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead?

DS: Big Bear as in Ballin’ in Big Bear (one title).

JE: The strongest scene in the movie is between the two of you, and I’ve not seen many occasions where you ate someone’s cum after climax. Coaxed, or just came naturally?

DS: Jeremy was a gorgeous man with a big mushroom-head cock. Higgins was in love with him and there was frequently tension on the outdoor set between them. I love outdoor sex. I love eating cum, and in personal sex life I love felching (eating cream-pies), then snow ballin’ (swapping cum in a kiss). That morning of the shoot, I ate a big breakfast and took a dump in the woods prior to the shoot, but it wasn’t enough clearance of the tar on my chocolate bar. Higgins was annoyed. But hey, you all want to know the truth behind the scenes... 😆 John Waters style? Ha-ha.

JE: In '84 Part 2, you have two scenes: the first was with Karl Hansen, who played a doctor. Your cum shot under the exam table stands out as a highlight. Did you drench Higgins?

DS: Higgins thought that doctor scene was a mistake because of the different body types. Some fans pilloried him for his casting. It is interesting that a fan reached my DMs and told me that this scene was his absolute favorite. Yes, I lived up to my ability to drown co-actors, directors and cameramen!

BROTHERS SHOULD DO IT (1981)

JE: In Brothers Should Do It, Kip Noll pounds and pounds and pounds your ass like nobody's business. It was a highlight, and you came while getting fucked. Surely the experience must have stuck with you over the years - what do you remember about it?

DS: Kip and I were not even supposed to be paired in this film, but between scenes we sexually connected on a nearby patio. Higgins saw this, stopped filming another scene and ran over to capture this genuine sex connection. Kip and I were sexually “in the moment.” He said that he liked me because I was “a regular kind of guy.”

JE: Many have voiced their opinions of Kip Noll in real life compared to his screen persona. What was your impression of Kip Noll in real life. Did you socialize outside of work?

DS: Kip was quiet and a bit introverted until the sex started. Feeling that big cock of his inside enhanced our already momentary sex connection, so cumming hands free was a genuine “great golden copulation.” After our scene, he asked me to go out with him on the town of West Hollywood. I really wanted to, but I had a boyfriend waiting outside in our car. We would’ve had a blast together, since we were at our peak porn careers then.

***

We’ve nearly reached the halfway point, and hearing Derrick Stanton’s recollections of his times back in the day is priceless, in my book! In Part 2, we’ll pick up with Derrick talking about the rest of his releases for William Higgins, starting with These Bases Are Loaded. Derrick left the industry at the request of his partner in 1984, but re-surfaced in 1995 to receive a Hall of Fame Award. At the awards ceremony, Derrick met director Jerry Douglas, who persuaded him to return to the screen in 1997’s Family Values. What was it like for Derrick to be back on the set thirteen years after retiring from the business? We’ll address all of it as our Q&A continues in my next blog: Derrick Stanton Talks About Life on the Set Part 2, 1982-1997.

 

Bio of Josh Eliot:

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

 

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

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

By Will Seagers

Hello folks, Will here!

Well, it's been some time since I have signed on with that line. I hope you all have been well in the interim!

With a title like the above, I'll be digging back - way back - in my memories of men with whom I have had the Pleasure! After recently celebrating my diamond birthday, I thought it might be a good idea to write about these guys while I still have it fresh in my mind! But, then again, how could anyone ever forget the experience of being with likes of Al Parker, Bruno, Jim Bentley and of course Richard Locke!

There were other heart throbs of that time and slightly later with whom I never got to experience the pleasures. But, I do have a vivid imagination. And, here at Bijou you are just a click away at bringing them right into your own man cave!

Al Parker - Icon of the ages.

I never even knew that I was going to make a film with him until that very day. It was an early Falcon production - Weekend Lockup. I was freshly transplanted from New York to San Francisco via an offer from Chuck Holmes, the studio's owner and creator.

We had a lot of fun working on the scenes that day... if you could call it work! I really hit it off with Al and his lover, Steve Taylor, who co-starred in the film. At the end of the day, these two invited me to their home in Manhattan Beach for a weekend of our own kind of lockup! Needless to say, I didn't get to see much of the beach! Boy! Those two were real sex machines.

Bruno - Another face and body that you saw plastered all over gay media!

This particular meeting and shooting was quite unusual. My friend, Lou Thomas (of Target Studio fame), had arranged for me to take off a couple of hours off from my lifeguard job at the Boatel (of Fire Island Pines fame). He was friends with my boss, John Whyte - the Boatel owner. Lou had made arrangements with owner of a beautiful Pines home, complete with pool, as our set for the day. Once again, I was taken by surprise as I was only told hours before that I was "on loan" from John.

As I remember, it was a Wednesday afternoon when I sauntered up to the beachfront location and first laid my eyes on Bruno. We had never met and I really did not know what to expect. I mean, yes, I had seen my fair share of his pics. But, I did not know what a gentle giant he was and how passionately and authentically he performed. If I were not already in a relationship, I could have easily fallen for this tall, dark and sensuous man! Alas, we only had that afternoon. But, he left his impression!

Jim Bentley - "Is it true blondes have more fun?"

If it's Jim, the answer is a resounding YES! Energetic, fun and sex to the Moon and back are my memories. We met on the set of Cabin Fever. Although there was a fairly large cast, sparks started flying between us immediately. We didn't need a script or props - all they needed to do was to keep enough film in the camera! Off camera, we developed a really fun relationship. Of course, sex was at the center. But, we had other mutual interests, to boot.

When I first went over to his Polk Street apartment, he warned me that there was a huge "cage" in his living room. Me, being a bird fancier all of my life, I thought that was really cool.

After a night of endless flip-flopping, I awoke to see his huge cage uncovered. Ironically, he was breeding Moluccan Cockatoos. I had a beautiful female of that species at home named "Gloria!" She took to Jim right away leaping from my shoulder right to his. He loved her, too. Such a nice man. And, so many memories!

Richard Locke - (Speaking of Icons!)

Well, I did know in advance that I would be working with Mr. Locke via the crew that interviewed me for the part of Wylie in L.A. Tool & Die! My interview took place in San Francisco. But, the movie was shot in Los Angeles.

Richard and I were both living in S.F. at the time. Somehow, word got out about the two of us and this upcoming blockbuster. Another studio asked us to film Cruisin' the Castro before the filming in L.A. It was a smaller production, but was packed with some steamy sex scenes. That's where Richard and I first "met!" It was really good chemistry on the set... one whose formula we were able to keep alive and hot for our L. A. adventure.

He had a natural sexiness that I found irresistible. One that kept me panting despite the lighting, sound and many other techs present to give this film its "major studio" feel. I also love Richard's professionalism. We were there to make a fuck flick and by golly that's what we did! Yeah, it's work... but, somebody's got to do it!



I hope all of you folks out there have steamy and fun memories that Cupid and his arrows can dig up for you to relive! Happy Valentine's Day!

Will! 💖

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.

By Josh Eliot

The 1999 movie The American Way and its sequels made in the early 2000’s were a pinnacle in producer/director Kevin Clarke’s career in the gay adult video business. From 1995 to 2006, Kevin Clarke directed 14 movies with one thing in common: cute, athletic and boyish young men. Within the course of his career in the adult industry, he met or worked alongside most of the major players and calls those days “the best times of my life.” But Kevin wasn’t initially destined to become a porn director; in fact, Kevin’s career from 1973 until his first adult project in 1995 was as a manager for musicians. He was introduced to David Forest, who at the time was managing Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist, Randy Rhodes. Of course, I know of David Forest as a porn star agent – of Ryan Idol, to be exact, as well as others. Kevin’s other initial connection was with Vicki Wickham, who was managing the group Labelle's member Nona Hendrix, along with Dusty Springfield and Marc Almond of Soft Cell. Kevin credits Vicki with teaching him everything he knows about the music management business. His first client was Scott Gatewood, and he parlayed that into working with countless musicians throughout the years, including Ronny Drayton and Sarah Dash from Labelle. He and Sarah became close friends all the way until her death.

A music connection that had “six degrees of separation” to the gay porn world was Kevin’s encounter with gay porn model Tony Young. Kevin was working with a young band from Pawtucket, RI that had just fired their drummer (Tony Young) because they found out that he worked in some gay pornos: Backyard Boys (1990), Tempting Tommy (1990), Summer School (1990), Hot Summer Knights (1990), Beat Street Boys (1991), Sparky O’Toole’s Excellent Adventure (1991) and Takin’ Care of Mike (1992). The band regretted firing “Tony” and Kevin was playing negotiator. Tony Young wanted to make music, his focus, and to stop working in the movies, but the conversation between the two parties went south. In 1994, Tony Young worked in the movie Hip Hop Hunks in a scene with co-star Billy Houston. It was the last movie either one of them would ever make and Tony Young was never heard from again. Billy Houston is currently serving two life sentences for numerous murders. A haunting premise for Tony’s disappearance that has stuck with Kevin all these many years.

The following year, Kevin Clarke had his first introduction into adult gay video when he took a position as an offline editor for Richard Morgan’s movie Feels So Good (1995). A couple years later, his regular position was working as an editor at Delta Productions with Barry Knight and Russell Moore. Barry Knight worked with Monroe Beehler (aka Mark Aaron, director of Grease Monkeys) at Jaguar Films since the early 1970s. Barry and Russell wanted to bring back the Jaguar line of movies and asked Kevin to direct their initial effort. The idea from the beginning was to compete with Bel-Ami Studios whose founder, George DuRoy, specifically shot hairless young men with athletic bodies and boyish charm, mostly from Eastern Europe. The movie Kevin would debut his directorial skills in was called Pleasure Principle (1997), and upon its release became enormously successful and garnered Best Picture and Best Director nominations. Kevin rode the wave of acclaim and went on to direct Tony Donovan in Something Very Big (1998) for Odyssey Video, with our favorite gal-pal Sharon Kane in the credits for “make-up.” Kevin followed up with titles Heartland and The American Way in 1999, produced by Richard Morgan and starring Ashton Ryan for Rad Video. The American Way was extremely well received, won Best Twink Video at the Grabby Awards and birthed two sequels, The American Way 2: Lust and The American Way 3: Love.

From 2000 to 2003, Kevin directed Ashton Ryan’s B-Boys, Freshman Diaries and Kevin’s favorite movie by far, A Young Man’s World. In his movie A Young Man’s World (2000), he tells the story of five young men through the lens of their older selves. Playing the older version of the young characters in non-sexual roles are Ron Aaron, Barry Knight, Russell Moore, Kevin himself and, most surprisingly, 1980’s icon Derrick Stanton. Looking studly at (I would assume) age 44, Derrick Stanton featured a classic haircut, shaved on the sides, which made his facial features look striking. His physique in a black tank top was in peak condition as well!

A Young Man's World (2000): Kevin's locks get shaved off & Derrick Stanton takes on a non-sexual role

 

In 2004, Kevin relocated back home to New York City and finished off his career with five more movies for Latino Fan Club and IOP Productions: The American City (2004), Seduction of a Surfer (2005), American Boys (2006), Something Much Bigger (2006) and College Boys (2007). College Boys was his last before retiring from the adult film industry. During his tenure, he mixed and mingled with the likes of George Duroy, Jerry Douglas, John Travis, John Summers, Tom DeSimone, William Higgins and more. He has amazing stories to tell with great info that filled in a lot of cracks for me regarding the industry back then. I swear he knew everyone, and everything about them! Not to shoot myself in the foot but if Kevin were writing blogs for BijouWorld, I would venture to say that his stories would blow mine out of the water!

The award-winning American Way & some candid shots with Kevin, Jerry Douglas & George DuRoy

 

Kevin and I were recently talking about William Higgins' The Boys of Venice and Derrick Stanton’s name came up. I mentioned that I recently watched a YouTube video featuring Derrick being interviewed at the Abbey in West Hollywood. Without missing a beat, Kevin offered to give me Derrick Stanton’s contact information, stating that he was a nice guy and would love to talk with me about his career. The thought of reaching out to Derrick intimidated me initially, so it took me a few weeks to muster up the courage, but I did. Derrick replied to my message within moments, which absolutely thrilled me, and when he agreed to do a Q&A about his 11 movies for William Higgins, I was over the moon! I am happy to say that our question and answer session is complete and will debut in two weeks on the BijouWorld Blog.

Derrick Stanton then & now

 

Derrick discussed his time on the set of the following William Higgins movies: Jack Wrangler Jocks (1979), The Boys of Venice (1979), Rear Deliveries (1980), Class of ’84 (1980), Class of ’84 Part 2 (1981), Brothers Should Do It (1981), These Bases Are Loaded (1982), Members Only (1982), Printers Devils (1982), Class Reunion (1983) and Route 69 (1984).

His recollections are vivid and intriguing. Thank you, Kevin Clarke for connecting me with icon Derrick Stanton and for your amazing contributions as writer, producer and director in the gay adult video industry!

 

Bio of Josh Eliot:

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

 

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

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

 

Richard Locke - the sexy, confident, bearded daddy, with a hip tattoo of a butterfly and a physique naturally toned from working outdoors (or, as he claimed, from jerking off in front a a mirror for thirty minutes a day) - was one of the first to establish mature men as potent sex symbols in gay porn. He became an icon from his outstanding starring role as Hank, a relatable everyman hero, in the late '70s Working Man Trilogy from the Gage Brothers (Kansas City Trucking Co., El Paso Wrecking Corp., and L.A. Tool & Die). This trilogy brought a new sexual focus to average working class men who have sex with men, and their sexual lives in smaller cities and rural areas across the United States, which had a massive impact on gay porn.
 

Born June 11, 1941 in East Oakland, California, Locke served in the Army in his early adult life, where he worked as a tank mechanic. He returned to California and eventually began starring in porn in his mid-30s, quickly ascending to star status. Locke worked on films with some of the finest auteur directors of classic gay porn (Joe Gage, Arthur Bressan Jr., Steve Scott, Wakefield Poole) and biggest stars (Jack Wrangler, Will Seagers, Fred Halsted, Clay Russell, Roy Garrett, Casey Donovan). He even had a sex scene with his real-life lover, Alex, on the roof of their Desert Hot Springs home in Wakefield Poole's Take One (1977). Locke used his real name in porn, telling Jerry Douglas in an interview for the December 1992 issue of Manshots, “I'm very proud of my work and everything I do. An artist signs his name to the canvas, and I sign my name.”

Locke's films (narrative features, experimental/art porn, straight-forward sex films/loops) and characters span a wide variety. His character Hank focuses on raunchy casual encounters throughout the majority of the Working Man Trilogy, but shows his soft side by following his dream man (played by Will Seagers) across the country in L.A. Tool & Die, and Arthur Bressan Jr.'s Forbidden Letters also focuses on a romantic storyline. (Locke also appeared in a smaller role in Bressan Jr.'s Passing Strangers.)

In contrast to his romantic roles and the easy likability of the trilogy's Hank, in Joe Gage's 1982 release, Heatstroke, Locke plays a mean sonofabitch, the gruff ranch foreman (though with a knowing sense of humor). In addition to his countless filmic sexual encounters, Locke gets into two memorable brawls on screen, both in Heatstroke and L.A. Tool & Die, tossing a homophobe out of a gay bar in the latter.
 

In this fascinating 1978 interview with Richard Locke, conducted by his brother Robert, Richard stated his goal in making pornography: “When I was coming out, I didn't feel good about myself. Now I do feel good and I want to share that. If I can project that solid, good feeling within myself into the audience, to people who don't feel good about themselves, if they can say, 'That's what I like; that's what I want to be like, open and free,' then I will have accomplished one of the goals in my life – to bring freedom to other people, the freedom of being themselves.”

Later in his career, Locke toured the country performing live strip/jack off shows for enthusiastic crowds (including at the Bijou Theater), published two books (Locke Out and In the Heat of Passion), authored a play (Loving), mountain climbed, and lived in a sparsely-populated part of the desert outside Palm Springs, where he did body work as a licensed masseur in the city and, out in the desert, worked with his interests in rural and self-sustaining/do-it-yourself living by building a geodesic domed home with a working solar and wind power system.
 

After his 1983 HIV positive diagnosis, Locke turned his focus to activism. In the '80s and '90s, he used his platform as a popular porn star to tirelessly spread information about safer sex practices and health services during the AIDS crisis, in radio and magazine interviews, at seminars, and even at his strip show appearances (which featured creative and practical safer sex activity demonstrations).

During this period of time, he additionally worked with support groups, raised money, protested, publicly advocated for condom usage for individuals as well as porn studios (saying he was blackballed in the business as a result), visited patients in hospital wards, and much more that is likely not chronicled. This beautiful article - “Two Kinds of Hero: Richard (Butterfly) Locke” - provides some insight into that chapter of his life.

Locke was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 1994 Gay Erotic Video Awards. He died of AIDS-related complications in 1996.

Richard Locke was known for being a charming combination of strong, caring, bright, unpretentious, and entirely genuine; a down-to-earth guy and a confident, unapologetic gay man – qualities reflected in many of his movie roles. Bijou owner Steven Toushin described him as a very kind man and director Joe Gage (in this interview discussing his films, including commentary on Locke) called him “the last of the true live-and-let-live hippies.”
 

Through Bijou Video, you can find Richard Locke in our fresh new release, Heatstroke (DVD | Streaming) as well as in a number of other classics we carry, including L.A. Tool & Die (DVD | Streaming) and our collection The Best of Richard Locke (DVD | Streaming).

Online Sources and Further Information:
My Brother the Porn Star: An Interview with Richard Locke
Keep on Truckin': An Interview with Joe Gage
Two Kinds of Hero: Richard (Butterfly) Locke
Ask Any Buddy podcast: Kansas City Trucking Co.
Wikipedia – Richard Holt Locke
Gay Erotic Video Index – Richard Locke