Shot on Fire Island, Wakefield Poole’s slickly produced film “Boys in the Sand “marked a dramatic departure from the low-budget, low grade “loop” pornography previously available to gay men.
Released on December 29, 1971, at the 55th Street Playhouse in New York City. Poole engaged in an unprecedented pre-release publicity campaign, including screening parties and full-page ads in The New York Times and Variety. The line, for the first showing, reached 7th Avenue and the film made back most of its production and promotions budget the day it opened, grossing close to $6,000 in the first hour. Boys in the Sand was produced on a budget of about $8,000.
Boys in the Sand is composed of three segments set on Fire Island. Bayside, Poolside, and Inside.
Poole was inspired to make the film after he went with some friends to see a film called Highway Hustler. After watching the film, he said to a friend, “This is the worst, ugliest movie I’ve ever seen! Somebody oughta be able to do something better than this.”[Poole was convinced that he was that somebody; “I wanted [to make] a film that gay people could look at and say, ‘I don’t mind being gay – it’s beautiful to see those people do what they’re doing.” And so he did.
The film went on to gross $25,000 during its first week, landing it on Variety‘s list of the week’s 50 top-grossing films.[Positive word of mouth spread and the film was favorably reviewed in Variety (“There are no more closets!”)and other outlets, which previously had completely ignored the genre. While some critics were less impressed, others saw the film as akin to the avant-garde work of directors like Kenneth Anger and Andy Warhol.[ Within six months the film had grossed $140,000 and was continuing to open in theatres across the United States and around the world.
Sadly Casey Donovan who starred in BITS became an underground gay celebrity while he never achieved the mainstream acting career for which he had hoped. Donovan, who also worked under the name Cal Culver, was the Marilyn Monroe of gay porn he continued his career in pornography and translated his fame into some appearances on the legitimate stage, including a successful national tour in the gay-themed play Tubstrip[and an unsuccessful attempt to produce a revival of The Ritz.[ His fame also allowed him success as a high-priced male escort.]
Casey Donovan sadly passed away from AIDS-related illness in 1987.
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