Casey Donovan (actor): Difference between revisions
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{{About|the male American actor|the female Australian singer|Casey Donovan (singer)}} |
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'''Casey Donovan''', also known as '''John Calvin "Cal" Culver''' ([[2 November]], [[1943]] - [[10 August]], [[1987]]) was an [[United States of America|American]] male [[pornographic actor]] (porn star) of the [[1970s]] and [[1980s]], appearing primarily in [[adult films]] and videos catering to [[gay]] male audiences. Casey's appeal came largely from his natural good looks, his boy-next-door persona, and especially for his great enthusiasm for sex, both on and off the set. In many ways, he was the epitome of the [[free love]] and [[hedonism]] of the 1970s and early 80s. |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} |
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[[Image:Casey2.jpg|framed|Casey Donovan, aka Cal Culver, circa 1975]] |
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{{Short description|American pornographic actor (1943–1987)}} |
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{{Infobox adult biography |
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| name = Casey Donovan |
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| image = Boysinthesandad.jpg |
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| caption = |
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| birth_name = John Calvin Culver |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|11|02}} |
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| birth_place = [[East Bloomfield, New York]], U.S. |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1987|08|10|1943|11|02}} |
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| death_place = [[Inverness, Florida]], U.S. |
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| spouse = |
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| partner = [[Tom Tryon]] (1973-1977) |
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| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}} |
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| alias = Ken Donovan |
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| website = |
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}} |
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'''John Calvin Culver''' (November 2, 1943<ref>Grief, p. 188</ref> – August 10, 1987<ref>Rutledge (1992), p. 281</ref>), better known under his stage name '''Casey Donovan''', was an American male [[pornographic film actor]] from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s, appearing primarily in [[adult film]]s and videos catering to [[gay male]] audiences, during the [[Golden Age of Porn]]. Following a brief career as a Latin teacher and a stint as a highly-paid male model, Donovan appeared in ''[[Boys in the Sand]]'' (1971), the film that would cement his status as a gay icon. Attempts to build on his notoriety to achieve mainstream crossover success failed, but Donovan continued to be a bankable star in the [[Sex industry|adult industry]] for the next 15 years. He was briefly a mainstream actor, who appeared on stage, as well as a theatre producer and manager, and appeared as himself in TV series ''[[Channel J#The Emerald City|The Emerald City]]''. |
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Casey Donovan was born John Calvin Culver on [[2 November]] [[1943]], in [[East Bloomfield]], [[New York]]. After working for a time as a teacher at the private [[Ethical Culture Fieldston School]] on [[New York City]]'s [[Central Park West]], he began acting in summer stock theater as Cal Culver. He also made money on the side as a male [[escort]]. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was appearing in plays like ''[[Captain Brassbound's Conversion]]'' with [[Ingrid Bergman]], ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' with [[Rosemary Harris]], and an off-Broadway gay-themed play, ''Circle in the Water.'' Cal was also modeling, appearing in numerous ads and magazines. |
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==Early life== |
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In 1971, Cal played a supporting role in a low budget sexploitation thriller film, ''[[Ginger (film)|Ginger]]''. This in turn led to an offer to appear in ''[[Casey (film)|Casey]]'', a gay pornographic film in which Cal played the title role, a gay man who is visited by his fairy godmother Wanda (Cal playing a dual role in [[drag (clothing)|drag]]), and is granted a series of wishes which make him sexually irresistible to other men. Cal later took the character's name, Casey, and that of popular singer [[Donovan]] to create the pseudonym under which he would appear in all his other erotic roles. |
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Culver was born in [[East Bloomfield, New York]], growing up there with his parents and older brother Duane.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=7}}</ref> |
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Culver attended the [[State University of New York at Geneseo]] (SUNY), where he was a member of [[Phi Sigma Epsilon]] fraternity and the drama club. After graduation in 1965 he accepted a teaching position in [[Peekskill, New York]].<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=28}}</ref> He later took a job at the private [[Ethical Culture Fieldston School]] on [[New York City]]'s [[Central Park West]]<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=34}}</ref> but was fired during his second year following an altercation in which he physically disciplined a female student (reportedly the daughter of actor [[Eli Wallach]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=36}}</ref> |
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Cal first appeared as Casey Donovan in ''[[Boys in the Sand]]'', directed by [[Wakefield Poole]], in [[1972]]. The film was an instant success, with even big name mainstream celebrities going to the premiere. Today the film is considered one of the great classics of male erotic cinema, although stricter [[obscenity]] guidelines in some states forced a change of the title to ''Men in the Sand''. Despite the success and celebrity the film gained for him, Cal/Casey soon realized that the only real doors it opened for him professionally was as a star of still more gay erotic films. These included the bisexual porn film ''[[Score (film)|Score]]'' (1972), ''The Back Row'', with George Payne, ''LA Tool & Die'', with Bob Blount and Richard Locke, ''The Other Side of Aspen'', with [[Al Parker]] and Dick Fisk, ''Boys in the Sand II'', and ''Inevitable Love'', with [[Jon King (porn star)|Jon King]] and [[Jamie Wingo]]. He also featured in a number of heterosexual porn films, notably ''[[The Opening of Misty Beethoven]]'' (1975). |
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Following his dismissal, Culver drifted into [[Male prostitution|prostitution]].<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=37}}</ref> He also began pursuing an acting career, appearing in [[summer stock theatre]] with the [[Peterborough, New Hampshire#Arts and culture|Peterborough Players]].<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=39}}</ref> |
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Outside his adult film career, Casey had a successful off-Broadway run in the play ''Tubstrip'', written and directed by [[Jerry Douglas (director)|Jerry Douglas]], and was involved in a close relationship with former film and television star and author [[Tom Tryon]]. Casey also tried, unsuccessfully, to run a bed and breakfast, Casa Donovan, in [[Key West]]. |
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==Modeling career== |
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By [[1985]], Casey's health had begun to deteriorate, as he had contracted [[HIV]]. He worked with many HIV/AIDS charities and counseled his fans to practice [[safe sex]] and get tested for [[HIV]]. He performed in a safe sex film for the [[Gay Men's Health Crisis]], although he himself lived in denial that he had the syndrome, even as his health got worse. Cal Culver, aka Casey Donovan, died from an AIDS-related pulmonary infection in [[Inverness, Florida]] on [[10 August]] [[1987]]. A biography of Cal Culver's life, ''Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan, All-American Sex Star'', by [[Roger Edmonson]], was published in 1998. |
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Through one of his escorting clients, Culver landed a spot with the [[Wilhelmina Models]] modeling agency, commanding an hourly rate of US$60 (equivalent to $400 in 2020).<ref name="Edmonson 51">{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=51}}</ref> |
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He continued to pursue stage work, landing an understudy job in 1969 in the [[Off-Broadway]] gay-themed play ''And Puppy Dog Tails'', making his Broadway debut in 1970 in the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]-themed production ''Brave'' and a co-starring role in the off-Broadway play ''Circle in the Water'' (also in 1970).<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|pp=50–2}}</ref> |
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==Filmography== |
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*''The Back Row, 1972 & 2001'' restored version complied with a new movie. With (1972) George Payne, Robin Anderson, David Knox, Warren Carlton, Chris Villette, Arthur Graham, and Robert Tristan and (2001) Kyle Kennedy, Ryan Zane, [[Chad Hunt]], Ethan Richards, Mark Slade, Dante Foxx, Rob Kirk, Danny Lopez, Thomas Bond, and Tanner Reeves. Directed by Jerry Douglas. |
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==Adult film career== |
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*''Casey'' (Hand in Hand Films/[[Bijou Video]]) with Angelo Waine, Sparrow Guano and Nat Grey. |
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In 1971, Culver played a supporting role in a low-budget [[Sexploitation film|sexploitation]] thriller film called ''Ginger''. While the film was a commercial and critical failure, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' noted his performance positively, saying "Only Calvin Culver ... shows any indication of better things to come."<ref name="Edmonson 51"/> This in turn led to an offer to appear in ''[[Casey (film)|Casey]]'',<ref>{{cite web |
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*''L.A. Tool & Die'' with Richard Locke, Joe Gage, Paul Baressi, Bob Blount, Johnny Falconberg, Michael Kearns and Will Seagers. Directed by Joe Gage. |
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| title =Casey |
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*''Heatstroke'' with Richard Locke, Roy Garrett, Clay Russell, Clinton Coe, Bud Wallace, John Steele, Richard West. Directed by Joe Gage. |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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*''Men & Films'' interview documentary with Rod Phillips and Daniel Holt. |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179710/ |
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*''Moving'' with Burt Edwards, Tom Wright, Val Martin, Peter Fisk and Kurt Gerard. Directed by Wakefield Poole. |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> a gay pornographic film in which Culver played the title role, a gay man who is visited by his fairy godmother Wanda (Culver playing a dual role in [[drag (clothing)|drag]]), and is granted a series of wishes which make him sexually irresistible to other men. Culver later took the title character's name, Casey, and that of the popular Scottish singer-songwriter [[Donovan]] to create the pseudonym under which he would appear in all his other erotic roles.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=59}}</ref> |
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*'' Non-Stop'' with Daniel Holt, Steve Anthony, Steve Collins, Jorge Rodriquez and Eric Ryan. Directed by Steve Scott. |
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*''Other Side of Aspen I'' ([[Falcon Studios]] Videopac #1) with Chad Benson, Dick Fisk, Al Parker, and Jeff Turk. |
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Culver was first credited under the "Casey Donovan" name in ''[[Boys in the Sand]]'' (1971), directed by [[Wakefield Poole]]. The film was an instant success and is considered a classic of male erotic cinema. With the success and celebrity he garnered from the film, Donovan believed that he would be able to cross over into mainstream film. While there were meetings with directors like [[John Schlesinger]] and [[Raymond St. Jacques]]<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=121}}</ref> and talk of casting him in mainstream projects including adaptations of novels by [[Mary Renault]] and [[Patricia Nell Warren]],<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=122}}</ref> the only film opportunities open to him were as the star of more erotic films. These included the bisexual porn film ''[[Score (1974 film)|Score]],''<ref>{{cite web |
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*''The Wakefield Poole Collection'' compliation of ''Boys in the Sand'' (1971), ''[[Bijou Video]]'' (1972), and ''Boys in the Sand 2'' (1986), with Cable, Tom Bradford, Peter Fisk, Bill Harrison, Daniel DiCiccicio, Tommy Moore, Pat Allen, Dave Connors, Tony Williams, Paul Irish, Victor Houston, Robert Lewis, Rocco Passalini, Michael Green, Bruce Williams, and Roger. |
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| title =Score |
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*''Inevitable Love'' (1986), ''Atkol Video'' with Ken Diamond, [[Jon King (porn star)]], Jamie Wingo, Pat Allen, William L. Kane |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069236/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> ''The Back Row'' with [[George Payne (actor)|George Payne]],<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =The Back Row |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179662/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> ''[[L. A. Tool & Die (1979 film)|L. A. Tool & Die]]'' with Bob Blount and Richard Locke,<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =L.A. Tool & Die |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125329/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> ''[[The Other Side of Aspen]]'' with [[Al Parker]], Steve Turk and Dick Fisk,<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =The Other Side of Aspen |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180030/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> ''Boys in the Sand II''<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =Boys in the Sand II |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179689/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> and ''Inevitable Love'', with Jon King and Jamie Wingo.<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =Inevitable Love |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179869/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> |
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Shortly before his death he starred, appearing heavily intoxicated, in the [[fisting]] movie ''Fucked Up'', for Christopher Rage. He also appeared in a number of heterosexual porn films, most notably ''[[The Opening of Misty Beethoven]]'' where he had a scene with [[Constance Money]], in which he plays a gay male art dealer who is seduced by a woman.<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =The Opening of Misty Beethoven |
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| publisher =Internet Movie Database |
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| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075018/ |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> |
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==Mainstream acting career== |
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Outside his adult film career, Donovan continued to pursue stage work. In 1972, he was cast in a short-lived Broadway revival of ''[[Captain Brassbound's Conversion]]''.<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =Captain Brassbound's Conversion |
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| publisher =Internet Broadway Database |
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| url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3531 |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> Star [[Ingrid Bergman]] described him as "having the same kind and as much charisma as [[Robert Redford]]."<ref>{{cite news |
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| last =O'Brian |
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| first =Jack |
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| title =New York's Voice of Broadway |
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| work =The Pocono Record |
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| date =November 15, 1972 }}</ref> He then landed a small role in the 1973 [[Lincoln Center]] production of ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'',<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =The Merchant of Venice |
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| publisher =Internet Broadway Database |
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| url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3177 |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> which was praised as having "vivid appeal."<ref>{{cite news |
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| last =Glover |
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| first = William |
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| title =The critic's view |
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| publisher =Associated Press |
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| date =March 6, 1973 }}</ref> In 1974, Donovan starred as Brian, a gay bathhouse attendant, in the play ''[[Tubstrip]]'', written and directed by [[Jerry Douglas (director)|Jerry Douglas]], which had successful runs in Los Angeles and San Francisco before moving to Broadway.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schildcrout|first=Jordan|date=Fall 2017|title=Legitimate: Jerry Douglas's Tubstrip and the Erotic Theatre of Gay Liberation|url=http://jadtjournal.org/2017/12/11/legitimate-jerry-douglass-tubstrip-and-the-erotic-theatre-of-gay-liberation/|journal=Journal of American Drama and Theatre|volume=30|issue=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
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| title =Tubstrip |
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| publisher =Internet Broadway Database |
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| url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3487 |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> While the play was critically deemed entertaining enough to its target gay audience<ref>{{cite news |
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| last =Sarmento |
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| first =William E. |
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| title = "Tubstrip" hits the gay white way |
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| work =Lowell Sun |
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| date =November 13, 1974 }}</ref> (having earned, in the words of one critic, a "nationwide gay housekeeping seal of approval")<ref>{{cite news |
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| last =Glover |
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| first =William |
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| title = Gays like what "Tubstrip" offers |
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| work =Oakland Tribune |
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| date =November 2, 1974 }}</ref> Donovan himself was judged as simply "no better nor worse [an] actor than most of the others [in the cast]."<ref>{{cite news |
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| last =Taylor |
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| first =Robert |
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| title =Tub be or not tub be |
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| work =Oakland Tribune |
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| date =August 29, 1974 }}</ref> In 1983, he turned his hand to producing, with an unsuccessful Broadway revival of [[Terrence McNally]]'s play ''[[The Ritz (play)|The Ritz]]''<ref>Rutledge, (1989), p. 229</ref> in which he also appeared.<ref>{{cite web |
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| title =The Ritz |
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| publisher =Internet Broadway Database |
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| url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4223 |
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| access-date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> |
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Donovan's iconic status allowed him to build a lucrative career as a high-priced prostitute,<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=171}}</ref> though it would cost him his legitimate modeling career as more and more clients made the connection between model Culver and porn star Donovan.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=124}}</ref> He wrote an advice column, "Ask Casey," for the gay-oriented ''Stallion'' magazine beginning in 1982.<ref>Rutledge (1992), p. 189</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
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In 1973, Donovan met actor-turned-writer [[Tom Tryon]], and the two entered into a long-term relationship the following year.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=142}}</ref> Tryon was deeply [[closeted]] and grew increasingly disturbed by Donovan's notoriety. Their relationship ended in 1977.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=154}}</ref> |
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In 1978, Donovan purchased a house in [[Key West, Florida]], to run as a [[bed and breakfast]] dubbed "Casa Donovan." He struggled to keep it and the business eventually failed.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=184}}</ref> More successful was his time as a celebrity tour guide, conducting all-gay trips in partnership with an outfit called Star Tours to Italy, China, Peru and other destinations.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=198}}</ref> |
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==Later years and death== |
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By 1985, Donovan's health had begun to deteriorate after he contracted [[HIV]]. Although he had counseled his fans through his "Ask Casey" column as early as 1982 to take steps to avoid contracting HIV by reducing their number of sexual partners<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=196}}</ref> and urging his fans to be [[Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS|tested for HIV]] once the test was developed, Donovan did not heed his own advice. He made little or no effort to change his own behavior despite knowing that contracting HIV was then considered terminal, with virtually no treatment options.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=216}}</ref> |
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On August 10, 1987, Donovan died of an [[HIV/AIDS]]-related pulmonary infection in [[Inverness, Florida]], aged 43.<ref>{{harvnb|Edmonson|1998|p=227}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[ |
* [[LGBT culture in New York City]] |
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* [[List of LGBT people from New York City]] |
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* [[List of male performers in gay porn films]] |
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* [[List of pornographic movie studios#Homosexual pornography|List of pornographic movie studios]] |
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* [[NYC Pride March]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==References== |
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*{{citation |last=Edmonson |first=Roger |year=1998 |title=Boy in the sand : Casey Donovan, all-American sex star |publisher=Alyson Books |isbn=978-1-55583-457-9 |oclc=39147834 }} |
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* Bret, David (2017). "Casey Donovan: Blond Bombshell: Gay Porn's Pioneering Megastar". London, DbBooks. {{ISBN|978-1546388180}} |
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* Grief, Martin (1982). ''The Gay Book of Days''. New York, Carol Publishing Group. {{ISBN|0-8184-0384-5}}. |
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* Rutledge, Leigh (1992). ''The Gay Decades''. New York, Penguin Books Ltd. {{ISBN|0-452-26810-9}}. |
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* Rutledge, Leigh (1989). ''The Gay Fireside Companion''. New York, Alyson Publications. {{ISBN|1-55583-164-8}}. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Portal|Erotica and pornography|Biography}} |
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*[http://mannet.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=000737 ManNet Review: "The Wakefield Poole Collection: 1971-1986"] ''Warning: Contains sexually-explicit adult content'' |
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*{{ |
*{{IMDb name|id=0191724|name=Casey Donovan}} |
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* {{iafd name|id=CDonovan|gender=male|name=Casey Donovan}} |
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*[http://members.fortunecity.com/outcyclopedia/cutout1.jpg Ad for ''Circle in the Water''] |
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* {{afdb name|id=25727|gender=male|name=Casey Donovan}} |
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*{{IBDB name|96102}} |
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051220014941/http://mannet.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=000737 ManNet Review: "The Wakefield Poole Collection: 1971-1986"] |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Casey}} |
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[[Category:1943 births]] |
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[[Category:AIDS-related deaths in Florida]] |
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[[Category:American actors in gay pornographic films]] |
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[[Category:American advice columnists]] |
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[[Category:Male models from New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:American male pornographic film actors]] |
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[[Category:American male stage actors]] |
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[[Category:American male prostitutes]] |
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[[Category:American prostitutes]] |
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[[Category:American theatre managers and producers]] |
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[[Category:American gay actors]] |
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[[Category:People from East Bloomfield, New York]] |
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[[Category:Pornographic film actors from New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American male actors]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers]] |
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[[Category:State University of New York at Geneseo alumni]] |
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Latest revision as of 23:52, 1 November 2024
Casey Donovan | |
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Born | John Calvin Culver November 2, 1943 |
Died | August 10, 1987 Inverness, Florida, U.S. | (aged 43)
Other names | Ken Donovan |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Partner | Tom Tryon (1973-1977) |
John Calvin Culver (November 2, 1943[1] – August 10, 1987[2]), better known under his stage name Casey Donovan, was an American male pornographic film actor from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s, appearing primarily in adult films and videos catering to gay male audiences, during the Golden Age of Porn. Following a brief career as a Latin teacher and a stint as a highly-paid male model, Donovan appeared in Boys in the Sand (1971), the film that would cement his status as a gay icon. Attempts to build on his notoriety to achieve mainstream crossover success failed, but Donovan continued to be a bankable star in the adult industry for the next 15 years. He was briefly a mainstream actor, who appeared on stage, as well as a theatre producer and manager, and appeared as himself in TV series The Emerald City.
Early life
[edit]Culver was born in East Bloomfield, New York, growing up there with his parents and older brother Duane.[3]
Culver attended the State University of New York at Geneseo (SUNY), where he was a member of Phi Sigma Epsilon fraternity and the drama club. After graduation in 1965 he accepted a teaching position in Peekskill, New York.[4] He later took a job at the private Ethical Culture Fieldston School on New York City's Central Park West[5] but was fired during his second year following an altercation in which he physically disciplined a female student (reportedly the daughter of actor Eli Wallach).[6]
Following his dismissal, Culver drifted into prostitution.[7] He also began pursuing an acting career, appearing in summer stock theatre with the Peterborough Players.[8]
Modeling career
[edit]Through one of his escorting clients, Culver landed a spot with the Wilhelmina Models modeling agency, commanding an hourly rate of US$60 (equivalent to $400 in 2020).[9]
He continued to pursue stage work, landing an understudy job in 1969 in the Off-Broadway gay-themed play And Puppy Dog Tails, making his Broadway debut in 1970 in the Native American-themed production Brave and a co-starring role in the off-Broadway play Circle in the Water (also in 1970).[10]
Adult film career
[edit]In 1971, Culver played a supporting role in a low-budget sexploitation thriller film called Ginger. While the film was a commercial and critical failure, Variety noted his performance positively, saying "Only Calvin Culver ... shows any indication of better things to come."[9] This in turn led to an offer to appear in Casey,[11] a gay pornographic film in which Culver played the title role, a gay man who is visited by his fairy godmother Wanda (Culver playing a dual role in drag), and is granted a series of wishes which make him sexually irresistible to other men. Culver later took the title character's name, Casey, and that of the popular Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan to create the pseudonym under which he would appear in all his other erotic roles.[12]
Culver was first credited under the "Casey Donovan" name in Boys in the Sand (1971), directed by Wakefield Poole. The film was an instant success and is considered a classic of male erotic cinema. With the success and celebrity he garnered from the film, Donovan believed that he would be able to cross over into mainstream film. While there were meetings with directors like John Schlesinger and Raymond St. Jacques[13] and talk of casting him in mainstream projects including adaptations of novels by Mary Renault and Patricia Nell Warren,[14] the only film opportunities open to him were as the star of more erotic films. These included the bisexual porn film Score,[15] The Back Row with George Payne,[16] L. A. Tool & Die with Bob Blount and Richard Locke,[17] The Other Side of Aspen with Al Parker, Steve Turk and Dick Fisk,[18] Boys in the Sand II[19] and Inevitable Love, with Jon King and Jamie Wingo.[20]
Shortly before his death he starred, appearing heavily intoxicated, in the fisting movie Fucked Up, for Christopher Rage. He also appeared in a number of heterosexual porn films, most notably The Opening of Misty Beethoven where he had a scene with Constance Money, in which he plays a gay male art dealer who is seduced by a woman.[21]
Mainstream acting career
[edit]Outside his adult film career, Donovan continued to pursue stage work. In 1972, he was cast in a short-lived Broadway revival of Captain Brassbound's Conversion.[22] Star Ingrid Bergman described him as "having the same kind and as much charisma as Robert Redford."[23] He then landed a small role in the 1973 Lincoln Center production of The Merchant of Venice,[24] which was praised as having "vivid appeal."[25] In 1974, Donovan starred as Brian, a gay bathhouse attendant, in the play Tubstrip, written and directed by Jerry Douglas, which had successful runs in Los Angeles and San Francisco before moving to Broadway.[26][27] While the play was critically deemed entertaining enough to its target gay audience[28] (having earned, in the words of one critic, a "nationwide gay housekeeping seal of approval")[29] Donovan himself was judged as simply "no better nor worse [an] actor than most of the others [in the cast]."[30] In 1983, he turned his hand to producing, with an unsuccessful Broadway revival of Terrence McNally's play The Ritz[31] in which he also appeared.[32]
Donovan's iconic status allowed him to build a lucrative career as a high-priced prostitute,[33] though it would cost him his legitimate modeling career as more and more clients made the connection between model Culver and porn star Donovan.[34] He wrote an advice column, "Ask Casey," for the gay-oriented Stallion magazine beginning in 1982.[35]
Personal life
[edit]In 1973, Donovan met actor-turned-writer Tom Tryon, and the two entered into a long-term relationship the following year.[36] Tryon was deeply closeted and grew increasingly disturbed by Donovan's notoriety. Their relationship ended in 1977.[37]
In 1978, Donovan purchased a house in Key West, Florida, to run as a bed and breakfast dubbed "Casa Donovan." He struggled to keep it and the business eventually failed.[38] More successful was his time as a celebrity tour guide, conducting all-gay trips in partnership with an outfit called Star Tours to Italy, China, Peru and other destinations.[39]
Later years and death
[edit]By 1985, Donovan's health had begun to deteriorate after he contracted HIV. Although he had counseled his fans through his "Ask Casey" column as early as 1982 to take steps to avoid contracting HIV by reducing their number of sexual partners[40] and urging his fans to be tested for HIV once the test was developed, Donovan did not heed his own advice. He made little or no effort to change his own behavior despite knowing that contracting HIV was then considered terminal, with virtually no treatment options.[41]
On August 10, 1987, Donovan died of an HIV/AIDS-related pulmonary infection in Inverness, Florida, aged 43.[42]
See also
[edit]- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
- List of male performers in gay porn films
- List of pornographic movie studios
- NYC Pride March
Notes
[edit]- ^ Grief, p. 188
- ^ Rutledge (1992), p. 281
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 7
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 28
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 34
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 36
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 37
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 39
- ^ a b Edmonson 1998, p. 51
- ^ Edmonson 1998, pp. 50–2
- ^ "Casey". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 59
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 121
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 122
- ^ "Score". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "The Back Row". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "L.A. Tool & Die". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "The Other Side of Aspen". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "Boys in the Sand II". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "Inevitable Love". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "The Opening of Misty Beethoven". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "Captain Brassbound's Conversion". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ O'Brian, Jack (November 15, 1972). "New York's Voice of Broadway". The Pocono Record.
- ^ "The Merchant of Venice". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Glover, William (March 6, 1973). "The critic's view". Associated Press.
- ^ Schildcrout, Jordan (Fall 2017). "Legitimate: Jerry Douglas's Tubstrip and the Erotic Theatre of Gay Liberation". Journal of American Drama and Theatre. 30 (1).
- ^ "Tubstrip". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Sarmento, William E. (November 13, 1974). ""Tubstrip" hits the gay white way". Lowell Sun.
- ^ Glover, William (November 2, 1974). "Gays like what "Tubstrip" offers". Oakland Tribune.
- ^ Taylor, Robert (August 29, 1974). "Tub be or not tub be". Oakland Tribune.
- ^ Rutledge, (1989), p. 229
- ^ "The Ritz". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 171
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 124
- ^ Rutledge (1992), p. 189
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 142
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 154
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 184
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 198
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 196
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 216
- ^ Edmonson 1998, p. 227
References
[edit]- Edmonson, Roger (1998), Boy in the sand : Casey Donovan, all-American sex star, Alyson Books, ISBN 978-1-55583-457-9, OCLC 39147834
- Bret, David (2017). "Casey Donovan: Blond Bombshell: Gay Porn's Pioneering Megastar". London, DbBooks. ISBN 978-1546388180
- Grief, Martin (1982). The Gay Book of Days. New York, Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8184-0384-5.
- Rutledge, Leigh (1992). The Gay Decades. New York, Penguin Books Ltd. ISBN 0-452-26810-9.
- Rutledge, Leigh (1989). The Gay Fireside Companion. New York, Alyson Publications. ISBN 1-55583-164-8.
External links
[edit]- 1943 births
- 1987 deaths
- AIDS-related deaths in Florida
- American actors in gay pornographic films
- American advice columnists
- Male models from New York (state)
- American male pornographic film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male prostitutes
- American prostitutes
- American theatre managers and producers
- American gay actors
- People from East Bloomfield, New York
- Pornographic film actors from New York (state)
- LGBTQ people from New York (state)
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American non-fiction writers
- State University of New York at Geneseo alumni
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people