The Untypical Athlete

Monday's Man: Clyde Dayton Wallace

According to the "Discovery" article by John Roberts in the Dec/Jan 1975 issue of In Touch magazine, 23-year-old Clyde is not your typical jock. He was the most-lettered athlete in high school and lettered in college in football, basketball, and track. He even played semi-pro football. He's working toward getting his bachelor's degree in Physical Education.

Well, I don't know if he got his degree, but after being discovered by In Touch, he kept on modeling. It seems he appeared under a few names...like Clyde Wallace, John Converse, and Dak.









He would go on to appear in magazines like Honcho, Mandate, Playguy, and Just Men. The article said that he was an untypical jock because he didn't date dumb, insensitive sorority girls. Well, appearing in magazines that are known to cater to gay males with gay models, I don't think he probably dated many smart, sensitive sorority girls either.

Well, In Touch claims the discovery of Clyde, but I wonder if this was the first time he appeared in the flesh?

Belle of the Ball

The August 1974 issue of In Touch had an interesting fashion layout. They had a drag queen from Southern California named Belle pose with the guys in photos by Dave Sands that look like prom pictures.

Here is Che McCaskill in a three-piece suit with Belle. The suit included a vest, deep side vents and a suppressed waist jacket. The trim top trousers had a full leg.


Belle changes her look with Dwight Freeman. Did you ever think you'd see a tux with a leather drawstring in the front and leather appliques? I think I kind of like it. I'd wear it to the Country Music Awards (except for that butterfly bow tie).


Belle shares a drink with Che, but that poly/textured matched-plaid jacket has got to go.


Ready to strike up the drums, John Paul Jones talks to Dwight in their body-hugging giana shirts. Yes, that is a sheer back on Dwight's shirt.


Why Belle is only taking $5.00 from Che, I don't know, but that glen plaid suit is a little much for that floral tie. John, on the other hand looks very fashionable in his suit. I think this is my favorite from the layout.


Dwight's jacket and pants combo isn't bad, but I think I like what John's wearing more.


Turnabout is fair play, I guess. Dwight goes bare as John sports a jacket. Truthfully, John needs to lose the jacket. The shirt and pants would be fine.


Not wanting to be left out by going au naturel, Che looks at John's French cotton suit and roll-neck sweater. I think I could work with that suit. I know the lapels are huge, but I like it.


Dwight is wearing a Pierre Cardin all-wool jacket with a silk shirt and poly/rayon cling trousers. I guess it clings so much, we can tell Dwight dresses to the right.


Che's pants are also tight, but the whole outfit could be worn today. The caption on this photo says the jacket has brass studs and ruby rhinestones. Okay, maybe that might be a little much if worn today (at least to the office).


The guys join Belle in rediscovering '40s dressing gowns. Dwight is wearing a boucle wool with appliqued waistband. John is in a theatre robe of velvet and crewel blooms. Che went for the silk kimono. Why does Dwight look like he's doing the robot?


Belle's Rocky Whorer brings out her guys in shirts and socks. Best dressed of the three? John Paul Jones in the black with white polka-dot shirt.


Surpisingly, not a single kaftan in the bunch.

California Casual

This fashion piece in the June 1974 issue of In Touch showed the hottest trends in Southern California, or so said the article by Bill Arseneaux. The models were photographed around Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.

The models (left to right--Rick, Tony and Chris) are modeling jackets created by Larry Rosen of Creole Boutique. According to the caption, the jackets do have trousers to match, but I guess those are optional.

Rick worked in import distribution when not modeling while Chris worked for a major computer firm during the week and waiting tables on the weekends. Tony was a hairdresser by day and bartender by night.

It seems kaftans were still popular: Chris is wearing one made of twelve antique Indian mirror-cloths designed by Rudi Guernreich.


Chris is in another Rudi Guernreich kaftan with Tony in a kaftan and Rick is in a crepe square tied with a "lava-lava" knot.


Casual outfits in denim, Nik-Nik shirts and walkers were popular with the Southern California set. You've got to hand it to In Touch for having a fashion layout where some of the models are just standing around modeling their birthday suits.








My two favorite outfits were both worn by Tony. The first is a patchwork denim set with a Lurex t-shirt. Love it and would wear it today. Chris is in a musketeer shirt while Rick is in a "Chelsea Boy" suit of brown plaid wool. I think this suit is my least favorite. Of course, it's funny to see the outfit Tony's wearing in the same photo of Rick in that suit. I might would have liked Rick's suit if he was in a photo by himself, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here.


My other favorite is by designer Michel. It's called "Bowie-After Dark". It's more patchwork denim, but this time in overalls with unbuttoned fly-front flares. I have never thought overalls as being sexy. I mean, when I think of overalls, I usually picture Hee Haw's Junior Samples, but these have got to be the hottest overalls I've ever seen.

Bottoms Up

Monday's Man: Joseph Bottoms

There are those rare times when After Dark magazine and In Touch magazine featured the same person. Not necessarily in the same month and not necessarily in the same year, but it does happen. Lucky me, it happened with Joseph Bottoms.

In the December/January 1975 issue of In Touch, Jeremy Hughes covered Joe's story. Joseph Bottoms was 21 and didn't have many screen credits under his belt, but he did go on to win a Golden Globe for Most Promising New Comer-Male for his work in The Dove.

The Dove was the story of a young man who sailed alone around the world with his cat. During production of the film, Joseph learned to sail.

Joseph had also appeared in the Westwood Playhouse production of The Opening of a Door.

But films and stage aren't the only mediums of entertainment he had accomplished early in his career. He also starred in an ABC TV movie called Unwed Father as a teenager who fathers a child with his young girlfriend.

Reading the article, it appears Jeremy Hughes was trying to fish for information regarding Joe's sexuality. Joseph eluded many of the questions with ambiguous answers like:
"To use the name of your magazine, being 'In Touch' with someone is a wonderful thing. As I am now with someone. Things just keep getting more and more wonderful all the time. I noticed the ohter day that just holding this person's hand was incredibly satisfying."
"I welcome anybody who comes along or leads me on. And I'm meeting those people all the time, where it just connects."
It was almost like Hughes was wanting Joe to say "her" or "she", but it seems Joseph knows who reads the magazine and played it smart to cater to the audience.

Ambiguities aside, Joseph was married has two children.

For the November 1978 issue of After Dark, he was talking about his new projects which included the TV miniseries Holocaust, Crime and Passion (AKA Ace Up My Sleeve), and the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie Return Engagement with Elizabeth Taylor.

As an actor, he really likes to get to the heart of the roles and learn something while portraying the characters. Like he did in The Dove with sailing, he also learned to ski for Crime and Passion and learned to fly during the filming of Cloud Dancer.

To go along with the article written by Norma McLain Stoop, Kenn Duncan did a wonderful pictorial of Joseph which included the photo at the top and the following photos.



Duncan also did the cover shot of Joseph which I will post when I feature that issue. Until then, we have plenty more films to watch Joseph in. One of my favorites, of course, was Disney's first PG-rated film. Do you know what that was? I'll tell you later.