After Dark May 1978 (Part 3)

Yes, this is the never-ending issue. I told you before that this issue was packed full of great photos and articles. On average, a good issue of After Dark will run two posts. If it's not a particularly fascinating issue, it may only run one. If it is a great issue, it could take as many as three posts. Well, this is a great issue and to top it off...it's like a double-sized issue. So we're talking four to six posts to complete this issue. I hope to have it covered by Labor Day. I'll try my best anyway.
Now for some reason, Bill Feret wrote an essay on his love of jungle girl movies. Granted, I always liked Jane, Sheena and the animated Jana of the Jungle, but this article just seemed out of place in this issue. I guess it doesn't really matter, so I'll just post a couple of the ones that were pictured that I want to comment on.
Of course, the queen of the jungle movies for me was Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane to Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan. I used to love the "Tarzan yell" (yodel) they gave to her.

Dana Gillespie in The People That Time Forgot. I posted this one because Dana will feature on a cover of After Dark I'll post in the future. She's on the cover with a really cute guy and he's nak...oh wait, I don't want to spoil the surprise.

I never knew Claudette Colbert ever played a jungle girl, but here she is in Four Frightened People.

The only reason I'm posting the next photo is because I could never pass up an opportunity to post a picture of Buster Crabbe. That's him with the beautiful Julie London and a silly looking ape. The film was Nabonga.

Back to the present (or for this issue May 1978), Joseph Bottoms (a former Monday's Man) was starring in The Holocaust on TV while about to start work on The Cloud Dancers,

Roger Minami was dancing with Liza Minnelli in The Act at the Majestic Theatre,

and Sissy Spacek got noticed for her roles in Carrie and 3 Women and was about to star in an unnamed opus with Art Garfunkel. What was it going to be? I can't find any mention of the two of them starring together in anything.

A definite future Monday's Man is Andrew Stevens. He was about to begin work on The Bastard TV movie.

The lovely Monique Van Vooren was fresh off a West Coast engagement at Studio One and was going to be in concert that month at Town Hall.

Tim Cassidy made a name for himself in Broadway's A Chorus Line. He took that fame and created a nightclub act with music and impressions.

Fabrice Emaer opened a new discotheque in Paris called The Palace. Who performed on opening night? Grace Jones and her pubic hair.

I saw the film The Consequence, in which Jurgen Prochnow is a convict who begins a homosexual affair with the son of the prison warden. I was impressed with the film's handling of the subject matter. Of course, I would have preferred a happier ending, but with a title like that, you have to expect it to end a little tragic. Ernst Hannawald played the young man.

Before closing out this post, I want to leave you with a photo by Victor Arimondi. It's called the "After Dark Look".

After Dark November 1978

Well After Dark graced the cover of their November 1978 issue with one of the hottest young talents around back then. When I say hottest, I mean hottest. If you missed my Monday's Man post featuring Joseph Bottoms, take a look and you'll see what I mean. Kenn Duncan photographed this cover photo and the the other shots from this issue that I used in that Monday's Man post. I'm still trying to decide if I like Joseph with his hair slicked back or feathered. Either way, he couldn't go wrong.

In William Como's editorial, he mentions his recent trip to Palma with publisher Jean Gordon. While they were there, they ran into one of their contributing writers/editors Robert Pavlik and photographer Jack Mitchell. Well, Jack is not one to miss a photo opportunity and took a picture of Bill, Jean and Bob.

Mr. Como also found a new style of music called athletic rock. Mrozinski had a recent concert at the Hurrah rock club and performed his own material. In Bill's words, "...he sweats a lot."

The International Ballet of Caracas was about to lose their principal dancer. Dale Talley was being considered for the lead in the Berlin Opera Ballet's The Idiot. I wouldn't consider him for The Idiot, I would, however, consider him for something else.

A letter writer suggested featuring John Corvello, so After Dark obliged, but also stated that their January 1979 issue would have a feature on physical fitness. I'll have to go back and look at that issue to see if John is there. Of course, you know I'll post that one soon.

Another writer mentioned a new show called Sam and it's hunky star. It was a cop and dog partner series. Who was the hunky star? Mark Harmon!

The After Dark People section featured some new faces to look for. The first was San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Dennis Marshall.

Brian Nichols was featured in King of Hearts, a musical that was based on the film. The show opened on October 22.

In Praise of Older Women featured a young actor by the name of Tom Berenger. The issue misspelled his name as Beringer.

Death on the Nile had recently premiered a month or so before this issue hit the stands. One of its stars to be featured in the People section was Lois Chiles.

Anais Nin, the writer of the erotic Delta of Venus had a pen pal and friend from 1948 until her death in 1977. It was none other than James Leo Herlihy, author of Midnight Cowboy. In the photo of James is the portrait of Nin by Michel Seren.


"A Legendary Greek Plays a Greek Legend" was the name of the article by Patrick Pacheco featuring Melina Mercouri. The Topkapi actress was starring in A Dream of Passion that also starred Ellen Burstyn.




Sometime in the future, Louis Miele would take over as Editor-in-Chief from William Como. I know there are a couple of other people somewhere in there, but I'll have to work out the timeline another day. Back to the point...Louis Miele was Director of Advertising and Marketing at the time of this issue and he coordinated the following shot to promote boots. One woman with five guys in jock socks and boots. I don't know about you, but I think the models were getting a little too close together (especially the two guys on the right click on photos to see them larger). It's reasons like this photo, that I love After Dark!

Where was I? Oh yeah, we had Joseph Bottoms, a couple of dancers, Tom Berenger and now it's time for Ice Cream...I mean Ice Skating. John Curry won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics and the 1976 World Championship. Now John was going to make his American debut with his Theatre on Ice.



The photos of Frances Farmer that were included with the article on the tragic actress showed me exactly why Jessica Lange would eventually be chosen to play Farmer. The resemblance is uncanny.


Paradise Alley was a new film from Sylvester Stallone and one of the new breed of brooding tough guy actors to emerge was Kevin Conway. He was being compared to James Cagney. Well, I guess, but whatever, okay. Why does someone always have to be the new someone else? Must there always be a comparison?

Speaking of Stallone-- an unnamed model in the Highlights section was sporting a fur from Brothers II in New York City. Who could it be?

There were a couple of other ads for men's furs throughout the issue. Which attracted my attention the most? The man in the business suit and fur for Brothers II?

The two guys in the ad for George Zessi where one of them is straining the crotch of his jeans?

Or the one for Robert Sidney Furs, Inc. with a naked guy in a fur with a bottle of wine and two glasses?

You advertising people out there need to answer the question for me. I am leaning toward the naked guy, but is that the marketing ploy they were going for? If I was a business man, would I have gone for the other one? I like the guy in the jeans, but it looks like he already has someone. So the single naked guy with an extra glass for me, is the one I choose, because I'm a lush and a slut? Hmmmm....

Speaking of slut, there was a new brief underwear hitting the market called the Botek Skant. It was a lightweight two-way, sheer-stretch fabric of nylon and Lycra spandex. What does that really have to do with being a slut? Well, when I first read it, I saw the word "skank". It seemed to just stick in my head.

Are you ready for a disco in your own home? Charles Burke, a noted interior designer and architectural consultant can make your dream come true. He designed one of the world's most sophisticated private discotheques for the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Smith in Beverly Hills. I wonder if they still live in that house? Does it now have a treadmill and exercise bike in it? When they got ready to sell it, did it stay as a feature of the house? Listing: SPAC 5BR, 3 1/2BA, DSCO...

Speaking of discos...Did you, or anyone you know, go to Michael Fesco's Flamingo?


Here is the write up on it and I am intrigued to know more:

Michael Fesco's Flamingo, the ultimate underground private club, through whose doors pass some of New York's finest bodies and hardcore discoers, recently blasted off for another season. Flamingo has maintained a special sensual chemistry that makes its membership one of the most sought-after cards to own. To join this inner sanctuary whose special parties are legendary, and Saturday night inferno gatherings the place to be--you must be recommended by a member and then hope you receive an application. Flamingo, located in SoHo, has a yearly membership fee of $75, and it's worth every cent for those who dig "getting down and doing it" to the hottest and latest disco music in town. Flamingo's address and phone number is a well-kept secret, so find a friend to lead you down to Flamingo's road.

Disney's first PG Movie

YouTube Tuesday presents:

I asked yesterday which film was Disney's first PG feature (which also starred Joseph Bottoms) and the answer is:

The Black Hole

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.