Hand in Hand Films
 |
| Industry | Gay pornography |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founders | Robert Alvarez, Jack Deveau, Jaap Penraat |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Headquarters | New York, United States of America |
| Products | Gay porn movies and internet |
Hand In Hand Films was a New York-based gay pornographic film studio that was founded in the early 1970s, as the Golden Age of Porn took shape, and released more than 40 titles.[1] It became known for producing avant-garde sex films with high production values, strong narrative throughlines and scenes that often pushed the boundaries of sexuality captured on film.
Some of its most influential titles include "Left-Handed" (1972), "Drive" (1974), "Catching Up" (1975), and "Good Hot Stuff" (1975), one of the earliest documentary-style porn anthology titles that includes the only existing footage of James Bidgood's uncompleted follow-up to "Pink Narcissus."[2]
History
Hand in Hand Films was established in 1972 as the East Coast's first gay film studio just as U.S. audiences in metropolitan areas had a sudden curiosity for X-rated film entertainment, driven by the commercial success of the landmark 1971 gay film "Boys in the Sand" and the mainstream popularity of 1972 straight film "Deep Throat."[2]
The production company was founded by film editor Robert Alvarez, industrial designer Jack Deveau, and architect Jaap Penraat, with the concept of creating an alternative to West Coast gay films which had thin plotlines. The idea came together at the encouragement of Hollywood actor Sal Mineo who had taken Deveau to a production meeting for one of his films where he "sat quietly in a corner while a room full of film executives said some of the dumbest things I'd ever heard. I thought, I could do better than that."[3][1]
His business partner Alvarez, also his romantic partner, had his own track record in filmmaking. He began with uncredited appearances in underground movies before moving on to work as an assistant editor on "Woodstock" (1970).[4]
While working as an editor on PBS documentary "An American Family" (1973) he observed the sucess of "Boys in the Sand," which led him to encourage his partner Deveau to found a porn business. Alvarez would produce and direct while Deveau would edit with Penraat taking a less visable role.[5]
The trio decided instead of selling their film prints to exhibitors they would rent them out, promising theatre owners a steady flow of new product that would satiate their thirst for more new films to meet the demand of the growing porn ticketbuyers. Hand In Hand Films also acquired films made by others to distribute, including a collection of Peter de Rome's 8mm shorts in a 16mm format.[6]
Deveau financed the first of his company's productions, "Left-Handed," a surreal porn film about a hustler who seduces a straight man before he dumps him.[6] It is notable for featuring original music by Broadway composer Stan Freeman, a mix of black-and-white and color photography and a rare scene of sex between a man and woman in a gay production.[2] The film premiered at the Carnegie Hall Cinema, adjacent to Carnegie Hall, earning positive reviews in Variety (a rare review of a gay film) and a number of gay publications.[1] It also ran at New York's 55th Street Playhouse where it replaced an extended run of Boys in the Sand.
Hand In Hand's 1974 film "Drive," also directed by Deveau, was billed as featuring a cast of 50 men, co-written and starring Christopher Rage, signalling the ambitions of the burgeoning company to make bigger productions.
The studio went on to produce several other notable gay films in the years that followed.
"Good Hot Stuff" (1975) is regarded by some critics as the studio's most significant title because it includes the only footage of a "lost film" called "Beyond These Doors," which was supposed to be James Bidgood's follow-up to "Pink Narcissus."[7][8] The production was halted for unknown reasons and a segment titled "Baghdad" is presented in the pesudo-documentary.[9] The format of "Good Hot Stuff" presents the footage as an upcoming movie that's in production, while the rest of the film offers sex scenes, bloopers and commentary by porn actor Mark Woodward, known by the stage name Sydney Soons, who acts as host in explaining how porn films are made.[10]
When "Good Hot Stuff" opened in Paris, under the title "Histoires d'Hommes," it became the first gay adult film to play the country after censorship laws were loosened that year.[2] It was such a commercial success in the country that it inspired its French distributors Norbert Terry and Jacques Scandelari to get into the business of making their own local gay productions, establishing France as the only country outside of the U.S. to have a gay film industry at the time.[2]
"Strictly Forbidden" (1974), also known as "La Musee," was set in Paris and was the studio's first film shot outside the United States. It features a cameo by Jack Deveau and went unreleased until after his death in 1982.[1]
"The Destroying Angel" (1976) is directed by Peter De Rome and based loosely on Edgar Allan Poe's "William Wilson."[11]
"A Night at the Adonis" (1978) was filmed inside the now closed 1,400-seat Manhattan porn theatre The Adonis, and featured the theatre's real-life cashier Bertha in a bit role.[12] The film, which would screen at the Adonis upon its release, was among the earliest to use a Steadicam in an opening shot that wanders through the hallways of the movie house.[13][12][14]
"Centurians of Rome" (1981), an independently filmed porno which Hand In Hand acquired under an agreement to complete post-production, was the subject of a court case surrounding how nearly $200,000 of its budget was sourced from George Bosque, who was later convicted of stealing $1.85 million from a Brink's truck.[15][16][17] The security company's insurer Lloyd’s of London filed a lawsuit in New York against Hand in Hand films citing ownership of the movie, but the case was later dropped.[17]
Among the other directors who worked for the studio were Arch Brown and Tom DeSimone.
Hand In Hand evolved its business in the 1980s as the era of home video cassette players changed the entire model of the adult film business. Deveau died of cancer on Dec. 2, 1982, leaving Alvarez and business associate Kees Chapman to reshape the business to serve the mail-order market.
Chapman died in 1988 which is when Alvarez sold Hand In Hand's library to Bijou Video, which currently owns all of the studio's titles.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Bijou Blog - JACK DEVEAU: VINTAGE GAY PORN DIRECTOR PROFILE". bijouworld.com. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ a b c d e "Good Hot Stuff". Screen Slate. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ "BJ's DIRECTOR JACK DEVEAU Page - Great Gay Film Maker | PDF | Leisure". Scribd. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ "Light Industry". www.lightindustry.org. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
- ^ Baran, Adam (January 26, 2015). "Deveau would produce and direct while Deveau would edit with Penraat taking a less visable role". The Sword.
- ^ a b Escoffier, Jeffrey (2009). Bigger Than Life: The History of Gay Porn Cinema from Beefcake to Hardcore (1st ed.). Running Press. pp. 136–137. ISBN 0786720107.
- ^ DeSimone, Tom; Deveau, Jack (1975-05-12), Good Hot Stuff (Adult), Jack Deveau, Peter De Rome, Robert Alvarez, Hand in Hand Films, retrieved 2023-07-21
- ^ Basciano, Oliver (2022-02-02). "'Addicted to dreaming': James Bidgood, the Pink Narcissus director who defined camp". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ Jones, William E. "William E. Jones on the art of James Bidgood". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ "Light Industry". www.lightindustry.org. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "The Destroying Angel". SLASH Filmfestival 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ a b Cline, John; Weiner, Robert G. (2010). From the Arthouse to the Grindhouse: Highbrow and Lowbrow Transgression in Cinema's First Century (1st ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 143. ISBN 9780810876552.
- ^ Waite, Thomas L. (1989-02-12). "New York Shuts 2 Gay Theaters As AIDS Threats". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
- ^ Bellini, Paul (2–15 March 2011). "Blasts from the Past". Fab Magazine. p. 13. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Suspected Brink's robber George Bosque pleaded guilty Tuesday to... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1991-07-04). "George Bosque; Guard Stole $1.85 Million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ a b Hall, Ashley West and April (2019-03-09). "How a Bank Robber Made the Most Expensive Gay Porn of All Time". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2023-07-25.