Lost Boys: Vintage Images of Lance

Lost Boys: 

Vintage Images of Lance

Well, this will be a short one. 

It was a cursory career, a brief life... a very volatile one. 

Today, we'll explore the life and times of David Alan Reis, primarily known in the world of gay porn as Lance. During his seven-year, ten film career, Reis would come to know the heights and depths of his chosen profession. In light of his turbulent childhood and harrowing, life-long addiction to drugs, it's somewhat amazing the man was able to achieve all he did. 

Lance

AKA: David Alan Reis
Birthdate: November 25, 1962

Birthplace: Santa Barbara, CA
Death: May 26, 1991

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Hazel

Height: 5'10"

Endowment: 9", uncut

Tattoo: Lion's head on upper right shoulder

 

Years Active: 1982-1988 

10 Films

13 Compilations

Studios: Catalina, Falcon, Nova, LeSalon, Buckshot, Laguna Beach, Filmco, HIS, Video 10, Daniel Alan

Born in Santa Barbara, CA (although some sources cite Oolagah, OK), on November 25, 1962,  David Alan Reis was initially raised in "a home plagued with domestic violence." Removed from that environment, he grew up in a series of foster homes. A student at Capuchino High School in San Bruno, CA, as a teen, Reis had numerous brushes with the law, and in an interview in 1986, "admitted to getting drunk and beating up people on a regular basis." It was during this time he became an IV-drug user. 

Reis made his debut in gay porn in 1982's Good Times Coming. The film also featured Jamie Wingo, who, at that time, was in a relationship with Leo Ford. Ford would figure prominently in Lance's gay porn career. The two would to on to create quite the sensation, starring opposite one another in a pair of films, both directed by famed director William Higgins: 1983's Leo and Lance (Good Times Are Here) and 1986's Blonds Do It Best. 

1982
Good Times Coming

1983
Good Hot Stuff
Leo And Lance: The Good Times are Here

1984
Solo Studs 1
Student Bodies

1985
Daniel Alan Loop Collection

What Big Boys Eat

1986
Blonds Do It Best

1987
Giant Splash Shots II: More Memories of Summer

1988
Backstrokes

Sadly, despite what was promised in the titles of his films, the good times for Lance were short and rife with turmoil. His volatile childhood, casual propensity toward violence, and drug use resulted in an unruly temperament, causing him to quickly be labeled 'difficult to work with'. Note: of his ten films? None of them are with the same studio; he was never asked back. 

 As director William Higgins recalled in an interview given to Manshots magazine in February of 1991:

.

"He (Reis) has a reputation as the baddest of the bad boys. Much, much worse than Lee Marlin. (Reis) got arrested for some horrendous accident, drunk driving, and he was in jail. And he was calling me from jail... and he cried and cried and cried from the jail, and I bailed him out. He was supposed to come over and be good and stay clean and not do drugs or alcohol for long enough to do the film. And he walked in my door and said "Fuck you." Turned and walked out."  

Reis' life was spent bouncing between Santa Barbara, L.A., New York City and San Francisco. Between films, he supplemented his income by making personal appearances, such as the re-opening of New York City's Follies Theatre with Kip Noll in 1984, and working as an escort - frequently in the company of his co-star, Leo Ford. 

Jim C., who was 18 years-old at the time and a potential client of Reis, recalls: 

"He (Reis) was dating a very strange black guy named Guy, who had a strange habit of pulling his own hair out of his head until bald spots appeared. David was introduced to me through Guy in San Francisco and I had what I thought then was an epic opportunity to sleep with an extremely handsome, charismatic porn star. 

David arranged a hotel for us in the Tenderloin District, rented a room and I joined him there. I took a shower while he waited in the room. When I came out of the bathroom, I won t deny that at that moment I wanted him more than anything in the world; he was just so beautiful. It was then that David said, "hold on, just one thing real quick" and pulled a rolled-up towel from beside the bed, unrolled it, and began to tie up his arm with a length of rubber tubing and started preparing a hypodermic needle. 

I was so horrified and shocked and distressed that I immediately got dressed and without a word, I walked out on him. All I can tell you of what I knew of him was that he was extremely handsome, very charismatic and charming, but he was a prostitute and a drug abuser and he lived and hung around other prostitutes and drug users. Success does not beget common sense, and I've never forgotten that fateful day."

Due to  his drug use and practice of having unprotected sex, it seemed inevitable that Reis would contract HIV. He died from complications of AIDS in San Jose, California, on May 26, 1991. 

He was 28 years-old.

Reis' death certificate listed his occupation as 'model of clothing'. His biological mother made all his final arrangements and his body, cremated. The ashes were scattered off the coast of Marin County, CA. 

Coincidentally, less than two months later, Ford would die from head injuries due to a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles on July 17, 1991. He was 34 years-old. 

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Blondes, not being my thing, I never saw any of Lance's films. But, based on what I have seen on various message boards, he, to this day, as an ardent following. He's attractive. Not to me, but he definitely has 'it'.

It's sad that his life was so tumultuous. From experience, I know, that growing up in that sort of environment is something very difficult to overcome. Add to that the horrors of drug addiction, which compounds those emotional issues exponentially, and the task becomes insurmountable.  

So, my heart goes out to the young man. No judgement, here. 

We all go through what we go through and cope as best we can. 

Hopefully? He had a good time. 

That's all for this week. 

This has become something of a weekly gallows walk, hasn't it? 

Sorry about that. But history is what it is. 

Thanks for reading. 

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