Lost Boys: Vintage Images of Greg Dale

Lost Boys:

Vintage Images of Greg Dale

You win some, you don't find any info on some. Sadly, the latter is the case today. 

Greg Dale? 

A complete mystery. 

He was sort of an early porn 'everyman; one that definitely had his appeal (sort of the pony boy next-door), but was easy to overlook. Dale was never the main focus of a film, never on the cover of a single VHS box. That could have more to do with times and the limitations of early, golden age gay porn, though he certainly did work with his share of innovative directors.

In the end?

He remains something of a mystery man. 

Let's take a look at his stellar career.

Greg Dale
AKA: Tony Wilde, Dale Arnold, Greg Spears, Greg Wilder
Birthdate: 1956
Birth Place: Los Angeles

Hair: Brown

Years Active: 1979-1986

Films: 15

Compilations: 3
Studios: NOVA, HIS, Hand-In-Hand,Catalina Video, LeSalon, Bijou, Laguna Pacific, Vivid, All Worlds

Born in Los Angeles, CA in 1956, Greg Dale began appearing in gay porn films at the age of 23. That mane of black curly hair, his distinctive nose, and generous endowment ensured him a fan base almost instantly. Frequently mistaken for Jeremy Scott (and vice-a-versa), he worked with a number of the same top directors of the day, including Joe Gage, William Higgins, Tom DiSimone, Fred Halsted, and Al Parker. 

He had a number a aliases he worked under: Tony Wilde, Dale Arnold, Greg Spears,  and Greg Wilder. In NOVA films, he always appeared as Dale Arnold. 

NOVA provided him with what is thought to be his signature scene; a segment titled Perfect Fit, which can be found on the NOVA collection His Little Brother. In it, he plays a seductive seaside swimsuit salesman who follows one particular hot, bubble-butted blonde with a perfect porn stache (Daryl Paige) back to the dressing room area, to help ensure... A Perfect Fit. The scene features a swimsuit with a zipper in the rear which is used to great effect (and something I have, personally, always wanted.)

Other films of note include Joe Gage's groundbreaking L.A. Tool and Die, Al Parker's experimental, artsy Turned On, the Fred Halsted classic, Night At Halsted's, and the William Higgin's sequel Class of '84: Boys of Venice Go to College.

1979 

Gettin' Down
Idol

L.A, Tool and Die

1980 

Class of '84: Boys of Venice Go to College
His Little Brother

1981 

Class Of '84 2: The Adventure Continues
Hot Trash

1982 

Al Parker's Turned On
Night At Halsted's
Wet Shorts/Rear Deliveries

1984 

Heroes

1986 

Best of Times
Freshman Fantasies

Muscle Fever
Tough Iron

A number of his film scenes were transferred to print and proved quite popular. Chief among these are his NOVA scene, Perfect Fit. He also appeared in  a magazine titled Bizerk (or Halsted’s Goes Bizerk), which was shot at Fred Halsted’s bar, the same location used in the film A Night at Halsted’s.

And by 1986? It was all over. Retired? Died? 

I wish I knew

His sole non-porn role was that of a referee in the soft-core athletic competition reel, Battling Beauties (1983). Perhaps he had aspirations? Who knows?

And that's true of the man known as Greg Dale. Who knows?  What became of him? While he definitely  has a fan base on-line, I failed to find a single remembrance or tribute. Not so much as an anecdote. 

Still, his place in the annals of classic gay porn is secured. He certainly worked with some of the very best in the business.

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Of course, NOVA's His Little Brother is one of my all-time favorite gay porn films. There's no dialogue, although, if I remember correctly there's overdubbed nonsense accompanied by a period-perfect, bad soundtrack.  

I ended up with a copy of the Perfect Fit magazine. You see, they used to sell them in three packs (or three 'paks', as I recall). Sealed in clear plastic, you had a sense of what the first one was, based on the cover, and a good hint about the third one, as you could see the back cover (unless it was advertising). It was the middle one that was the mystery, and, typically, the worst of the bunch. 

I believe they were three for ten bucks, eventually going up to twelve bucks. Such a deal and ideal for the budget conscious queer (me, with my JCPenney minimum wage job.)

I have such fond memories of it all. I was terrified, of course. Dirty book stores were places of horror for a conflicted, closeted Catholic boy; certain that the clerks were judging me and everyone was trying to see what I was looking at. 

Greg Dale struck me as a dirty boy, much the way Jeremy Scott did, although Scott seemed much more outgoing and possessed more personality on film. 

Dale, on the other hand, sort of held things in check, maintaining something of a macho distance. Still, he seemed the type to initiate sex if you were sleeping over at his house - so, naturally, I was intrigued. 

Of course, I wish I knew more about him, but then these actors? They kept their personal lives and backgrounds secret for very good reasons. First, there was the shame factor - doing gay porn was not held in as high esteem as it is today. And secondly, they most likely didn't want their families to find out they were gay, much less getting paid to have sex on film.  

But closeted Catholic boys like me? We're certainly glad they did!

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That's all for today.

Thank you, as always, for reading. 

It's Only Mystery - Arthur Simms

Mystery Man - The Strypes