Lost Boys: Vintage Images of Bill Morgan

Lost Boys: Vintage Images of Bill Morgan

This is another one of those vintage gay porn star profiles which ends up having more to do with other people than the profile's subject.

Bill Morgan appeared in a number of straight porn films, before ending up on the couch of Old Reliable's David Hurles. Among his early supporters? None other than former porn star becomes disco legend, Andrea True. 

The two appeared together in a pair of films, one of which was directed by True, herself!

So, forgive me while I take this opportunity to shoehorn in the story of one of my favorite disco ladies!

Morgan's first film with True was the rather innovative Both Ways, which explored male bisexuality, making it a rather significant film. However, it's his work with David Hurles which marks him as a gay icon. 

Bill Morgan
Hair: Brown/Blond

Years Active: 1973-1996
Films: 7 

Compilations: 2
Studios: VCA, After Hours Cinema, Video-X-Pix, Old Reliable

See, I warned you, the info on Morgan is slight. He began his porn career in 1973. After taking a year off, he returned to the screen in Jerry Douglas' groundbreaking Both Ways, starring Gerald Grant.

Gerald Grant is a name you might remember. He was the star of another boundary breaking film, Radley Metzger's Score, a film which also featured gay porn's future golden boy, Casey Donovan. 

Both Ways is a noteworthy film. It tells the story of Donald (Gerald Grant), a man with a wife (Andrea True) and a young son, living an ideal life in suburbia. But Donald has a secret. He likes to cruise gay bars, There, he meets blonde-haired, blue-eyed Gary. The two hook up and what is supposed to be a case of ships passing in the night becomes a case of harbor lockdown. Yes, Gary is the real deal and Gary is not content to be merely remain Donald's thing on the side; an ultimatum is thrown down - life in suburbia or Gary. 

Andrea True in Both Ways

As Donald works toward a decision, he and his wife are invited over by the neighbors (Bill Morgan, Darby Lloyd Rains) for a 'party.' Tensions between Donald and his wife, due to his sexual neglect, are at an all-time high and at one point the wife accuses her husband of no longer being interested in women. This leads to a bit of wife swapping to prove his wife wrong and Donald puts on quite the show. 

If you'd like to learn more about the film, a comprehensive review can be found, here.

1973 

Contact

1975  

Both Ways

In Sarah's Eyes

Once Over Nightly

1987 

Old Reliable 45: J/O Collection

1987 

Old Reliable 58: Some Old Friends 1

1990 

Old Reliable 197

1996 

Old Reliable 305: Wrestling 82

True apparently enjoyed working with Morgan in Both Ways, for she tapped him for a role later that year in Once Over Nightly, a film True also directed.

Andrea True has rather a unique story. A Catholic school girl from Nashville, TN, she studied classical piano and hosted her own television show (Teen Beat) at the age of fifteen.  After a brief time as the wife of an academic, which took her to New York, she rose to become something of a porn house sensation, using various pseudonyms (Inger Kissin, Singe Low, Sandra Lips, Andrea Travis, and Catherine Warren) before settling on Andrea True.

A turning point came in 1975. She'd been hired as spokesperson to do a series of commercials in Jamaica, when the government issued a ban on all asset transfers. That meant the money she made had to stay in Jamaica. What's a girl to do? Make a record, of course. She hooked up with Gregg Diamond and Tom Moulton and The Andrea True Connection was born. Their demo of More, More, More got them the attention of Buddha Records, who released the song in 1976. It peaked at #4 on Billboard's Hot 100, #5 in the UK, #9 in Germany and #11 in Italy - making True a bona fide worldwide sensation.

Another single, released in 1977, (New York) You Go Me Dancing, helped ensure that she was more than a one-hit wonder, reaching #27 in the US. Over in the UK, it was What's Your Name, What's Your Number (#34) which helped her escape that fate.

Sadly, after her third album, True developed a goiter on her vocal chords, putting an end to her singing career. 

 

In the meantime, Morgan had dropped off the grid, not surfacing in the porn industry until 1987. And when he did wash up on shore? It was on the couch of David Hurles.

If you've been reading about the gay porn stars profiled as part of the Lost Boy series, you may recall that we've taken a look at David Hurles a couple of times, here, here, and here.

Hurles is an interesting character; part gay pornographer, part sociologist. His one-man company, known as Old Reliable, a mail order photo, tape and film company run from a private mailbox, holds a special place in the canons of gay porn history. He specialized in 'rough trade,' and by the time Morgan appeared before Hurles camera, the man more than qualified. 

Morgan modeled for Hurles at least four times. And then? 

He vanished with the wind.

But, thanks to the internet, his photos still pop up on occasion, much to the delight of his devoted gay fans. 

--- ---

So, I do believe I saw both Radley Metzger's Score and Jerry Douglas' Both Ways when I was a child at a drive-in movie theatre in Devils Lake (either ND or SD). How it came about was, we were visiting one of my Dad's old sisters and the grown ups wanted a night to party, so the kids were sent to the drive-in with an older male cousin. We got to the drive-in and the movie was some dumb racing flick about dolled up hot rods. The cousin also had a 'hot rod', because, being the horny teen he was, he hooked up with a bunch of his friends and disappeared for the night with my older brother in tow, leaving my three sisters and me in the car. We sat there all night... and we saw four movies. The first two were for all ages, but at midnight, they began showing racier fare and that night it was a double bill, featuring Score and Both Ways. 

My sisters fell asleep, but I was transfixed. There were boobs. 

Just as Both Ways was wrapping up, my cousin and brother, with the cousin's girlfriend in tow, suddenly reappeared and they all smelled like freshly burned hay(!) The cousin dropped off his girlfriend (as we waited in the car for another twenty minutes) and then hightailed it home. Apparently he was supposed to have us home at midnight. Well, the cousin was in hot water, because the grown ups beat us home and I remember trying to tell my Mom about the movies we watched, but left out the boobs. The grown ups were all in the bag, so it seemed hilarious to them. I had a captive audience, so I spilled my guts.

We never did go back to visit them at Devil's Lake. Sigh.

--- ---

I have two more profiles to do, and then it's lights out for Lost Boys. Some of you have made suggestions for other profiles, but they fall outside that 'Golden Age' of gay porn. The performers suggested are from the 1990's, which is a whole 'nother thing.

That's all for now. Leave your thoughts in the comments section. I love to hear from you.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading! 

More, More, More

Andrea True Connection

(New York) You Got Me Dancing

Andrea True Connection

What's Your Name, What's Your Number

Andre True Connection