from SkinFlicks magazine
David Allen/Jaguar Productions, 1973
Starring: David Allen, Jim Cassidy, Ray Todd, Joey Daniels, Richard Lavette, Winston Kramer, Brad Preston, Eva Faye, Richard Lindstrom, Vicki Mills, William Laskey, Ron Eraria, Jay Dexter, Bob Weaver, Greg Phillips, Tiger, Dick Smith, Kirt Coord, John Mihu, Rick Dennis, J. Rich, Steve Fisher, Steve Fox, and Rob Roberts
Certainly one of the largest productions, and definitely one of the longest (at 118 minutes), “The Light from the 2nd Story Window” was quite an undertaking.
Based on David Allen’s own book of the same name, Allen set out to direct and assume the starring role in this story of a little blond boy from the Midwest looking for fame and fortune. Going from innocent to Hollywood hustler to Hollywood movie star, he somehow fails to find true love along the way.
The video can be picked apart in two ways. Either it’s a very self-serving video, which Allen cast himself in as a blond bombshell that no one can resist, or it’s a very telling narrative that explores human sexuality in a very frank and honest manner. In either case, “Light…” succeeds to a large extent, but is still somewhat weak.
The story itself is fairly rich, combining pimps, drag-queens, porno kingpins, and even a scene where Allen is raped by a cop, in a colorful tapestry. Allen himself, however, fails to create the believability necessary to create such a story with his mediocre acting. The role is also very self-indulgent, as we witness fellow hustlers offering themselves for no charge, and straight college boys suddenly turning gay for him. The final insult is that Allen never once gets an erection!
For such a large undertaking, we have to give them a great deal of credit. A solid story, an intriguing cast, and adequate sex, lead us down an enjoyable two-hour path. The underlying messages are strongly heard, especially at the end, is when Allen steps on the stage, still a star, yet still very much alone.
Ray Todd is the body to watch for in this movie, along with Jim Cassidy. Both are stunningly beautiful men who light up the screen in each of their respective scenes. Both were gay icons of the time, and it’s great to relive their glory days through the video.
Once again, the style is Jaguar’s: to stimulate, provoke thought, and to disturb if necessary to get the message across. On all of these counts, it succeeds!
The book deals with a lot more of the clash between the gay community and the police, all boiled down to the rape scene in the movie. I can’t find a copy of the book to buy and reformat as an ebook for less than $180, so… that’s not gonna happen.
TR
