Playguy (April 1978)

Fantasy is a major theme in the three short stories featured in this April 1978 issue of Playguy: in “Pulling Rank,” airman Robert Jefferson daydreams about his commanding officer, Captain Parker; in “The Wish,” the narrator – a runaway from his father’s abuses – longs for the affection of the older Max, who takes him in; and, in “The Ritual,” the erotic fantasy between two men brings their relationship closer. Also contained in this issue are reader-submitted fantasies as well as photospreads titled “On the Beach,” “Lumber Jock,” and “Rough Riders.”

Blueboy (March 1978), Part Two

In September of 1975, twenty-eight-year-old Mark Frechette died two years into his prison sentence for robbery. It marked a tragic end to the actor’s short and tumultuous career. In his early twenties, he was discovered by Sally Dennison, the casting director for Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni, while Frechette was engaging in a heated fight at a bus stop. Struck by the young man’s beauty and temper, Dennison recommended him to Antonioni, who cast him in his movie Zabriskie Point. During filming, the novice actor and Antonioni had numerous confrontations over artistic ideas. Although Zabriskie Point was a box-office failure, Frechette’s beauty made him an instant success and he appeared in several magazines, including Vogue, and on multiple talk shows, with his appearance on The Merv Griffin Show ending in a fight with another guest. His popularity earned in roles in two additional films before he joined the Fort Hill Community, a cult ran by musician Melvin Lyman. In August of 1973, Frechette and two other cult members attempted to rob a bank, which resulted in his arrest and conviction. In this March 1978 issue of Blueboy (which has been broken into two parts), Robert Hudson’s article offers a biography of Frechette, lamenting the actor’s lost potential as a major heartthrob. Contained in this second half (see the first half here) is an article about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, a profile of the National Theatre in England, a short history of homosexuality, and a prediction of what life will be like in 2084.

Blueboy (March 1978), Part One

In September of 1975, twenty-eight-year-old Mark Frechette died two years into his prison sentence for robbery. It marked a tragic end to the actor’s short and tumultuous career. In his early twenties, he was discovered by Sally Dennison, the casting director for Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni, while Frechette was engaging in a heated fight at a bus stop. Struck by the young man’s beauty and temper, Dennison recommended him to Antonioni, who cast him in his movie Zabriskie Point. During filming, the novice actor and Antonioni had numerous confrontations over artistic ideas. Although Zabriskie Point was a box-office failure, Frechette’s beauty made him an instant success and he appeared in several magazines, including Vogue, and on multiple talk shows, with his appearance on The Merv Griffin Show ending in a fight with another guest. His popularity earned in roles in two additional films before he joined the Fort Hill Community, a cult ran by musician Melvin Lyman. In August of 1973, Frechette and two other cult members attempted to rob a bank, which resulted in his arrest and conviction. In this March 1978 issue of Blueboy (which has been broken into two parts), Robert Hudson’s article offers a biography of Frechette, lamenting the actor’s lost potential as a major heartthrob. As contained in this first half is a discussion of Man Ray’s contributions to the field of photography.