Casey Donovan (porn star)

Male adult bio


caption = Casey Donovan in the role that made him famous
birth = birth date|1943|11|02
location = East Bloomfield, New York
birthname = John Calvin Culver
death = death date and age|1987|08|10|1943|11|02
measurements =
height = 5'9" (1.75 m)
weight =
shoe size =
eye color = Blue
hair color = Blonde
ethnicity = Caucasian
alias =
films =
homepage =
imdb = 0191724
iafd = CDonovan
afdb = 25727

Casey Donovan (November 2, 1943 [cite book
last =Grief
first =Martin
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Gay Book of Days
publisher =Carol Publishing Group
date =1982
location = New York
pages =188
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0818403845] – August 10, 1987 [cite book
last =Rutledge
first =Leigh
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Gay Decades
publisher =Penguin Books Ltd.
date =1992
location = New York
pages =281
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0452268109] ) was an American male pornographic actor (porn star) of the 1970s and 1980s, appearing primarily in adult films and videos catering to gay male audiences.

Following a brief career as a teacher and a stint as a highly-paid male model, Donovan appeared in the film that would cement his status as a gay icon, "Boys in the Sand", in 1971. Attempts to build on his notoriety to achieve mainstream crossover success failed, but Donovan continued to be a bankable star in the adult industry for the next 15 years.

Biography

Casey Donovan was born John Calvin Culver in East Bloomfield, New York, growing up there with his parents and older brother, Duane.cite book
last =Edmonson
first =Roger
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Boy in the Sand: Casey Donovan, All-American Sex Star
publisher =Alyson Books
date =1998
location = New York
pages =7
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 1555834574] He graduated from teachers' college in 1965 and after graduation accepted a teaching position in Peekskill, New York. [Edmonson 28] He went on to take a job at the private Ethical Culture Fieldston School on New York City's Central Park West [Edmonson 34] but was fired during his second year following an altercation in which he physically disciplined a female student (reportedly the daughter of actor Eli Wallach). [Edmonson 36] Following his dismissal he drifted into being an escort and relocated to New York City. [Edmonson 37] He also began pursuing an acting career, appearing in summer stock theatre with the prestigious Peterborough Players. [Edmonson 39]

Through one of his escorting clients, Culver landed a spot with the Wilhelmina Models modeling agency, commanding an hourly rate of USD$60. [Edmonson 51] He continued to pursue stage work, landing an understudy job in 1969 in the Off-Broadway gay-themed play "And Puppy Dog Tails", making his Broadway debut in 1970 in the Native American-themed production "Brave" and a co-starring role in the off-Broadway "Circle in the Water", also in 1970. [Edmonson 50-2]

In 1971, Culver played a supporting role in a low budget sexploitation thriller film, "Ginger". While the film was a commercial and critical failure, "Variety" noted his performance positively, saying "Only Calvin Culver...shows any indication of better things to come." [Edmonson 51] This in turn led to an offer to appear in "Casey", [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Casey
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179710/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] a gay pornographic film in which Culver played the title role, a gay man who is visited by his fairy godmother Wanda (Culver playing a dual role in drag), and is granted a series of wishes which make him sexually irresistible to other men. Culver later took the character's name, Casey, and that of the popular singer Donovan to create the pseudonym under which he would appear in all his other erotic roles. [Edmonson 59]

Culver first appeared as Casey Donovan in "Boys in the Sand", directed by Wakefield Poole, in 1971. The film was an instant success and is considered one of the great classics of male erotic cinema. With the success and celebrity he garnered from the film, Donovan believed that he would be able to cross over into mainstream film. While there were meetings with directors like John Schlesinger and Raymond St. Jacques [Edmonson 121] and talk of casting him in mainstream projects including adaptations of novels by Mary Renault and Patricia Nell Warren, [Edmonson 122] the only film opportunities opened for him were as the star of more erotic films. These included the bisexual porn film "Score," [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Score
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069236/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] "The Back Row" with George Payne, [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Back Row
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179662/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] "L.A. Tool & Die" with Bob Blount and Richard Locke, [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =L.A. Tool & Die
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125329/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] "The Other Side of Aspen" with Al Parker and Dick Fisk, [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Other Side of Aspen
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180030/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] "Boys in the Sand II" [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Boys in the Sand II
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179689/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] and "Inevitable Love", with Jon King and Jamie Wingo. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Inevitable Love
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179869/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] He also featured in non-sexual roles in a number of heterosexual porn films, notably "The Opening of Misty Beethoven". [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Opening of Misty Beethoven
work =
publisher =Internet Movie Database
date =
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075018/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06]

Outside his adult film career, Casey Donovan continued to pursue stage work. In 1972 he was cast in a short-lived Broadway revival of "Captain Brassbound's Conversion". [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Captain Brassbound's Conversion
work =
publisher =Internet Broadway Database
date =
url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3531
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] Star Ingrid Bergman described him as "having the same kind and as much charisma as Robert Redford." [cite news
last =O'Brian
first =Jack
coauthors =
title =New York's Voice of Broadway
work =The Pocono Record
pages =
language =
publisher =
date =1972-11-15
url =
accessdate = ] He then landed a small role in the 1973 Lincoln Center production of "The Merchant of Venice", [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Merchant of Venice
work =
publisher =Internet Broadway Database
date =
url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3177
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] which was praised as having "vivid appeal." [cite news
last =Glover
first =William
coauthors =
title =The critic's view
work =
pages =
language =
publisher =Associated Press
date =1973-03-06
url =
accessdate = ] Donovan had a successful national tour in the play "Tubstrip", written and directed by Jerry Douglas. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Tubstrip
work =
publisher =Internet Broadway Database
date =
url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3487
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06] While the play was critically deemed entertaining enough to its target gay audience [cite news
last =Sarmento
first =William E.
coauthors =
title ="Tubstrip" hits the gay white way
work =Lowell Sun
pages =
language =
publisher =
date =1974-11-13
url =
accessdate = ] (having earned, in the words of one critic, a "nationwide gay housekeeping seal of approval") [cite news
last =Glover
first =William
coauthors =
title =Gays like what "Tubstrip" offers
work =Oakland Tribune
pages =
language =
publisher =
date =1974-11-02
url =
accessdate = ] Donovan himself was judged as simply "no better nor worse [an] actor than most of the others [in the cast] ." [cite news
last =Taylor
first =Robert
coauthors =
title =Tub be or not tub be
work =Oakland Tribune
pages =
language =
publisher =
date =1974-08-29
url =
accessdate = ] In 1983 he turned his hand to producing, with an unsuccessful Broadway revival of Terrence McNally's play "The Ritz" [cite book
last =Rutledge
first =Leigh
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Gay Fireside Companion
publisher =Alyson Publications
date =1989
location = New York
pages =229
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 1555831648] in which he also appeared. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Ritz
work =
publisher =Internet Broadway Database
date =
url = http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4223
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-06]

Donovan's iconic status allowed him to build a lucrative career as a high-priced escort [Edmonson 171] although it would cost him his legitimate modeling career as more and more clients made the connection between model Culver and porn star Donovan. [Edmonson 124] He wrote an advice column, "Ask Casey," for the gay-oriented "Stallion" magazine beginning in 1982. [Rutledge "Gay Decades" 189]

In 1973 at the height of his popularity, Donovan met actor-turned writer Tom Tryon and the two entered into a long-term relationship the following year. [Edmonson 142] Tryon was deeply closeted and grew increasingly disturbed by Donovan's notoriety. Their relationship ended in 1977. [Edmonson 154]

In 1978, Donovan purchased a house in Key West, Florida to run as a bed and breakfast dubbed "Casa Donovan." Donovan struggled to keep the house running and ultimately it failed. [Edmonson 184] More successful was Donovan's time as a celebrity tour guide, conducting all-gay trips in partnership with an outfit called Star Tours to Italy, China, Peru and other destinations. [Edmonson 198]

By 1985, Donovan's health had begun to deteriorate, as he had contracted HIV. Although he had counseled his fans through his "Ask Casey" column as early as 1982 to reduce their number of sex partners and take steps to preserve their health [Edmonson 196] and urging them to be tested for HIV once the test was developed, he himself made little or no effort to change his behaviour as he assumed that he was already infected. [Edmonson 216] Donovan died in 1987 of an AIDS-related pulmonary infection in Inverness, Florida, aged 43. [Edmonson 227]

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0191724|name=Casey Donovan
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=96102 Casey Donovan] at the Internet Broadway Database
* [http://mannet.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=000737 ManNet Review: "The Wakefield Poole Collection: 1971-1986"] - "Warning: Contains sexually explicit adult content"

See also

*List of gay porn stars