Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977) (TV)

Director:

John Erman

Writers:

Walter Dallenbach (teleplay)
Dalene Young (story) ...

Release Date:

16 May 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A teenaged boy arrives in Hollywood to become a movie star, but winds up becoming a male prostitute and gets involved with a gay football star. |

Plot Keywords:

Male Prostitute | Gay Interest | Homosexual | Prostitution | Sequel

Cast

Leigh McCloskey	...	Alexander Duncan
Eve Plumb	...	Dawn Wetherby
Juliet Mills	...	Myra
Jean Hagen	...	Landlady
Lonny Chapman	...	Eddie Duncan (as Lonnie Chapman)
Asher Brauner	...	Buddy
Diana Douglas	...	Clara Duncan
Fred Sadoff
Alice Hirson	...	Clara Duncan
John Devlin
Frances Faye	...	Herself (as Miss Frances Faye)
Alan Feinstein	...	Charles Selby
Earl Holliman	...	Ray Church
Jack Rader	...	Jack
Claudia Bryar	...	Ms. Mathias

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12

Company:

Douglas S. Cramer Company

Trivia:

Jean Hagen's final performance.

Movie Connections:

Follows Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (1976) (TV)

Groundbreaking for TV

Sequel to "Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Prostitute" (which I never saw). Alexander (Leigh McCloskey) is a teenager who has been thrown out of his home in Oklahoma. He goes to California and (almost immediately) becomes a str8 male prostitute. He falls for Dawn (Eve Plumb!) who is a hooker. He gets her away from her pimp and sends her away until he can make it on his own. But he's 17, no high school graduation and his prostitution is known about. He ends up being "kept" by closeted gay football player Chuck Selby (Alan Feinstein). But can he leave and ever get back to Dawn?

"Dawn..." came out a year before this and was a ratings blockbuster. This was rushed into production and released but it wasn't the success "Dawn" was. For 1977 TV however, this was groundbreaking. It shows gay teens in a "rap" session talking openly about their families rejecting them--the dialogue is tame but the characters are shown in a sympathetic light. Also when Alex lives with Chuck it's pretty obvious that they must be having sex (although it's never shown). That may seem like nothing today but for 1977 that was pretty shocking.

The acting is actually not bad. McCloskey is a little bland at times and he seems nervous at playing the role but he comes through every once and a while. His plea at court at the end is actually pretty moving. He's obviously in his 20s (he was 24 when this was made) but he still could pass for 17. Feinstein is good is his role and Juliet Mills has a nice bit part. Also it was shocking to see Jean Hagen looking so bad and frail and sounding so bad (but she was ill at the time). She even mocks her Hollywood image (the picture on the wall behind her IS actually her). Top-billed Eve Plumb is hardly in this.

This all has a totally unbelievable but somewhat satisfying Hollywood ending. I got a copy from a friend on DVD--the print is in poor shape. The picture was blurry and the color faded. The sound was strong and clear. This needs a total makeover. Still, see it if you get the chance. Ahead of its time. I give it an 8.