Often considered the best, he certainly had several of the most commercially successful gay porn films of the 70's/early 80's era. Interestingly enough, he left the "adult" business just as video was taking over film, doing just one movie in video format (Closed Set 2), and worked in low-budget horror films, under the name Tim Kincaid (such films as Breeders, and Robot Holocaust). In several of his films, he appears as one of the many men in the orgy scenes (many of the guys simply credited as "The Gage Men"). Some rumors said Joe Gage made films in the 80's under the name Mac Larsen because of trouble with Reagan's crack down on porn, or tax issues - not true. He said in an interview that he lost interest in making porno films, but they offered some quick money, and he made a deal with P. M. Productions to do several with a quick turn-around and a set budget. Those films were shot in 1 or 2 days, then edited and handed over to P.M. in a matter of just a few days total (in comparison to L.A. Tool and Die, which took 20 days for shooting alone, an unheard of amount of time for a porno movie). He is featured in one early film, from 1975, Morning Noon, and Night, where he portrays a chef in a 3-way (nice work with that zucchini!). He also directed an off-Broadway hit, Naked Highway in 1983. Most of his films were produced by "Sam Gage" pictured below with the curly hair. Recently Gage became a 2001 GayVN Video Awards Hall of Fame inductee, and began his return to the porno business with his 2001 release "Tulsa County Line".
Nick Elliot (directory of photography) Al Steinman (music), Glen Nathan (sound)
Joe Gage page 2 - 21st century videos
last updated 05/16/06
His first film, hugely successful, and was the first of the trilogy. Starring Jack Wrangler, Steve Boyd, Richard Locke, Duff Paxton, Kurt Williams ("Desert Rat" - slurp!), Dane Tremmell, Skip Shepherd, Bud Jaspar, and Maria Reina (Boyd's girl - non-sexual role). Richard Locke is the star of all 3 of the "trilogy," and here he plays an "older" (maybe 35!) trucker who is assigned to work with a new kid (big-dicked, str8, Steve Boyd). But before leaving on their first haul together, he and dispatcher/boss Jack Wrangler manage some very hot sex. A minor disconcerting thing, although I am used to the "dubbing" so commonly used in many flicks mid-70's, is that Locke's voice is not his own (he's the narrator, and it makes me wonder if it's Gage doing the narration) - having seen/heard him in several other films, . On the road, there is a fantastic use of dream-like sequences, flash-backs, etc, while Locke describes to Boyd how to deal with "urges" on the road, away from his girlfriend. Boyd dreams of getting it on with Wrangler (Dos Equis product placement), jerks off in the truck with Locke, and eventually, is heavy into the orgy finale (or was that a dream/fantasy?). This last sequence, as well as the fantastic 3-way in a seemingly abandoned house in the middle of the desert, combine great sound, lighting, and superior editing to create thoroughly sensual sex scenes. Alas, missing in most video versions of the film (including GAGETAPEs), and the DVD is the brief watersports scene (I have a Select Video copy that does have it!).
Opened the day after Christmas of 1977, starring Richard Locke and Fred Halsted in the classic road movie/buddy movie/fuck flick. Locke and Halsted get fired from their jobs at Kansas City Trucking, hop in their pick-up, and head to El Paso in search of work; all the while finding plenty of bars, backrooms, public bathrooms, and outdoor spaces to keep them busy before arriving in El Paso to find jobs at the Wrecking Corp (where they christen the buildings with an orgy before tearing them down!) Also featuring: Clay Russell, Guillermo Ricardo, Keith Anthoni (in the motorcycle scene), Mike Morris (father), Jared Benson (son), Lou Davis, Steve King, Aaron Taylor, Robert Snowden, Ken Brown, Rob Carter, Jeanne Marie Marchaud, Veronica Compton, and in non-sexual roles Georgina Spelvin (she plays the bartender in my all-time favorite non-sex scene in a porn movie!), and Stan Braddock; plus "The Wrecking Corps" - Hal Dorn, Joe Gage, Ty Harper, Delmer Jackson, Yank Jankowski, Christian Laage, Buck Lingren, Ed Murray, Bill Oberfeldt, and Al Yeager. Original score enhanced by the use of the "SurrounduSound" audio system. Interesting, many folks remember the "incest" scene with the father and son, initiated by Fred Halsted's character. Look closely - Dad just walks in on his son who's about to have sex with Halsted, but simply watches, jerking off, as Fred and the son (Jared Benson) go at it - no actual incest, but more voyeurism, the key to Gage's films. See GAGEtape page for info on what's missing from DVD and later VHS versions of the film.
The final installment in the trilogy, Locke finally meets his man (Will Seagers), who he patiently waits for until he is ready; through several orgies, and other hookups before they finally "do it" together near the end, and decide to shack up together. Imagine, a porn film with a flashback death scene in Vietnam (Seagers saying goodbye to his lover). Starring Richard Locke and Will Seagers; The scene with Casey Donovan in the woods, (with Terri Hannon, and Derrick Stanton), just great (of course, he does another fantastic in the woods scene in Heatstroke). Final scene, where they discover water in the desert plot of land Locke had invested all his money in was inspired by a Loretta Young nun movie - Come to the Stable!! Plus Paul Baressi in the obligatory Gage bi/str8 scene, flinging his used condom at the kid in the bushes who's been spying on Baressi and his girl. Plus Richard Youngblood, Bob Blount (bearded blond, who died in a motorcycle accident a few weeks after shooting), Johnny Falconberg (great glory-hole scene with Seagers, possibly his only porn appearance), Michael Kearns, Joe Walsh, Joseph Kearns, Shawn Victors, Becky Bitter, Dan Pace (aka Rocky Genero), Scott Sinclair, Gregg Dale, Bob Damon, Roy Harwood, Chuck Cord, Matthew Forde, Steve Rideout, Rev. Spoonball (on the radio), Joe Gage and "The Gage Men" (Carlos Balajo, Patrick Graham, Paul Guild,Erling Hitt, Beau Lovejoy, Max Osterhaut, Jose Solica, Nels Stensgaard, Shelly Gard). Music by Al Steniman, Harmonica solos by Chuck Thatcher.
The standard line these days on Closed Set and Closed Set 2 (if you read video boxes) is that they were never meant for commercial release. Not exactly true. Basically, Gage wanted to experiment a bit, get a gathering of select men together for a one-night stand-up sex session, like a backroom, and see if he could get enough material to make it into a commercial film. Using four cameras, and filmed in 4 hours, (the first hour wasn't even sex, just intros, "sniffing each other out" clothes on!). J.W. King is in it (uncredited, he hand't adapted his "stage name" yet)and was indeed released in movie theatres back then when Gage saw he had some good stuff!
This film is often dismissed and misunderstood, but it's a favorite of mine. Basically about guy's jerking off, with some oral action, but what strings it together are phone calls to "Joe" suggesting locales and scenarios for .... an orgy? ...a film? Or are these just audio jack-off tapes that filmmkaer Gage is listening to, imagining how he'd film them? - If you've seen Heatstroke, then you'll see that this film served more or less as a pre-cursor to it, with some of the techniques being tested in HANDsome, and used more successfully, in Heatstroke. Starring J.D. Slater, Ron Clayton, Roy Garrett, Bill Geary, Robert West, Rick Youngblood, Joe Gage, and others not credited. Amazingly seductive soundtrack from Man Parrish; Vocal Montages based on "The Ad" by Rick L. Pollack - (you can even hear some of Roy Garrett's erotic poetry in one or two scenes)
My all-time favorite. From the black-and-white shots at the beginning, the excellent Man Parrish theme song, and especially the amazing scene with Casey Donovan lost in the woods (sucking off all these guys with the hottest voice-over on film - a guy suggesting all sorts of hot sex scenes, from whacking off as you pull up to a gas station attendant, to making it with "Dad"...) a thoroughly amazing film! Set in Montana, some ranch hands set about to make the most of their weekend - time at the local peep shows, an excellent scene where Richard Locke gets it on with his ex-girl's new miliatary boyfriend, and a scene where a guy is refused admission to the local sex club cuz he's too old, so he grabs a fellow rejectee (wearing an Izod shirt!) and does it 'round back! Roy Garrett (Rory), Casey Donovan (Marty King), Richard Locke (Shep), Clay Russell (Pete Mattson, U.S.M.C.), Clinton Coe (Jud), Bud Wallace (Dave), John Steele (Barney) and introducing Richard West (Lucky). Plus The Gage Men (of course), Suzanne Tyson as Jolene, the peepshow dancer, and Bob Shane as the sex club clerk. Jud's Fantasy written by Rick L. Pollack
with Bill Geary, Bob Shane, Bud Wallace, Jake Masterson, and Roy Garrett; recently re-released on VHS and DVD. I haven't seen it since it was in the theatres, 15 years ago.
all I can remember is that I saw this film about 10 times in one night, while I was at the Bijou Theatre on 3rd Ave, tripping my brains out. American men, on a Middle Eastern oil rig, haven't much to do except set up a sex tent to "pass the time". Starring Ryan Harker, Bud Wallace, Carrado Quinto, Jesse Jones and Jose Morales, Jeff Stone, and Tharon Davis.
Another film where the theme song alone gets me hard! Eric Ryan, Roy Garrett, Keith Anthoni (shooting onto his own face!), Ryan Harker, Bob Shane (very slurpable face!)Jeff Stone (as the "leatherman") and Members of the West St. Gang, NYC.
The plot here involves Daniel Holt being interviewed and showing off his new line of leather gear. The host imagines Holt, himself, and a bunch of other guys wearing, and using, the stuff. Great scene with Holt in chaps, etc, taking a dildo, and several guys shooting all over him! also starring Mickey Squires, O'Bannion, Jason MacBride, Everett MacDonald, Bob Shane, Roy Garrett, Jeff Stone and Wayne Stephans.
Mickey Squires (billed at the time as "Colt Superstar")plays a delivery guy, bringing moonshine to various places, while Jayson MacBride give hims delivery instructions. An "on the road" device, where Squires keeps going to places where sex is happening, or about to happen, but he's never involved, until the end, when MacBride instructs him to come back to the dispatch station, and the standard, but oh-so-hot orgy ensues. My favorite scene, actually, involves Roy Garrett and fellow fireman doing each other, and just as the 2nd guy cums, the fire alarm goes off, and they pull up their pants and go! Another film where the orgy finale is just great! Recently released on DVD. Also starring Daniel Holt, O'Bannion, Everett MacDonald, Bob Shane (slurp!!), Jeff Stone and Wayne Stephans.
Does the title refer to the style of Levi's, or to that time in the early morning when you lay awake, thinking, with your lover asleep besides you? (produced by Alister Armondo, not sure if "Sam Gage" was still around) Daniel Holt plays an NYC taxi driver, making friends along the way. If you like Holt, you should love this film, he's in practically every scene. The last scene, he is "topped" by Richard West (with a nice long one though not quite as fat as Mr Holt's). Richard West, David Atkins, Tom Law;plus John Ending, George Heat, Rick Rodd, and others. Like many of his films, this one has good original music (by Rick Rockwell) and great cinemaphotography (Todd Focus). This was when Gage was getting out of the porn business, but decided to help a friend (Armondo) out who wanted to make a film, and needed Gage's name to raise the money. Gage directed the cameraman's shooting, but did not write, or participate in the editing of the picture. note: Current HIS Video version is only 64 minutes long; the original was 80 minutes, but I haven't (yet) checked into what, specifically, is missing.
Another "quick-shoot" - this one actually done direct on video, where the camera just roams around the room of hot Gage Men doing it. This and 501 were Gage's last until recently. "Live sound" - including the musical soundtrack, thus a "tinny" quality to the music, as if a boombox were in the room. Most of the men are in Levis, donning cockrings, and you don't see many faces, but lots of cocks being stroked, some cocksucking. Was hard to find (one of the distributors in the 1980's was Marksman Productions), but now appears to be available through BIJOU VIDEO. Uncredited, but you'll recognize some of the faces, like Daniel Holt, Richard West, and others from the Mac Larsen films, especially 501. 
Joe Gage receiving an award in 2001.