Episode 27: William Higgins's THE BOYS OF VENICE (1978)

Cruising the Movies

We’re back! This week we’re kicking off our second season by taking in the sights and studs of sunny California with William Higgins’s THE BOYS OF VENICE. Taking the form of a sexual travelogue, THE BOYS OF VENICE was truly a breakthrough film that helped usher in a new look and style that would come to dominate the all-male screen for years to come — and introduce a new stable of superstar performers including Kip Noll, Eric Ryan, Derrick Stanton, and Scott Taylor.

Over the course of the episode, we’ll dive into William Higgins’ Texan background, discuss the roller disco craze that played heavily into the film’s advertising, and cringe over what has to be one of the most perilous sex scenes of the era — performed entirely on roller skates… you know, as you do.