Vintage Gay Porn Stars: Kurt Marshall

Posted June 27, 2010 8:51 AM by with 22 comments

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There are a few porn stars that have staying power decades later — Dick Fisk, Jon King, Chad Douglas, Joey Stefano, and Al Parker to name a few. For the past year or so, Jack and I (along with Raging Stallion director Ben Leon) have been in production on a documentary about the early history of the porn industry (we’ll post a trailer for the project shortly) and lately I’ve become obsessed with another one: Kurt Marshall.

Falcon exclusive Marshall, who dated Falcon Studios founder Chuck Holmes in the mid 80s, was, in many ways, the epitome of the Falcon style — blond, athletic, devilish. William Higgins once told me that the difference between Falcon stars and those cast by men like him, Matt Sterling and Jon Summers was that Falcon stars were “professional gays” and unrepentantly sexual.

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Like so many other gay men in the 80s, Kurt passed away from complications related to AIDS, but it seemed appropriate to put him up on Pride in part because he was a stellar performer and in part because he was proud of who he was. I came across this quote in an interview from the mid-80s, and think that it’s even more true today.

“I think to be gay is to be blessed. We have so much freedom, so many choices. This isn’t our moment to party or to think we’re going to stay young forever…maybe it’s our time to find someone to be safe with…to be happy with…”

Happy Prides!

(More Kurt Marshall pics after the jump …)

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falcon-star-kurt-marshall-in-the-other-side-of-aspen-porn-2.jpg
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More Kurt Marshall …
Kurt Marshall in Other Side of Aspen II (via NakedSword.com)
Kurt Marshall in Splash Shots (via NakedSword.com)
Falcon 35th Annual Box Set (via FalconStudios)

Mike

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22 responses to Vintage Gay Porn Stars: Kurt Marshall

  1. Ron June 27th, 2010 at 12:28 PM

    And??? where is he now?

    Reply

  2. Anonymous June 27th, 2010 at 2:26 PM

    By “staying power” is obviously not synonymous with survival, since all those mentioned succumbed to AIDS-related illness. Oh, that’s not the point? Okay, whatever.

    Reply

  3. Craig June 27th, 2010 at 4:08 PM

    When putting together your documentary, I hope you talk about the drug addition some of the stars suffered from as well as HIV. Both are problems in the porn – gay or straight – industry. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not putting anyone down, just think a documentary should tell the whole story as much as it can. I believe Kurt suffered from both.
    Thanks

    Reply

  4. SB June 27th, 2010 at 4:09 PM

    Where is he now? Burned into my memory forever, that’s for sure.

    Reply

  5. Ala.n June 27th, 2010 at 4:39 PM

    Nice tribute. I’m anxious to see that documentary

    Reply

  6. Compton June 27th, 2010 at 6:53 PM

    He died in 1988 at age 22 in Calif.

    Reply

  7. james June 28th, 2010 at 3:28 AM

    Hey… WEHT Dirk Caldwell aka Keith Panther aka Eric Dahl? Love to know what happened to him and what he’s doin now. Boys on Film was one of the first gay pornos I ever saw and it’s burned into my mind!

    Reply

  8. Disko June 28th, 2010 at 4:05 AM

    A true porn “star”, the sort that sadly doesn’t exist in today’s hetero obsessed gay porn world, it seems where models are now required to look bored.

    Was the guy in the mask ever id, I read on another forum, he was a famous tv star.

    Reply

  9. scott June 28th, 2010 at 4:19 AM

    Dead. Didn’t you read the posting?
    Of course, with all the new bareback porn, we can look back in a few years at the fresh young faces we’re killing right now.

    Reply

  10. Derek Price June 28th, 2010 at 4:07 PM

    Was it ever confirmed that Kurt acquired HIV from making “The Other Side of Aspen II?” Everyone that Scott O’Hara fucked in that movie died within just a few years. There is a wide-held belief that when you watch that scene at the end you are basically watching them all acquire HIV. Just curious.

    Reply

  11. Anonymous June 29th, 2010 at 7:57 AM

    @DerekPrice “Was it ever confirmed that Kurt acquired HIV from making “The Other Side of Aspen II?”

    What a ridiculous and hateful thing to say. Thirty years after the beginning of the gay holocaust, you want to start pointing fingers and blaming? I’m just wondering how you’d confirm that, as well.

    Reply

  12. rdw June 29th, 2010 at 8:59 AM

    Gay holocaust? Now you sound just as ridiculous!

    Reply

  13. Ted June 30th, 2010 at 7:19 PM

    @rdw – I don’t know if you were there or not, but it was a holocaust. I was there (here) and an entire generation of gay men is gone.

    Reply

  14. Naddyboy July 1st, 2010 at 7:31 PM

    I too have been obsessed with Kurt for a long time. Sources say he was born James Allen Rideout in Waterville, Maine. Beautiful guy.

    Reply

  15. Popeye July 1st, 2010 at 10:03 PM

    i have these early vids&they still stand the test of time. I too have neverfound out who the masked skier was in otherside of aspen2.Ive never recognized him from any other porn vids during those years.

    Reply

  16. Ringwraith July 2nd, 2010 at 4:53 AM

    Thanks for posting the tribute to Kurt Marshall. He’s one of my favorite porn models with those killer looks, golden blond locks and a voracious appetite for sex. Kurt was one of a few models like Kevin Williams, Kevin Wiles, Tristan Paris, RJ Danvers, and Jeremy Jordan who you can tell really love to get fucked. His performances for Falcon (“Giant Splash Shots”) and Matt Sterling (“Sizing Up”) are forever etched in my memory. It is a bit disappointing when we compare today’s gay porn industry with its obsession with “straight” or “gay for pay” performers at the expense of more traditional models. It’s also lamentable that we lost Kurt in the prime of his youth for whatever the reason.

    Reply

  17. Alan July 3rd, 2010 at 8:24 PM

    Falcon posed a clothed Kurt Marshall on two of their video boxes. He was that good looking: it was a first for the studio and I’ll bet still a rarity in the sex industry: a non-naked model on the cover. This nordic demi-god had it all and still messed up. He entered porn to pay for college…what a sap! Jump forward 12 months and he’s HIV+ and drug-addicted. Never mind Scott O’Hara. That positive status may well have come via the needle. He made maybe two grand for the four films he did for Falcon. Probably died still owing student loans. I read drug abuse caused fatal kidney damage. James Allen Rideout Jr. Oh, and the dude in the mask was just a publicity stunt.

    Reply

  18. David July 16th, 2010 at 8:55 PM

    I know this is blatantly obvious, but wow he was truly beautiful to look at.

    Reply

  19. Juicy August 19th, 2010 at 1:29 PM

    This guy was a wonderfull blond bottom that is part of my most hot sexual fantasy. I love him as the most beautifull man that I know. I am so sad to know he died at 22. He was was a so nice looking young man, so georgeous and with so innocent eyes (and nice body).

    Reply

  20. Mark September 10th, 2010 at 7:16 PM

    I’m kinda frustrated because I’ve been doing research on James Ridout because I’ve been curious about who he is as a person, and I keep hearing about his “interviews,” but I can’t for the life of me find them ANYWHERE! I’ve only heard the same quote from one of his interviews.

    I even see people who talk about how “articulate” he was in his interviews. Argh. lol. How do other people know about his interviews and I can’t seem to find them?

    If anyone could point me in the direction of any of his interviews, I would be really grateful.

    Reply

  21. Topher April 18th, 2011 at 4:27 AM

    It’s been 30 years, we are long overdue for a solution. Please support the re:solve AIDS project. ResolvefromCDF.org

    Reply

  22. Golden Age August 28th, 2012 at 8:30 PM

    I think the 70’s/80’s porn was the BEST. Guys REALLY getting INTO it. NOT just getting paid like so many obviously bored ‘models’ today.
    I also get turned on by the fact that these guys were real pioneers. BOLD to do this porn.
    These days it’s not such a big deal to be gay OR do a porno, but back then you were WILD to do that.
    I really miss the LUST they showed. HORNY, sweaty, raw.
    Vintage porn for me only sorry.
    The ‘now’ stuffs just too commercial.
    Should be have sex, then get paid, NOT get the money and get it over with quickly so you can go back to working on your soon to be a ‘real’ actor resume.
    Too ‘posey’ the models these days.
    I WANT THEM HORNY!
    Anyone know whatever happened to MARK HUNTER from Falcon’s original Spokes?

    Reply

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