Boys in the Sand

Boys in the Sand is a landmark American gay adult film, released early in the Golden Age of P*rn. The 1971 film was directed by Wakefield Poole and stars Casey Donovan. It was the first gay p*rn film to include credits and to be reviewed by the film industry journal Variety, and one of the earliest p*rn films – after Andy Warhol's 1969 film Blue Movie, but preceding 1972's Deep Throat – to gain mainstream credibility.

Produced on a budget of about $8,000, the film collects three segments depicting Donovan's s*xual adventures at a gay beach resort. Promoted by Poole with an advertising campaign unprecedented for a p*rnographic feature, it premiered in 1971 at the 253-seat 55th Street Playhouse in Manhattan, where it was an immediate critical and commercial success. The film brought Donovan international recognition. A sequel Boys in the Sand II was eventually released in 1986, but in the much-changed film and p*rn markets did not match the success of the original.

The film's title is a parodic reference to the 1968 Mart Crowley play The Boys in the Band, which had been adapted into a 1970 film of the same name.

Plot
Boys in the Sand is composed of three segments set on Fire Island.

Bayside:
Dark-haired, bearded Peter Fisk walks along the wooded paths of the island until reaching a beach. He strips and sunbathes on a blanket. Suddenly, out in the water, blond n*ked Donovan appears and runs up onto the beach to Fisk. Fisk performs oral s*x on Donovan, who then leads Fisk into the woods. Fisk grabs the blanket and follows, catching up to Donovan in a clearing. They kiss and touch each other, then Donovan takes a studded leather strap from Fisk's wrist and attaches it around Fisk's g*nitalia. They continue the scene, with each performing oral s*x on the other and Donovan penetrating Fisk. Following Donovan's climax he returns to servicing Fisk orally and, as Fisk is climaxing, momentary flashes of previous scenes are intercut. The scene ends with Fisk taking the strap from his g*nitals and attaching it around Donovan's wrist. Fisk runs into the ocean and vanishes, mirroring Donovan's entrance. Donovan dons Fisk's abandoned clothes and heads off down the beach.

Poolside:
The segment opens with Donovan on a pier, holding a newspaper. He returns to his house, strips by the pool and begins reading. Intrigued by an ad in the back of the paper, Donovan writes a letter in response. After a number of days pass (marked by fluttering calendar pages), he receives a reply in the form of a package. Inside is a tablet, which he throws into the pool. The water starts to churn and dark-haired Danny Di Cioccio emerges to Donovan's delight. The two couple by the pool, with each performing oral s*x on the other and Donovan penetrating Di Cioccio in a variety of positions. Di Cioccio turns the tables and tops Donovan until Donovan's climax. The scene closes with the two engaged in horseplay in the pool and then walking off together down a boardwalk.

Inside:
This final segment opens with shots of Donovan showering, toweling off and wandering idly around his room, intercut with shots of African-American telephone repairman Tommy Moore checking various poles and lines outside. Donovan spots Moore from his balcony, and Moore sees Donovan as well. The remainder of the segment consists of Donovan's fantasized s*xual encounters with Moore throughout the house intercut with shots of Donovan sniffing poppers and penetrating himself with a large black d*ldo. The segment ends following Donovan's climax with the d*ldo, with the real Moore coming inside the house and closing the door behind them.