Eros Ramazzotti - Un'Altra Te

Just a couple of favorites from Eros...

Eros Ramazzotti - Piu Bella Cosa

Johnny Sheffield as "Bomba"

I was very young when I became a "Tarzan" fan -- the character from both the films and the books. The Tarzan of the movies had no relation to that of the written word, but I loved them both.

When I first read "The Son of Tarzan" -- the 4th novel -- I immediately wanted to strip my clothes off and run through the vast wooded areas behind my house -- just like Jack Clayton.

In the movies, the (adopted) son of Tarzan and Jane was played by Johnny Sheffield -- a child actor picked personally by Johnny Weismuller. He portrayed "Boy" in the Tarzan series from 1939 through 1947.

When the producers felt that "Boy" was becoming too old to appear alongside Tarzan, he was let go from the series after appearing in "Tarzan and the Huntress." But jungle fever was still running strong in Hollywood -- Johnny was recruited to embody the character of "Bomba" (a child's version of Tarzan that was first published from 1926 - 1938) starting in 1949 and running twelve films through 1955.

While I certainly remember "Boy" from the Tarzan films, I only became aware of "Bomba" in the last dozen years -- those films never appeared on the independent Boston television stations when I was a youngster. Through the miracle of the internet, in the past couple of years I have been able to view these films and totally love their innocent adventurousness.

After the Bomba series ended, Johnny Sheffield gave up his Hollywood career and became a business man, but he never turned his back on his jungle career and happily signed many a picture from his past for his ever-growing circle of fans.

Johnny Sheffield died in 2010, aged 79, from complications after a fall while pruning a tree in his yard. Active to the very end!

I recently purchased some wonderful original 8x10 photos of Johnny as Bomba -- I'll scan the best as soon as they arrive in the post. But I'm wondering -- was "Bomba" a source of fascination for budding gay boys in the 50s? Do any of my readers remember watching Johnny in the cinema, or on syndicated TV of the 60s? I would love to hear from anyone, whether from "back in the day" or who disovered him last week, who loved the films of Mr. Johnny Sheffield.

Jim Stevens by Paul Hawker

Dale Gilbert

While Dale was photographed several times by Don Whitman's WPG, this photo doesn't really resemble a WPG shot.

Forrester Millard by AMG

One of the first AMG models (if not THE first), Forrester passed away last year at age 81.

Roger Conte by Tyc

real hunky sailors!

Keith Maynard by Douglas of Detroit

A neat example of double-exposure that Douglas Juleff and Bob Mizer (AMG) liked to work with...

Bob Freeman by Bruce of LA

Bob Estelita

Zaro Rossi

I bought this one a few months back. It's an oddity, and not just because Zaro is in an honest-to-gosh pouch -- it's dimensions are a bizarre 3 1/2 x 5 1/2, and it's not trimmed in any way. It may have been meant for publication use, as "Tomorrow's Man" is typewritten on the back. Luckily it is printed on such heavy paper that the typing doesn't penetrate.

As for the image -- what a hunky guy! I don't want to guess the photographer yet, but when I get a chance I'll try to find if I have any other bow shots in the files...

Another really cool Zaro to share with you as soon as it arrives in the mail...!!!

Ed Gloegler

1937 Strength and Health magazine!

Eugene Dubuque - Mr. New York City of 1947

...by Lon and by Quaintance

Bud Counts, being his perfect sunny self...

...by AMG.

50s wrestler Antonino Rocca

unknown blond by WPG

50s muscleman and gal-pal

Richard Alan and Glenn Bishop

...attributed to Cliff Oettinger, but figuring out who took Bishop's pictures is a real guessing game...