Joe Dallesandro
Joe Dallesandro | |
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![]() Dallesandro in 2009 | |
Born | Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro III December 31, 1948 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
Other names |
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Occupations |
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Years active | 1967–present |
Spouses | Leslie
(m. 1967; div. 1969)Theresa
(m. 1970; div. 1978)Kim Dallesandro (m. 1987) |
Children | 2 |
Website | joedallesandro |
Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro III (born December 31, 1948) is an American actor and Warhol superstar. He was a sex symbol of gay subculture in the 1960s and 1970s, and of several American underground films before going mainstream.[1]
Dallesandro starred in the Andy Warhol-produced film Flesh (1968) as a male prostitute. Rolling Stone magazine declared Dallesandro's second starring film Trash (1970) as the "Best Film of the Year", making him a star of the youth culture, sexual revolution, and subcultural New York City art collective in the early 1970s. Dallesandro also starred in the Factory films Heat (1972), Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1974), and Andy Warhol's Dracula (1974), which were directed by Paul Morrissey. Dallesandro later lived in Europe for several years where he starred in both genre and art films. Having returned to the United States, he also crossed over into mainstream roles such as mobster Lucky Luciano in the film The Cotton Club (1984).
Early life
[edit]Joe Dallessandro was born in Pensacola, Florida, to Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro II, who was in the U.S. Navy. His mother, Thelma Testman, was 16 years old.[2] His parents separated soon after they moved to New Jersey when he was 2 years old.[3] Dallesandro and his younger brother Bobby were placed in foster care of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Silano in North Babylon, New York.[3]
By the time Dallessandro was five years old, his mother was serving fifteen years in a U.S. federal penitentiary for interstate auto theft.[citation needed] He was later reunited with his mother in 1970.[2]
Dallesandro was initially content living with his foster parents, but as he became a teenager he reportedly began to resent them, thinking that they were preventing him from living with his father.[4] He became aggressive and repeatedly ran away from his foster home until his father finally relented and allowed Joe to live with him.[4]
At age 13, Dallesandro and his brother moved to Queens, New York to live with their paternal grandparents and their father.[5] "I was very rebellious," he recalled.[3] "I hated the Queens school. They were so far behind the Long Island school that I just lost interest."[3] He was expelled from school for punching the school principal.[3] After this, he began hanging out with gangs and stealing cars. At age 15, Dallesandro drove a stolen car through the Holland Tunnel without paying the toll.[3] He was stopped by a police roadblock and was shot once in the leg by police who mistakenly thought he was armed. Dallessandro managed to escape being caught by police, but was later arrested when his father took him to the hospital for his gunshot wound. He was sentenced to Camp Cass Rehabilitation Center for Boys in the Catskills in 1964.[6] In 1965, aged 16, he ran away from the camp, and went to live with his father in Florida.[3] Dallessandro made his way to the West Coast with a friend and briefly worked at a pizza shop.[3] He supported himself by nude modeling for Bob Mizer's Athletic Model Guild.[7]
Career
[edit]Underground film career
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Flesh_%281968%29_Joe_Dallesandro_and_Louis_Waldon_%281200_dpi%29.jpg/220px-Flesh_%281968%29_Joe_Dallesandro_and_Louis_Waldon_%281200_dpi%29.jpg)
By 1967, Dallessandro had returned to New York. He met pop artist Andy Warhol and film director Paul Morrissey while they were shooting Four Stars (1967) in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, and they cast him in the film on the spot.[8] Warhol would later comment "In my movies, everyone's in love with Joe Dallesandro."[9]
Dallesandro appeared in Lonesome Cowboys (1968) before starring in the film Flesh (1968) as a hustler, where he had several nude scenes. Flesh became a crossover hit with mainstream audiences, and Dallesandro became the most popular of the Warhol stars. New York Times film critic Vincent Canby wrote of him: "His physique is so magnificently shaped that men as well as women become disconnected at the sight of him."[10]
After starring in Trash (1970), Dallesandro's underground fame began to cross over into the popular culture. In 1970, Newsday film critic Jerry Parker wrote that "Joe Dallesandro, who is a mere 21 is to Andy Warhol what Clark Gable once was to Louis B. Mayer."[3] Dallesandro appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in April 1971. He was also photographed by some of the top celebrity photographers of the time: Francesco Scavullo, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon.[11]
Dallesandro also starred in the films Heat (1972), Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (1974), and Andy Warhol's Dracula ( 1974), also directed by Morrissey. These last two films were shot in Europe. After filming was complete, he chose not to return to the U.S.[12] He appeared in Serge Gainsbourg's Je t'aime moi non plus (France, 1976), which starred Gainsbourg's girlfriend, British actress Jane Birkin.
Mainstream career
[edit]Dallesandro continued to star in films made mainly in France and Italy for the rest of the decade, returning to the U.S. in the 1980s. He made several mainstream films during the 1980s and 1990s. One of his first notable roles was that of 1920s gangster Lucky Luciano in Francis Coppola's The Cotton Club (1984). Working with manager/attorney Stann Findelle, his career enjoyed a resurgence.
He had roles in Critical Condition (1987) opposite Richard Pryor, Sunset (1988) with Bruce Willis and James Garner, Cry-Baby (1990) with Johnny Depp, Guncrazy (1992) with Drew Barrymore, and Steven Soderbergh's 1999 film The Limey. He has also worked in television. In 1986, he co-starred in the ABC drama series Fortune Dane. The series lasted only five episodes. Dallesandro was also a regular for the first season (1987-1988) of the CBS crime drama series Wiseguy, appeared in three episodes of NBC's Miami Vice, and a two-hour episode of ABC's Matlock in 1990.[13]
A biography, Little Joe: Superstar by Michael Ferguson was released earlier in 2001, and a filmed documentary, Little Joe (2009), was released with Dallesandro serving as writer and producer. His adopted daughter, Vedra Mehagian, also served as a producer of the film.[citation needed]
In February 2009, Dallesandro received the Teddy Award, an honor recognizing those filmmakers and artists who have contributed to the further acceptance of LGBT people, culture and artistic vision.
He appeared in the Dandy Warhols' official video for "You are Killing Me" in 2016.[14]
In 2018 he starred as himself in Ulli Lommel's Factory Cowboys: Working with Warhol. The film was based on Lommel's own biography and partly on Dallesandro's memories of the period during which he worked with Andy Warhol.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Dallesandro is openly bisexual,[16] has married three times, and has three children.[17]
Aged 18, he married his first wife, Leslie, the daughter of his father's girlfriend, in 1967. Their son, Michael, was born December 19, 1968. The marriage was dissolved in 1969. His second marriage was to Theresa ("Terry") in 1970. Their son, Joseph A. Dallesandro, Jr., was born November 14, 1970. The couple divorced in early 1978. In 1987, Dallesandro was married a third time, to Kimberly ("Kim").[citation needed] Dallesandro has a grandson and a granddaughter by his son Michael, as well as a grandson by his son Joseph.[18]
Semi-retired from acting, as of 2009 Dallesandro managed a residential hotel building in Los Angeles.[19]
In popular culture
[edit]- In Lou Reed's song, "Walk on the Wild Side", about the characters Reed knew from Warhol's studio, The Factory, the verse about Dallesandro used his nickname, Little Joe.[20]
- A Warhol photograph of the crotch bulge of Dallesandro's tight blue jeans is on the famous cover of the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers. Dallesandro explained to biographer Michael Ferguson, "It was just out of a collection of junk photos that Andy pulled from. He didn't pull it out for the design or anything, it was just the first one he got that he felt was the right shape to fit what he wanted to use for the fly;" the first editions of that album cover physically incorporated a functional metal zipper fly into the photo.[21]
- The 1980s British band The Smiths used a still photograph of Dallesandro from the film Flesh as the cover of their eponymous debut album.[22]
- Norwegian pop band Briskeby had a 2005 single called "Joe Dallesandro".[23]
Selected filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | Four Stars | College Wrestler | Alternative title: The 24 Hour Movie |
1968 | San Diego Surf | Joe | |
1968 | The Loves of Ondine | College Wrestler | |
1968 | Flesh | Joe, The Hustler | Alternative title: Andy Warhol's Flesh |
1968 | Lonesome Cowboys | Joe "Little Joe" | Alternative title: Ramona and Julian |
1970 | Trash | Joe Smith | Alternative title: Andy Warhol's Trash |
1972 | Heat | Joey Davis | |
1973 | Andy Warhol's Frankenstein | Nicholas, The Stableboy | Alternative title: Flesh for Frankenstein |
1974 | Blood for Dracula | Mario Balato, The Servant | Alternative title: Andy Warhol's Dracula |
1974 | The Gardener | Carl, The Gardener | Alternative titles: Garden of Death, Seeds of Evil |
1975 | The Climber | Aldo, The Climber | Alternative title: L'ambizioso |
1975 | Black Moon | Brother Lily | |
1975 | Savage Three | Ovidio Mainardi | Alternative title: Fango bollente |
1975 | Season for Assassins | Pierro Giaranaldi | Alternative title: Il tempo degli assassini |
1976 | Je t'aime moi non plus | Krassky | Alternative title: I Love You, I Don't or I Love You ... Neither Do I |
1976 | La Marge | Sigismond | Alternative title: The Streetwalker |
1978 | Safari Rally | Joe Massi | Alternative title: 6000 km di paura |
1978 | Killer Nun | Dr. Patrick Roland | Alternative titles: Suor Omicidi Deadly Habits |
1980 | Madness | Joe Brezzi | Alternative title: Vacanze per un massacro |
1981 | Merry-Go-Round | Ben | |
1982 | Queen Lear | Joseph Kunz, The Father | |
1984 | The Cotton Club | Charlie "Lucky" Luciano | |
1984 | Miami Vice | Vinnie DeMarco | Episode: "One Eyed Jack" |
1986 | Fortune Dane | Tommy "Perfect Tommy" Nicautri | 5 episodes |
1987 | Critical Condition | Stucky | |
1987 | Miami Vice | Alfredo Giulinni | Episode: "Down for the Count: Part 2" |
1987 | Wiseguy | Paul "Pat The Cat" Patrice | 5 episodes |
1988 | Sunset | "Dutch" Kieffer | |
1988 | The Hitchhiker | Gerard | Episode: "Fashion Exchange" |
1988 | Double Revenge | Joe Halsey | |
1989 | The Hollywood Detective | Eddie Northcott | Television movie |
1990 | Matlock | Bobby Boyd | 2 episodes |
1990 | Almost an Angel | Bank Hood Leader | |
1990 | Cry-Baby | Mr. Hackett | |
1991 | Inside Out | Richard | Segment: "The Diaries" |
1991 | Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue | Jules | |
1992 | Guncrazy | Rooney | |
1992 | Love Is Like That | The Boss | |
1994 | Sugar Hill | Tony Adamo | |
1995 | Theodore Rex | Rogan | Direct-to-video release |
1998 | L.A. Without a Map | Michael | |
1999 | The Limey | John "Uncle John", The Hitman | Credited as Joe Dallessandro |
2000 | Beefcake | Cameos, old footage | |
2002 | Pacino Is Missing | Sal Colletti | |
2008 | 3 Stories About Evil | Jean Maries | Short film |
2022 | Babylon | Charlie the Photographer |
References
[edit]- Citations
- ^ Morris, Gary (January 13, 2000). "Book Review: Little Joe, Superstar: The Films of Joe Dallesandro". Bright Lights Film Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^ a b Garner, Joe (October 13, 1973). "Long-Lost Son Is X-Rated Star Of Warhol Films". The Sacramento Bee. p. 16. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Parker, Jerry (November 2, 1970). "The 'Trash' Man Cometh Off Square". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). pp. 3A, 29A. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Watson 2003, p. 22
- ^ Watson 2003, p. 23
- ^ Watson 2003, p. 1962
- ^ Watson 2003, pp. 237–238
- ^ "Interview with Joe Dallesandro". Manner of Man (4). December 2013.
- ^ Greenberg, Jan; Jordan, Sandra (March 25, 2009). Andy Warhol, Prince of Pop. Random House. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-307-51306-9.
- ^ Hawkins, Joan (2000). Cutting Edge: Art-Horror and the Horrific Avant-garde. University of Minnesota Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-4529-0430-6. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Borhan, Pierre (October 1, 2007). Man to Man: A History of Gay Photography (1st ed.). Vendome Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-8656-5186-9.
- ^ Ferguson, Dr. Michael (2003). Idol Worship: A Shameless Celebration of Male Beauty in the Cinema (2 ed.). STARbooks Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-8918-5548-1.
- ^ Joe Dallesandro at IMDb
- ^ "The Dandy Warhols - "You Are Killing Me" (Official Music Video)". YouTube.
- ^ "Factory Cowboys: Working with Warhol". Crew United. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ Ferguson & Dallesandro 1998, p. 82
- ^ Lyons, Tina (March 1998). "Joe Dallesandro,1998". Index Magazine (13). Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- ^ Ferguson & Dallesandro 1998, pp. 19–20
- ^ O'Brien, Glenn (July 6, 2009). "Joe Dallesandro". Interview. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- ^ Roberts, Chris (2004). Lou Reed: Walk On The Wild Side: The Stories Behind the Songs. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-6340-8032-6.
- ^ "Album Cover Joe". Joedallesandro.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
- ^ Grønstad, Asbjørn; Vagnes, Oyvind (2010). Cover Scaping: Discovering Album Aesthetics. Museum Tusculanum Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-8-7635-0774-5.
- ^ Fagerheim, Freddy S.; Rune Jensen (December 1, 2005). "Sex-ikon er gull for Briskeby" [Sex icon is gold for Briskeby]. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- Bibliography
- Ferguson, Michael; Dallesandro, Joe (1998). Little Joe, Superstar: The Films of Joe Dallesandro. Companion Press. ISBN 978-1-8891-3809-1.
- Watson, Steven (2003). Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties. Pantheon Books. ISBN 978-0-6794-2372-0.
External links
[edit]- Official website Offline February 2020
- Joe Dallesandro at IMDb
- The New York Times profile
- "Joe Dallesandro Home Movies" video
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1948 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American bisexual male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American people of Italian descent
- LGBT people from New York (state)
- Living people
- Male actors from Queens, New York
- People associated with The Factory
- People from North Babylon, New York
- People from Pensacola, Florida