'An Early Frost,' First Major AIDS Movie, Debuted 30 Years Ago Today

Peter Staley reminds us that 30 years ago, today, NBC aired "An Early Frost," the first major movie -- made for TV or feature -- tackling AIDS. It was a ratings shocker, with 34 million Americans tuning in, beating a competing San Francisco 49ers-Denver Broncos game on ABC. (Most advertisers pulled out, however, not wanting to be associated with the disease's homophobia-driven stigma.)

Peter then adds:

As Aidan Quinn portrayed the first signs of PCP pneumonia with painful coughs, my new boyfriend visiting from Amsterdam, Peter Launy, remarked on my similar coughs from a persistent cold, and said "you sound like him." We both laughed, uncomfortably. "I'll see my doctor tomorrow," I replied. And that's how I found out. One blood test led to another, and I joined the swelling ranks of desperate, tainted men.

It's notable that Quinn, while not a huge movie star, was a rising name and heartthrob, having starred in "Reckless" (1984) and "Desperately Seeking Susan" earlier that year, yet smartly chose to be in the film, which his agent told him had been turned down by many actors. (Jeff Daniels, who had played Richard Thomas' lover in Lanford Wilson’s "Fifth of July," was reportedly one of them.) Quinn told Jay Blotcher in The Advocate that he had no qualms about playing a man with AIDS for several reasons:

“You go with the best stories out there and the best journey you want to take,” he says. Coming from the theater, Quinn added, he knew people affected very early in the epidemic. Finally, he was eager to play opposite acting heavyweights Gena Rowlands (LOVE her) and Ben Gazzara as his parents. There was no dissent from management or friends, he says: “Because I wouldn’t surround myself with people that would say something like that to me. And even if they thought it, they wouldn’t say it.” 

I'm happy to state the obvious that Peter, thanks to medical advances, is alive and well today.

Fade Away and Radiate

'Bleecker Street Cinema, Please'

Oh, noooo. You can add film projectionist to the growing list of disappearing jobs. But I just can't see Dez doing anything else. Read HERE.

'Desperate' Measures

It's so fun to read about other people's experiences with "Desperately Seeking Susan," and to learn I wasn't the only one who HAD to move to New York City after seeing it. From my "Facebook friend" Drew's profile (hope he doesn't de-friend me for stealing this -- I just loved it so!). Drew writes:

In 1985 a little movie came out called Desperately Seeking Susan, shot in the streets of New York City, and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn (above) and this Madonna woman who really annoyed my Mother ("She wears what around her neck?") I had to wait for it to come out on video to watch on this new technology that was the VCR (which cost about $350 at the time from Sears). It was my first real look at NYC and I thought the city looked pretty cool. It also introduced a little ditty of a song named Into The Groove. Yeah, I wanted to go to Danceteria.

So fast forward 23 years and am having this conversation with co-star Aidan Quinn (who suffers fools very politely).

I have to ask about the first film I saw him in, and his funniest line was "I barely remember making it." I had the movie poster on my bedroom wall above my bed. I left that part out.

Afternoon Delight: Aidan Quinn

I fell madly in love with Aidan Quinn the first time I laid eyes on him in "Reckless." (Remember the pool scene?) "Desperately Seeking Susan" sealed the deal -- and now I find a picture from a 2005 TV film ("Empire Falls") where he looks even hotter than before (how'd I miss that one?).

Today, I came across this current photo of the about-to-turn-50-year-old actor at the Irish Film and Television awards this weekend in Dublin. What do you think? I'd still go for a ride on his chopper, any time. Lucky for me, Michael has Aidan's piercing blue eyes ...