A Vintage Vantage: Dennis Cole

'I'm a guy from Detroit who never dreamed that my life would be filled with such incredible excitement, adventure and good fortune. I'm truly thankful to God and the many angels in my life.'

Dennis Cole

When I first began FH, I really did't know who actor Dennis Cole was. Although I think I saw his picture in some old movie magazines when I was a kid, usually with ex-wife Jacyln Smith, I wasn't familiar with any of his work. I did think he was incredibly good looking, he was sometimes dubbed, the TV version of Robert Redford. Although I didn't know his work, I did like his look and posted some early physique modeling shots, and images form his 1977 issue of Ultra Magazine, in the first few years of the site.

A few weeks ago, as usual, looking for something on TV to put me to sleep, I came upon Dennis' smiling face on an old episode of Fantasy Island. A quick IMDB search the next morning led me to find it was from a 1979 episode entitled The Chain Gang/The Boss. The search also let me know the episode was one of nine appearances Dennis made on the ABC show. Although today, I guess the equivalent would be appearing on a reality show, in the 70's and 80's, appearances on shows like Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, often meant your career was heading toward's it's end.

Although I didn't watch more than five minutes of the episode, and forgot to DVR it, it have me wanting to find out more about the beautiful blonde God who appeared on the screen. I knew the actor had died a few years ago, (in 2009) but except for his marriage to Jacyln Smith, really knew little about his, his life and the circumstance surrounding his death at just 69.

Boys In The Band

'A virile, beefcake blond of the late 1960s and 1970s small screen, Dennis Cole certainly had it all going for him, but tragic circumstances prevented an all-out successful career. A rugged TV version of Robert Redford, his tan, chiseled, surfer-fit looks were ideally suited for crime action and adventure stories and he gained ground by appearing everywhere -- daytime soaps, prime-time series, mini-movies -- you name it.'

IMDB

Most of what I learned was not surprising, Cole began his career a musician in Detroit in the 1940's and his great looks, even at an early age led to some modeling gigs, including wearing a g-string and pouch for some nude physique modeling shots. It was through his modeling, and appearing in magazines for the Athletic Models Guild that Dennis was first noticed. TV guest roles and bit parts in movies followed before landing the lead in the short lived daytime soap Paradise Bay in 1965.

What most surprised me about Dennis was what appeared to be an early embrace of his gay following. Although I found nothing specific, thanks to some info on the wonderful (and sadly not updated) Hilly Blue site, I not only found more 'beefcake' photos and more of his later nude shots for Ultra Magazine, but also his cover of After Dark and some shots of stage work, including appearing on stage with Roger Herren in production of The Boys in the Band.

Cole's acting career however, never really took off. Many TV pilots, short lived westerns, and a short stint on The Young And The Restless never led stardom or longevity for Cole. By the late 70's it was most guest shots on episode television on shows like Fantasy Island, and Charlie's Angels, where he met Smith.

In between, Cole did appear on the stage, including returning to his musical roots with his own musical review in LA and Las Vegas. By the late 80's, Cole's TV appearance were dwindling, and although he did appear on Baywatch Nights and Murder She Wrote in the 90's, except for a few short films, his last appearance on TV was in an 1998 episode of Pacific Blue.

Cole's parents were both alcoholics, and sadly, Dennis inherited their addiction. Although Dennis appears to have put up a good fight, after the death of his only child, son Joey, the fight became harder and Cole began down the road toward's a downward spiral.

Joey was murdered in a 1991 robbery attempt in California and although Cole went to perform on stage, including taking on the the lead role in a national tour of Victor/Victoria, injuries he suffered while on stage led to surgeries, a move to Florida, and a change of career into real estate. Sadly, Cole died in November 2009 in Fort Lauderdale of liver failure.

Despite the tragic ending, I'm glad I flicked briefly over to Cole's Fantasy Island episode, and glad it inspired me to learn more about the man behind the beautiful face.  Cole really had it all looks and talent wise, but like many, had personal struggles which made it a struggle to pull it all together into success and happiness.  On the surface, just by looking at his early images, you'd think this guy had it all, but images as I've learned, are just the beginning of the story.

Ultra Magazine (1977)