Several years ago, when assisting with the re-release of Radley Metzger‘s Naked Came The Stranger (1975), we set out to identify all of the locations where filming took place.
We were fascinated with one location in particular – an impressive waterfront mansion with an exceptional view of the Manhattan skyline. It featured prominently as home to the lead characters, Gilly (played by Darby Lloyd Rains) and Billy (played by Levi Richards).
The property is located in Kings Point, an area just 25 miles from New York City thought to be the basis of the town of West Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. It is a stunning home, full of original detail, situated on several acres of woodland, with a large swimming pool and a guest house bigger than most people’s main home.
The only problem was that when we found it in 2010, it hadn’t been occupied in a number of years and had started to fall into a state of disrepair. When we inquired about it, we found that the property was on the market for $20,000,000 but there had been no viewers for years – perhaps deterred by the rumored $20,000 per month property taxes.
This summer we re-visited the property – and the other locations in the film – to see what state they are in today.
What we found was sadder than we expected.
(Please use the interactive slider below to see the locations in 1975 and in 2016).
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Naked Came The Stranger filming locations:
King’s Point – Exterior of house
The house hasn’t been occupied in the intervening years – and shows considerable deterioration. Windows are broken, trees have fallen onto the structure, and birds are nesting in the rooms.
Many parts of the building aren’t viewable today due to overgrown trees and bushes.
This is the swimming pool just a few years ago in 2010…
…which is inaccessible in 2016 due to dense undergrowth.
The road to the house is now a dirt track with prominent signs warning that entry is strictly forbidden and that trespassers will be prosecuted.
King’s Point – Interior of house
Many of the original features from the film remain, such as the fireplaces.
The elaborate wallpaper visible in the film…
…is still evident throughout the house.
Manhattan apartment
The game of hopscotch takes place outside an apartment on East 74th Street which was the home of Ava Leighton, Radley Metzger’s business partner.
The garage visible in the bottom of the apartment featured in another Radley Metzger film; it had been the location for the notorious (and frequently censored) rape scene featuring Jamie Gillis in The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann (1974).
Gilly spies on her husband
Gilly meets up with Marvin Goodman
Gilly meets Taylor in the park
Gilly meets up with Marvin at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.
Gilly and Taylor at the ballroom
Sadly the ballroom in Brooklyn Heights is long gone, now replaced by an Eastern Athletic Club.
New York street scene
The renowned Don Q Pharmacy at the corner of 2nd Avenue and 71st Street is long gone.
One of my favorite features on this site are these then and now location pics! Love it!
What a tragedy to see such a beautiful home – any beautiful home – end up like this.
Wonderful feature though. Keep keeping it real. This is the ONLY site worth reading about adult film history.
Other Amazing Rialto Report !
Who knew that was Ava Leighton’s Apartment .
The ‘location’ features are amazing and should end up in a coffee table style book.
But what is the address of the King’s Point house? It should have a blue plaque!
Another fine post about filming locations. It’s a real shame about the King’s Point mansion. It was a beautiful home and the view of the city was fantastic. Naked Came the Stranger was always a favorite of mine and I think the locations used in the movie had a lot to do with that.
Another location that caught my eye recently is the building used in the final scene in the Erotic Adventures of Candy. I think this is the same building used in a film or two by Tobalina and it appears to be the outdoor location used for Lesllie Bovee’s scene in the movie Sensual Encounters of Every Kind. If you’re ever in California….
What 40 years hath wrought. So sad. Reminds me a little of “Grey Gardens” minus the Beales. Just outright neglect.
That said, “Naked Came The Stranger” is my favorite Metzger film. “Misty Beethoven” may be better overall, but this is the most enjoyable and funniest. Darby Lloyd Rains is absolute joy. And I was just bratty enough when the Distribpix DVD came out to email Steven Morowitz to correct one of the captioned film facts–the face on Gilly’s clock is not Fay Wray, but Carole Lombard. I met Steven at the 2014 screening of “Roommates” and had a great chat about that, among other things. A very cool guy.
Darby Lloyd Rains was the winner of the Tonguey Award, voted in by the fans as the Most Erotic Female Adult Performer was handed to Darby, in my ‘Eros ’75, The First American Sex Festival’ held at the Diplomat Hotel in he center of Times Square in front of 4000+ fans during this live ten hour event, by Ms. Fanne Foxx, the Argentine Bombshell. The Tonguey, sculpted especially for this one time only happening by erotic sculptor Doug Johns.
Mr. Karch- It sounds like the Tonguey awards would have been quite an event in the X or any business! I’m curious, the guys in KISS played a number of shows at the Diplomat circa 73 and describe it as a dump that had seen better days, but full of NYC seedy charm. Do you recall it as such and was it difficult to find a venue for the Tonguey’s? Thank you!
There are some interesting stories about Darby Lloyd Rains and Joe Negroni in JoAnne Blackwelder’s book “Husband: My 40-Year Marriage to a Gay Man”, parts of which are readable via Google. It tells how Joe Negroni had her (JoAnne’s) husband Steve write a screenplay for an adult film titled “Desdemona, Chinzano And Raw”. It was never made.
Interestingly tho’, if you Google that title – “Desdemona, Chinzano And Raw” – it brings up the Facebook page of musician Julio Virella who writes in one posting:
“Back in 1972, 73 I had Prog band called Intensity. We were aproached by a film producer to write some music for his movie, which was a adult movie, you know what I mean by that!. We said no, but then decided to write the music. At that time we were breaking up the band, but decided to bring 2 friends to keep it together. The music was written by Julio Virella, Robert Martinez, Rae Serrano. and the new added members Charlie De Jesus and Joe Acaba who wrote the lyrics. The original recording was lost long ago. A few years ago I sat down and recorded an Instrumental version of one song “Desdemona, Chinzano And Raw”. Sammy Peralta is playing sax. ”
Okay, this has nothing to do with “Naked Came The Stranger”, but thought some Darby fans might like to know.
Thanks!
We’ve been friends with Darby for years and she has told us much about ‘Desdemona, Chinzano And Raw’ which Darby and Joe hoped would be a breakout movie. According to Darby, they worked on it for a couple of years but failed to find sufficient funding – and then Joe died.
Magnificent post. And magnificent film. (And magnificent Rialto!)
Why does everything look so much better in Kodachrome?
Wow! What a house! I have to say that it still looks beautiful despite all the deterioration. It looks like it hasn’t been occupied in well over a decade(probably decadeS). I mean, just look at the paint peeling off the doors, ceilings and walls. I would have loved to join you guys in exploring the house.