Educational Media Reviews Online

It documents the life and work of Alan B. Stone, Canadian male physique photographer, who dedicated his career to photographing athletic male bodies during the 50s and 60s. Stone set himself up as a commercial photographer and was hired to take photos of knots for a Boy Scout manual. Later on, the same organization asked him to take some photos of males exercising. He went to gyms to take photos and got in touch with Billy Hill, a former Mr. Canada who had a gym in Montreal. When Hill wanted some photos of himself to sell to body-building competitions, he asked Stone to do it. Stone's eyes opened up to the lucrative business of physique photography. In the late 50s, he began publishing his photos in several magazines. As his work became famous, many models asked him to photograph them, which he did in natural settings.

Even though Stone did not get paid for the shots, he asked the magazines for their mailing lists and that is how he started his business. Under the umbrella of physique photography, Stone built an international underground catalog business of erotic male photos. Using enticing ads such as “you like what you see, you want more, send $5 in an envelope,” he managed to acquire an extensive clientele. His clients were mostly gay men. Some of the models knew that pictures were sold to gay men while others ignored it.

The business became more dangerous after another Montreal studio was searched for obscene photos. Stone’s negatives were taken by the police but all were returned, as he never took pornographic photographs. After this disposition in the city, Stone decided to travel around Canada and the United States taking nature photos and selling them, and his articles, to camping and travel magazines.

The film shows photos and videorecordings of the models all shot by Stone. It also uses original voice recordings of him explaining his work. Some of his former models are interviewed and photographed again as they tell their professional experiences with Stone.

Eye on the Guy is an interesting documentary that shows an introduction to the physique magazine development, the hidden gay expression of sexuality during that time, and the art in Stone’s photography. Unless you have a very strong or extensive Gay and Lesbian Studies department, it is recommended to preview it before purchase. The picture and sound quality are good. It is in English and French with English subtitles. It would be most suitable for academic departments of Gay and Lesbian Studies. There are only a few videos available on this topic in general.