Legendary golden age of gay porngraphy film director William Higgins best known for his works, A Married Man (1974), Pacific Coast Highway (1981), and Pizza Boy: He Delivers (1985) died from a heart attack in Prague on his way to hospital on early Saturday morning, December 21st.

Higgins started his career as gay porn director and producer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when sellers of pornographic movies at that time, including Falcon refused to mail them to customers in many southeastern states for legal reasons.

In an interview Higgins said that he got into the porngraphy business because gay porn movies were “so bad” in the mid 70’s that he decided to begin making them himself.

In 1978, Higgins had his premises raided and was arrested. Although the charges were later dropped, Higgins decided to go on a “world tour” looking for a better legal environment for his films.

First he went to Australia, and then on to Thailand, and while he was happy with the product, but didn’t see any future opportunities there.

Ultimately, Higgins ended up in Amsterdam and also Prague where his European distributor was located.

Photographer and Back2Stonewall reader David Jarrett:

He (Higgins) lived in an apartment at 50 Zborovska, Prague 5. Higgins opened Drake’s Club Prague in 1993 at 50 Zborovska. Prior to that, Michael Genger opened up American Club (or America) in 1989, which he sold to Higgins in 1993. Higgins changed the name. Drake’s is also listed in a 1996 gay guide at 5 Petrinska (same building), Around 2013, Higgins sold Drakes to Travers Davies. Higgins had a porn shop business in Amsterdam in the 1980’s, before he moved to Prague.



Drake’s has a variety of activities, including male hustlers, food and drink, dark rooms, glory holes, porn video cabins, porn video rooms, and an extensive dungeon and labyrinth in the basement for S&M activities.



Higgins also had a porn studio in the same building.

Higgin’s first film, “A Married Man” starring Jack Wrangler, was produced in 1974. He had since produced over 140 internationally distributed titles. His films have won several Grabby Awards and he is in the GayVN Awards Hall of Fame. Higgins was also the founder of the film production company Catalina Video.

Rest In Peace William Higgin’s your movies as well as yourself will be remembered.

WATCH: Excerpts from A Married Man (1974) below – EXTREMELY NSWF – ADULTS ONLY.