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Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Closing with this 1975 photo of Ernie Langeberg by COLT.
Here's an oddball bit of info on Ernie Langenberg that doesn't get mentioned often:
In addition to his well-known appearance as a PLAYGIRL "Discovery" (as "Ernie Langenberg") and his Brentwood solo J/O loop (as "Eric")-- around the time of this COLT photoshoot, he was appearing on Broadway in a flop musical produced by Andy Warhol!
"Man on the Moon" was the misbegotten brainchild of John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas, who had been trying unsuccessfully for several years to get a film version of his moon landing-inspired concept "Space" off the ground. (Phillips claimed he had even approached George Lucas through his daughter Mackenzie, who was then working on "American Graffiti," but was rebuffed; he later even accused Lucas of stealing the idea for "Star Wars"!!)
Somehow or another, a retooled stage musical version came to Warhol's attention, and he went for it, even gracing the poster and program with a line drawing remiscent of his early work. Alas, the thing went through several weeks of previews before opening at The Little Theatre on W. 44th St.-- and then closing just a few days later after scathing reviews and negative audience response.
The play slipped into obscurity, but a CD of the music was released decades later, and articles about "Andy Warhol's unknown musical" have been posted to the internet recently, including production photos and the PLAYBILL; they're pretty easy to find with a Google search.
Ernie Langenberg was interestingly fifth-billed as "Eric Lang" and his "all-American astronaut" hero character was named "Ernie Hardy"-- a combination of his names used in his recent adult work that implied that they knew of his background. (Maybe Warhol thought he had a new Joe Dallesandro on his hands.)
Langenberg's PLAYBILL bio gives further details: "ERIC LANG (Ernie) was born in Demhelder, Holland. He came to the United States at the age of seven and grew up in Long Beach, California. He attended the University of California at Riverside, where he played basketball. He is 6'7" tall and is the brother of Swen Nater, the 7-foot star of the San Antonio Spurs. Mr. Lang began singing in church and has performed in local theater and clubs in California."
(If you Google Image search "Swen Nater," there are plenty of photos from his basketball career with a striking resemblance to Langenberg.)
Langenberg was connected to basketball in both his PLAYGIRL layout (most likely wearing his own jacket) and in the first part of his Brentwood loop. The styling of his hair and his overall appearance in the MOTM production photos indicates that the COLT shoot wasn't too far away from this short-lived production.
No idea what happened to Langenberg after all this, though. Was it just that one COLT shoot, or did he come back for a second one? I didn't see his COLT work until it was published years later in COLT MEN #17.
The best of them!
ReplyDeletePenile perfection, and a handsome man ta boot!
ReplyDeleteHere's an oddball bit of info on Ernie Langenberg that doesn't get mentioned often:
ReplyDeleteIn addition to his well-known appearance as a PLAYGIRL "Discovery" (as "Ernie Langenberg") and his Brentwood solo J/O loop (as "Eric")-- around the time of this COLT photoshoot, he was appearing on Broadway in a flop musical produced by Andy Warhol!
"Man on the Moon" was the misbegotten brainchild of John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas, who had been trying unsuccessfully for several years to get a film version of his moon landing-inspired concept "Space" off the ground. (Phillips claimed he had even approached George Lucas through his daughter Mackenzie, who was then working on "American Graffiti," but was rebuffed; he later even accused Lucas of stealing the idea for "Star Wars"!!)
Somehow or another, a retooled stage musical version came to Warhol's attention, and he went for it, even gracing the poster and program with a line drawing remiscent of his early work. Alas, the thing went through several weeks of previews before opening at The Little Theatre on W. 44th St.-- and then closing just a few days later after scathing reviews and negative audience response.
The play slipped into obscurity, but a CD of the music was released decades later, and articles about "Andy Warhol's unknown musical" have been posted to the internet recently, including production photos and the PLAYBILL; they're pretty easy to find with a Google search.
Ernie Langenberg was interestingly fifth-billed as "Eric Lang" and his "all-American astronaut" hero character was named "Ernie Hardy"-- a combination of his names used in his recent adult work that implied that they knew of his background. (Maybe Warhol thought he had a new Joe Dallesandro on his hands.)
Langenberg's PLAYBILL bio gives further details: "ERIC LANG (Ernie) was born in Demhelder, Holland. He came to the United States at the age of seven and grew up in Long Beach, California. He attended the University of California at Riverside, where he played basketball. He is 6'7" tall and is the brother of Swen Nater, the 7-foot star of the San Antonio Spurs. Mr. Lang began singing in church and has performed in local theater and clubs in California."
(If you Google Image search "Swen Nater," there are plenty of photos from his basketball career with a striking resemblance to Langenberg.)
Langenberg was connected to basketball in both his PLAYGIRL layout (most likely wearing his own jacket) and in the first part of his Brentwood loop. The styling of his hair and his overall appearance in the MOTM production photos indicates that the COLT shoot wasn't too far away from this short-lived production.
No idea what happened to Langenberg after all this, though. Was it just that one COLT shoot, or did he come back for a second one? I didn't see his COLT work until it was published years later in COLT MEN #17.
-- hsc