Blind Item #13 - The Dancing Boy - There Is A Picture
From a long ago friend of The Dancing Boy who got in touch with him after reading the blind.
I can confirm that I know the identity of the "dancing boy." He was a longtime childhood friend of mine, and I was the only one let in to visit him in the hospital back then. The studio people didn't really trust the parents, only his sister. She was one of those very Christian girls, selling no-sex-before-marriage in mega churches and on talk shows even before it was a thing. In fact, I think she pretty much helped to make it a thing. It was all bs of course, but he was afraid of her, and she kept him in line, which was what the producer and everyone wanted. You should've seen the letter she wrote him when he came out to her a couple years later. And because you know the world always seems to work in horrible and ironic ways, she went on to become known for her progressive activism. She founded a certain cause oriented mostly documentary film festival in the early 2000s annually visited by celebrities who want to up their profile on this issue (not LGBT or feminist, but people associated with it would be shocked by her past).
It's funny too because he actually went to high school with one of the _____________ (acting family siblings), and was thinking of confiding in the brother about some of his experiences in the business. At that time, the show was still on, and few people outside of it knew of his new interest in religion. So, my friend was pretty shocked when talking to him at a school party, and he started going off about Satan and being born again, and everything. It was like his sister all over again.
So, anyhow, I got in to see him in the hospital by pretending to be his sister. I was even able to smuggle in a point and shoot and take a picture so it wouldn't be forgotten. He looked so sad, bound to the bed, and groggy from whatever it was they were making him take. I'm actually a retired career Marine and I've seen some disturbing things, but this memory really left a mark on me. I've been keeping the negatives in a family safe deposit box since then, but a print of the picture is going to be made public in a documentary that I guess is going to be made alongside the movie. It's not all top secret or anything. I asked him.
PS Apparently there's a longstanding rumor that the studio has security camera footage of him running off the set in an on or off site vault. My friend believes one or more of them kept it for sick reasons.
I can confirm that I know the identity of the "dancing boy." He was a longtime childhood friend of mine, and I was the only one let in to visit him in the hospital back then. The studio people didn't really trust the parents, only his sister. She was one of those very Christian girls, selling no-sex-before-marriage in mega churches and on talk shows even before it was a thing. In fact, I think she pretty much helped to make it a thing. It was all bs of course, but he was afraid of her, and she kept him in line, which was what the producer and everyone wanted. You should've seen the letter she wrote him when he came out to her a couple years later. And because you know the world always seems to work in horrible and ironic ways, she went on to become known for her progressive activism. She founded a certain cause oriented mostly documentary film festival in the early 2000s annually visited by celebrities who want to up their profile on this issue (not LGBT or feminist, but people associated with it would be shocked by her past).
It's funny too because he actually went to high school with one of the _____________ (acting family siblings), and was thinking of confiding in the brother about some of his experiences in the business. At that time, the show was still on, and few people outside of it knew of his new interest in religion. So, my friend was pretty shocked when talking to him at a school party, and he started going off about Satan and being born again, and everything. It was like his sister all over again.
So, anyhow, I got in to see him in the hospital by pretending to be his sister. I was even able to smuggle in a point and shoot and take a picture so it wouldn't be forgotten. He looked so sad, bound to the bed, and groggy from whatever it was they were making him take. I'm actually a retired career Marine and I've seen some disturbing things, but this memory really left a mark on me. I've been keeping the negatives in a family safe deposit box since then, but a print of the picture is going to be made public in a documentary that I guess is going to be made alongside the movie. It's not all top secret or anything. I asked him.
PS Apparently there's a longstanding rumor that the studio has security camera footage of him running off the set in an on or off site vault. My friend believes one or more of them kept it for sick reasons.
258 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 258 of 258@Beyond EMF
It's harder to find since the festival was created within an existing org. This was from her linked in. I think she fits.
"Founder and Director
Wild & Scenic Film Festival
2000 – 2010 (10 years)
As the RiverPeople Director at SYRCL (2000-2010), I co-created and directed the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City (2003 - 2010). It is one of the largest environmental film festivals in the country."
@Sher I agree that W&SFF seems like a good contender, but I can't find any founders other than Roger Hicks for the original SYRCL.
SYRCL, the organization that holds the festival, started in 1983. The 2018 festival is listed as "the sixteenth annual", so it started in 2003.
@beyond Look at the W&S festival's jury descriptions from 2015. She is there, described as the co-founder.
Of course that's why I think it's ridiculous that people call others liars who come forward after years of silence. I'm not saying every crazy story we read is true but most people have experienced something whether it's on the more minor end like harassment or groping or very awful extreme like rape or molestation we've all been through that and have a story to tell. Some of us have all of those to tell. It's a fucked up world we live in with a lot of abusers.
Hmmm I am stumped going to throw out guess for sister and say Melissa Gilbert since she in the news for politics and she came from religious background. Her brother Jonathan quit acting but he is not blonde. I really cannot get a clue on this one.
Is the Franklin cover up involved in this perhaps?
The W&S festival's founder lived in Newbury Park at one point with her family, which doesn't look far from the Chatsworth school (but I don't know So. Cal.). She also has a younger brother born in 1973, who now lives in San Fran. Can't find any link to a purity campaign in the 80's-90's though.
Now I am near certain the man I found is "dancing boy". He went to Viewpoint HS which only lists Tiffany Trump as a noted alumni.
However, I searched to see if Candace Cameron ever went there and just didnt graduate...and BINGO!
From her book:
"But even though my time at Viewpoint School was challenging, it gave me one thing that tutoring on the set of Full House couldn't have given me: Dilini." (talking about a friend of hers).
Acting siblings: Camerons
Older sister who started film fest: Kathy Dotson (nee Hempel)
Dancing Boy: Kenneth Hempel
From this, perhaps a superior sleuth here can find the movie or past local press.
Kenneth Hempel:
Looks like Ricky when he was a kid?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1973669526231075&set=picfp.100007641398978.1807224499542246&type=3&theater
The photo this guy (Kenneth "Kenny" Hempel) has on his Facebook profile is when he was:
---Eight years old
He looks exactly like Ricky Schroder at that age.
https://www.facebook.com/kennethehempel?lst=1780822016%3A100007641398978%3A1517687771
Perhaps @SHER is on to something?
Since I was vague yesterday about the parents, here is info from the obit for the father King Hempel:
"In his early career, he was an ordained Unitarian minister and later a United Church of Christ (Congregational) minister, serving churches in Dexter, Maine; Stamford, Connecticut; and Providence, Rhode Island
In 1970, King joined CBS in New York City, where he started the first corporate wide training programs. In that era, CBS had 33,000 employees working in various companies including Steinway Pianos and the New York Yankees."
And the mother Linda Hempel:
"King was transferred to California and for the most part my three kids grew up in 1000 Oaks. By the late 80's, I became totally engrossed in the budding environmental movement. I worked with the United Nations, the movie and television industries, corporations, non-profits, and many others developing programs, products, events and more to teach the public how to protect and restore the environment."
The 3rd sibling is an older girl from a previous marriage. The dad died in a car accident. There are also 4 additional half siblings from Kinds previous marriage that I assume stayed in NY with their mother.
Charity Winters’ Mom, Cynthia Culp Allen, wrote an article
For Focus on the Family called “Child Momestation: What to Look For
https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/child-molestation-what-to-look-for
and the one where he appears to be in hs!
@Sher
Unitarian ministers are not known for their strict religious stances, though. The Unitarians are the ones who accept atheists and all the different gender identities and sexualties starting way back, decades ago.
The Church of Christ is also pretty inclusive and big on feeding the homeless.
@Jean Grey
Barbara Ehrenreich is a famous writer and activist. What connections did you find?
I think the sister in the blind is wrong though.
Kathy Dotson, he one who started the film festival, is too young to have been doing purity stuff when this happened. She is only a year older.
The older half-sibling, Kelly Sue Johnston (whose father died when she was a toddler), must be the one who preached abstinence and wrote him a letter after he came out as gay. She graduated in 1985 and went to an evangelical college- Cal Lutheran from 85-89.
So, is DANCING BOY:
KENNETH "KENNY" HEMPEL?
If so, he looked just like Ricky Schroder.
https://www.facebook.com/kennethehempel/photos?lst=1780822016%3A100007641398978%3A1517694999&source_ref=pb_friends_tl
I've been posting this link for 2 hours.
Can anyone confirm if this is this Dancing Boy?
https://www.facebook.com/kennethehempel/photos?lst=1780822016%3A100007641398978%3A1517694999&source_ref=pb_friends_tl
If we know that this Ken Hempel guy went to school with Candace Cameron for a bit...then yes, I believe we have our guy.
Please respect his privacy though.
I totally agree.
If he really is the dancing boy, then WE SHOULD RESPECT HIS PRIVACY.
More importantly, however... WHO WAS THE PEDO DIRECTOR?
Your vs You're - Odds are very very high it is him but I'm not sure anyone in here can confirm. Maybe ENTY will make a reveal soon.
We still need to find and link the details of the movie and the events that happened (probably 1987). Also, 'Kenny' is a fine first name but I'm thinking 'Hempel' would have been changed to a stage name. This may make a search more difficult.
And I dont think he actually appeared in those magazines. It just says that they called for interviews and photos, not that any were done- let alone published. They didn't put "unknown" photos in those.
Not THE DANCING BOY story, but one Kenneth is currently working on about anti-gay bullying and sexual harassment at Telestream.
"Bonfire of the Manities" by Kenneth Hempel
"The working title for the piece is "Down and Out in Video Valley: an Out Gay Man's Journey Through Poverty, Abuse, and Exploitation in an Industry Valued at Billions."
https://goldcountry.craigslist.org/vnn/d/nickelndimed-metoo-tech-bro/6468923295.html
Wow. Fantastic work guys. Candace Cameron talks about attending Viewpoint School for a few years in her book.
https://books.google.com/books?id=9U-5AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA54&lpg=PA54&dq=viewpoint+school+%22candace+cameron%22&source=bl&ots=HSC_8MQfr9&sig=j86N7USxP15IZ6gAh1VWOhpj6uw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgiqap6orZAhXk0FQKHdJQCYkQ6AEIRTAH#v=onepage&q=Viewpoint&f=false
She would have been a Freshman around 1989/1990. Kenny Hempel graduated from Viewpoint around 1991.
Kathy Dotson is his sister, a year older and the founder of the Wild & Scenic film festival, which started in 2000. Daryl Hannah and Patrick Stewart are among many celebrities who have attended this event.
I truly hope one day Mr. Hempel can come public with his story. But (as I am sure he is reading these comments), just want to say we fully support you Kenny!
I debated sharing his name- especially as a non-celebrity. However, he wanted the first blind published, then gave permission for added clues. And he knows about this latest one too.
These clues are direct to ENTY (unless ENTY used this guys identity to make up a story- and I hardly think that is plausible). So from my perspective, he wants people to know....just not officially or widely circulated until he is further in his project. And that I will respect.
@Sher, you have earned "superior sleuth" status!
~~~~~~~
Dancing Boy, THANK YOU for being willing to share details from your journey with CDAN.
Total respect for your valiant determination to tell your story. Wishing you the best in "your finest gifts to bring, rum pum pum pum."
We believe in you!!
I think you might be right... I finally tracked him down and everything really fits! I’m going to keep digging.
It just now hit me, the girl he encountered in the hospital:
Amanda Petersen. "Cindy" in "Can't Buy Me Love".
Born in 1971, Petersen suffered a violent rape at the hands of someone she trusted when she was just 15.
Her acting up, a cry for help, could have landed her in lock up either in 1986 or 1987.
That poor kid. RIP.
@Sher I fully believe you cracked the case, and you deserve a medal for all the hard work! @Beyond EMF I'm hardly an expert in the matter, but I do think the link that you provided with Ken Hempel soliciting information about Telestream bullying/harassment shows several consistencies with the writing style of the Dancing Boy:
-- a lot of parenthetical clarifications
-- lowercase usage of lgbt as opposed to capitalization of the term
-- a certain formal turn of phrase that may strike the casual reader as odd or gilded("fetched my mother""bolted for the door" in comparison with "peddled the virtues of humility" "loathe to believe")
And, of course, my favorite line: " Maybe you've only heard things - not even first-hand - and that's okay too; important stories often begin with little more than gossip, rumors, and open secrets." Sounds exactly like the viewpoint of someone who would share his story here, no?
Noted on one of his photos: "From 'the Gay Liberation Book,' Ramparts Press, 1972. Bought it for an essay about strange and sinister goings-on at Atascadero State Hospital."
~~~~~~
"The October 9, 1970, issue of Medical World News contained an article, “Scaring the Devil Out,” which revealed the use of a drug called succinylcholine at the Atascadero hospital for the criminally insane, and at the Vacaville Medical Facility. Succinylcholine (and a later drug, prolixin) were administered in a dosage “sufficient to induce general paralysis and respiratory arrest lasting up to two minutes. In a state of complete terror, the inmates would be lectured to by doctors, who told them they had to change their unacceptable behavior." ~ Jon Rappaport
Aversion therapy at Atascadero State Hospital
http://www.freedommag.org/english/vol29i4/page12b.htm
~~~~~~
Interesting research topic. Atascadero is in San Luis Obispo. He may have been subjected to similar treatments at the facility he was brought to.
@ Sher Amazing job!!!!
@pilot I did mention I hit a dead end because of how I had begun to research. There is no connection. But I am happy to see Sher nailed this one!!! ☺
@sdaly you are a rock star. How did you find Charity Winters? It's gotta be her!
@Snappy Dragon,
I saw that picture and the date isn't clear. But Drew Barrymore was in a psych ward from 1988/1989. So it's not her. This would be 1986ish.
@Sher
Just now seeing your updates. Well done.
We've cracked it. Haven't read yet. Just came back to comment and saw there were new comments.
To all: Unitarians are very progressive, and accepting of all sexual/ gender identities. I don't know how true this was in the 80s though. Also, sis could've been an anomaly. Maybe she rebelled against her liberal parents. It happens. Could also be why the filmmakers didn't trust the parents.
So, we need the director but also the agent who was in on it. Who are the known pedo agents of the time? Marty Weiss, we know, but who else?
@Natasha
Omg Amanda Peterson! No wonder why Enty posted a blind about her not too long ago. It all comes back around.
As far as the magazines.
If the industry is as disgusting as it appears, pictures are likely taken for the personal use of the adults in involved. Wouldn't be surprised if there were more grown up versions of the pics that did get published. (Partial nudity, etc)
Also, I was an avid reader back in the day, and all kinds of no-names had photo spreads. Kids who were strictly commercials or TV guest spots. Sometimes even siblings of famous people got writeups. (I seem to remember Alyssa Milano having a non famous brother getting in the magazines despite having very limited credits. But his name was Corey, so that helped.
Also, as suggested by another commenter, he could have had a stage name, which is why we can't find credits online.
This is just a guess!:
One director I found who fits the blind - and has many accusations over the last 20 years- is Gary Goddard, bestie of Singer.
He finished directing his first movie "Masters of the Universe" at the end of 1986 (it was released in Aug 1987). After that? No more movies are listed.
He switched to directing films used in theme park experiences and also had one big budget (100m) "Broadway 4d" in 2012 that was filmed but stalled financially just before 2014 allegations against him were public. Given that he collaborated with Singer on that, the project is probably dead forever.
He has had accusations resulting in litigation as far back as the 90's and several new ones recently, including Anthony Edwards of ER. The boys all seem to have been 12-16 years old.
Accusing him would not be surprising news in light of all the others who have already done that, but the actions of a studio to cover it up in such a heinous way would be.
Didn’t it also say he looked just like Ricky Schroeder?
FYI I'm really resenting you enty! Reveal this so I can get sleep again!!
@Sher Gary Goddard would make sense to fit this. drummer boy blind said it was a new type of movie for a up and coming genre. Theme Park movies is definitely a big thing now, with all the parks using them for rides and theater sensory experiences. It would also be an easier movie to scrap if the main character doesn't proceed, without as much to-do as a mainstream film, and the public would never know about it.
@sher
So who's the brother? I was trying to pin down her relations from Facebook and couldn't find a younger brother listed. I see a brother who seems happily married with kids, but not our "dancing boy."
I thought Jake Lloyd until I did some digging. The only way he fits is if the Dancing Boy blinds are full of red herrings.
As for the abstinence only girl all I can think of are Brooke Shields and Lisa Kudrow.
Like everyone else I'm gonna wait for the reveal. I have a feeling the answers should be obvious.
@Countervail the brother is Kenny Hempel, he is a gay man living in Nevada City and looked just like Schroeder when he was a kid. I don't want to post the FB link again, but you can easily find him.
@T.W. - for the last time...stop naming big names who have no connection to this blind. The only people you have heard of that are related to this blind are the acting siblings the Camerons. The "dancing boy" is someone who doesn't even have an imdb page. The abstinence girl turned film festival director also is NOT someone who is a celebrity. You can scroll up through the comments, Sher has done a fantastic job cracking this one.
Well, there is a copy of the 1988 Chatsworth yearbook for sale on eBay and the listing includes Kurt Cameron's photo.
Chuck E. Cheese was also HUGE in the 80s.
very interesting topic
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I am just trying to figure out the timing. Based on the earlier dancing boy post, he was mistaken (a year before he was 7) for Ricky Shroeder on an airplane because the Champ had come out. The Champ came out in 1979 so that puts him at 7 in 1980. 6 years later he is cast in the role. I looked for movies with 13 year olds that came out in 1987 (assuming it was recast with a kid with a similar age) and came up with Empire of the Sun- directed by Steven Speilberg and staring a 13 year old Christian Bale. But if Christian Bale was the second choice, I don't know who the original role went to. Or if I am off a year or so.
Everything seems to fit, well done Sher! I don't understand one aspect of this story though. How the studio can basically be in charge of who visits the poor actor in the hospital!? Would not his parents object to being on the outside looking in? If it were me, I would hire a lawyer and go to the media if I was barred from seeing my son in there.
@Sher, yes I too thought maybe the movie in question was finished after all 'Masters of the Universe'? If so, that part of the original story is mistaken.
@Sher et al You may be interested to read K.H.'s latest FB post. Hard to explain lol, but it makes interesting reading!
Justine Bateman came out as born again in 1995
The only problem with Charity Allen, is that she would only have been 11 years old when this happened to Dancing Boy.That does not fit with the description of the sister in the blind.
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