Billy Byars Jr.
Billy Byars Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 14, 1936 Grayson County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 1997 (aged 60) Grayson County, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | The Genesis Children |
| Parent | Billy Byars Sr. (adoptive father) |
William Goebel Byars Jr. (August 14, 1936 – June 15, 1997)[1] was an American film producer, best known as the founder of Lyric International and the producer of The Genesis Children.
Outside of regular film production, Byars Jr. was a child pornographer, running the DOM-Lyric operation with gay civil rights activist Guy Strait in the early 1970s.
Early life
[edit]Byars was born in Texas in 1936. He would soon be adopted through the Edna Gladney Foundation by Billy Byars Sr., who was a wealthy oilman.[2] Byars described his father as a "Tyler, Texas, wildcatter". It was also claimed that Byars Sr. had become a millionaire at 20 and broke at 21, before becoming a millionaire once again at 25.[2] Byars Sr. was friends with President Eisenhower and had on a prior occasion visited him at the White House. Byars Sr. had also sold cattle to the Gettysburg Farm.[3][4]
In 1957, Byars was the publicity chairman of the hot rod organization East Texas Timing Association in Tyler.[5]
Prior to getting into film production, Byars worked as a molecular biologist. When asked why he had changed fields, Byars claimed, "Research, as interesting as it was, was somehow restrictive. I had things to say, and I wanted to say them to people, so I got into an expressive field. Film production is an art, and I approach it as such."[6]
Lyric International
[edit]Byars' film company, Lyric International (a.k.a. Lyric Productions), was headquartered in the Samuel Goldwyn Lot.[6] Lyric International would be used for shooting and producing both films and child pornography.[7]
The Genesis Children
[edit]
The Genesis Children was an art film produced by Lyric International. The film was shot in Italy and was produced by Byars and directed by Anthony Aikman.[6][8][9] The film claimed to not be for the masses and was intended for those who "think, feel, and wonder", and that it was a "symphony for the eyes, ears, and soul".[10] Despite the lack of violence, sex, or bad language, the film was rated X due to it containing over 15 minutes of nudity out of the 85-minute runtime.[9] The film reportedly went through multiple revisions before its release.[8]
The film followed eight American boys attending an English language school in Italy who sign up for a play that is "to be performed before god" and start to question cultural mores.[9][11]
Critics found the film to be lacking in plot and to be excessive in nudity.[9]
Other films
[edit]In 1972, Byars started looking for film investors in Tyler for his film Heist.[6] Byars couldn't release many details of the film due to copyright matters but claimed that the film would "make Hitchcock dizzy".[6] The film was expected to start filming in 1973.[6]
In that same year, Byars also began filming for Soviet '73, a television documentary film. The film was claimed to be the first uncensored film in the Eastern Bloc and was expected for release in the winter of 1973.[6]
Formation of DOM-Lyric
[edit]In the early 1970s, Byars and gay rights pioneer and child pornographer Guy Strait teamed up and formed the company DOM-Lyric—a combination of Lyric International and DOM Studios, Strait's mail-order pornography business.[12]
One of the magazines published under DOM-Lyric described their business venture as the "art of male photography [reaching] a zenith under the aegis of these two artistic persons never equalled—before or since".[7] Reportedly, Byars and Strait had over 90 magazines on the market at $5 apiece.[12] The first printing of each magazine was ten thousand prints, followed by additional runs.[7]
In October 1973, Strait, Byars, a YMCA counselor, a schoolteacher, an assistant scoutmaster, the son of Loretta Young: Christopher Paul Lewis, and eight other men were charged with sex perversion and sodomy.[13][14] Byars was identified as the producer for Lyric International; additionally, Christopher Paul Lewis was identified as a film producer for Lyric International, and Bill Johnson of Houston was identified as its photographer.[13][14] At the time of their arrests, Byars was in Europe filming Soviet '73.[13]
Relationship to J. Edgar Hoover and John F. Kennedy
[edit]Due to Byars Sr.'s relationship to J. Edgar Hoover, Byars Jr. had been closely associated with Hoover since childhood.[15]
The Byars and Hoover had shared an adjacent bungalow at the Del Charro Hotel in La Jolla.[15] It was reported that Clyde Tolson and Hoover were guests at Byars' 25th birthday party that took place at the Del Charro Hotel in 1961.[16]
When Byars Jr. was asked about Hoover's feelings following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he recalled in 1988, "They would eat together, my father, Murchison, and Hoover, and the others. Hoover seemed to be in a very strange frame of mind. He was having a better relationship with Johnson, evidently, than he had with President Kennedy—by a long shot. His relationship with Bobby Kennedy had apparently almost driven him over the edge. He used to talk about that constantly, and once I had the chance to ask him directly about the assassination."[17]
Charles Krebs claims
[edit]Charles Krebs, a friend of Byars, claimed that Hoover had used his contacts with Byars to have teenage boys brought to his room at La Jolla. Krebs claimed that a fifteen-year-old youth at Byars' home at the summit of Laurel Canyon talked openly of having met Hoover at Del Charro.[15] Krebs would continue that he knew of three occasions where four boys were driven down to La Jolla at the request of Hoover and that the arrangements were made by a friend of Byars.[18]
Filmography
[edit]- 1972 or earlier – unnamed documentary in Denmark on the International Boys Camp[6]
- 1972 or earlier – unnamed documentary in France on the topic of sculpture[6]
- 1972 – The Genesis Children (co-writer)
- c. 1972–73 – Heist (unreleased/unfinished)[6]
- c. 1972–73 – The Russian Adventure (unreleased/unfinished)[2]
- c. 1972–73 – Soviet '73 (unreleased/unfinished)[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "William Goebel Byars Jr (1936–1997)". FamilySearch. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c Swisher, Viola (September 1972). "Generating the Genesis Children". After Dark. p. 18.
- ^ "East Texas Oilman Dies at Age 64". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. October 7, 1965. p. 13. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT FOR EISENHOWER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, VOLUME 1" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Hot-Rodders In Tyler Area Organize Club". Shreveport Journal. January 11, 1957. p. 8. Retrieved July 12, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Blair, Pat (December 24, 1972). "Film Industry Challenge Grows". The Tyler Courier-Times. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Lloyd 1976, p. 84.
- ^ a b Thomas, Kevin (August 5, 1972). "'The Genesis Children' a Gambol on the Beach". Los Angeles Times. p. 29. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Genesis Children" (PDF). Greek Love. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "The Genesis Children". Los Angeles Times. August 11, 1972. p. 82. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Genesis Children' to Premier Friday". Los Angeles Times. August 2, 1972. p. 65. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Linedecker 1981, p. 238.
- ^ a b c Dore, Richard (October 26, 1973). "14 indicted in male-youth sex ring". Daily Breeze. p. 3. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Linedecker 1981, p. 239.
- ^ a b c Summers 1993, p. 377.
- ^ "Birthday Dinner". San Diego Union. August 16, 1961.
- ^ Summers 1993, p. 330.
- ^ Summers 1993, p. 378.
Sources
[edit]- Linedecker, Clifford (1981). Children in Chains. New York City, New York: Everest House. ISBN 0896960889.
- Summers, Anthony (1993). Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover. New York City, New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399138005.
- Lloyd, Robin (1976). For Money or Love: Boy Prostitution in America. New York City, New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-8149-0773-3.