Craig Dudley, Stage Actor Who Appeared in Gay Cult Classic 'Sticks & Stones,' Dies at 78

Craig Dudley, an accomplished stage actor noted for having appeared in the gay cult classic film "Sticks and Stones," died August 1 after a battle with cancer.

Dudley's passing at 78 was announced on his Facebook page, where he had frequently posted stories from his career, including being mentored by Richard Burton's father and working with luminaries like Maggie Smith and close friends Derek Jacobi and Tennessee Williams.

Born January 22, 1945, in NYC, Dudley was a popular physique model in his twenties, enough of an "It" boy to win Mr. Fire Island two years in a row, to star in the Blue Angel's risqué revue Zou, and to be photographed by the likes of Roy Blakey and George Hester, appearing in the magazines After Dark, Mandate, and QQ.

In 1969, at the time of the Stonewall Riots, he participated in the filming of "Sticks and Stones," an offbeat comedy by Stan Lopresto that followed warring gay couple Peter (Dudley) and Buddy (J. Will Deane) as they prep for a Fire Island party. Billed as an X-rated skin flick, the film is actually a largely improvised document of gay life at a time when gay rights were in their infancy.

Dudley spent most of his career in live theater, performing in the U.S. and Canada, including at the Stratford Festival, at the Kennedy Center, at NYC's Signature, as part of the New York Fringe Fest, and at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre.

Affiliated with The Ensemble Theatre Company of New York (TETCNY) as artistic director, Dudley enjoyed some of the best reviews of his career with its 2015 production of John Gay's "Diversions & Delights" playing Oscar Wilde.

An avid fan of Hollywood musicals and horror films, as well as an expert on his idol Laurence Olivier, Dudley also produced the documentary "Derek Jacobi: The Man with the Rainbow-Colored Mind."

A memorial for Dudley is planned for a later date.