Movies

Veteran Joan Collins & Newcomer Jon-Erik Hexum Make ‘Male Mannequin’

May 8, 2026

Jon-Erik Hexum, blue metal in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin, co-starred Joan Collins.

Making
of a Male Mannequin was a 1983 ABC TV film, with Joan Collins
using excessive at 50 from her new Dynasty
stardom, as an ambitious mannequin company proprietor.
Jon-Erik Hexum co-stars a rustic boy turned NYC tremendous mannequin, and he bought so much
of buzz from this, at simply 25. The TV film made the Nielson
high ten ratings the week it aired and is still basic
’80s ABC/Aaron Spelling television eye
sweet.

A slick made for TV cleaning soap
opera which borrows a bit—ludicrously—from 1970’s Midnight Cowboy. Hexum as Tyler Burnett struts across the streets
of NYC in cowboy gear, counting on an older lady, changing into disillusioned by
unsavory characters he encounters, aside from one down and out new pal. And
that is the place the similarities finish with that gritty basic and this shiny camp
basic.

Cowboy Tyler Burnett on the imply streets of NYC, in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

Joan Collins’ Kay Dillon likes what she sees in Jon-Erik Hexum’s Tyler Burnett,
in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

Joan Collins’ Kay
Dillon takes an opportunity on Hexum’s hunky hick, and places him up with fading homosexual supermodel
Chuck Lanyard. Performed by Jeff Conaway with excessive awfulness, his Chuck’s
cynical sarcasm is a ritzy Ratso Rizzo to Tyler’s rube cowboy mannequin. Sadly, Conaway
himself went down the medicine and alcohol freeway, dying at simply 60. Jeff was a
boyish and lanky star on Taxi and in Grease, however solid as a supermodel? With a
beard that makes him appear like Chuck Norris, Jr.? And BTW, has there ever
been a male supermodel named Chuck?!

Fading homosexual supermodel Chuck Lanyard, performed by… Jeff Conaway?
Right here, recovering from eye surgical procedure, in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

ABC and Aaron
Spelling’s favourite perennial male starlet Ted McGinley performs the present mannequin
taste of the month, Gary Angelo. Ted, with frosted blonde hair and tan, appears to be like and
acts like a catty Ken doll. In actual fact, a lot of the fashions surrounding Hexum’s
Tyler look extra like cleaning soap stars!

’80s ABC male starlet Ted McGinley as a bland however catty mannequin du jour
in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

The story of Making of a Male Mannequin is as outdated because the
Hollywood Hills, however with a male twist. As an alternative of the gals from Ziegfeld Lady or The Better of Every little thing or Valley
of the Dolls, it is The Boys of the Large Apple hovering and struggling right here. I
guess that makes Joan Collins the dragon girl, a a lot much less tough Joan Crawford
or Susan Hayward, doling out the robust classes. And in a twist, an affair with
Kay means extra to Tyler than to her. Tyler responds to Kay’s noncommittal
nature by happening the identical path as chaotic Chuck. In an about face scene
worthy of any latter day Joan Crawford bitch-fest, Collins’ Kay tearfully tells
her secretary within the finale that she let Tyler go for his personal good. Positive, Joan!

Joan Collins signifies deep feelings when the profession lady tells her secretary she let besotted hunk go for HIS sake! Making of a Male Mannequin.

Earlier than Tyler goes completely
all in for booze and dope, he says goodbye to the yellow brick street of male
modeling. He buys a carriage horse and rides down the streets of NYC like a rhinestone
cowboy—all the best way again to Nevada?

At this level, Joan
Collins was an outdated hand at making shiny trash watchable. Right here, early in her
reincarnation as Alexis, Joan remains to be delicate in appears to be like and efficiency because the
career-minded Kay Dillon. Collins is way more humane and heat, as effectively. Nonetheless,
you will assume Kay’s loopy for not eager to decide to quarter of a century
youthful Tyler, who adores her.

Joan Collins stays in character as pushed profession lady Kay Dillon,
and nonetheless appears to be like beautiful, in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

Solely in a single scene does Joan Collins let Alexis in, inexplicably displaying up for her mannequin’s shoot, in girl exec drag! From 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

I used to be solely acquainted
with Jon-Erik Hexum as a good-looking younger actor who died younger. I beforehand have
by no means seen Hexum in something. That is as a result of he rapidly turned a star, and
who turned deceased much more rapidly, like James Dean, with simply 5 credit in
two years.

Jon-Erik Hexum wanting all rugged with child oil “sweat,”
in 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

Jon-Erik Hexum’s new mannequin after his makeover. 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

Jon- Erik Hexum was
in all probability the best male Hollywood magnificence since Man Madison. A real
knockout, he additionally had a powerful talking voice and real presence. For
a newbie, Hexum is pretty respectable in Making of a Male Mannequin. Since Hollywood was nonetheless coming off its period
of real looking movie main males, Erik in all probability would have dominated on
tv, like veteran Tom Selleck. Evaluate Hexum with co-star Ted
McGinley (one yr youthful) in any scene and the distinction in star high quality is
apparent.

Jon-Erik Hexum’s Tyler Burnett cleans up good, simply in time for Joan Collins’
boss to dump him over lunch! 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

Kevin McCarthy is in slimy
villain mode as a consumer who performs hardball. Acquainted faces have bits as trend
photographers, who all hate fashions: Michael Anderson, Arte Johnson, and Robert
Walker, Jr. Jeff Conway’s mannequin is homosexual and dealt with sympathetically, simply earlier than
the AIDS disaster. Nonetheless, his drunken monologues are essentially the most florid since Van Heflin’s
BFF to Robert Taylor’s Johnny Keen.

Rhinestone Cowboy meets Cougar Cleopatra! A typical synthetic Aaron
Spelling social gathering scene. No less than Sammy Jo does not flip as much as tear up the
dance ground! From 1983’s Making of a Male Mannequin.

A humorous second is when
Joan refers to Jon-Erik’s attract as {that a} cougar. Collins would turn out to be Exhibit
A in giving new which means to that phrase! Additionally a watch roll is a sometimes terrible
Aaron Spelling social gathering sequence, which bears no resemblance to 1 in the true
world. Jon-Erik is duded up as a Rhinestone Cowboy. And Joan Collins will get a
likelihood to play dress-up as Cleopatra as soon as once more—Collins tells anybody who will
hear that she virtually appeared because the Egyptian queen within the 1963 epic. Once more—positive, Joan!

Jon-Erik Hexum & Joan Collins make a sizzling Could-December couple in 1983’s
Making of a Male Mannequin.

Making of a Male Mannequin is actually Jon- Erik
Hexum’s present, with Joan Collins because the particular visitor star. However they’ve a pleasant
rapport and make a most tasty older lady/youthful man couple. Sadly, a yr later, Hexum can be lifeless a month before
turning 27, from an on-set taking pictures accident.
And as of this writing, Joan Collins will be 93 on
Could 23, 2026. Cheers to Ms. Collins, a true Hollywood survivor!