SCREENED OUT: Gay Images In Film (Turner Classic Movies Barf Alert)

TCM.com ^

[holidayidol]

Screened Out: Gay Images in Films - Mondays & Wednesdays in June

A 44-Movie Festival that examines gay sexuality in the cinema from the silent era up to the films that challenged Hollywood's rigid Code

At a time when the rights of gays and lesbians are being hotly debated, TCM offers a look at the treatment of homosexuals in American movies as inspired by the Richard Barrios book Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall. Our festival covers roughly the same territory as the book, with the range marked by two TCM premieres: the silent comedy Algie, the Miner (1912), starring Billy Quirk as a “pansy” who wants to become a cowboy; and The Boys in the Band (1970), released at the dawn of the Gay Liberation movement and showing new freedom in portraying homosexual characters, even as some of them descend into self-loathing stereotypes.

Our festival is divided by subheadings. Another significant film from The Early Years is Exit Smiling (1926), the first feature-film appearance of Franklin Pangborn, a leading player of covert gay roles in the 1930s and ‘40s. Gays Before the Code include Tyrell Davis’ mincing dance instructor in Our Betters (1933), described by Barrios as possibly “the most extreme portrayal of this sort” ever committed to film. Among those Behind Bars is Eleanor Parker in Caged (1950) as a naïve young inmate preyed upon by sadistic lesbo matron Hope Emerson. Film Noir and Crime is well represented by The Big Combo (TCM premiere, 1955), with Earl Holliman and Lee Van Cleef as henchmen sharing an apparent love affair that ends in tragedy.

Horror permeates The Haunting (1963), in which Claire Bloom falls in love with fellow psychic Julie Harris as they visit an eerie mansion. Comedy arises from a mistaken assumption in That Touch of Mink (1962) that Gig Young is having an affair with Cary Grant. Code-Busters include Advise and Consent (TCM premiere, 1962), in which director Otto Preminger pushes the censorship envelope with a gay subplot. Out and Open describes Beryl Reid’s character in The Killing of Sister George (TCM premiere, 1968) – a soap opera star fighting to hold on to her career and younger lover (Susannah York). Like other gay-themed films of its era, Sister George has its share of clichés yet shows a boldness that remains rare today in mainstream movies.

[holidayidol]

Ok, come on. I know Ted Turner and his empire are practically as liberal as they come...but TCM has been a very classy (if even the last remaining classy) television channel for almost 15 yrs. You can always bet that at least 99% of their programming is family-friendly and suitable for everyone, even if it isn't something you want to see. In my house, it happens to be the channel that's on whenever my TV is on over the last decade+.

They have had tiny, trivial, and insignificant programming before that I may not have been delighted about, but nothing to really ever ruffle my feathers.

But to not only acknowledge, but "celebrate" and "honor" Gay Pride Month with this feature is going too far. I don't even really have any problem with the particular movies that they are showing, or if Robert Osborne wants to occasionally mention particular aspects/trivia along this line in his prologues. However, I can't help but be a little sickened with this particular "Spotlight" festival.

Ironically, this is occuring the very same month that TCM is starting their "Funday Night at the Movies" Showcase. This is described as such: "Kids rule this summer on Funday Night at the Movies, a new TCM franchise designed to help parents, grandparents and others who spend quality time with children to introduce them to the wonderful world of classic movies. In addition to presenting captivating family films - and dispelling any notion that the word "classic" means something stuffy or dull - we offer all kinds of added fun on the program. Our on-air host is actor Tom Kenny, best known for providing voices for the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants (including that of SpongeBob himself)."

Yeah! These two features go well together! Lure in grandpa & grandma, mom & dad, and kids all together around the TV for "quality" programming, and then slip in a lecture to them about celebration of homosexuality. Is anyone else put off by this ?! I'm not saying I'm shocked by this little ploy, but truly disappointed.

[fatnotlazy]

My personal solution will be not to watch TCM Mondays and Wednesdays in June. Goodness knows I have enough DVDs and VHS tapes that I can watch instead.

[Captainpaintball]

Among those Behind Bars is Eleanor Parker in Caged (1950) as a naïve young inmate preyed upon by sadistic lesbo matron Hope Emerson.

Hmm...I'm gonna have to check this one out!!!

[Dilbert San Diego]

What about Brokeback? Or isn’t it old enough to be a classic?

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Thanks for posting this. I now know what channel I’m not watching on Mondays and Wednesdays in June.

[fatnotlazy]

What about Brokeback? Or isn’t it old enough to be a classic?

***

These days the definition of “classic” has changed to include movies from only a couple of years ago. So it’s quite possible.

[Keltik]

My personal solution will be not to watch TCM Mondays and Wednesdays in June.
<<<

I intend to boycott MOST TCM Mondays and Wednesdays in June, but I am definitely watching The Big Combo — one of the greatest noirs ever made, with absolutely superlative photography by the great John Alton.

You can watch an interview with Alton here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh4BLrYR3Oc

[Petronski]

Among those Behind Bars is Eleanor Parker in Caged (1950) as a naïve young inmate preyed upon by sadistic lesbo matron Hope Emerson.

Just thought you'd want to know.

[fatnotlazy]

Thanks!

One of my favorite times to watch TCM is during its festival of Oscar winners and nominees in the spring. There are a few dogs in the collection, but also some real gems. I just pick whatever I want to watch and skip the rest.

[atomicpossum]

Much of this appears, to my eye, to be a matter of activists taking any character with stereotypical behaviors (they're usually mad about stereotypes, aren't they?) and declaring them *GAY!* (based on the stereotypes...). Unless a character comes out and says it, or it's DIRECTLY implied, aren't they claiming stereotypes that they scream about the rest of the time?

A swishy male/butch female? Reaction 1: What a horrible stereotype! Reaction 2: That person is GAY!

Can we just get some consistency here?

[martin_fierro]

Ew. Just. Ew.

[tuesday afternoon]

I saw this clip in a TV show purporting to show homosexuality in movies. What was funny to me is what they didn’t show: Tony Curtis’s character running away so fast he left smoke trails after being propositioned by the other actor.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Gay Pride Month?

We're running out of months to celebrate? something! Seems it "one thing or another" month.

[weegee]

The last thread on this got quickly killed.

[weegee]

Wonder how many attempts are going be made to “read things” into scenes?

The year Brokeback Mountain came out, the Oscars opened with a montage of “gay” cowboy clips designed to slur the reputations of John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, and others (I think including Ronald Reagan).

[weegee]

Women-In-Prison movies got “better” in the 1970s.

[weegee]

“African American History Month”, “(Communist) Womyns Month” “Gay Pride Month”

Eventually the calendar will be renamed. Dump these ancient day and month monikers. Why have Thor’s Day when we could have Marxday?

But December will always be referred to as “Happy Holidays”.

[50mm]

Won’t see this perverted s**t in my house. All the “Turner” channels (CNN, TBS, TCM ...) have been blocked for years.

[Yorlik803]

What about the movie called “Bound” Gina Gershawn and some other woman share a tender moment...
But in real life most Lesbians look like Stalin with breasts