Goingbegging Before writing this, I briefly scanned the other IMDb reviews, to see how many of them had earned a yes/no reaction from the readers, and how many were left blank. It scored an incredible 44 out of 45, revealing an intense, and perhaps secretive curiosity about the shadows of gay Hollywood.If you're looking for landmarks, there's one from 1895 in an experimental clip by Edison showing two men in a slow, embracing dance. This startling scene, from the very pre-dawn of the movies, carries no explanation, but it confirms how little you and I know about the sheer persistence of the gay theme in the story of film.For most of that time, gay messages had to be made in code, just as they did in real life, 'lavender' and 'artistic' being among the more regular codewords. But inevitably, the government hit back with its own code (the Production Code of 1930), banning any narratives that threatened the sanctity of hearth and home. This, of course, was when the talkies were starting-up, the silent medium having provided its own discreet opportunities for slipping homo-eroticism into the story.For about the next thirty years, you could feature a more-or-less openly gay character, as long as he was seen to be distinctly evil, something to be feared and excoriated, preferably killed-off. Or it might not even be a 'he'. One early example of code-busting was Gloria Holden as a predatory lesbian, only permitted as long as she was cast as Dracula's Daughter! But the codes had to be rather more subtle when the man in question was not the campy one but the masculine hero with the Achilles heel - on which point Spartacus, Ben-Hur and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof come in for well-earned psycho-analysis. According to Ben-Hur scriptwriter Gore Vidal, they never revealed the gay subtext to the assertively normal Charlton Heston, for fear that he would walk out.By now, the industry was heading for another landmark. Just before the 60's became the 60's, the secretly-gay British filmstar Dirk Bogarde risked his career in a film called Victim, about a decent and responsible man confessing all - though he too is made to suffer for his sins. Not till 1970 and The Boys in the Band is the gay scene allowed to appear harmless and wholesome. One critic makes an interesting point about judging other eras: "There was a time when men were free to express tenderness on the screen." Ironically, in supposedly enlightened times, it may be our own generation who have become cynical, always ready to believe the worst.Narration is supposed to be by Lily Tomlin, but so many other commentators join in the debate that she is largely lost. We assume that Secret Love, sung by Doris Day, is supposed to be a lesbian coming-out song, but we aren't told. And there's a great irony in the clip from Pillow Talk, showing Rock Hudson acting a straight man pretending to be gay. News of Hudson's secret gaiety and death from AIDS was surely another landmark in the long, tortured history of the celluloid closet.

arfdawg-1 A comprehensive documentary of the history of gays and lesbians in cinema, from negative to positive reflections of gay characters and the troubles of actors and actresses.What proposes to be a documentary is actually a propaganda piece that only goes to show you how gay lifestyle and the gay agenda has infiltrated the entertainment business.You are left with the feeling that no one in Hollywood is straight.And maybe they are not.The very beginning is a wee bit interesting but then the movie gets bogged down proselytizing an whining about gays in the cinema as if nothing could be right by them. Get over yourselves.Oh and they made Thelma and Louise gay! Huh? Didn't the two of them do Brad Pitt?And therein lies the problem with the movie. The movement is so desperate to be relevant everyone is gay.What a yawn.

E Chan "The Celluloid Closet" is a documentary that focuses on the evolution of sexuality in a multitude of Hollywood films and movies from the early 1900's to the early 1990's. The directors, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman portrays the views of homosexuality through a series of clips from numerous films and interviews of early actors, directors, and screenwriters. Throughout this documentary, the interviewees reveal how society reacted from the beginning of the queer films and up until modern times. This documentary is heavily based on book, "The Celluloid Closet" written by Vitto Russo. There are no main characters throughout this film, but rather focuses on the comments of each of the interviewees on the incredible growth of LGBTQ films and its effect on society. Many simply think of watching movies for entertainment purposes. However, movies have a greater influence on everyone's life than one may think, whether he or she is straight, gay or lesbian. Actors and screenwriters described the impact of movies during their early childhood and how people mainly went to see movies to see if the movies could relate to themselves. In early American society, homosexuality was viewed as humorous. The documentary then continues to describe the slander on queer films by the Catholic Church and its role in the portraying of LGBTQ content, thus leading to complications and censorship. Homosexuality was then viewed in the roles of numerous cold- blooded villains such as Dracula's Daughter and was shown in desperate gay characters that were unhappy and suicidal. Moreover, homophobia was seen as a disease in the 1950's and many people resented homosexuals. Finally, Hollywood presented homosexuality in a positive manner, shedding a new light in American culture. Overall, "The Celluloid Closet" is an interesting documentary portraying the incredible evolution of queer films in Hollywood. Even though the content is portrayed in movies and films, its effect on society was greater than one may have thought. It is informative, interesting, and funny. It is incredible on how society during the early 1900's portrays queer films being risky, impossible, and forbidden yet exciting and daring. Therefore, this documentary is highly recommended to movies fans who are interested in the making of queer films.

taylorlandis "The Celluloid Closet" is a very informative, interesting documentary that evaluates the way Hollywood has presented homosexual relationships beginning in the 1930s. From the very beginning when homosexual relationships began to appear in films, Hollywood has always had an influence on the audience of what to think about gays, as well as how gays should feel about themselves. In early appearances, the homosexual hints in films was not discussed publicly after being viewed, it was sort of ignored and thought of as comedy. After homosexual scenes became more and more prevalent and common, the Catholic and Protestant churches grew very angry, starting boycotts of any film that hinted even the smallest bit of homosexuality. Film writers and directors began finding other ways to project homosexuals, by making it harder to catch the gay hints or even making the homosexual character a "villain" in a sense. This homosexual "villain" character was very common in films until the British film "Victim." This particular film was the first to actually use the word "homosexual," therefore beginning another era of homosexuality in films. Although the "homosexual" word was not used openly in films, gays seemed to perceived as having a "mental illness" now. In addition, audiences were applauding villains, killers, or the killed if they were homosexual. They seemed to enjoy the homosexual characters' pain while watching these films. Overall, "The Celluloid Closet" takes its audience on the journey through the evolution of homosexuality in Hollywood films. Clearly this film is wonderful in itself as it explores other very famous films throughout history, discussing how homosexual scenes were presented in many of them.