If you enjoyed the Celluloid Closet, you might want to set your Tivo for this. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, for the month of June (starting tonight), Turner Classic Movies is featuring films from 1912 to 1969 which contain gay themes – 44 in all. I find these peeks into gay history fascinating, especially the obvious changes brought about by the Production Code in 1934. Before that, one could detect what appeared to be a distinct glimmer of acknowledgment, almost acceptance even, of the characters in what were mostly plot tangents. Something happened after that and what managed to pass the censors was often dark, distorted and evil.
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.
You can view the trailer, and read more about it at the TCM website. Some of these movies haven’t been seen in ages, so if you want to talk about something that made you laugh, cry or just perk up, feel free to comment here throughout the month. Enjoy!
For Cox Cable, TCM is digital cable channel 210. I can only afford extended basic on my limited income. EB only goes up to 68 channels.
But, I have seen several of the movies listed on the TCM website.
Thank you! This will be very interesting.
I started watching the movies on TCM but I’m not a fan of silent films.
Cannot wait to get to the talkies. lol!
I teach film and English, so I am thrilled that TCM is doing this. 44 films! Most have been rarely seen. This is a lifetime dream. This also suggests things are changing. Few cable stations (except the gay ones) would devote so much time and energy to a production like this. Even PBS has their “gay” time, and it is half-hearted. TCM has thrilled me in so many ways with this. I already started copying the movies last night, and I told my students about it.
One more thing–I suggest letting TCM know about your feelings regarding this film programming.
You can only watch the trailers if you do not use a Mac. TCM blocks all Mac users from seeing the trailers because they don’t have the technology to stop Mac users from copying what they see. Of course this is assinine as these are only trailers not the entire film. It seems short-sighted as they want people to see the trailers to stir up interest in the films yet they block a substantial number of computer users from doing just that.
I am very disappointed in this particular programming to be seen in June (Screened Out). Homosexuality is wrong. TCM is subtle in promoting this. I use to be able to enjoy watching this station because there is so much vulgarity on so many other channels but now I am considering changing. For anyone who disagrees with my opinion, you are entitled but it doesn’t change a thing. It is morally wrong. I expressed this to TBS. I expect opposition. So be it.
Turn the channel?
nice.
po, you have a right to express your view to TBS, you even have a right to express your view here at XGW. But what I will never understand is why you feel obligated to express your view on the morality of homosexuality. Do you really think gays and lesbians are unaware of how are they perceived? I’ve got news for you and all the other moral crusaders in America and elsewhere, gays and lesbians know exactly what you think. We endure your scorn in some form every day of our lives, regardless of how out we are. Some of us endure the scorn in silence because the price of being ourselves is too high. We live knowing that we could lose it all just because we are attracted to members of our own sex. We don’t even have to act on those desires, just expressing them will bring forth any number of responses ranging from those that are blatantly stupid to those that are downright dangerous. And we know that most wouldn’t blink an eye if one of us is hurt, fired or worse. You simply do not care. Your words and actions make that transparently clear. So spare us your self-serving, egotistical and arrogant declarations of truth.
po,
Do you know that TCM shows quite a bit of faith movies? I never heard of one athiest complaining about those movies being shown on TCM. They simply turn the channel when one comes on. No one is forced to watch these movies. And I’m quite sure no one ties you to a chair to force you to view them either.
These gay movies as you would call them being shown on TCM this month are not billed as “gay” by what we would call a gay movie today. There are subtle hints of gay sexuality from some of the characters of these movies but nothing as profound as two men kissing and having sex together in bed.