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Before Stonewall

  • 19841984
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Before Stonewall (1984)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:21
1 Video
7 Photos
DocumentaryHistory
The history of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots began the major gay rights movement.The history of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots began the major gay rights movement.The history of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots began the major gay rights movement.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Greta Schiller
    • Robert Rosenberg(co-director)
  • Stars
    • Rita Mae Brown
    • Maua Adele Ajanaku
    • Red Jordan Arobateau
  • Directors
    • Greta Schiller
    • Robert Rosenberg(co-director)
  • Stars
    • Rita Mae Brown
    • Maua Adele Ajanaku
    • Red Jordan Arobateau
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Before Stonewall
    Trailer 2:21
    Watch Before Stonewall

    Photos7

    Before Stonewall (1984)
    Before Stonewall (1984)
    Before Stonewall (1984)
    Before Stonewall (1984)
    Before Stonewall (1984)
    Before Stonewall (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Rita Mae Brown
    • Narrator
    Maua Adele Ajanaku
    • Self - activist and teacher
    Red Jordan Arobateau
    • Self - writer
    Ann Bannon
    Ann Bannon
    • Self - university professor
    Lisa Ben
    • Self - former secretary
    Gladys Bentley
    • Self - Nightclub Singer
    • (archive footage)
    • (voice)
    Ivy Bottini
    • Self - former housewife, co-founder N.Y. N.O.W.
    George Buse
    • Self - newspaper reporter, former Army Chaplain
    Carroll Davis
    • Self - performer
    Martin Duberman
    • Self - historian and playwright
    Grant Gallup
    • Self
    Allen Ginsberg
    Allen Ginsberg
    • Self
    Barbara Gittings
    • Self - gay activist
    Barbara Grier
    • Self - publisher
    Mabel Hampton
    • Self - dancer, former domestic worker
    Harry Hay
    • Self - political activist
    Dorothy Hillaire
    • Self - Native American activist
    • (as Dorothy 'Smilie' Hillaire)
    Evelyn Hooker
    • Self
    • (as Dr. Evelyn Hooker)
    • Directors
      • Greta Schiller
      • Robert Rosenberg(co-director)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 2019.
    • Crazy credits
      Unless otherwise stated, the people who appear in this film should not be presumed to be homosexual... or heterosexual.
    • Connections
      Edited from Different from the Others (1919)
    • Soundtracks
      The Girl That I Marry
      (uncredited)

      Written and Performed by Lisa Ben

    User reviews9

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Getting caught often led to ruined lives, imprisonment, commitment to a mental institution or suicide.
    An absolutely fascinating account of gay life in the United States before 1969, especially how WWII changed everything.

    This collection of interviews, archival material, and history gives a clear picture of how gays and lesbians lived and interacted in this country before people "came out" publicly.

    I was impressed with those who came out openly in the 50s and started the first gay and lesbian organizations and magazines. These were people of extreme courage.

    The incorporation of gays and lesbians in the civil rights movement and the women's movement was thoroughly examined.

    This film should be seen by all to have a better understanding of oppression in America, and how far we have come.
    helpful•10
    0
    • lastliberal
    • Jul 25, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 27, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • FirstRunFeatures.com distributor's official page for the film. (United States)
      • PeccaPics.com distributor's page for the film. (United Kingdom)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 石牆之前
    • Filming locations
      • Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Many exterior shots, including of the outside of gay bars and the Stonewall Inn.)
    • Production companies
      • Before Stonewall Inc.
      • Center for the Study of Filmed History
      • Alternative Media Information Center
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,724
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,588
      • Jun 23, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,724
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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