The Celluloid Closet (1995)

A documentary surveying the various Hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of North American film.

Directors:

Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Writers:

Vito Russo (based on the work of), Rob Epstein (story)

Stars:

Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Susie Bright

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 7 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lily Tomlin	...	Self - Narrator (voice)
Tony Curtis	...	Self
Susie Bright	...	Self
Arthur Laurents	...	Self
Armistead Maupin	...	Self
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Self
Jan Oxenberg	...	Self
Harvey Fierstein	...	Self
Quentin Crisp	...	Self
Richard Dyer	...	Self
Jay Presson Allen	...	Self
Mrs. Gustav Ketterer	...	Self
Gore Vidal	...	Self
Will H. Hays	...	Self (archive footage)
Farley Granger	...	Self

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | lesbian | reference to eve arden | reference to bette davis | gay subtext | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some graphic footage of sexuality and violence, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Michael Ontkean not only declined to be interviewed for the documentary, but also attempted to prevent clips from his film Making Love (1982) from being shown in it. He was unsuccessful.

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Quotes

Tom Hanks: There is this constant desire on the part of the studios to make characters likable.

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Connections

Features Repo Man (1984)

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Soundtracks

I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)
Written by Henry Sullivan, Harry Ruskin
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Inc.

User Reviews

Eye Opener!

I think this documentary is a total eye-opener. It gave me an insight into the American film history with respect to the particular topic of homosexuality. There are many original film clips as examples, and also have actors who performed the respective roles to comment on their views of this topic. This makes the documentary so convincing and credible.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics Telling Pictures official website

Country:

France UK Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Celluloid Closet

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios, Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$95,047, 17 March 1996

Gross USA:

$1,400,591

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,400,591

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARTE, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1