The Celluloid Closet (1995) on Netflix
R19951h 42mDocumentaryHistory
Across a century of Hollywood films, a documentary traces how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters were portrayed. Men and women from the industry comment on the excerpts.
- Netflix4.4/5
- IMDb7.8/108,134 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes97%
Trailer
Plot summary
The documentary is based on a 1981 book about homosexuality in the movies and on lecture and film-clip presentations given between 1972 and 1982. It interviews men and women connected to Hollywood, who comment on the excerpts and on how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters were treated on screen. The clips, drawn from 120 films, cover sissy characters and cruel stereotypes, coded gay characters, the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code, and the changes made in the early 1990s.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Celluloid Closet (1995)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Vito Russo approached Epstein about filming his book and wrote a proposal in 1986, but the project only gained traction after Russo's death in 1990, when Channel 4 in England offered development funding, partly to find out whether the studios would even license the clips.
- Lily Tomlin, who narrated the documentary, launched a direct mail fundraising campaign in Vito Russo's honor and headlined a benefit at the Castro Theatre that featured Robin Williams, Harvey Fierstein and drag star Lypsinka.
- In May 1994, Lily Tomlin contacted Michael Fuchs, chairman of HBO, on the project's behalf, and she, Epstein, Friedman and Rosenman flew to New York for a meeting where HBO committed to supply the remainder of the budget.
