Dealers and Baseball

The Trinidad neighborhood in Washington DC has hosted unique historic events. The neighborhood has also displayed many of the issues plaguing urban areas in the United States.

This article offers a unique look.

Saving Uline Arena

The Capitol Hill North Neighborhood Association is planning a Uline Storytelling and Sing-along on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at the
Atlas Performance Center at 1333 H Street NE from 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM.

The event is sponsored in part by the DC Humanities Council and is free and open to the public. We are looking for Uline stories! If you know someone who has a story to tell please send an email to harvestpotluck@gmail.com

Urban Archaeologist

Heading out tomorrow morning to be a sports archaeologist.

The Washington City Paper’s Cheap Seats columnist and I are going to look over the places where Washignton, DC had ball parks and arenas. We know that there are some remaining touches that indicate that a track or stadium once existed in two of these locations. But what else may be at some of these other places?

DC had several old baseball fields on either side of the Capitol Building. They had two fields in neighborhoods. They had a race track near the Canal. They had an arena where pro wrestling really took off as a sport. They had an arena where the Beatles played their first US concert. Have all the places been completely destroyed.

Sharon Gless is Lesbian Hannah Free

Watched the Queer As Folk supporting star and star from Cagney and Lacey kick up a storm as an old lesbian in a nursuing home. The performances were generally strong. The story sometimes felt like a recitation of lesbian life in the 1940s & 1950s.

Women will enjoy the frankness of their relationship and the display of their lovemaking. This is not a Hollywood version of a lesbian romance because  it has real frustration expressed by both partners and a strong sense of the difficulties these women faced from the outside world.

Gless did not look old enough to be “married” to someone who could have an adult great-grandchild (she is 66 years old in real life). Her character supposedly was an adult during the 1930s which made me wonder when the story was suppposed to take place.

Hollywood Bohemians Brazilian Take

A columnist in the Gay Brazilian magazine ISTOE wrote the following:

Cultura

Quando Hollywood era gay Na época de ouro do cinema americano, os estúdios faziam vista grossa à homossexualidade de alguns astros e usavam os boatos para atrair o público Ivan Claudio A primeira vez que a palavra gay foi ouvida no cinema como sinônimo de homossexual aconteceu no filme “Levada da Breca”, há 70 anos. Foi dita numa das cenas mais engraçadas dessa comédia de Howard Hawks pelo ator americano Cary Grant – e foi por isso que não passou despercebida. Grant (1904 -1986) era para a Hollywood dos anos dourados o que Tom Cruise é para a indústria do cinema nos dias de hoje. Um dos atores preferidos de Alfred Hitchcock, com quem fez clássicos como “Ladrão de Casaca” e “Intriga Internacional”, ele serviu de modelo para Ian Fleming criar o agente secreto 007. O casal feliz Os atores Randolph Scott e Cary Grant na casa em que moraram juntos por 12 anos, numa praia da Califórnia. A residência ficou conhecida como a “mansão dos solteirões” Devido à sua popularidade se dava ao luxo da autogozação. Era esse, com certeza, o seu propósito nessa famosa cena, quando o personagem que interpretava, obrigado a sair do banho vestido no extravagante “peignoir” de uma garota, vai atender a porta da casa. Ao vê-lo enfiado num traje feminino, a velhinha que tocara a campainha pergunta-lhe o que significava aquela palhaçada. “É porque, subitamente, me transformei em um gay”, diz Grant. O diálogo é um óbvio comentário ao que circulava nas revistas de fofoca da época: o ator, solteiro e um dos mais cobiçados da época, seria homossexual. E isso porque ele vivia numa mansão em Santa Monica, em Los Angeles, com o amigo Randolph Scott, estrela dos faroestes. Trata-se de uma situação emblemática do ambiente “simpatizante” da Hollywood daquele período, que não apenas tolerava a diferença sexual como a usava para vender a imagem de que a meca do cinema era um lugar cosmopolita, exótico e excitante. Terno e Gravata Marlene dietrich na época de seu romance com uma roteirista. Seu estilo de vestir virou letra de música Algo como a Paris do fim do século XIX. Essa tese controversa é defendida pelo historiador americano Brett Abrams, que acaba de lançar nos EUA o livro “Hollywood Bohemians – Trangressive Sexuality and The Selling of the Movieland Dream” (Os Boêmios de Hollywood – Sexualidade Transgressiva e a Venda do Sonho da Terra do Cinema). “Nos anos 1920 e 1930 a publicidade, os filmes e os livros de ficção sobre o ambiente hollywoodiano mostravam uma complexa e geralmente positiva imagem dos gays, lésbicas e heterossexuais que viviam um casamento aberto”, disse Abrams à ISTOÉ. “A indústria do cinema usava o exemplo desses artistas para excitar o público e fazer Hollywood parecer única e especial. E o público entendia o recado.” Arquivista do National Archives and Records Administration, em Washington, ele pesquisou revistas de celebridades, colunas de fofoca e edições inteiras dos jornais de Los Angeles. Como bolsista da divisão de cinema da Livraria do Congresso, viu filmes esquecidos que tratavam do cotidiano nos estúdios e leu 70 livros de ficção sobre o mesmo tema, escritos entre 1915 e 1950. Num dia de pesquisas na livraria da Academy of Motion Pictures, em Beverly Hills, ele encontrou o álbum de 30 fotos esquecidas que os estúdios Paramount fizeram em 1932 para divulgar o charme da vida de solteiro de Cary Grant e Randolph Scott. Era a prova cabal do lado “gay friendly” da Hollywood nos anos 30. “A descoberta desse material me desconcertou”, diz. As imagens de Grant e Scott, tratados pela imprensa como “o casal feliz”, os mostram na piscina, levantando pesos, fazendo cooper, jogando dama ou jantando à luz de velas. Num flagrante bem íntimo, Scott aparece sentado à mesa olhando um documento, como se estivesse fazendo contas, enquanto Grant o observa de pé, a mão apoiada no ombro do amigo. “Aqui estamos, vivendo da forma que achamos melhor como solteiros, numa ótima casa e a um preço relativamente barato”, disse Grant a uma revista de fãs da época. Bela economia: essa mesma casa, com praia particular no litoral californiano e que ficou conhecida como a “mansão dos solteirões”, foi leiloada há três anos com um lance mínimo de US$ 4 milhões. Dessa série, a foto que mais intrigou Abrams foi aquela que mostra a silhueta dos dois amigos no clima romântico de um fim de tarde, diante do mar. “A imagem de dois homens fumando juntos aparecia com frequência em filmes da época. No entanto, essas cenas aconteciam em bares e outros lugares “masculinos” e não em ambientes tidos como românticos. A interação entre eles não dava a entender que formavam um par, sem qualquer pessoa a sua volta”, escreve o historiador. “Um homem nunca acendia o cigarro de outro homem se um deles já estivesse com o cigarro na boca.” Cultura Quando Hollywood era gay Na época de ouro do cinema americano, os estúdios faziam vista grossa à homossexualidade de alguns astros e usavam os boatos para atrair o público Ivan Claudio Intimidade Fotos de grant e Scott foram feitas pelo próprio estúdio Paramount Grant viveu 12 anos com Scott e se casou com cinco mulheres em intervalos diferentes. Mas nunca assumiu publicamente nem mesmo uma suposta bissexualidade. Em 1980, aos 76 anos, processou o comediante Chevy Chase, que teria assim se referido a ele na tevê: “What a gal!” (”que garota”). Gay assumido, o cineasta George Cuckor, que o dirigiu em “Núpcias de Escândalo”, comentou a postura do colega: “Ele nunca falaria sobre isso. No máximo, diria que os dois fizeram belas fotos juntos. Scott talvez admitisse – mas para um amigo.” Desde que não fosse tão alcoviteiro como ele, Cuckor. Diante do frisson provocado por essa ambiguidade sexual, os estúdios Paramount procuravam tirar proveito do suposto romance. E os filmes de Grant, como as comédias feitas com Katherine Hepburn, arrebentavam na bilheteria. Verdade ou mentira, tudo se passava entre quatro paredes. Para a grande legião de boêmios (que além de atores e diretores incluía roteiristas, figurinistas e diretores de arte), a agitada vida noturna de Beverly Hills era o espaço de convivência e badalação por excelência. “Nessa época, Hollywood tinha mais néons que a Broadway”, diz Abrams. Os bares, boates e restaurantes chiques borbulhavam num dos metros quadrados mais caros do planeta: “Os mais disputados ficavam nas redondezas de Sunset Boulevard e tinham uma decoração fantasiosa, imitando o exotismo marroquino ou o Carnaval veneziano.” Nesses anos loucos surgiu até um guia turístico chamado “How to Sin in Hollywood” (Como Pecar em Hollywood), que listava os lugares onde encontrar os “transgressores” de que trata o livro de Abrams. O restaurante Brown Derby, por exemplo, era o local preferido da atriz alemã Marlene Dietrich. Causava sensação a sua chegada, sempre vestida de terno, gravata, chapéu e sapatos de amarrar. A estrela de “O Expresso de Xangai” vivia um romance com a roteirista Mercedes de Acosta e adotou o look masculino a contragosto do estúdio. A reação dos executivos foi prática: “Vamos então transformar isso em moda e explorar a imagem de Marlene em trajes masculinos.” E a moda pegou. Dupla das mais requisitadas para a trilha de musicais, Rodgers and Hart, autores dos clássicos “My Funny Valentine” (gravada por Chet Baker) e “The Lady is a Tramp” (sucesso de Frank Sinatra), compuseram para o filme “Hollywood Party” a engraçadíssima canção “I’m one of the Boys”. Sua letra diz: “Prefiro o alfaiate de Marlene. Nenhum vestido francês é tão moderno quanto suas calças.” “Um homem nunca acendia o cigarro de outro homem se um deles já estivesse com o cigarro na boca. Esse tipo de gentileza, no entanto, era bastante comum entre um homem e uma mulher como demonstração de cavalheirismo. Essa cena frequentava a publicidades de meados dos anos 20. Eram imagens que associavam o fumo ao glamour, ao romantismo e à sedução.” Trecho do livro “Hollywood Bohemians”

Lesbian, Gay Film Festivals and the Power of Film

Happy Pride month! Cities are preparing for tons of events from now through the end of June, capped by the big parade. New York has started its eight day, three venue, film festival, Newfest. Check out the schedule.

The largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender festival, San Francisco’s Frameline, begins later in the month. Its schedule can be found here.

Should unhappy content and non-affirming actions disqualify a movie from inclusion in a GLBTQ film festival?

Would you exclude a movie if it contained bisexual, gay, or lesbian characters but none were redeeming?

If film does have this power to influence would festival schedulers want to make sure that the influence was beneficial?

OR Is there benefit to seeing lesbian, gay and bisexual characters who are pathetic and so they end their lives?

Washington’s One-In-Ten runs a few days of movies prior to the big weekend. Sometimes the group provides a sampling of what would come during the Reel Affirmations festival in October. Other times they reach back for a Hairspray or another fun movie from the past. I recently watched the movie Jade Teardrop and it caused me to wonder what content from a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movie was appropriate for showing at a festival.

The plot summary makes the movie seem challenging. “A young boy refuses to speak to anyone and only has his caterpillar for a companion. His adoptive gay father desperately tries to fix their broken relationship, but the boy is unwilling to forgive him and seeks to be part of a ‘normal’ family.” The trailer appears below. At the first scene in which the adoptive father pours whiskey from the bottle after a rough moment with the boy, my partner and I began to worry. When we are introduced to the homophobic uncle and his friends, the combination of the performances and the language is an unhappy mixture.

Yet the movie is untypical for any movie, let alone a feature GLBTQ film, in characterization, ethnic depictions, and showing the difficulties of relationships. I kept watching. Without giving away any of the details, the end is unhappy for the two gay characters. Our committee is asked to rate on a 1 to 5 scale if the movie should be included in the upcoming Reel Affirmations film festival. I checked and saw that Newfest included 26 features, but not Jade Teardrop. Frameline had approximately 50 narrative feature films and Miami featured 25 and neither festival included this movie.

Summer Reading

Everybody hits the beach at least once during the summer. What’s more fun then sitting in a lounge chair with a fun book in your hands and reading as the waves roll in to shore and the sun basks you.

The Philadelphia Gay News offers a list of their top new books, their reading rainbow. 

Hollywood Bohemians

By Brett Abrams

Nonfiction

Although today’s Hollywood is decidedly different than it was in the early 20th century, one thing has remained true: Sex sells.

Abrams’ “Hollywood Bohemians” explores the growth of Hollywood between 1917-41, examining how some in the film industry challenged societal conceptions of gender. This fueled not only social change, but also Hollywood’s reputation as a place where sexual inhibition is not only uncommon but unexpected. Abrams’ work investigates how novels, films and mass media of the time gave extensive attention not only to gays and lesbians, but also to other such “bohemians” as cross-dressers, effeminate males, butch females, adulterers and others who strayed from the accepted gender concepts of the era.

“Hollywood Bohemians” provides an extensively researched analysis of the history of Hollywood, tracing how sexuality became the ingrained component of the movie industry that it is today. The book details the evolving Hollywood culture — from the movie sets to the nightspots to the parties — focusing on the gender expectations within those environments and how the wave of bohemians drastically changed that landscape. Abrams highlights such stars as Tallulah Bankhead, Clark Gable, William Randolph Hearst, Cary Grant and Greta Garbo, performers whose carefree perceptions of sex and sexuality — and the manner in which their lives were portrayed in the media — paved the way for the increasing risqué nature of Hollywood.

Abrams’ work is written in a way that proffers plentiful scholarly research but also taps into the public’s continued desire to uncover all facets of Hollywood stars’ private lives. It would make an excellent addition to a film-history course, but is also an insightful and intriguing read for anyone bedazzled by the sexual abandon in the American movie industry.

Sex Romp with Terrorism

The next installment in my reviews for the DC Gay Lesbian Film Festival is Clandestinos, a Spanish movie from 2007.

Three juveniles escape prison in a mean spirited way that one can even see them as effective anti-heros. Our main character is driven to renew his efforts at terrorism in Madrid for Basque separatism.  While his two friends find young women for a little sex lark., the lead terrorist sells himself as a rent boy at a Madrid shopping mall.  (And I went to all the tourist sites on my visit two years ago).

A daddy set our lead on the path for the Basques and the daddy who rents him will see this error and try and rectify the situation. A blown up flag pole and a shoot out later, our three amigos are back in detention. No frets though as the two women cheer their two boyfriends’ efforts at fut ball (soccer) and our main man well–absurdity is the only possible description.

Look here for a similar but more in-depth review of Clandestinos.

American Idol, Lesbian & Gay Music & Hollywood

Like many others, Adam Lambert’s loss on Tuesday spurred thoughts about eyeliner, gayness and cultural acceptance. Two friends commented that they “were not surprised, just as they would not have been surprised but were disappointed, as they would have been if McCain had won the Presidential Election.

 My own cynical response was, thank God he doesn’t have to crow that he’s going to Disney World and Lambert doesn’t have to sit on the hood of Ford’s latest model and shill. However, seeing a guy in blue eyeliner posed across the hood of the car a la Michelle Pfeiffer in the Fabulous Baker Boys would have been a cultural watershed!

My friends clearly thought Adam lost due to his image vis-a-vis Kris Allen’s Middle America, teenybopper appeal. Republican strategist Todd Harris went on CBS’s The Early Show the day before the vote and framed it in terms of red and blue states. He argued that “You’ve got these more liberal elites who live on each coast, represented by Adam, and then Kris represents what those on the coast refer to as the flyover states.”

 This response made me more intrigued by Out Magazine editor’s Aaron Hicklin’s opinion piece in the Washington Post’s Sunday section this morning. Hicklin noted the continued existence of the closet in the worlds of Hollywood and in the entertainment worlds. Certainly, there is significant truth to this. Despite the actions of Ellen Degeneres and Rupert Everett (who he does not mention) and Clay Aiken and Elton John in the music sphere, there are limits to the number of people who have exited the closet and some real and perceived constraints constructed by both of these industries (note the homophobic questions that James Franco faced about men kissing in Milk when he appeared on talk shows.)

However, I was disappointed by the article for a few reasons. With this platform, why not take the opportunity to discuss some of the many people in the industries who are out? Rufus Wainwright and Pansy Division may lead the parade, but check out this website.

What does consistent focus on repression and oppression symbolized by the closet do to readers? Wouldn’t a focus on this variety of out performers found on the above website actually provide new and informative news to that audience?

I thought the article’s reference to politicians such as Larry Craig, was an intriguing link about the Hollywood and Washington closets. However, it also made me think we need to be careful about who we consider gay, lesbian, queer, and someone who has sex with a member of the same sex. Doesn’t a person have to embrace the culture and lifestyle of queer to be queer? Similarly, to be lesbian, gay or bisexual? Isn’t such an acceptance a critical component of being and significantly different from craving a sexual activity with a person of your sex?

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Film Festival: Film Reviews

For fifteen years I’ve volunteered to rate a variety of movies that are receiving consideration for the Washington DC Reel Affirmations Film Festival. Although there have been clunkers over the years, I have seen many excellent movies and gotten insight into the GLBTQ from around the world.

Recently watched a movie set in Bristol, England about a gang and a member wrestling with his sexuality. Shank has romance, violence, friendship, betrayal, it was all there. Here’s a conversation about the movie I found.