Christopher McCauley

1. In 1929, the Motion Picture Production Code was beginning to take effect; by 1934, it was in full blow. Its purpose was to screen out inappropriate themes, such as violence, addiction, and homosexuality. The Roman Catholic Church had a huge influence on the code. They did not like “what the talkies were saying to Americans.” (Barrios, 56). Vice, nudity, drugs, and sexual perversion were completely atrocious and could not be included in films. The 1929 film, The Love Parade included many overtly sexual themes, and even “mocked sex.” It was after films such as this, which completely outraged the church and even some of the public (all though it was the most popular hit in late 1929), that the code started to be used.

However, the film industry continued to find ways to slip in the kind of themes that the code protected against, especially homosexuality, because the public was interested in seeing these subject matters in films. There are several films that include homosexual characters, usually as a comic relief, or a villain.

How then, did things come to change over the years?

For one thing, over the century, people began to grow more and more comfortable with such themes as sexuality and homosexuality. There has been a sort of liberalization throughout the years that has taught American society not to be so offended or afraid of sexuality.

Gay people themselves made a huge effort to change the perception of themselves in American culture and film. After the Stonewall Riots, there was a huge change in this perception. “In the months [after] the Stonewall Riots…gayness was transformed on the streets and on the screen.” (Barrios, 12). This is when many of the social activism came into effect, and change began to be sought after.

The changing of times was also brought about through legal action reform. In the late 1960s (around the same time as Stonewall, coincidentally), the code began to break down. By then “history had already seen to it that the Code was useless and moribund.” (Barrios, 339). The Roman Catholic Church didn’t even intervene as the code disintegrated; there was no call to reform, nor was it necessary to reform anything (except, perhaps the existence of the code). After a few court cases which dealt with censorship of movies and adult material, there was even more of a push to end the code. Finally in late 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America announced new rating codes, which essentially obliterated the old Production Code for good.

2. During the Code era, there were several motion pictures that deviated slightly from the rules to include gay and lesbian characters in film. These movies were welcomed by the public, but still followed the code close enough as not to violate it.

The 1929 film, The Broadway Melody, was MGM’s first all-sound film, as well as the first all-sound film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This particular film was a musical, with elaborate costumes and dance numbers. Musicals were a sort of “safe-haven” for gay characters. “Because of musicals, gay male characters—to use perhaps a more appropriate name, sissies—were more evident than they had been” (Barrios, 38). In the case of The Broadway Melody, the gay character, Turpe, is used for comic relief. He is a scrawny little mouse of a man, made fun of for laughs; He is a “sitting suck for harassment.” He is very overtly made fun of for his homosexuality when another character makes a comment concerning himself and the color lavender; in these days, that equating lavender with a man meant you were insinuating he was gay. What is ironic in this movie is that the character who attacks Turpe is a big burly woman who works in the costume department of a theatre (so did Turpe; he was the costume designer). This character very well may have been gay herself. In fact, Barrios points out that she would linger behind, and be very touchy with the showgirls. Nevertheless, Turpe is a “pioneer” as the first audible gay character in movie history.

Another film produced during the code was called All About Eve. This 1950 film featured a well known cast including Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Marilyn Monroe, and “projects a notably gay-friendly environment.” (Barrios, 224). Within this film, there is many homosexual innuendos. Right in the beginning, Bette Davis’ character jokes that her husband is having a relationship with another man. The character of Eve Harrington (played by Baxter), although it is not directly dealt with, is a lesbian. In the beginning of the movie, she is wearing an oversized trench coat and hat. She traveled across the country to follow her idol, and essentially stalk her every night. She eventually caters to her idol’s every whim, in a somewhat creepy manner, always with an embarrassed look of lust in her eyes.

A third and final example of film which portrays a gay character is The Balcony (1963). The movie starred Shelly Winters and Lee Grant, and portrayed a lesbian relationship between the two. This film featured the first onscreen female to female kiss since the 1933 film, Queen Christina. Obviously the production code was not looked at in the making of this film. The director saw it as a “nonissue,” and went on with the production of the movie.

3. In today’s society, there are many representations of gays and lesbians in art, movies, photography, and all sorts of media. Although the production code is long gone, and other restrictions have been lifted on American society, there are still negative, as well as positive portrayals of homosexuality.

This first image shows the advancement of homosexuality in American society. LGBT people have struggled for so long, and finally in this era they have been able to come out (no pun intended), feel comfortable, and have a place in our society. This photograph depicts a gay wedding. Although official gay weddings are not in effect in the United States, there are several countries that do recognize gay unions. Some states even recognize a “civil union.” This photograph looks aesthetically pleasing. The lighting is nice, the colors are warm, and there seems to be a light of hope and happiness in the painting. This would obviously be degenerate according to Hitler’s standards, since the subject matter is one he tried to eliminate during the holocaust. This image is positive because it shows the happiness of a gay couple, and advocates for the spread, and further advancement of the LGBT society.

This second image is completely grotesque. The caption underneath the photograph states: “These are two gay teenagers who were kept in a cage, publicly humiliated, gruesomely hung, and left to dangle in front of the macabre crowd. That way they could serve as a warning to anyone who would dare be homosexual in Iran's Islamic utopia.” This is an obviously negative image which portrays homosexuals as horrible people who should die. Leviticus 20:13 states, "'If [there is] a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." The image seems to play out what the bible instructs in the Old Testament. This image is negative to see because it shows the continuation of such archaic and abominable views and practices. The image itself looks degenerate, although by Nazi standards this would probably be pleasing to their philosophy.