Robert Redford Plays Gay Man - Inside Daisy Clover

I saw this movie but don't remember why it was a risk for Redford. Can you expand on that risk? I wish Redford had played Guy in "Rosemary's Baby". The shock of a husband turning on his wife for the sake of his career would have had so much more of an impact if the husband was the blue haired, blonde eyed all American boy next door with great teeth.

r1, i'm not op but he was a gay character in a lavender marriage.

It didn't hurt him at all. It doesn't seem to hurt certain actors. No one batted an eye when Tom Hanks did. Or Matt Damon.

They are really good actors. The tv actors worry that they will get type cast because they are meh actors and work is limited. He can play gay get him. Not much else comes their way.

I want this as a mural on my wall...lawd!

Natalie really fought for Redford’s casting in this. They had met briefly years earlier in high school. And, as the OP stated, this was his breakout role.

Years later, when Redford was casting DL fave Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People, Natalie Wood went to him desperately wanting the role. Natalie’s film career had waned with a string of tepidly received movies (even when her performance was praised). Unfortunately for her, Redford had a clear vision of who he wanted for the role of the cold matriarch and Mary Tyler Moore got the part (and the Oscar nomination).

At the time of her death, Natalie had been grieving the loss of another role she’d had her heart set on—Sophie in Sophie’s Choice.

I saw this movie when I was very young and couldn't understand what his issue was with Daisy. (Remember, this is YEARS ago.) So I went to my local library to check out the book and the librarian wouldn't let me! There was a red dot on the spine and she explained I had to be over 18 to check out the book. I was so embarrassed! But I went back the next day, took the book off the shelf and sat down at a table with it. Read it in less than a day and THEN understood what was going on!

He didn't play gay as well as I did in Cat.

Thank you r2. I didn't remember that Redford's character was homosexual. I do remember the movie confused the hell out of me. I recall thinking it was a lot of lost potential.

R3, THAT is why he was so hot. I'm not normally into blonde guys specifically because so many are hairless, but the fact that Redford had a really hairy chest, made him so hot.

R1, no one would buy him as a struggling actor looking like that. He was born to be a star.

I have always enjoyed Robert Redford's work. I like the movies he directed as well. I think Hollywood is a little jealous of him or something. They never seem to want to give him much credit. Too beautiful maybe?

Very wooden actor but I have to say, his looks were truly not of this world back then. Simply astonishing. He was the manifestation of the All American man with the brightness of the future reflecting in his blue eyes.

He was gorgeous but he had to be filmed through special lenses just like Doris Day. He has always had terrible moles on his face and they needed to erased, just like her nasty freckles.

[quote] . Simply astonishing. He was the manifestation of the All American man with the brightness of the future reflecting in his blue eyes.

Which is why Barbra Striesand was willing to move heaven and earth for Redford to co-star with her in The Way We Were - they had Ryan O'Neal waiting in the wings. but Babs really wanted Redford

Redford was hesitant as Babs role was larger than his, and there was hardly any role for him. After the script was beefed up, he reluctantly agreed to do the movie

R12, he was also good friends with director Sydney Pollack, so that certainly helped persuade him to take the role.

Jane Fonda writes in her book - What's it like to kiss Robert Redford - Fabulous. But unfortunately he hates to do love scenes - dammit!

R4 I'm glad Natalie didn't get either of those roles. She was an awful actress.

I remember reading that Redford (a very wooden actor) was uncomfortable with the gayness of his character and asked them to tone it down, make it more ambitious.

R15 Sally Field once said the actor who was the best kisser was James Garner!

This is such a good gay movie. Never knew about it until it popped up on TCM. So annoying how coy they are about the Redford characters gayness. It’s crystal clear when you know - but it’s so subtly maneuvered around in the movie, it’s just stupid. It’s a critical plot point - like Suddenly Last Summer - but is never directly made.

Kudos to Redford for doing it. Didn’t realize this was his breakout, I always confuse Redford and Newman - short, blonde, GL guys.

I thought I had seen Inside Daisy Clover - but I confused it with This Property Is Condemned.

I thought I had seen Inside Daisy Clover - but I confused it with This Property Is Condemned.

Incomparable.

Redford is forgotten no? He's not really a blond you know. Natalie Wood will always be the little girl who danced with Bojangles. I love silent film stars.

Beyond Sundance and some small activism, he seems to have been forgotten.

In many ways, he the present William Holden and the future Brad Pitt.

He had them tone down the gay aspects of his character. Redford is all about image. That’s why he refused to do THE FRONT RUNNER with Paul Newman...he didn’t want to be perceived as gay and only wanted to make love to women onscreen. This is why he’s so limited as an actor. Will not take risks. Loves being a white woman’s wet dream. Why else would he wear that shitty hairpiece on top of his head? CIPHER.

R18 Suddenly Last Summer? That movie couldn't have been more directly gay. I'm curious at what point you realized he was gay? It was very early in the movie that most of the audience was aware of what was going on.

R4, Natalie was particularly hurt when Redford would not even return her phone calls regarding the role of Beth.

In addition to championing his being cast in "Inside Daisy Clover", she had done the same for him in "This Property is Condemned".

They had been close personally, as well. He was best man at her second wedding, to Richard Gregson.

As a 14-year-old, trying to buy tickets with a friend to see this at our local cinema, the girl at the box office at first refused us admission, citing that the movie was "too adult".

She finally relented, but her initial objection was unnecessary. Redford being gay went right over our heads.

"He had them tone down the gay aspects of his character. Redford is all about image. "

And that's why he worked in the role of the gay actor, whose private life is all about public image!

He has a very limited range as an actor and is as superficial as hell, IMHO the reason he's had a long career is because he's able to suggest there's something under the surface. Sure, we never see it directly, but in each of his big roles*, we assume that there's something under the gleaming all-American surface.

Redford gets closest to suggesting there is something more underneath the surface in Out of Africa.

Without a British accent r29. He ruined the whole movie.

R30 Maybe he ruined it for you but it will always be my favorite of his films.

Redford was at his best playing opposite of Newman. In their two movies together, The Sting and Butch Cassidy, Newman was able to bring out a sweet vulnerability and raw sexiness in Redford that no actress could, including Babs.

I thought he almost ruined Out of Africa. Bryant Brown was made to play that part. Redford was worse than wooden. He's best within a very narrow range- like Butch Cassidy.

I love it when blond dues like Redford grow facial hair and it is a reddish brown. That's hot to me for some reason.

Paul Newman is more beautiful than Redford IMHO

He’s was great in Jeremiah Johnson and I’ve enjoyed most of his movies.

And he is not short—5’11.

He was an athletic, artistic, California bad boy growing up.

As for his hair, the director for All is Lost said it was real.

Before you all express great love of Redford for playing gay way back in the 1960s, know that he was EXTREMELY UPSET when dialog was added after - "he couldn't resist a young boy" - indicating that his character was gay or bi in Inside Daisy Clover. Redford did NOT want to play gay or play a character where it was even hinted. This role was not act of courage. His outrage is well documented, as is Redford's general prudishness. Even his love scenes with women were either brutal or squeamish. For a sex symbol, this is very odd...icy Redford couldn't let himself go under any circumstances.

"I love it when blond dues like Redford grow facial hair and it is a reddish brown."

Redford's REAL hair is reddish brown. A blond he's not, unless Miss Clairol is nearby.

R35, Redford is 5'10", not 5'11" on even a good day.

It's on TCM tonight. at 11:15.

Natalie Wood was a teenage star but she can't play one in this. Pauline Kael wrote that she plays it like a brassy Tom Sawyer.

Both Natalie Wood and Robert Redford were overhyped and had a limited acting range. They were both products of Old Hollywood and probably wouldn't make it big in our modern times.

[quote]It's on TCM tonight. at 11:15.

LIAR! 2:15AM

I once passed Redford on the street (in NYC). He isn't really short, but he can't be 5' 10". Maybe 5' 8" and a half at most.

And his hair definitely has a reddish tinge. Somewhere between reddish-blond and reddish-brown. Nor did he seem more than just quite handsome. The magic of his looks is supplied by the camera.

How old was he when you saw him?

I thought 90s Brad Pitt was a Robert Redford golden boy wannabe, but he held his own

He would have been about 40, R43. I guess. With plus or minus 5 years margin of error.

A friend who is 5'10" met him back in the 80s, and she calls him "short". He's shorter than 5'10".

Redford's hair color below at age 43-44, all bleach. Lots of male movie actors bleach/bleached their hair to maintain their "look," like Steve McQueen for instance. But Redford took it to up until then unknown extremes for someone his age. I don't know what that ugly thing on his head is today.

"As for his hair, the director for All is Lost said it was real."

You're very gullible, R35. A director will say anything to protect and promote their movie and their star. Notice that Redford never comes up out of the water with his head back so the wet "hair" is off his face? That's the natural way everyone does it. Instead he lets the wet hair always fall over his forehead every time so you can't see his hairline. Or should I say wig - Redford has more "hair" now than he did at age 40.

He's not a bad actor and has given few good performances. Redford's of the Method or Method-like natural acting of his generation. Problem is for other actors who worked with him - Redford won't rehearse. He can't sustain a performance in a scene more than a take or two. This presented enormous issues for directors, because they have to cater to the star they paid so much for even at the determent of others in the same scene.

I know several people who attended Sundance over the years and they all agreed he's probably 5'9" or 5'10". I was going to link to their Twitter thread about it but I cannot find it for the life of me.

He has probably shrunk a bit...his hair looks so natural. That's a damn good colorist.

Was I the only person in the world who thought Daisy's relationship with her husband in Daisy Clover seemed to have distinct echoes of her own first marriage at 19?

Apart from the obvious, I mean. I'm sure the DL can put me right on this, but I could swear I read somewhere that their honeymoon was also a trip across America, staged with the studio's blessing?

Also, is "You're Gonna Hear from Me" her own singing voice? Because if so it's very strong, though admittedly not the high soprano required for Maria.

He's been to Joe Biden's plastic surgeon for the last decade or so.

R49, this DOES NOT look natural under any circumstances. Not the color, not the volume.

[quote]Nor did he seem more than just quite handsome. The magic of his looks is supplied by the camera.

That's interesting, because people who run into celebrities usually say they're even better looking in person.

IMDB says Natalie was dubbed by Jackie Ward.

Natalie Wood was a god awful dramatic actress. She was good looking, but IMO her acting left something to be desired...overwrought crying jags and petulant temper tantrums is not acting. I do feel bad for her because she went through a lot and died young, but a great actress she was not.

That freakout scene in IDC was sooo out there, but it was of the few times, I thought she was good. Wasn't her character supposed be 19??

19???

Natalie Wood was also said to be the frontrunner for the role of Sybil Dorsett in the mini-series "Sybil." I heard she wanted the role badly. But she was really too pretty and too much of a well known star to be effective in it, although I think her performance probably would have been very interesting.

She played nutso in The Cracker Factory instead.

Are you kidding? By the 1970s, Natalie Wood's star had faded considerably - she had taken too much time off and she wasn't in with the times. I cannot see anyone offering her plum parts like Sybil. She was a has-been and had never been much of an actress except for light comedy. Is this revisionist history or was Natalie deluded?

Peak of all-american beauty.

Guess that Natalie wasn’t a shoo in for the lead in THE ESTHER WILLIAMS STORY.

Too soon?

R62 = Robert Wagner, Natalie’s first and third husband and Murderer

"I cannot see anyone offering her plum parts like Sybil."

According to IMDB trivia:

'Natalie Wood was the casting director's first choice for Sybil, but the screenwriter turned Wood down. The role was then offered to Audrey Hepburn, who declined. The project remained dormant until Joanne Woodward agreed to co-star."

Audrey Hepburn as Sybil? Now that would have laughable. But she had name recognition, so I guess that played a factor in her being considered. Lily Tomlin was also considered for the role, which also seems nutty. But they finally settled on Sally Field, who in the end appeared to be the perfect choice.

R64, IMDB trivia is written by fans much the way a lot of Wikipedia is.

Her costuming to look like a kid was a mess. Painted on freckles - agree “Tom Sawyer” ish. And her acting was over the top.

I liked the early LA/Malibu beach and town scenes. And the moguls house was fabulous.

She hit her peak as a great actor in 1947. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and DRIFTWOOD. She's fantastic in both of them. And she was 8 years old.

" IMDB trivia is written by fans much the way a lot of Wikipedia is."

I read in a biography of Natalie Wood that she was indeed seriously considered for the role of Sybil, but it didn't pan out.

Natalie is terrific in Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, Love with the Proper Stranger, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and the underrated The Last Married Couple in America. And she has good moments in both West Side Story and Gypsy. But when she could be bad, oh my; as much as I love Natalie, her performances in All the Fine Young Cannibals, Sex and the Single Girl, Inside Daisy Clover, This Property is Condemned and Penelope are horrifically bad.

Pauline Kael could be brutal. She compared her performance in B&C&T&A to an iron butterfly.

R52 I was talking about in his youth

Redford in THE WAY WE WERE...complete cipher, especially next to Babs. She at least attempted to portray Katie as a coed. Redford, in every scene, looked and behaved like a 35 year old. Barbra isn’t the greatest actress, but she’s a STAR and her larger than life persona completely overwhelmed him.

"But when she could be bad, oh my; as much as I love Natalie, her performances in All the Fine Young Cannibals, Sex and the Single Girl, Inside Daisy Clover, This Property is Condemned and Penelope are horrifically bad."

I don't think she was bad in wither "Inside Daisy Clover" or "This Property Is Condemned." She had standout scenes in both of those movies. There was the scene where she goes crazy in the control booth in IDC. And in TPIC there's a scene where she drunkenly taunts her mother's lover into going off with her, in full view of her own date (a pathetic rich old man) and her seething mother.

R64, I suspect that Wood, Hepburn, and Tomlin were being considered for the role of the psychiatrist. that was played by Joanne Woodward.

Nah, R74, they were considered for Sybil. Hard to believe they were, but then a lot of people who are very wrong for a role get in the running for it because of name recognition.

I met him in 1980. He was maybe 5'9" and that was with his hair blown out and he was wearing those high heeled cowboy boots.

He is short.

How could one believe him as Meryl Streep’s British side piece without a British accent? They say that the director, Sydney Pollack said that it would be too distracting for him to have one....bullshit. Redford is a limited actor. A good actor would not have been ‘distracted’ by attempting to do so. I can’t stand Redford.

[quote] ... Natalie Wood will always be the little girl who danced with Bojangles. I love silent film stars.

I hope you're trying to be funny, R22.

Yes, R71, a hint of bleach on a 32 year old, though completely unnatural in real life, looked good "movie natural" in Downhill Racer (1969). It was all a farce from there.

[quote] Only EST matters

R41, it's been EDT since Sunday.

"How could one believe him as Meryl Streep’s British side piece without a British accent? They say that the director, Sydney Pollack said that it would be too distracting for him to have one....bullshit. Redford is a limited actor."

Limited, yes, R77, but there is the vanity factor. Redford couldn't do it and had no interest in trying to learn. He still thought of himself like it was 1974 - as if people expected Redford the poster boy, not the actor. Same thing with why he turned down The Verdict, he wanted it re-written to make the alcoholic character more "likable." Paul Newman eventually played it as written, warts and all, and got Oscar nominated.

I wanted to love IDC but its was so weirdly edited as to be almost incomprehensible . I dont get the hate for TPIC ,I think it was one of her best roles . I confess that Mary Badham kinda stole the movie though,she was fantastic as Willie .

Natalie Wood was preparing to go Elizabeth Taylor and try the stage before she died. Natalie was going to do Anastasia. Who knows if she would have had a triumph or bombed.

Were Redford and Paul Newman friends?

R84, jocular acquaintances who played pranks on each other every ten years. I guess that means "friends" with a lot of guys.

Robert Redford is the most boring and vain man on film. He looks like a gay stripper. Terrible in comedy, as is Jane Fonda. Boring as fuck in anything else. Silk socks and no sex as my grandma would say.

You've not see hot All American young male until you've seen Robert Redford in his young television acting days.

Twilight Zone - Nothing In the Dark is one.

As a neo-Nazi in episode of the Naked City

[quote]His outrage is well documented.

Could you provide some of that documentation or are we supposed to just take YOUR word for it?

[quote]He had them tone down the gay aspects of his character. Redford is all about image. That’s why he refused to do THE FRONT RUNNER with Paul Newman...he didn’t want to be perceived as gay and only wanted to make love to women onscreen.

It's about a coach and a student, what part would Redford have played since Newman was always attached as the coach and would have directed too?

[quote]Sydney Pollack said that it would be too distracting for him to have one....bullshit.

Not bullshit. I'm quite certain Pollack meant that Redford ATTEMPTING a British accent would be too distracting, and it would. It would have been ridiculous.

Redford also supposedly objected to the drunken love scene in The Way We Were. It was written that he couldn't get it up but Redford wouldn't play that.

[quote]Redford ATTEMPTING a British accent would be too distracting, and it would. It would have been ridiculous.

Similar to Kevin Costner attempting a British accent in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves or a Boston accent in 13 Days.

Better to do without the accent than to have him do a laughable one.

[quote] wish Redford had played Guy in "Rosemary's Baby". The shock of a husband turning on his wife for the sake of his career would have had so much more of an impact if the husband was the blue haired, blonde eyed all American boy next door with great teeth.

Nah, Cassavettes was not unattractive but he was no Redford. A Cassavettes type actor would have to work very hard for leading man as opposed to a Redford,. So his desperation and selling his soul would make sense. Polanski was great enough to make it a surprise.

[quote]Notice that Redford never comes up out of the water with his head back so the wet "hair" is off his face? That's the natural way everyone does it. Instead he lets the wet hair always fall over his forehead every time so you can't see his hairline. Or should I say wig - Redford has more "hair" now than he did at age 40.

Spent the whole movie with slicked back hair, and looked gooooood.

Sorry but Redford is a matinee idol, in the worst possible way. Ego driven and image conscious, with minimum talent.

As for OUT OF AFRICA, why not just hire a British actor instead of Redford? Not that it would have helped since the film was a crashing bore.

If IDC was Redford’s break out role I’d be surprised he had enough clout with the studio to get the gay theme “toned down”.

Probably to finance the movie, R94. Big stars = big financing, even if it's absurd casting.

Quite the Redford worshiper, aren't you R89?

Redford's dislike of the gayness of Wade Lewis has been out there since I first read about him in 1973, it's not news. I'll give you two sources from books that Redford cooperated with and was interviewed for. The recent Michael Feeney Callan biography is one, and the Films of book by "has a massive crush on his subjects" James Spada that came out in 1977. I have the second in front of me.

Redford says he played Wade Lewis as a narcissist, NOT a homosexual. He is quoted as saying he was not interested in playing a homosexual and did not, hence he was angry about the added scene put in later which explained his character as homosexual. Redford, "the filmmakers... wanted something strong that wasn't in the film they'd made, something shocking to juice it up (actually the character was gay in the original script). I remember being quite upset about it because it was done without my knowledge and it was re-interpreting the role, which isn't fair."

That happens all the time, Robert. Expecting "fairness" for a largely unknown actor in his third film is NARCISSISTIC.

This was the one sheet (poster) for Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970)

[quote]Not bullshit. I'm quite certain Pollack meant that Redford ATTEMPTING a British accent would be too distracting, and it would. It would have been ridiculous.

I never had a problem doing one

Wow r96...this confirms my point. He’s not worried about getting meaty roles to stretch his boundaries as an actor...he only wants to look good, flawless and perfect for his primarily frau-esque audiences.

Odd that Redford has survived as a known actor, he has thousands of swooners in his Facebook groups. Other 1970s actors such as Nicholson and Pacino survived too. But another pretty boy sometimes director has not - Warren Beatty. Beatty, though never as big as Redford, is almost forgotten. It must be the Sundance film fest that's kept Redford current.

[quote]Quite the Redford worshiper, aren't you [R89]?

Not at all, I just don't take some anonymous poster's assessment of a complete stranger's inner thoughts as fact. " I heard, I read" doesn't cut it for me..

R101, you’re doing the same thing...

"He’s not worried about getting meaty roles to stretch his boundaries as an actor...he only wants to look good, flawless and perfect for his primarily frau-esque audiences. "

You know, if Redford is aware of his limitations as an actor, and doesn't want to embarrass himself by trying to stretch, I'm okay if he just does what he's good at.

I watched Inside Daisy Clover because of this thread.

So the Robert Redford character Wade Lewis has sex with 15 year old Daisy. Then Christopher Plummer has sex with 16 year old Daisy.

Creepy as fuck.

And then the Mogul's wife tells Daisy that Wade can't resist a charming boy (not man)

Is the Wade Lewis character a pedophile?

The fact that Natalie was playing a 15 year old at 27 was laughable.

I did like Redford's animated performance in Inside Daisy Clover. It was before he turned off and became the emotionless quiet icy type.

"The fact that Natalie was playing a 15 year old at 27 was laughable."

Not really. Actors play roles they are much too old for all the time. 27 year old Winona Ryder played a 17 year old in "Girl, Interrupted." The character of Hal in "Picnic" was 21 years old; he was played by 37 year old, prematurely aged William Holden. Stockard Channing, 33 years old, played a teenager in "Grease." The character John Cazale played in "Dog Day Afternoon" was a 18; Cazale was 39, and a very old looking 39. Twenty-something Julie Harris played a 12 year old in "The Member of the Wedding." It happens all the time.

Watched Three Days of the Condor few days ago, and I don't care what some of you say; yes RR can act quite well, and he was one fine tall cool drink of water.

Redford must get credit for managing his image as a lot of things he definitely is not. He's just like every other actor, and that means ego-driven and vain, yet most people think of him as above all of it. I've read that in this very forum.

All the President's Men will be on TCM tomorrow at 8PM. This poster/ad was no doubt carefully constructed by agents - L-R, Hoffman appears first, Redford second. Yet Redford gets first billing, his name appears first. Don't think these things happen by accident. There's another curious part of all of it - Hoffman's name comes first in the actual movie, then Redford's. Their names are not even on the screen at the same time. Watch it tomorrow. (Yes, I know Redford's company produced the movie).

[quote] the film was a crashing bore.

Are you typing from a 1930s British drawing room comedy?