Dog Day Afternoon

Argh. I watched it on TCM.

Is Chris Sarandon Susan's brother or ex-husband?

He's a knock out in FRIGHT NIGHT.

Ex husband

I can never get to the end of this - can't remember why.

R3 I know I loved him in Fright Night. I had a huge crush on him in that movie. Those alluring eyes of his were so sexy.

[quote]Was this considered a gay film when it was released?

God, no. When I saw it in New York, the audience was dead silent during the part when Pacino verbally writes his will. When I saw it in the suburbs, the audience erupted in laughter during the same scene.

It was a surprise to see Al Pacino, a major Hollywood star, play a gay character. And the fact that it didn't hurt his career was a welcoming sign for others to follow.

Pacino wasn't gay in Dog Day Afternoon, R7. He had a wife. See how it works?

Are you kidding me? In 1975 Billie Jean King was a straight married woman and Liberace just hadn't found the right woman yet. BJK didn't even become "Bi" until 1981. Ellen didn't come out until 1997! No one was "gay" , they were queers, fags and perverts and if you wanted to be polite you said homosexual.

The character didn't read gay. It reinforced the stereotype of homosexuals as criminals, and crazies and perverts. . Until 1973, Gay was considered mental illness and there were ZERO positive role models or a single happy story in movies OR real life.

A gay movie

That I remember, at the time it was not discussed as a gay movie at all, it was a crime story drama. The drag queen part came off as comic relief to most rather than a poignant political statement. But I was a stupid 15yo who saw it with a bunch of kids from the neighborhood.

I don't think the word gay/lesbian/bi or transgendered was in the script, but I don't remember. In the scene when Sal gets upset at the media report did they say "2 homosexuals" or "2 gay men"?

In 1971 All in the Family had a gay football player in one episode but the first regular homosexual character on TV was in 1977 Billie Crystal in Soap. IIRC

It was "homosexual," R11. When the character is likable as in those TV episodes, it's usually not called anything. I do remember the Mary Tyler Moore Show when Phyllis' brother comes to town and likes Rhoda. At the end she explains to Phyllis that her brother is gay. It was 1972 and I think it was the first time I heard that word in a sitcom.

However, TV and movies were not the same thing, TV was way ahead in these matters.