Noriega, Chon. "Something's Missing Here!": Homosexuality and Film Reviews during the Production Code Era, 1934-1962. Cinema Journal, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Autumn, 1990), pp. 20-4.

Noriega, Chon. "Something's Missing Here!": Homosexuality and Film Reviews during the Production Code Era, 1934-1962. Cinema Journal, Vol. 30, No. 1. (Autumn, 1990), pp. 20-41 

            Chon Noriega’s piece chronicles the depiction and reception of homosexuality in Hollywood using film reviews from major periodicals as source material. As the Production Code demanded that "Sex perversion or any inference of it is forbidden," the period of the 1930s and 1940s was characterized by films that had few if any allusions to the existence of homosexuality. Instead, as films were adapted from materials that featured homosexuality as a part of the narrative, the issue was substituted for other social problems. Noriega looks at the three such films in which homosexuality is recast, as the evils of gossip, alcoholism, and anti-semitism, respectively. Reviews at the time rarely mentioned the exchange, or if they did, praised the substitution as making the film better. From this “conspiracy of silence” came acknowledgment of homosexual themes and characters in the 1950s. As long as homosexual characters faced a character arc that was sufficiently tragic, and thus didactic, films were acceptable and homosexuality was no longer explicitly criticized in the reviews. Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing to the 1960s the dominant perception of homosexuality was no longer that it was criminal, but that it was a psychiatric disease that individuals could be pitied for being afflicted with, but could be cured of.

            Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is often cited as one of the first films to depict a homosexual teenager, Plato, played by Sal Mineo. However, the film initially had more daring content. Upon submission to Joseph Breen’s office, the film was found to have latent homosexual themes that had to be re-edited. The article illuminates the attitudes towards homosexuality at the time of Rebel’s release and the perceived necessity of the changes.

called seminal in a review of some other work in LJ

"If readers can get past the somewhat inaccurate title (there are many non-British listings in this work), they will have a hard time ever putting it down. There are over 3,000 entries covering characters in fiction, real-life people, professions, character names, abstract subjects, film and program titles, and much more in the realm of English-language cinema, television, and radio (primarily from Britain, but also from the United States and Australia). There are numerous cross-references, which will keep the reader thumbing though, looking up favorite TV shows, movies, actors, and situations for hours at a time. The author himself justly proclaims in the preface: "But, for now, rejoice! This is homosexuality run amok through Britain's lounges, parlours and dining-rooms." Strongly recommended for large academic and public libraries." (Library Journal, 4/1/94, Vol. 119 Issue 6, p90)

"Containing information on more than 3000 films, this encyclopedia will become a classic source of information on legitimate (i.e., nonpornographic) gay and lesbian film and video. Listing films from around the world throughout the medium's history, the book documents efforts by individuals who either openly or discreetly produced films with gay or lesbian themes or portrayed gay or lesbian characters, as well as gays and lesbians who portrayed straight characters. For each personality a brief biography is given, usually a photo, and a list of films associated with the individual. There are separate sections for directors, independent filmmakers, actors/actresses, gay icons, writers, artists, dancers, and composers. There are also listings and descriptions of films within the categories "queer" (of interest to gays, lesbians, and bisexuals), "lesbian," "gay," and "transgender" as well as a section on films with camp attraction or content. The film summaries and subject introductions are extremely well written, the book as a whole is well organized and indexed, and the wealth of information is accurate and up to date. For the film and video (all entries note whether the film has been released on video) collector (including AV librarians), this will be an important source of information; for the curious, it will be an eye-opener. Appropriate for all libraries and all readers." (Library Journal, 3/15/95, Vol. 120 Issue 5, p61)

"Includes straight people popular in gay culture. Murray's emphasis is on American and English films, although he does have selective coverage of European and Asian cinema. Films included in the book must be at least 60 minutes in length and have "a gay theme that is relatively evident." [...] Murray includes both Hollywood and underground films in his book." (Booklist, 3/1/94, Vol. 90 Issue 13, p1290)

"lists documentaries, foreign films, and offbeat films that have homosexuality as the main subject" (Booklist, 3/1/94, Vol. 90 Issue 13, p1290)

"Spanning gay and lesbian filmmaking from 1914 through present day, The Bent Lens showcases 2300 titles from 45 countries, including feature films, documentaries and short films. In addition to a synopsis of each film, other details included are cast, writer, director, genre, year of release, running time and even distributor contact details. All films are listed in an easy-to-read A-Z format, but each film is also indexed by country, director and genre. The Bent Lens: 2nd Edition also includes essays from experts Judith Halberstam, Barbara Hammer, Helen Hok-Sze Leung and Daniel Mudie Cunningham exploring gay and lesbian film traditions and how gay identity is viewed in Western and non-Western cultures. And finally, this remarkable guide includes a complete listing of gay and lesbian film festivals around the world, making The Bent Lens a must for all film and video aficionados." (from the book's description)

"With the recent explosion of gay cinema, Parish (Prostitution in Hollywood Films , McFarland, 1992) provides a good starting point for research. Focusing on Hollywood and made-for-TV releases, his well-indexed work includes complete cast and character lists, production information, brief film synopses, and excerpted criticism relating to gay themes and/or characters. Browsers will also find fascinating trivia in almost every entry. Although genre devotees will notice a few absences (e.g., Bloodbrothers , 1978), Parish's work serves as an excellent companion volume to Vito Russo's seminal Celluloid Closet (HarperCollins, 1987. rev. ed.), which excludes made-for-TV's but is international in scope. Highly recommended for all film and gay studies collections." (Library Journal, 11/1/93, Vol. 118 Issue 18, p78)