@@twsbibanghorn7343it's meant to be to the ratings boards and people looking face value at it in reality it was probably repping the director or a ton of closeted actors in the films
Something worth mentioning: a lot of these stereotypes were heavily influenced by Oscar Wilde. His apogee and fall in the 1890s was in living memory in the 1920s and 1930s and was the most famous homosexual scandal of the era - at a time when it was rarely discussed openly - and so his imagine and personality formed the template for these characters.
@@chigal0926 In quite a lot of ways. Your video included clips from "Call Her Savage," "International House" and "Wonder Bar," three of the masterpieces of the so-called "pre-Code" era.
@chigal0926 Yeah, I'm not sure there actually was a code before 1934. Some silent movies would have been controversial if made, well not now, but certainly up to 20 years ago.
And then came Queer Coding, and the public image of the mincing evil queen still follows us around to this day so much that it’s identified with and carried on by those who need to be something.
Harris spoke with the old aristocratic NYC and Hudson Valley transatlantic style, like FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt. He exaggerated it horrendously for Dr. Smith, making Smith one of the creepiest characters ever.
It was very verboten for actual masculine gay men to appear on the screens in those days, only the exaggerated effeminate ones were shown, as the post says, to be ridiculed and laughed at.
@@brianarbenz7206Apparently he was a nervous wreck through worrying that he'd be "discovered". The studio found that a newspaper were preparing to print an exposé, so they did a dral where they threw Tab Hunter to the wolves instead.
@SaishsJahshsb-ou9nl since Ancient Greece? Try since the beginning of humanity - well for humans anyway. Homosexuality is an inherent part of nature that has been observed in literally hundreds of different species, and certainly predates even the existence of humanity itself. And really.. unfortunately? Like.. I don’t even know what to say to that. What a sad way to think.
In old movies if flowers or perfume is associated with a man, that meant that character was gay. In the movie the Maltese falcon, thePeter Laurie character, Mr. Cairo, left a business card which Humphrey Bogart Secretary said it smelled like perfume. That meant he was gay. If I’m not mistaken, the novel the Maltese falcon, Mr Cairo was blatantly homosexual
The thing that impressed me about the book was how closely it matched the film (unlike modern adaptations). There was a bit where Spade mused about Cairo's background and used language that would be considered somewhat derogatory these days (I can't remember what word exactly, possibly "pansy") but it wasn't a long passage and much of it was in Spade's head so would have required narration which comes off as clumsy if overused. It didn't change the story or the character of Joel Cairo much and was probably put in the novel as sensational fanservice and removed from the movie for the same reason.
@@deboralee1623 In the book, Spade noticed Cairo's chypre fragrance. I the movie, it was changed to gardenia. I suppose John Huston decided (probably correctly) the audience would recognize the flower more readily. What Spade's ID of chypre tells us in the book is, Spade isn't quite the average Joe he wants to pretend he is. He's exceptionally observant, and has a sophisticated knowledge of fragrances.
@@iainsanA lot of movies had to depart from their source novels quite drastically after the code for all sorts of reasons. The climactic twist in "Rebecca" was watered down for the movie, making it less shocking that in the book.
So what's changed, girlfriend? One thing, though: the queen of movie sissy stereotypes, the great Franklin Pangborn, actually fought in a war, which is more than John Wayne or Ronald Reagan can say.
John Wayne's super macho patriot act was nauseating and hypocritical; he did not enlist because of his affair with Dietrich (yet in the 1970s was critical of draft dodgers) and he was afraid being gone from Hollywood would damage his acting career. Well, he was probably right about that - he was not a very talented actor ( to paraphrase Dorothy Parker, "He ran the gamut of emotions from A to B."). My belief is that his super conservative patriot act was mainly an attempt to keep desperately hang on to fame.
@@jeraldbaxter3532 Actually, Wayne couldn't serve because he was A) Overage and B) Had suffered a serious back injury while playing football. Facts are tough. They're even tougher when you're stupid.
I wouldn't say "sissy" so much as they are "Sassy", "over-the-top" or "Feminine." This is hilarious! Also, the cartoon comes from the 1930-1932 series "Flip the Frog."
"Sissy" was just the "f*ggy" of the era. It's not really considered a slur anymore since it's so outdated and anyone using it in earnest would sound goofy, but it was very much intentional back then.
There's a Western from the 50s where a gets off a stagecoach as a deputy watches. Someone later asks him who the woman was, where she went: the deputy replies "What woman?" The other man laughs, and they all carry on talking.
And they were always my faves on Hollywood Squares and Matchgame! Richard Dawson was everyone else's pick, but I never quite trusted him. I'm not sure why!
@@whereisyourhumanity7557Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynch were witty, but never really gave the impression that they were impressed by themselves, whereas Richard Dawson thought he was a suave and handsome Romeo, but the truth was, he was not as charming and attractive as he thought. His awkward kissing the women contestants on "Family Feud" was cringeworthy.
@@jeraldbaxter3532 If you actually watched Family Feud regularly, you would know that Dawson never kissed anyone who didn't want to be kissed. In fact, almost all of the women contestants actively invited kisses from him, often requesting extras for friends or family. In point of fact, he consulted with the contestants before the show, and never kissed anyone without their expressed permission. BTW, it was Paul Lynde, not Lynch.
my post is off-topic, but what the heck. as i misremember, _Sesame Street_ aired an episode of _Family Food_. in it, Dawson kissed all the female contestants, but not the male one...until he said something along the lines of, "Say, Richard, what about me?" the Muppet contestant received his kiss, then it was "tiiime to play the FOOD!"
I'm sure that the person who put this vid up has seen "The Celluloid Closet".. (gay men and women in film), narrated by big stars like Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin etc., which is a very mature documentary).. Also, a lot of people don't know that the documentary that I'm talking about, had a companion book, called "The VINYL Closet", gays in the music biz, from black lesbians in Harlem from the 1920's, singin' the blues at speakeasies (while dressed like men), up through the 1990's (KD Lang, Melissa E., etc). You should check out BOTH the film and book.. :)
Oh yes! Love the documentary and have referred to the book a lot over the years. I didn't know about The Vinyl Closet though. Looking forward to checking that out, thanks!
To me one of the best (if unintentional) was Dr. Praetorius in “Bride of Frankenstein” portrayed by the inimitable Ernst Thesiger. If 1930s shade was embodied in one character, it was in that role.
Funnily enough, I have heard theories that Praetorious was intentionally coded as gay. The director for The Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale was gay in real life. I don’t think that Whale ever confirmed whether or not Praetorius was deliberately coded as gay but a lot of fans have speculated! 😅
@@watchingclassicmovies ...I know of 4 movies he did before 1934 (pre-code) and I have him in, "Flying High"(1933) on DVD. Bert Lahr's "Cowardly Lion" influences another feline, that pink-colored cartoon character, "Snagglepuss."
There's a great documentary about the Swedish side of this era called Prejudice & Pride - Swedish Film Queer, which I can recommend watching. It starts with Mauritz Stiller 1916 film Vingarne and goes forward to our day and age.
These characters are really flaming steretypes compared to most characters I've seen called "queercoded." It's pretty startling to see them in films of this period. The only one of the films I've seen excerpted here is The Public Enemy.
This is fascinating stuff, thanks for posting. Interestingly, even straight (as far as I know) actors like George Raft could be subject to merciless ridicule by audiences for perceived "effeminate" traits. According to the journalist Joseph Mitchell (I highly recommend the collection "Up in the Old Hotel" if you like old New York stories) the Bowery winos would absolutely start howling anti-gay slurs at the screen whenever Raft would do one of his signature dance routines.
'Farming' by Cole Porter, sung by Danny Kaye in Let's Face It (1941): "They tell me cows who are feeling milky All give cream when they're milked by Willkie." "Miss Elsa Maxwell, so folks tattle, Got well-goosed while dehorning her cattle." "Don't inquire of Georgie Raft Why his cow has never calfed, Georgie's bull is beautiful, but he's gay!" (apparently one of the first attested usages of 'gay' with its modern meaning, at least in song lyrics)
The point is the ‘sissy’ type does exist in real life - even in this day and age - what the films do is perhaps exaggerate it slightly, for comic effect, invariably - it would be hard to do it for purposes of tragedy or high drama.
This is a fantastic compilation of clips. My only suggestion would be that because the sound quality varies on these clips (such as the singing chambermaids from Call Her Savage) it would be great if the dialogue was captioned.
Could you slow down the title cards separating each subsection please? They’re honestly pretty tough to read without pausing. Otherwise, great info and interesting video!
Me and my Dad's jaws dropped during that Public Enemy (1931) One thing I love about it is that Jimmy's character didn't act like a homophobic asshole in response to being hit on.
These demeaning gay caricatures remind me of how black actors show up in films of the period, these stereotypes are very revealing about American prejudice.
I'm bi and these actually offend me less than the preachy woke shit I see now, these are the gays I wanna see, cute, effeminate, not complete and total preverts.
They are very revealing about their time, and to insist tha NOTHING has changed AT ALL is a flatout lie. No we're not "there yet" but we're sure as hell not "back there either.
Brilliant! My favourite isn't here...Over the Moon, a British comedy from 1937 in glorious Technicolor starring Merle Oberon. Peter Haddon is featured as Lord Petcliffe who is described as 'an interior decorator by profession, a social organiser by choice and, well, never mind, dear, you'll see.' When Lord Petcliffe languishes in his extravagantly furnished bedroom, wearing fluffy pink slippers, he complains to a friend: 'We had a pageant last night. I wore myself to a positive shadow over some dreadful charity.' A photo of him can be found in Stephen Bourne's trailblazing book 'Brief Encounters - Lesbians & Gays in British Cinema 1930-1971'.
The Hayes Code was not put into place until 1934. So a lot of these films predate 1934. If you are a fan of TMC, sometimes they will often show pre-code films featuring sissy or queer characters in great films from Germany, the UK, and the US.
I have always said the gayest line to ever get past.the Hayes Office was at the end of Some Like It Hot. Jack Lemmon, still in drag: “You know I’m a fella, right?” “Well, nobody’s perfect!”
@@charleholst3881 There's a Lou Holtz film where he says that he went to the ballet & a man walked on stage - Holtz then does a very strange seeies of steps, and says "Well there was a man's name in the program anyhow..."
@@watchingclassicmovies Thanks. On that note... I've noticed that many on these boards think Mae was supportive of gays, but I haven't come across any evidence. One famous anecdote about Mae (maybe true, maybe not) was her scolding policemen who were arresting gay men. "Remember, when you're hittin' them, you're hittin' a woman." Many likely thought then- and probably now- that gay men had a female mind in a male body, and lesbians had a male mind in a female body." These ancient absurdities don't exactly show support.
Consider Horatio Alger Jr.'s endless series of boys' books, typically sort of juvenile Dickens stories. His heroes often form close male-male bonds, even resembling marriage in some cases. But he also has many effeminate or 'sissy' characters portrayed as contemptible or even villainous. Other boys-book authors (e.g., R. H. Barbour, author of many sports-themed books) show the same pattern: bromances on the one hand, and the rejection of effeminacy on the other. It seems to me that until quite recently, the idea of the hyper-masculine gay stereotypes like bears and leathermen would have been literally (and I use that word carefully) inconceivable by almost everyone (including conventionally masculine men who tried to understand their own erotic drives).
OMG what has just happened here? Two hours ago I was watching a Steve Urkel reel then something about Palestine….. two hours later I end up here…. My head hurts, I feel dizzy… what happened in between I just can’t remember
The posey comment is pretty funny to be fair, seeing as men wearing a posey in their breast pocket back then was the same as wearing a pride pin right now 😂😂 (at least, I think it was a posey)
Isnt the actor at :57 (and other clips) the same one who played the bus pest in "It Happened One Night"? If so, I had no idea he had a period playing "sissies"
Can anyone tell me the name of the guy that looks like he's wearing lipstick, with a moustache? I think I've seen him in some old movie, but would be interested in his bio.
@@AbrasiousProductions I honestly don’t. You mean, like film and movies? In which case the portrayal is far more varied than it used to be, and certainly isn’t much of a monolith.
It's a little ironic to think that this was supposed to be something "acid" humorous and we see with disdain how they portrayed this stereotype at that time. Buuut on the other hand, even today in the middle of 2024, there are people who are gay and act in the same way like in the video to be "funny" using the same humoe (I can name several who literally act the same way in the video). In a way they are acting the same as how they were portrayed, so how can humor that was supposed to be "prejudiced" exactly portray the way of certain guys act in the same way in real life ?
*See also Joe E. Brown's 'The Tenderfoot'. Performers dressed as fancy cowboys from a stage show enter a diner....* *"They may be cowboys but they ain't from Texas!" (1932, just before the Hayes Code Restrictions)* ruclips.net/video/rh5De00xzdw/видео.html
I was sorry you left out the sissy's transformation into a monster in the Soda Squirts cartoon, as it's the best part. The whole film is on RUclips. Wuhu!
As a gay friend of mine once said to me, "I was born with balls. I'll act like I have them, not like a woman." Sounds like the two of you think much alike. As I said in a post above, "effeminate flamer" doesn't equal "homosexual" and never has. One is a choice of who you give your affections to, just as everyone does. The other is an act.
As far as homophobic stereotypes go, these seem rather tame compared to later depictions in the allegedly enlightened 80’s-00’s.
In the 00's it was downright demonic, specially in comedy
Why is it homophobic?
@@twsbibanghorn7343it's meant to be to the ratings boards and people looking face value at it in reality it was probably repping the director or a ton of closeted actors in the films
who calls the 80s - 00s enlightened lol
The 00's I understand since I grew up in that era, but what happened in the 80's and 90's?
Something worth mentioning: a lot of these stereotypes were heavily influenced by Oscar Wilde. His apogee and fall in the 1890s was in living memory in the 1920s and 1930s and was the most famous homosexual scandal of the era - at a time when it was rarely discussed openly - and so his imagine and personality formed the template for these characters.
After they strengthened the Production Code in 1934, those types of characters were pretty much banned from the movies.
They were still there, it's just that the characterizations were not as centralized.
I wouldn’t say “strengthen”. It was a form of censorship that I believed undermined the film industry in some ways.
@@chigal0926 In quite a lot of ways. Your video included clips from "Call Her Savage," "International House" and "Wonder Bar," three of the masterpieces of the so-called "pre-Code" era.
@chigal0926 Yeah, I'm not sure there actually was a code before 1934. Some silent movies would have been controversial if made, well not now, but certainly up to 20 years ago.
And then came Queer Coding, and the public image of the mincing evil queen still follows us around to this day so much that it’s identified with and carried on by those who need to be something.
Confusing times: Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) was gay. But Jonathan Harris (Lost In Space) was straight.
Harris spoke with the old aristocratic NYC and Hudson Valley transatlantic style, like FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt. He exaggerated it horrendously for Dr. Smith, making Smith one of the creepiest characters ever.
Jonathan Harris was STRAIGHT???? That's as surprising as John Hurt being straight.
What for real? Harris threw a curveball there apparently.
Harris was married. Not necessarily straight. Happened a lot back in the day.
Getting married to conceal one’s homosexuality happened a lot. Having a son (like Harris did) was not.
WOW 30s gays must have been superqueens.
Dolly Parton did little song about it: Baby I'm Burnin!
ROFLMAO
It was very verboten for actual masculine gay men to appear on the screens in those days, only the exaggerated effeminate ones were shown, as the post says, to be ridiculed and laughed at.
Interesting how things were inverted later: Rock Hudson was told to walk less effeminately or he couldn’t get work.
@@brianarbenz7206Because of the Hayes code that put the kibbutz on all the gaiety!
@@danityvanityinsanity You meant kibosh... I love it!
@@brianarbenz7206Apparently he was a nervous wreck through worrying that he'd be "discovered". The studio found that a newspaper were preparing to print an exposé, so they did a dral where they threw Tab Hunter to the wolves instead.
@@brianarbenz7206 Rock Hudson walking effeminately....? Really? First time I heard that. He always looked very masculine in his demeanor.
Just goes to show us that we've always been here.
Yep since Ancient Greece….. unfortunately
@@SaishsJahshsb-ou9nlWhat do you mean "unfortunately?'
@SaishsJahshsb-ou9nl since Ancient Greece? Try since the beginning of humanity - well for humans anyway. Homosexuality is an inherent part of nature that has been observed in literally hundreds of different species, and certainly predates even the existence of humanity itself. And really.. unfortunately? Like.. I don’t even know what to say to that. What a sad way to think.
@@SaishsJahshsb-ou9nland there’s always been people who think like you unfortunately
You can hear the director in the background saying "Not swishy enough."
In old movies if flowers or perfume is associated with a man, that meant that character was gay.
In the movie the Maltese falcon, thePeter Laurie character, Mr. Cairo, left a business card which Humphrey Bogart Secretary said it smelled like perfume. That meant he was gay. If I’m not mistaken, the novel the Maltese falcon, Mr Cairo was blatantly homosexual
The thing that impressed me about the book was how closely it matched the film (unlike modern adaptations). There was a bit where Spade mused about Cairo's background and used language that would be considered somewhat derogatory these days (I can't remember what word exactly, possibly "pansy") but it wasn't a long passage and much of it was in Spade's head so would have required narration which comes off as clumsy if overused. It didn't change the story or the character of Joel Cairo much and was probably put in the novel as sensational fanservice and removed from the movie for the same reason.
haven't read _TMF_ since that detective fiction class in 197something, and back then i probably missed the "clues". time for a re-read.
@@deboralee1623 In the book, Spade noticed Cairo's chypre fragrance. I the movie, it was changed to gardenia. I suppose John Huston decided (probably correctly) the audience would recognize the flower more readily. What Spade's ID of chypre tells us in the book is, Spade isn't quite the average Joe he wants to pretend he is. He's exceptionally observant, and has a sophisticated knowledge of fragrances.
You're quite right. After the Hayes Code of 1934, Hollywood had to be much more subtle in implying homosexuality or the movie would not pass.
@@iainsanA lot of movies had to depart from their source novels quite drastically after the code for all sorts of reasons. The climactic twist in "Rebecca" was watered down for the movie, making it less shocking that in the book.
So what's changed, girlfriend?
One thing, though: the queen of movie sissy stereotypes, the great Franklin Pangborn, actually fought in a war, which is more than John Wayne or Ronald Reagan can say.
Battle of Argonne (WW I)
I recognize Mr Pangborn, but, unfortunately, none of the other LGBTQ actors. Can anyone provide information as to the others' identity?
Actor and film details by time stamp are in the description
John Wayne's super macho patriot act was nauseating and hypocritical; he did not enlist because of his affair with Dietrich (yet in the 1970s was critical of draft dodgers) and he was afraid being gone from Hollywood would damage his acting career. Well, he was probably right about that - he was not a very talented actor ( to paraphrase Dorothy Parker, "He ran the gamut of emotions from A to B."). My belief is that his super conservative patriot act was mainly an attempt to keep desperately hang on to fame.
@@jeraldbaxter3532 Actually, Wayne couldn't serve because he was A) Overage and B) Had suffered a serious back injury while playing football. Facts are tough. They're even tougher when you're stupid.
I wouldn't say "sissy" so much as they are "Sassy", "over-the-top" or "Feminine." This is hilarious! Also, the cartoon comes from the 1930-1932 series "Flip the Frog."
It’s from the term “sissy craze”
"Sissy" was just the "f*ggy" of the era. It's not really considered a slur anymore since it's so outdated and anyone using it in earnest would sound goofy, but it was very much intentional back then.
There's a Western from the 50s where a gets off a stagecoach as a deputy watches. Someone later asks him who the woman was, where she went: the deputy replies "What woman?" The other man laughs, and they all carry on talking.
I remember the grief they gave Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynde in the 60s.
And they were always my faves on Hollywood Squares and Matchgame!
Richard Dawson was everyone else's pick, but I never quite trusted him. I'm not sure why!
@@whereisyourhumanity7557Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynch were witty, but never really gave the impression that they were impressed by themselves, whereas Richard Dawson thought he was a suave and handsome Romeo, but the truth was, he was not as charming and attractive as he thought. His awkward kissing the women contestants on "Family Feud" was cringeworthy.
@@jeraldbaxter3532 If you actually watched Family Feud regularly, you would know that Dawson never kissed anyone who didn't want to be kissed. In fact, almost all of the women contestants actively invited kisses from him, often requesting extras for friends or family. In point of fact, he consulted with the contestants before the show, and never kissed anyone without their expressed permission. BTW, it was Paul Lynde, not Lynch.
my post is off-topic, but what the heck.
as i misremember, _Sesame Street_ aired an episode of _Family Food_. in it, Dawson kissed all the female contestants, but not the male one...until he said something along the lines of, "Say, Richard, what about me?"
the Muppet contestant received his kiss, then it was "tiiime to play the FOOD!"
Stop the I’m a victim. You did what you did to survive. Please. You find a place In The world. It culled the herd
I'm sure that the person who put this vid up has seen "The Celluloid Closet".. (gay men and women in film), narrated by big stars like Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin etc., which is a very mature documentary).. Also, a lot of people don't know that the documentary that I'm talking about, had a companion book, called "The VINYL Closet", gays in the music biz, from black lesbians in Harlem from the 1920's, singin' the blues at speakeasies (while dressed like men), up through the 1990's (KD Lang, Melissa E., etc). You should check out BOTH the film and book.. :)
Oh yes! Love the documentary and have referred to the book a lot over the years. I didn't know about The Vinyl Closet though. Looking forward to checking that out, thanks!
@@watchingclassicmovies Yep, Great thx :)
And if you want to laugh and ridicule straight people, watch old reruns of The Newlywed Game.
Or really, any family sitcom made in the 1980s and 1990s. Married...With Children and The Simpsons are perennial favorites.
To me one of the best (if unintentional) was Dr. Praetorius in “Bride of Frankenstein” portrayed by the inimitable Ernst Thesiger. If 1930s shade was embodied in one character, it was in that role.
Funnily enough, I have heard theories that Praetorious was intentionally coded as gay. The director for The Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale was gay in real life. I don’t think that Whale ever confirmed whether or not Praetorius was deliberately coded as gay but a lot of fans have speculated! 😅
Loved Dr.Praetorius! When he looked at the to-be Bride Of Frankie in her coffin and goes "Pretty little thing...in her own way." 😂
What, no Bert Lahr?!?!? ...seen him in other movies besides playing the "Cowardly Lion"(come to think of it, the lion was effeminate too).
I was focusing on the Pre-Code era, but that's a good one!
@@watchingclassicmovies ...I know of 4 movies he did before 1934 (pre-code) and I have him in, "Flying High"(1933) on DVD. Bert Lahr's "Cowardly Lion" influences another feline, that pink-colored cartoon character, "Snagglepuss."
“I’m jutht a dandy-lion!”
There's a great documentary about the Swedish side of this era called Prejudice & Pride - Swedish Film Queer, which I can recommend watching. It starts with Mauritz Stiller 1916 film Vingarne and goes forward to our day and age.
These characters are really flaming steretypes compared to most characters I've seen called "queercoded." It's pretty startling to see them in films of this period. The only one of the films I've seen excerpted here is The Public Enemy.
This is fascinating stuff, thanks for posting. Interestingly, even straight (as far as I know) actors like George Raft could be subject to merciless ridicule by audiences for perceived "effeminate" traits. According to the journalist Joseph Mitchell (I highly recommend the collection "Up in the Old Hotel" if you like old New York stories) the Bowery winos would absolutely start howling anti-gay slurs at the screen whenever Raft would do one of his signature dance routines.
Carole Lombard said George Raft was the best lover in Hollywood. Clark Gable the worst.
'Farming' by Cole Porter, sung by Danny Kaye in Let's Face It (1941):
"They tell me cows who are feeling milky
All give cream when they're milked by Willkie."
"Miss Elsa Maxwell, so folks tattle,
Got well-goosed while dehorning her cattle."
"Don't inquire of Georgie Raft
Why his cow has never calfed,
Georgie's bull is beautiful, but he's gay!"
(apparently one of the first attested usages of 'gay' with its modern meaning, at least in song lyrics)
I’ve always loved Ernest. “Passion!”
LOVE the actor at 0:57 ( he re-appears here several times). I see his name was Bobby Watson & this film was called "Manhattan Parade."
Would be funny to ironically make a reinterperation of this character archtype in 21 century story
The point is the ‘sissy’ type does exist in real life - even in this day and age - what the films do is perhaps exaggerate it slightly, for comic effect, invariably - it would be hard to do it for purposes of tragedy or high drama.
This is a fantastic compilation of clips. My only suggestion would be that because the sound quality varies on these clips (such as the singing chambermaids from Call Her Savage) it would be great if the dialogue was captioned.
There are automatic captions if you switch on the CC feature. Sometimes they aren't very accurate, but they turned out pretty well for this video
My favorite was at 0:51! 😂 That scene was from International House starring WC Fields.
I love this, the cards are hard to read though. The arrival of Ernest in Our Betters (1933) is the movie's punchline at the end!
Tyrell Davis is recorded as being married to one Lota B. Cheek. Now there’s a story I’d want to hear
That name sounds like the type of name used as a stage alias for an adult performer !
'The Bellboy', 1918 w /Fatty and Buster. Ahead of their time I guess.
Could you slow down the title cards separating each subsection please? They’re honestly pretty tough to read without pausing. Otherwise, great info and interesting video!
Me and my Dad's jaws dropped during that Public Enemy (1931)
One thing I love about it is that Jimmy's character didn't act like a homophobic asshole in response to being hit on.
These demeaning gay caricatures remind me of how black actors show up in films of the period, these stereotypes are very revealing about American prejudice.
It's worse now if they openly support mutilating children. Walt Disney named names over less than this.
The thing is...I'm Gay & I find these stereotypes funny.
I'm bi and these actually offend me less than the preachy woke shit I see now, these are the gays I wanna see, cute, effeminate, not complete and total preverts.
@@ericalbany same here :3
They are very revealing about their time, and to insist tha NOTHING has changed AT ALL is a flatout lie. No we're not "there yet" but we're sure as hell not "back there either.
Reminds me of Peewee Herman a bit
Who, ironically, was also straight.
Brilliant! My favourite isn't here...Over the Moon, a British comedy from 1937 in glorious Technicolor starring Merle Oberon. Peter Haddon is featured as Lord Petcliffe who is described as 'an interior decorator by profession, a social organiser by choice and, well, never mind, dear, you'll see.' When Lord Petcliffe languishes in his extravagantly furnished bedroom, wearing fluffy pink slippers, he complains to a friend: 'We had a pageant last night. I wore myself to a positive shadow over some dreadful charity.' A photo of him can be found in Stephen Bourne's trailblazing book 'Brief Encounters - Lesbians & Gays in British Cinema 1930-1971'.
Bobby Watson, who was prominently displayed here in the movie Manhattan Parade later went on portray Hitler in nine movies, more than any other actor.
I didn't know that, whoa! You wouldn't ever guess based on this role. I love his character here because I can relate to that professional frustration.
These are hilarious. It would have been nice if each movie had been named.
The one I did recognize was International House starring WC Fields.
They are in the description :D
How did these get passed the Hayes' Office?
The Hayes Code was not put into place until 1934. So a lot of these films predate 1934. If you are a fan of TMC, sometimes they will often show pre-code films featuring sissy or queer characters in great films from Germany, the UK, and the US.
I have always said the gayest line to ever get past.the Hayes Office was at the end of Some Like It Hot. Jack Lemmon, still in drag: “You know I’m a fella, right?” “Well, nobody’s perfect!”
@@charleholst3881 There's a Lou Holtz film where he says that he went to the ballet & a man walked on stage - Holtz then does a very strange seeies of steps, and says "Well there was a man's name in the program anyhow..."
@@charleholst3881 best ending of any movie, ever
Didn't end with the Hays Code. Curt Bois as "Butch" in "Hollywood Hotel "1937 is a gem
Can you list these movies to their clips? I would like to see them all
There's a timestamped list of movies in the description
Funny - Reminds me of major corporations I’ve worked for. Lol!!!
🤣
0:16 holy shit I can’t believe that they could be that overt about it in the 30’s.
00:47 What did Mae West say? Captioning was no help.
The Cherry Sisters. She was referring to a sister act in vaudeville that was notoriously bad
@@watchingclassicmovies Thanks. On that note... I've noticed that many on these boards think Mae was supportive of gays, but I haven't come across any evidence. One famous anecdote about Mae (maybe true, maybe not) was her scolding policemen who were arresting gay men. "Remember, when you're hittin' them, you're hittin' a woman." Many likely thought then- and probably now- that gay men had a female mind in a male body, and lesbians had a male mind in a female body." These ancient absurdities don't exactly show support.
Now, now don't let's be silly 😏
Is this all before the hays code because it seemed anything went before then.
Yes! This particular stereotype wasn't as obvious after code enforcement
Consider Horatio Alger Jr.'s endless series of boys' books, typically sort of juvenile Dickens stories. His heroes often form close male-male bonds, even resembling marriage in some cases. But he also has many effeminate or 'sissy' characters portrayed as contemptible or even villainous. Other boys-book authors (e.g., R. H. Barbour, author of many sports-themed books) show the same pattern: bromances on the one hand, and the rejection of effeminacy on the other.
It seems to me that until quite recently, the idea of the hyper-masculine gay stereotypes like bears and leathermen would have been literally (and I use that word carefully) inconceivable by almost everyone (including conventionally masculine men who tried to understand their own erotic drives).
Axel in Harlem but its a 1930s pre-code film
Anyone know the name of the actor who plays Ernest? Ive seen him in a few things but I cant quite remember.
Tyrell Davis. There's a timestamped list of the actors/films in the description if you're wondering about anyone else!
You forgot to show the great crossdresing of Laurel & Hardy
OMG what has just happened here? Two hours ago I was watching a Steve Urkel reel then something about Palestine….. two hours later I end up here…. My head hurts, I feel dizzy… what happened in between I just can’t remember
🤣
What, no Edward Everett Horton??
The posey comment is pretty funny to be fair, seeing as men wearing a posey in their breast pocket back then was the same as wearing a pride pin right now 😂😂 (at least, I think it was a posey)
Another great video!
0:28 1930s femboys be like:
Off-topic, but where tf did "be like" start and why do people across all demographics use it?
@@akrenwinkle I have no idea.
@@akrenwinkle it's black american slang thats been taken up by the masses.
@@kellylyons1038 I wouldn't say "masses." Just certain pretentious white folks. It's pretty condescending and insulting if you think about it.
It’s not a stereotype if it’s true.
Isnt the actor at :57 (and other clips) the same one who played the bus pest in "It Happened One Night"? If so, I had no idea he had a period playing "sissies"
That's Bobby Watson; you're thinking of Roscoe Karns in It Happened One Night. They do look similar!
Can anyone tell me the name of the guy that looks like he's wearing lipstick, with a moustache? I think I've seen him in some old movie, but would be interested in his bio.
It was called being a dandy back then.
As a gay man i love this
I need this
Where's the sisy characters when i need them
A lot of loafer lightener being used.
These men are being “swishy”.🤭
The text goes way too fast in this video.
Thanks for the feedback!
Damn, they all have perfect DSL 😂😂
These are parodies.
You forgot the old gay character in the 1931 Gloria Swanson film.
Could you put text at the bottom of the screen that say what the name of the movie is and what year it is from
A timestamped list of movies/actors is in the description
@@watchingclassicmovies thanks
I still prefer this over the modern gayness.
What does that mean?
@@jasonchambers4495 you know what I mean.
@@AbrasiousProductions I don't think we do. Define "modern gayness".
@@AbrasiousProductions I honestly don’t. You mean, like film and movies? In which case the portrayal is far more varied than it used to be, and certainly isn’t much of a monolith.
0:57 is Ben Shapiro?😂
And now for something completely different.....
5:12 my new favourite scene ever
The good old days
you got to give your audience time to read the onscreen text
let us not forget jesse woolworths son jimmy donahue but he wasn't a movie star, just as famous
This is how men really are if they’re allowed to be!😃👍✨💖✨
Boys will boy boys wooh! Is it al jolson? 😂
Yep, that's Jolson!
Early inclusivity, I say
You should include the titles of the movies in the video.
A timestamped list of movies/actors is in the description!
It's a little ironic to think that this was supposed to be something "acid" humorous and we see with disdain how they portrayed this stereotype at that time. Buuut on the other hand, even today in the middle of 2024, there are people who are gay and act in the same way like in the video to be "funny" using the same humoe (I can name several who literally act the same way in the video). In a way they are acting the same as how they were portrayed, so how can humor that was supposed to be "prejudiced" exactly portray the way of certain guys act in the same way in real life ?
*See also Joe E. Brown's 'The Tenderfoot'. Performers dressed as fancy cowboys from a stage show enter a diner....*
*"They may be cowboys but they ain't from Texas!" (1932, just before the Hayes Code Restrictions)*
ruclips.net/video/rh5De00xzdw/видео.html
Too butch for MY taste, honey! LOL!
Representation matters!
In most of the clips, no queer was harmed😊
some of this are actually funny
Women don’t act that way
I was sorry you left out the sissy's transformation into a monster in the Soda Squirts cartoon, as it's the best part. The whole film is on RUclips.
Wuhu!
PANGBORN! PANGBORN! PANGBORN!
This is not a stereotype anymore, it’s reality, one of the thousands new genders nowadays.
iconic
These are the men I'm into
The limp wrist
Play nice!
Stewie
Nothing Change 😵💫Still the Same 😬
Who is Mr Skinner omg, hes so fine
C. Henry Gordon, "Hell's Highway"
El problema es que hoy el movimiento queer fortalece todavia mas el estereotipo esperpéntico contra el cual, se supone, se luchaba.
Yikes !
Add this to the stereotype of African and indigenous people…let’s not forget Charlie Chan….
Not a good vibe America :-/
Okay black face was messed up
But... The sisy ones... 🥰
Over the top annoying, that hasn’t changed.
Gorgeous George=📺
Fun
Lidderally roger the alien and stewiee
Well that is the way Gays are today..no difference. Kinda sad really. Men without masculinity. I am old school Gay.....from the Rock Hudson days.
As a gay friend of mine once said to me, "I was born with balls. I'll act like I have them, not like a woman." Sounds like the two of you think much alike. As I said in a post above, "effeminate flamer" doesn't equal "homosexual" and never has. One is a choice of who you give your affections to, just as everyone does. The other is an act.
Everyone has preferences. Sometimes it's a mix of both. We shouldn't downplay others because they don't share what we like.