The Celluloid Closet

The Celluloid Closet

102 mins | Drama, Documentary, History | Jan. 30, 1996

This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industry's role in shaping perceptions of LGBT figures. The issues addressed include secrecy – which initially defined homosexuality – as well as the demonization of the homosexual community with the advent of AIDS, and finally the shift toward acceptance and positivity in the modern era.

The Celluloid Closet

102 mins | Drama, Documentary, History | Jan. 30, 1996

The Celluloid Closet
This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industry's role in shaping perceptions of LGBT figures. The issues addressed include secrecy – which initially defined homosexuality – as well as the demonization of the homosexual community with the advent of AIDS, and finally the shift toward acceptance and positivity in the modern era.
IMDb rating 7.8
Producers Sony Pictures Classics, Channel Four Films, ARTE, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, HBO, ZDF, Telling Pictures
Original title The Celluloid Closet
Directors Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein
Writers Vito Russo

Cast

Lily Tomlin

as Narrator (voice)

Tony Curtis

as Self

Susan Sarandon

as Self

Gore Vidal

as Self

Whoopi Goldberg

as Self

Antonio Fargas

as Self

Arthur Laurents

as Self

Tom Hanks

as Self

Farley Granger

as Self

Quentin Crisp

as Self

Harry Hamlin

as Self

Sharon Stone

as Self

Susie Bright

as Self

Mart Crowley

as Self

Richard Dyer

as Self

Jan Oxenberg

as Self

Paul Rudnick

as Self

Barry Sandler

as Self

Ron Nyswaner

as Self

Daniel Melnick

as Self

Stewart Stern

as Self

Paul Newman

as Self (archive footage)