CATEGORY: LGBTQ Theater History

Julian Eltinge & The Feminine Mystique

In recognition of Gay Pride and as an observation of the state of “drag“ in America, the above photograph of Julian Eltinge and Mary PIckford appeared in the Washington Post on June 24, 2023, along with a profile by Randy Dotinga entitled “A century ago, this star ‘female impersonator’ made men swoon.” The following is WalterFilm’s salute to Gay Pride and perspective on Julian Eltinge’s life, career and place in the evolution of the “the Gay.” It incorporates Mr. Dotinga’s thoug…

ANDY WARHOL AND FILM

Andy Warhol born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was a seminal American visual artist, film director and producer, and a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and spaned a variety of media, including film, photography, painting, silkscreening, and sculpture.

Derek Jarman – Gay British Film Maker

In celebration Gay Pride 2022, Walter Film is highlighting Derek Jarman (1942-1994), one of the preeminent gay filmmakers of the late Twentieth Century, and one of the great names in British “queer (as it was known)” cinema. From the time of his feature film, SEBASTIANE (which rendered the story of Saint Sebastian in what for its time was disturbingly overt homoerotic imagery), Jarman left an indelible imprint on the history of LGBTQ art. ARCHIVE OF UNPUBLISHED SIGNED AUTOGRAPHED LETTERS …

From Beefcake to Drag

In today’s LGBTQ community the gay male has two aspects of his personality that might be considered by some as somewhat outré: “drag or drag queens – men dressing as women” and “beefcake  males – hyper-muscular men.” Their true origins date from the ancient Greeks where the muscular male body was celebrated in stone and reflected in the images of the gods and where the female characters in plays were performed by boys. However, today’s interest in drag queens and beefcake males act…

Drag Before RuPaul

The term “Drag” is the shortened version of “Drag Queen” which, in many circles today, is a derogatory description of men who like to dress as women either as a life choice or as a female impersonator. RuPaul changed “Drag Queen” to “Drag” in 2009, when he became an international celebrity, turning his success as RuPaul Female Impersonator, recording artist, spokesperson, actor, author and talk show host into a reality competition television series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, which he…