FeedBoys In The Band Coming To DVD
Written by NetBear on October 31, 2008 – 5:58 pm -On November 11th CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment will release the DVD of the 1970 cult-classic film The Boys in the Band
In 1968, an Off-Broadway play about a birthday party attended by a group of homosexual men made theatrical history by becoming the first play to deal honestly with gay urban life. The party brings together a group of misfits that have become clichés — the self-loathing alcoholic, the bitchy queen, the flamboyant sissy, the stud-for-hire — for an evening of truth-telling.
The film version of The Boys in the Band (1970), starring the play’s original cast, has become a landmark in the history of gays in film. Like many historical artifacts, it now seems a bit dated. But the film’s significance is undoubted, and its wicked wit is still intact.
At the time it was quite scandalous and shocking for audiences to see homosexuality out in the open like this. An article from Time Magazine in 1968 described it this way:
In the theater, as in today’s urban society, homosexuals have abandoned discretion and invisibility.
For better or worse, homosexuality and the gay-life subculture are becoming acceptable as dramatic themes, to be treated with the same frankness as heterosexual relations.
The film, which was directed by Academy Award winner William Friedkin, will arrive on DVD for the first time Nov. 11. The cast includes Kenneth Nelson, Peter White, Laurence Luckinbill, Leonard Frey and Cliff Gorman, who all originated their roles in the 1968 Off-Broadway run.
Author Mart Crowley (bottom row, center) with the cast of The Boys in the Band.
The original movie trailer for the film from 1970 is something else. If it looks primitive just remember that the personal computer hadn’t even been invented yet at that point in history.
Here’s a scene from the movie when Harold arrives for his birthday party and “the floor show” is already going on.
The film was restored under the direction of Friedkin, who said in a statement, “This is the best this picture has ever looked or sounded.”
Bonus features include documentaries about the creation of the play, the making of the controversial film and the enduring power of both versions. Also included are interviews with director Friedkin, playwright/screenwriter Crowley, executive producer Dominick Dunne, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and cast members White and Luckinbill. The DVD also includes a commentary track by Friedkin.
Yes, circa 1970 queens were just as dramatic as they can be today, especially with good writers. The Boys In The Band stands as a reminder of our past, present and future. We’ve come a long way in society. But some things never change.
