A Queer Romance (2020)

In his documentary “A Queer Romance: Gay Characters and Male Bonding in Early Film (silent film and pre-code),” historian Shane Brown (@silentvoices74 on Instagram) discusses the queer-coding of George O'Brien and Guinn Williams’ characters in the 1928 silent film NOAH’S ARK. This documentary project was created by Brown in 2020 and is based on his book “Queer Sexualities in Early Film: Cinema and Male-Male Intimacy,” published by I.B. Tauris.

The film examines depictions of male bonding and how gay men were represented in American and European silent films and early talkies from 1894 to 1934. It features footage from Wings, All Quiet on the Western Front, Anders als die Andern, Algie the Miner, Way Out West, Our Betters, The Broadway Melody and many more.

If you enjoyed my recent post featuring the dancing/singing pansies in 1931 pre-code film CALL HER SAVAGE, you’ll definitely want to check out Brown’s close examination of the journey of these, and other, queer characters!

You can find A QUEER ROMANCE streaming for free on YouTube, the linked below:

A Queer Romance: Gay Characters and Male Bonding in Early Film (silent film and pre-code)

2020. UK.

Director: Shane Brown

Writer: Shane Brown