The Queer Encyclopedia of Film and Television [Paperback]

Claude J. Summers (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2005

From Hollywood films to TV soap operas, from Vegas extravaganzas to Broadway theater to haute couture, this comprehensive encyclopedia contains over 200 entries and 200 photos that document the irrepressible impact of queer creative artists on popular culture.

How did Liberace’s costumes almost kill him? Which lesbian comedian spent her high school years as “the best white cheerleader in Detroit?” For these answers and more, fans can dip into The Queer Encyclopedia of Film, Theater, and Popular Culture. Drawn from the fascinating online encyclopedia of queer arts and culture, www.glbtq.com — which the Advocate dubbed “the Encyclopedia Brittaniqueer” — this may be the only reference book in which RuPaul and Jean Cocteau jostle for space. From the porn industry to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, from bodybuilding to Dorothy Arzner, it’s a queer, queer world, and The Queer Encyclopedia is the indispensable guide: readable, authoritative, and concise. And perfect to read by candelabra. (The answers to the two questions above: from the dry cleaning fumes, Lily Tomlin.)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This is a fascinating book with more than 150 entries. Although most are about individuals, including Dorothy Arzner, Raymond Burr, Margaret Cho, Marlene Dietrich, Sir Ian McKellen, Rosie O'Donnell, RuPaul, and Andy Warhol, many others cover such wide-ranging subjects as American television, Canadian television, Documentary film, Film noir, Film sissies, Pornographic film and video, and Stereotypes. Many of the entries make fascinating reading. Boomers, for example, will remember Tommy Kirk as a child actor in many Disney productions. Two-thirds of the way through a four-page entry entitled Film actors: Gay male can be found reference to the courage displayed by Kirk when, as a teenager, he came out to Disney and was immediately fired. His bravery is a moment in gay history that deserves to be remembered. Certainly his story will continue to have special meaning to contemporary young people as they find themselves struggling with their own experiences, feelings, and fears. And in the entry In the Life, readers will discover that this gay and lesbian broadcast news magazine, which debuted in 1992, was denounced on the Senate floor by Robert Dole before it ever aired and that many pubic television stations are still reluctant to broadcast it, in spite of the fact that it is watched by more than one million viewers.

Each entry contains a bibliography and, when appropriate, very reader-helpful see also references. To help readers navigate the information, there are an alphabetical list of entries, a topical index, and an index of names, which also includes those who are mentioned in the text but do not have their own entries. This index is great for browsing.

The encyclopedia will satisfy a wide range of readers. It offers history and entertainment, heritage and culture, and connection through context, and it is highly recommended for high schools and public libraries. Scottie Wallace
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"This book is indispensable." -- Bay Area Reporter

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Cleis Press (December 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573442097
• ISBN-13: 978-1573442091
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #474,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Gay

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia of the lavender screen, March 14, 2006

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W. Oliver (Alabama) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Queer Encyclopedia of Film and Television (Paperback)

This engaging encyclopedia contains over 160 entries and includes notable actors, actresses, screenwriters, directors, comedians and more (both living and dead), as well as specialized topics. Entries on individuals cover a page or two while broader subjects (like "American Television - Dramas and "British Television") are much lengthier. Contributors include professors, scholars, writers and critics in the field. For the most part, entries are thorough, covering a person's career and accomplishments as well as illuminating their private life and what part, if any, their sexuality had on their professional lives. Some subjects are more revealing than others. For example, entries on Agnes Moorehead and Cary Grant, two examples of famous "were they or were they not?," don't really include any new information, aside from gossip, and the basis for their inclusion is questionable. On the other hand, recently deceased contemporary subjects, who never publicly came out, like Roddy McDowell, James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, are included. Famous bi-sexuals (like Tallulah Bankhead, Errol Flynn, Brad David and Margaret Cho) are included. A notable highlight of the book is the inclusion of contemporary actors, like Dan Butler, Alan Cumming and Lily Tomlin. There are so notable omissions (like Leslie Jordan, Sara Gilbert and David Hyde Pierce), but the editor states that the book is not meant to be comprehensive and the lack of information on certain individuals is often the reason for their absence. Hopefully, this is a reference work that will be revised in years to come. It is a helpful and informative source.