The Celluloid Closet

1996 1h 42m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 122

DocumentaryHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Exuberant, eye-opening movie that serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Film contains fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Lily Tomlin
Narrator (voice)
Tony Curtis
Self
Susan Sarandon
Self
Gore Vidal
Self
Whoopi Goldberg
Self
Antonio Fargas
Self
Shirley MacLaine
Self
John Schlesinger
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rob Epstein
Writers: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Sharon Wood
Languages: English
Countries: France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rob Epstein, shot by Nancy Schreiber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jeffrey Friedman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Lily Tomlin and Tony Curtis and Susan Sarandon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0112651 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rob Epstein directs. Nancy Schreiber behind the camera. Carter Burwell scores. Jeffrey Friedman cuts. Produced in France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

130 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 4 countries: France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Rob Epstein, shot by Nancy Schreiber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jeffrey Friedman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Lily Tomlin and Tony Curtis and Susan Sarandon carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0112651 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Nancy Schreiber
Original score: Carter Burwell
Editing: Jeffrey Friedman
Production design: Scott Chambliss
Sound: Lora Hirschberg
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Status: Released
Box office: $1,400,591
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Celluloid Closet (1996)

Awards

Peabody Awards

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Rob Epstein

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-11-17
★ 7/10
Ok, so perhaps some of the claims made in the narration about some of the stars featured here are a bit optimistically speculative, but it still manages to use some very well researched archive and the benefit of hindsight to portray a sort of “Hollywood Babylon” approach to a century of gay Hollywood film-making. Starting way back, pre-code, with films from the likes of Cecil B. DeMille, it presents and engaging analysis of cinematic history that includes some of the talked-about regulars like Greta Garbo, Dame Judith Anderson, Rock Hudson and Monty Clift, but instead of reverting to the gossip columns of the likes of Louella Parsons, it sees contributions from the likes of Tony Curtis, Shirley MacLaine and particularly Gore Vidal to shine some spotlights on the subtly of messages like the censored oysters and snails scene from “Spartacus” (1960) that did actually make it past those implementing the Hayes code. Some of the commentaries quite potently focus attention on the innate conservativeness of an industry that either in content or via it’s highly paid and profiled personalities was unwilling to rock the boat of an America that viewed any semblance of same sex relationships with disdain - unless, of course, it involved Jack Lemmon or a camp “sissy” mincing around offering a comforting foil to the likes of Marilyn Monroe or Jane Russell. Once the breakthrough came, in the USA long after most of Europe and even the UK, it opened the flood gates and soon A-listers like Susan Sarandon and Tom Hanks were topping the bill with overtly gay, or mischievously nuanced, characterisations. It also draws an interesting distinction between the perceptions of man on man and woman on woman stories. The latter seemingly proving less provocative and the former bringing into question the entire concept of masculinity and weakness. It’s down to Vidal, though, to steal the show with a recounting of a conversation on the set of “Ben Hur” (1959) where he and William Wyler discuss just whether Chuck Heston and Stephen Boyd might just have an hidden reason for that glint in their eyes at the start of the film? Well, Boyd anyway! This is an entertaining chronology that casts it’s net far and wide, and comes up with some surprising substance but keep the salt nearby.

Production companies