İİİİİİİİİİİ Homosexual men in the 1930s were by no means a homogenous group.İ In appearance and demeanor, they ranged from the overtly effeminate pansies, also referred to as fairy, sissy, nance, she-man, daisy, buttercup, and horticultural lad, who very blatantly displayed their homosexuality through their physical bodies, to men who conformed very strictly to masculine gender conventions, giving no hint of their homosexual behavior.[1]İ In Hollywood films of the 1930s, however they appeared predominately as pansies.İ Homosexuality was portrayed through the stock character of the pansy, and reinforced through the use of coded language, widely recognized for its homosexual implications.İ At a time when sex, heterosexual and homosexual was forbidden on the screen, pansies and coded language were the vehicle through which filmmakers presented homosexuality.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Homosexual references were often seen in romantic comedies, a genre defined as ìa form in which the main impetus of the action is the protagonists' attempts to find an appropriate sexual partner, in the face of either external opposition, or internal misunderstanding, or a mixture of both.[2]îİ The protagonist of romantic comedies of the 1930s was most often a man and the ìappropriate sexual partner,î a woman.İ These heterosexual relationships were obviously the dominant theme in these films, with the focus on the romantic not the sexual aspect of the relationship.İ When this heterosexual romance was interrupted by homosexual references, a new dimension was added to the romantic comedy.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Historians of the genre have asserted, ìthe enduring popularity of Romantic Comedy owes much to the near-universality of its subject matter.[3]îİ As mainstream American romantic comedies in the 1930s always depicted heterosexual relationships, this definition implies a universality and normality of heterosexuality.İ When homosexual characters and references were added to film they both highlighted and deconstructed the notion of the presupposed romantic heterosexual world.İ Since homosexuality was seen as perversion and deviance, when filmmakers portrayed it in films it engaged the viewerís full attention.İ By forcing the audience to recognize homosexuality, the filmmakers effectively challenged the notion of a uniform heterosexual world in which the sexual nature of characters was assumed and therefore, ignored.İ Thus, filmmakers compelled viewers to reexamine the sexual nature of all characters through comparison to the homosexual character.İ Upon examining the sexual orientation of all characters not just those involved in the filmís romance, viewers discovered that all characters had a sexual nature, even if it was not a focus in the film.İ Viewers could effectively see characters as more human, not just idealized beings falling in love or pushing along side-plots in film.İ The characters were real people who were sexual just as the viewers.İ By reminding viewers that all characters were sexual beings, filmmakers could more easily allude to sexual aspects of relationships in a time when they were unable to blatantly portray sex.İ Homosexual characters allowed filmmakers to erase the idea that heterosexuality was the same as non-sexuality and to use this new found idea to make sexuality a comedic element in romantic comedies.İ Filmmakers effectively used homosexuality to turn romantic comedies into sexual comedies.

İİİİİİİİİİİ The 1931 film Palmy Days shows how filmmakers depicted homosexuality in a character that became Hollywoodís stereotypical portrayal of homosexual men.İ The film opens in Clarkís Bakery with the all female workforce preparing the bread and donuts for the day.İ From this behind the scenes view of the bakery, the camera then shifts to the counter.İ Immediately entering the scene is a man clad in a fine suit complete with a hat approaching the counter quite fast with his gloved hands out-stretched.İ In his feminine voice he engages the young woman behind the counter.

İİİİİİİİİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Young lady, Iíd like to order a cake.İ I must have it in twenty-four hours.İ Hereís İİİİİİİİ my card.

İİİİİİİİİİİ What kind of cake would you prefer?İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ A five dollar one, a birthday cake, chocolate, all chocolate.İ I love chocolate.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Would you like a little rose on top?

İİİİİİİİİİİ No make it a pansy.[4]

With a raise of the eyebrow the man leaves the bakery and the movie as well.İ This very first exchange of dialogue both defines the pansy and demonstrates how well-known this character was to viewers in 1931.İ The line ìNo make it a pansy,î could hold comedic value only if the pansy was an easily identified stock character.

İİİİİİİİİİİ A 1933 review in Variety magazine for the film Our Betters states, ìAt the finish they ring in a pansy dancing teacher, played by Tyrell Davis with rouged lips and all.İ Itís the most broadly painted character of the kind yet attempted on the screen.[5]îİ This review not only indicates some characteristics of the pansy, but also that the pansy had obviously been depicted numerous times earlier.İ Similarly, a 1934 review for Myrt and Marge identifies Ray Hedge in a pansy role and reveals the popularity as it declares, ìEddie Foy Jr., and Ray Hedge, as a pansy, come closest to copping any honors the picture holds.[6]îİ From the article titled ìBanned from the Bathroom by Hays Office, Pictures Hop Into Pansy Stuff,îİ it is clear that the pansy was an established character by 1932.İ The article states, ìEffeminate boys crept occasionally into pictures before.İ Winked at, they are now apparently the stock comedy business, easiest at hand.[7]î

İİİİİİİİİİİ The adoption of effeminacy was central to the identification of a man as a pansy as the article ìBanned from the Bathroom by Hays Office, Pictures Hop Into Pansy Stuffî clearly points out.İ This gender inversion on the part of the pansy, was a way of hinting at homosexuality in films. The concept of heterogender as applied to American society during the 1930s and even now maintains that there is a correct or normal way that gender relates to sexuality.İ Men are masculine and women are feminine and therefore heterosexual.İ It is when gender is ambiguous that sexuality becomes compromised as well.İ This concept illuminates how a filmmaker could present homosexuality simply through an effeminate character.İ Knowing that many homosexual men chose to display their homosexuality through adopting effeminate characteristics allowed for filmmakers to stereotype all homosexuals by using its most physically obvious form.İİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The 1937 publication of Olga J. Martinís Hollywood Movie Commandments shows the clear connection between gender and sexuality as the term heterogender describes.İ Under the heading ofİ ìsex perversionî it states, ìThe characterization of a man as effeminate or a woman as grossly masculine would be absolutely forbidden for screen portrayal.İ This means, too, that no comedy character may be introduced into a screenplay pantomiming the pervert.[8]îİ Clearly effeminate men were seen as representing ìsex perversion,î or homosexuality.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Cary Grantís character, David, in the 1938 film Bringing Up Baby personifies this connection between gender roles and homosexuality in the 1930s.İ Grantís character, while perhaps a bit clumsy and certainly comical in his encounters with Katherine Hepburnís character Susan, never gives the viewer any reason to believe him other than a heterosexual male.İ When David finds himself covered in chicken feathers as a result of another one of Susanís schemes, he retreats to the shower at Susanís home.İ Susan trying to prevent Davidís escape, takes his clothes so that he will be unable to leave when he finishes bathing.İ With no clothing options but Susanís satin bathrobe complete with furry bell sleeves, David opts to wear this in order to search the house for suitable masculine clothing.İ As he walks about the house, the doorbell rings.İ Susanís Aunt Elizabeth is at the door and she is quite surprised to find a man she has never met before answering the door of her nieceís home in an obviously feminine bathrobe.İ Annoyed David asks of Aunt Elizabeth,

İİİİİİİİİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ What do you want?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Who are you?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Who are you?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Well who are you?

İİİİİİİİİİİ What do you want?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Well who are you?

İİİİİİİİİİİ I donít know Iím not quite myself today.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Well you look perfectly idiotic in those clothes.

İİİİİİİİİİİ These arenít my clothes.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Well where are your clothes?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Iíve lost my clothes.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Well why are you wearing these clothes?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Because I just went gay all of a sudden![9]

İİİİİİİİİİİ This scene allows the viewer to make a connection between gender and sexuality.İ With no other feminine cues about him but the simple adoption of Susanís bathrobe, David feels that Aunt Elizabeth thinks he is homosexual. Grantís exclamation, ìBecause Iíve just gone gay all of a sudden!î provides the evidence that links gender and sexuality.İ Davidís sexual orientation is not a theme of the film until he is thought to be showing signs of effeminacy.İ His sexuality then becomes a topic of interest as it was no longer normal or heterosexual.İ David becomes a sexual being only when the viewers are reminded by the homosexual reference that he is not non-sexual.İ Ifİ it only took a man wearing a womanís bathrobe to raise suspicions about his sexuality, filmmakers had an easy way of presenting homosexuality in film.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Pansies were obviously the most flamboyant of homosexual men during the 1930s.İ They chose to display their homosexuality not only through their gender inversion but through other ways of drawing attention to their sexual difference.İ Breaking with dominant color conventions in fashion was one such way.İ In Gay New York, a physician in 1916 remarked, ìmale perverts in New York...are known as ëfairiesí and wear a red necktie.[10]îİ In life and in the film the absence of red ties from mainstream fashion and the dominance of what were deemed conservative colors signified something special about those who broke from the dominant color convention.İ In The Psychology of Clothes, J.C. Flugel asserted in 1930, that many articles of clothing including the tie, could be viewed as phallic symbols.[11]İ With red ties already setting the men who wore them apart from the mainstream and the idea that the tie could perhaps be looked at as a phallic symbol, the red tie could clearly be seen as a marker of the manís break with normal sexuality.İ In The Language of Clothes, Alison Lurie comes to such a conclusion as well stating, ìa manís tie may [ ] be sexually symbolic, especially if it is brightly colored or in some way unusual.[12]îİ The red tie was a way for homosexual men to advertise their sexual orientation to others.İ Not all homosexuals wore red ties.İ Only those men like the pansies who chose to display their sexual preference through their physical bodies wore red ties.İ However, filmmakers used this to add another recognizable dimension to the stereotypical embodiment of homosexuality in film.

İİİİİİİİİİİ The use of Technicolor in film allowed for the audience to experience this additional marker of Hollywoodís homosexual stereotype.İ The 1937 film A Star is Born, directed by William A. Wellman, is a story of the rise of a young woman into Hollywood stardom.İ The main theme of the movie is the love and the sacrifice for success between Vicky Lester (played by Janet Gaynor) and Norman Maine (played by Frederic March.)İ This filmís pansy, just as the one in Palmy Days is on camera very briefly.İ Played by Franklin Pangborn, the pansy plays the role of a disc jockey reporting on Vicky Lesterís inherent success.İ Pangborn alerts the viewer immediately that he is playing the pansy with his high pitched feminine voice, his gesturing, and other feminine characteristics.İ What cements Pangborn as a pansy in this film is exactly what could not be seen if the film were not in Technicolor.İ Pangborn is wearing a red tie and is the only character in the film to wear a tie of such color.İ The other men in the film wear conservative colors such as black and brown just as most men of the time did.İ Pairing effeminacy and the red tie in the pansy, made for a character that would be immediately recognized by the audience as homosexual.İ İİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ While Technicolor allowed for the visual experience of the homosexual color codes used by filmmakers, those who made black and white films did not miss out on the use of color codes to portray homosexuality.İ Lavender was a color code and at times a scent often used to refer to pansies and ultimately, homosexuality.İ Clearly associating lavender as a homosexual color code is a letter written by Joe Breen on May 23, 1941 to Jack L. Warner at Warner Brothers, after reviewing the screenplay for The Maltese Falcon.İ The letter states, ìWe cannot approve the characterization of Cairo as a pansy, indicated by the lavender perfume, high pitched voice, and other accouterments.[13]îİ Effeminacy and lavender, just as the red tie came together to signal homosexuality to the audience through the pansy.İ The 1929 film The Broadway Melody pairs the effeminate pansy with lavender as well.İ ìBig Woman,î in an attempt to ridicule the pansy after his remark about designing costumes not doors, she says, ìI know that, if you had theyíd have been lavender.[14]îİ She is clearly trying to mock the pansyís obvious homosexuality by calling attention to it with the term lavender.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The connection could be drawn by homosexuals as well.İ Cole Porter made the connection between lavender and the pansy in his song ìIím a Gigoloî in the 1929 musical Wake Up and Dream, with the lines, ìAnd of lavender, my natures got just a dash in it, as Iím slightly undersexed.[15]îİ This ìdash of lavender,î was the effeminacy portrayed by the pansy and it made the pansy less than a man by masculine standards and therefore, ìundersexedî and homosexual.İ A Variety magazine article in 1932 about the popularity of the pansy referred directly to these lyrics with, ìHays officials here say the industry wonít stand for more than a dash of lavender.[16]îİ The Hays code was an attempt to force filmmakers to self censor their films.İ This line refers to Will Hays order that ìall ënanceí characters [be] eliminated from screenplays.[17]îİ As the pansy was the characterization of homosexuality, Hays officials did not want these lavender characters in film because homosexuality was believed immoral.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Mark Sandrichís 1934 film The Gay Divorcee shows pink to be another homosexually coded color.[18]İ The Gay Divorcee uses the color pink similarly to further signify the pansy Egbert, played by Edward Everett Horton, as homosexual.İ While waiting to board ship for England, Egbert is approached by a steward who asks him if he is Mr. Fitzgerald.İ Responding yes, the man asks more precisely, ìMr. Pinky Fitzgerald?îİ Egbert again affirms that he is the man in question and receives a letter.İ Egbertís friend Guy Holden, played by Fred Astaire laughs upon hearing Egbert referred to as Pinky remarking, ìThatís the first time Iíve heard that one.îİ In his very feminine manner Egbert replies, ìIt must be from father, heís always called me Pinky.İ Ever since I was a golden-haired little tot paddling about the ancestral hall in pale pink pajamas.[19]îİ Astaire and the audience find humor in Edward Everett Horton being called Pinky because pink is so obviously associated with homosexuality and it identifies him as the pansy he is.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Pansies were clearly the stereotypical image of homosexuality depicted in film in the 1930s, but pansies were certainly not the only embodiment of homosexuality.İ Pansies, also known as fairies, were simply the easiest identified homosexuals because they wore their orientation so flamboyantly in their bodies, dress, and demeanor, which is why filmmakers chose them to represent all homosexuals.İ Portraying all homosexuals through the pansy hints at the different way that sexuality was regarded in the 1930s.İ The sexual world of the 1930s was not clearly divided between homosexuality and heterosexuality as it is today.[20]İ It was divided between ìfairiesî and ìnormal men.[21]îİ The biological sex of a manís sexual partners did not determine his sexuality.İ Gender determined a manís sexuality.İ Those men who dressed in accordance with masculine gender conventions were ìnormal menî and those men who adopted feminine characteristics were ìfairies.îİ Pairing this division with the concept of heterogender, it would make sense that the fairy being gendered as a woman would desire masculinity in a partner and the ìnormal manî gendered as male would desire femininity.İ These ìnormal menî often had sex with fairies, as the fairy was gendered as a woman and the ìnormal manî would not have his masculinity challenged by the fairy.İ The man who had sex with the fairy would still be ìnormal,î not obviously homosexual like the fairy even though he had engaged in homosexual sex.İ The pansy perhaps served to normalize homosexual relations with those men who were considered ìnormal.îİ Even though the sex was clearly homosexual, the fairy, by playing the role of the women through his gender inversion, reinforced the masculinity of the ìnormal man.îİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ In film pansies served a similar function in that they reinforced the masculinity and therefore, ìnormalityî of other male characters by drawing attention to their homosexuality through obvious gender inversion.İ The pansy prevented the audience from ascribing homosexuality to men whose gender could become ambiguous at times, just as real fairies allowed for homosexual men who did not present their physical bodies as did the fairy to be termed ìnormal men.îİ The pansy accomplished this task because he was the implantation of homosexuality in film and through his presence the audience could instantly identify these other men as sexual creatures quite different from the pansy.İ The heterosexuality of all characters could no longer be presupposed when the pansy appeared in film.İ Through the recognition ofİ the differences in sexual orientation, filmmakers succeeded in making sexuality a theme in romantic comedy.İ İİİİİ İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Let us return to the 1931 film Palmy Days for an example of this use of a pansy to change other men into sexual beings who could clearly be seen as different and therefore, clearly masculine and heterosexual.İ The pansy in this film reinforces the masculinity and heterosexuality of Eddie Simpson, played by Eddie Cantor through his homosexuality.İ Eddie certainly has his masculinity challenged or obscured several times in the film.İ When he finds himself the new efficiency expert of Clarkís Bakery, he goes to the tea room to talk with some of the employees.İ Eddie chats with one of the girls to decide if she is the type of employee for Clarkís Bakery.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ May I look at you?

İİİİİİİİİİİ I donít see why you shouldnít.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Thank you.İ You know itís nice to see a girl without too much make-up on.İ Iíll İİİİİİİİİİİ bet you donít drink.

İİİİİİİİİİİ I donít.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Do you smoke?

İİİİİİİİİİİ No.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Do you stay out late nights?

İİİİİİİİİİİ Never.

İİİİİİİİİİİ My youíre a nice girl.[22]

At this Eddie turns to walk away but the girl catches his shoulder and repeats these same questions to Eddie.İ Eddie answers the same as the girl and with the final answer, she says, ìYouíre a nice girl too.îİ In addition to being called a girl, when trying to elude the villains of the film, what Variety calls the ìbig comedy scene,[23]î Cantorís character is disguised as a girl and forced to shower and swim with them.İ As evidenced by Variety the viewers saw Cantorís gender inversion and moments of compromised masculinity funny.İ The viewers were certainly not ascribing the homosexuality to Cantorís character as they did to the pansy.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ By showing the pansy in the very beginning of the film, the viewer has a type to compare to Eddie.İ Placing the pansy in the film reminds the viewer that no matter how many times Eddie has had his masculinity challenged, he is not embracing femininity as does the pansy.İ Upon comparing him to the pansy, Cantorís character becomes clearly masculine and heterosexual.İ By disrupting the uniform heterosexuality of the film, the pansy and his homosexuality also remind the viewer that Cantor is heterosexual, not non-sexual.İ Therefore, the viewer can rest assured that Cantorís character is still masculine and heterosexual even when dressed as a woman.İ From the film Palmy Days it seems that the pansy could be used to reinforce the masculinity of those men around him by drawing attention his homosexuality and therefore others heterosexuality.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Just as pansies reminded the audience of the heterosexuality of male characters by reinforcing masculinity, they served to remind viewers that women are sexual creatures through their role as a competitor.İ A 1937 book titled Mentality of Homosexualityİ describes why pansies and women could be seen as competitors.İ The book asserts that itİ was a womanís effeminacy not her sex that attracted men.[24]İ If this was true then it would seem natural that a pansy and a woman could be competing for the affections of the same man.İ It seems that the winner would be determined by who played the feminine role better.İ Filmmakers could use this idea to structure a tension between a pansy and a female character that would accomplish the ultimate task of bringing sexuality into the forefront as a theme in the film.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The tensions between pansies and female characters in film seem to have existed in two forms.İ One construction of this tension required a pansy and a woman who was seen as an ideal image of feminine perfection.İ When the relationship between the pansy and the female character was structured in this fashion, the pansy played the role of the instigator in the confrontations.İ The openly hostile manner that the pansy adopted when confronted by ìperfectî women exemplified the competitive relationship that could exist if men were in fact attracted to effeminacy and not biological femaleness.İ Naturally the pansy would feel inadequately prepared to compete with women who were seen as the ideal image of feminine perfection and therefore, more openly abrasive toward those who fit this mold.İ However, when the construction of the relationship between the pansy and the female character was changed so that the female was no longer played by a ìperfectî woman, it became the woman rather than the pansy that played the instigator.İ The pansy could effectively compete with women who were cast in a battle-ax role, as he could perhaps play a better woman.İ It is this idea that caused the woman to be the instigator of hostility in such cases.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The 1929 film The Broadway Melody, directed by Harry Beaumont, exemplifies the relationship between the pansy and the female character that was structured to place the woman in the role of the instigator of hostility.İİ Like Palmy Days, The Broadway Melody introduces us to the filmís pansy almost immediately.İ He is the costume designer for Zanfieldís Theater.İ His dress is ambiguous as he retains a smock type garment for the entirety of the movie, but his numerous comments about ìlovely fabricsî in his feminine voice and his very feminine gestures depict him very clearly as a pansy.İ Rather than drawing attention to the sexuality of characters by reinforcing the masculine gender role, the pansy in The Broadway Melody, seems to accomplish this task by challenging the feminine gender role of a character referred to only as ìBig Woman.îİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ ìBig Woman,î just as her name suggests, dwarfed not only the other girls around her, but was twice the size of the pansy.İ Her voice was rather deep and stern.İ In comparison to the other girls she could certainly be considered unattractive.İ The designation ìBig Womanî draws attention to her obvious difference from the beautiful chorus girls and even the pansy.İ All of these qualities force ìBig Womanî further and further from the ideal image of female perfection and make it very clear that she is playing the battle-ax role.İ Viewers were most likely not thinking about ìBig Womanî in a sexual nature as her gender almost seemed a bit masculine.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ It is when these two characters encounter one another that the viewer becomes aware ofİ ìBig Womanî as a sexual creature.İ From the moment that these two characters meet there is a very clear tension between them.İ The pansyís voice, his body movements, and his size were all more feminine than that of ìBig Woman.îİ With ìBig Womanî having so many masculine characteristics, it seems that the pansy could indeed play theİ female role better.İİ The hostility can be seen in an exchange of dialogue during the final dress rehearsal at Zanfieldís Revue.İ The chorus girls, in bathing suit looking costumes and wide brim hats, obviously in a rush for the stage are stopped in the doorway by the pansy and his shrieks of, ìStop, Stop!İ Girls, girls, girls, be careful of my hats!îİ The girls plead that they are in a hurry and the pansy replies that he does not care because he refuses to allow the girls to ruin his hats.İ ìBig Womanî then enters the scene saying, ìNow I told you, [the hats] were too high and too wide.îİ The pansy seeing that the woman is trying to make a fool of him replies defiantly, ìWell Big Woman, I designed the costumes for the show not the doors for the theater.î İİìBig Womanî responds saying, ìI know that, if you had theyíd have been lavender.[25]îİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ If the conflict was only about the size of the hats, ìBig Womanî would not have ridiculed the pansyís homosexuality.İ She feels challenged by the pansy and therefore, reminds the viewer that she is heterosexual and ìnormal.îİ If it were a man portrayed as following masculine gender conventions, the sexual questioning would never have taken place and the viewer would continue to take heterosexuality for granted.İ The pansyís presence and the conflict he creates however, force the viewer to ascribe a sexuality to ìBig Womanî in order to understand the tension that exists between the two.İİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The other construction of the relationship between pansies and female characters exemplified hostility initiated by the pansy.İ This could be seen when the pansy played opposite a woman who embodied feminine perfection.İ Edward Everett Hortonís roles in The Front Page and Shall We Dance illustrate this type of relation.İ In Lewis Milestoneís 1931 production ofİ Front Page, Horton plays Besinger, the pansy reporter.İ While the other reporters play cards and gamble, Besinger reads and writes poetry.İ Besingerís dress, feminine gesturing and speech, and even his eating habits identify him as a pansy.İ While all the other men wear short coats or no coats, Besinger wears a suit, long coat, hat, and gloves.İ When the other men order hamburgers, Besinger orders plain lettuce on gluten.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Besinger seems mild mannered enough around the other male reporters, but when Molly Malloy enters the scene, his personality changes.İ When she touches his chair he gets a look of defiance about him and he even quips, ìShe shouldnít be allowed in here.İ Yesterday I caught her using the drinking cup.[26]îİ Molly had never done anything personally to Besinger to warrant his attacks.İ It seems from Besingerís actions that he would have acted in such a manner with any female as beautiful as Molly.İ If the woman had been more like ìBig Womanî from The Broadway Melody perhaps he would not have been so openly hostile.İ Molly seems quite confident in herself and finds Besingerís unwarranted attacks strange and barely acknowledges them.İ If Besinger were not a pansy the attacks would seem even more strange and would perhaps have called the attention of the other men in the room to defend Molly.İ However, with Besinger being depicted as a pansy, his hostility seems warranted.İ He sees a beautiful woman and knows that he is unable to play a woman better, and is therefore upset.İ This conflict that Besinger begins with Molly effectively draws attention to her sexuality.İ It is obvious that Besinger is a pansy and is homosexual, and by showing conflict between the two, it invites the audience to think about Mollyís sexuality in comparison to Besingerís homosexuality.İ Molly becomes a sexual being simply through her conflict with Besinger.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Edward Everett Horton plays another pansy, Jeffrey in the 1937 film Shall We Dance.İ Jeffrey is the impresario for Fred Astaireís character Petrov.İ From Jeffreyís obvious portrayal as a pansy, it seems very likely that the viewer is welcome to interpret many of Jeffreyís comments about and to Petrov innocently like those a friend would make or as something more.İ Since Jeffrey is a pansy, he is obviously portraying homosexuality and therefore some of his comments could be taken to indicate that he is attracted to Petrov.İ During one scene Jeffrey is out on the deck of the ship watching a group of dancers.İ The steward approaches Jeffrey and tells him that he cannot find Petrov.İ Jeffrey responds, ìSplendid service, thatís all I can say.İ Bring the worldís leading ballet dancer onboard this ship and he disappears out of his stateroom right under your very nose.[27]îİ The steward suggests that Petrov may be in someone elseís stateroom and Jeffrey obviously appalled at this idea asks, ìWhat would he be doing in someone elseís stateroom?îİ The steward responds, ìThat would be entirely up to him sir.îİ Jeffrey does a double-take at the thought that Petrov might be with someone else.İ Perhaps his concern comes from trying to protect Petrov on the ship because he is a big star, but his concern seems to be portrayed as jealousy.İ From this and Jeffreyís later accusations that Petrov had been out with ìthat womanî it seems Jeffrey is attracted to Petrov romantically.İ He even tried to ridicule Ginger Rogerís character Denise by telling Petrov ì[She is] probably one of those night prowlers, but sheís not going to prowl too near you, because I intend to accompany you all evening.îİ This line suggests Jeffrey is jealous of Petrov spending his time with anyone else.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The relationship between Denise and Petrov is structured as one of love and romance, but by showing a competitor for Petrovís affections that is homosexual, the filmmakers allude to the heterosexuality of the other characters involved with this romance.İ Jeffrey even has an argument with Denise about the rumor in the paper that she and Petrov are married and expecting a child.İ Jeffrey knows how the rumor began because he was responsible for it, yet he blames Denise for it.İ Jeffrey would have no reason to cast Denise in such a bad light if he were not jealous or upset with her for some reason.İ Denise had not spoken more than two words to Jeffrey before this altercation so it seems that the only difficulty Jeffrey would have with her would be over her challenging him for Petrovís affection.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Ginger Rogers was the ultimate ideal of feminine perfection at the time and again if men were attracted ultimately to effeminacy, then Jeffrey could not be expected to compete with Ginger Rogers.İ An article in Photoplay exclaimed, ìI think I can safely say that no young lady in these forty-eight states could step onto a dance floor anywhere in any one of them rate a bigger rush than the beautiful Rogers.[28]îİ Jeffrey and his open hostility and conflict with Denise sexualize her, just as the pansy sexualized ìBig Womanî in The Broadway Melody.İ Through a conflict that could be seen as existing for no other reason than jealousy, the viewer is forced to think about Denise as a sexual person in love with Petrov.

İİİİİİİİİİİ While the pansy most certainly acted as the vehicle through which filmmakersİ sexualized individual characters, he also served to offer a sexualized interpretation to many scenes or lines in films.İ Incorporating homosexuality through the pansy in certain scenes caused a double meaning to emerge that often affected the interpretation of the sexuality of other characters.İ These interpretations could not be proposed if the character were not playing the role of the pansy.İ Filmmakers relied on the viewerís ability to recognize the pansy as the representation of homosexuality as a whole.İ By knowing that homosexuals existed in forms other than the pansy, filmmakers could position pansies in film in such a way that would allow viewers to ascribe sexuality and often more specifically homosexuality to other characters who were not being depicted as pansies.İ İİİİİİİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ Edward Everett Hortonís role as the pansy Jeffrey in the 1937 film Shall We Dance, provides a clear example of the use of a pansy to provide the possibility of a double interpretation.İ His role invites the audience to interpret a specific scene either as an interaction between two new friends or as an allusion to a homosexual encounter.İ Knowing that the pansy was the embodiment of homosexuality as a whole in film and having knowledge of the diversity of homosexuals in real life could certainly invite a question of interpretation.İ The nature of the scene asks the viewers to use the pansyís positioning in relation to another man to ascribe homosexuality to him as well.İ İİİİİİİİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The scene begins after Jeffery is convinced by Petrov (played by Fred Astaire) that the ship they are on is swaying.İ Jeffrey heads to the dining hall in search of a remedy for his newly developed sea sickness and finds a man sitting alone.İ He sits down with the man and attempts to order lemon juice to cure his sickness, but the man stops him, telling him that it will not help and that he had better order champagne instead.İ Jeffrey claims that he never touches the stuff, but the man decides to order some anyway, inviting Jeffrey to hang around saying, ìWell you can watch me then.[29]îİ The scene closes with Jeffrey asking, ìTell me the truth.İ Do I look bad to you?î and the mans reply, ìI donít know you well enough to tell you the truth.îİ The men stare intently into one otherís eyes and the scene closes.İ İİİİİİİİ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The film goes back to the dining hall what is obviously hours later as Jeffrey and the man are the only people left in the room.İ Both men are clearly drunk as Jeffrey compliments the man on his ìmarvelousî ability to catch food in his mouth.İ The man replies to this compliment with, ìLets drink to that.îİ It is then that the men realize it is very late as the waiter is no longer at hand.İ This scene closes with Jeffrey attempting to focus on the clock and then on his own watch.İ This fades directly into a shot of a clock in Jeffreyís bedroom, early the next morning.İ From here the camera shows the man entering the bedroom, walking straight to the bed and pulling back the covers expecting to find Jeffrey there.İ He instead finds him on the balcony in a silk robe.İ From here the question of meaning begins.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The fact that Horton plays a pansy in this movie influences how the viewer is to interpret this sequence involving him and the man.İ The obvious attempt by the camera to connect the two scenes through the continuity with the timepieces seems to suggest that the filmmaker is hinting at something.İ Added to this is the man who only the night before did not know Jeffrey well enough to tell him if he looked bad, shown waltzing through Jeffreyís bedroom the very next morning.İ The manís manner in the bedroom seems suggestive that he has been there before and now obviously knew Jeffrey well enough to enter his bedroom without even knocking.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ By presenting this stereotypical image of homosexuality in this way, it leaves the interpretation up to the viewer.İ Knowing that many men who conformed to masculine gender conventions often still engaged in homosexual sex and oftentimes with pansies, could lead the viewer to interpret that the other man played the role of a ìnormal man.î This would ultimately allow the viewer to believe that Jeffrey and the man had sex.İ The filmmakerís obvious attempts to connect the scenes and Jeffreyís role as a pansy allow for this sexualization not only of the man but this specific scene.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Another such instance where the pansy causes a question of interpretation is one of Franklin Pangbornís lines in A Star is Born.İ When reporting on Vicky Lester his line, ìher very walk they tell me is enough to drive men mad,[30]î could be interpreted in two ways.İ It could be interpreted innocently that Pangborn had not seen Vicky Lesterís walk, but has been told by those who had seen it that it would ìdrive men mad.îİ However, the second interpretation demands that the viewer relate the pansyís sexual orientation to why Pangborn does not know that Vicky Lesterís walk ìis enough to drive men mad.îİ It asks that the viewer to decide why the filmmaker chose to portray Pangbornís character as a pansy in the first place.İ With enough visual cues to identify Pangborn as a pansy, it is not much of a jump to determine that Pangborn is not interested in women just as his outward appearance suggests, and therefore would not know if her walk would ìdrive men mad,î because he is homosexual.İ Again, filmmakersí use of homosexuality sexualizes that which would otherwise not be, like Pangbornís line and the scene in Shall We Dance.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ In the film Bringing Up Baby, Davidís comment about waiting for a bus on 42nd street is also affected by the fact that at this moment he believes that Aunt Elizabeth thinks he is homosexual.[31]İ Ifİ there were not homosexual connotations to this scene, his line would not ask for further inspection, but since he is portrayed in a homosexual manner his line invites further examination.İ Upon this further examination it is found that 42nd street, New York City, was a popular street for meeting fairy prostitutes in the late 1800s and early 1900s.[32]İ Audiences could logically raise the question of the meaning of this line through the filmmakers strategic use of homosexuality.

İİİİİİİİİİİ The pansy and his embodiment of homosexuality were clearly used by filmmakers of the 1930s to sexualize both characters and scenes, but homosexuality came to be personified and used in a different manner in the 1940s.İ While homosexuality was depicted through the pansy and predominately in romantic comedies in the 1930s, by the 1940s homosexuality was being represented through murderers and villains in thrillers and mysteries.İ The Celluloid Closet, a film recounting the history of homosexual men and women in film, notes this change in the dominate images of homosexuality, yet advocates the stance that the pansy was the most negative, disgusting stereotype of homosexual men.[33]İ The pansy was most certainly a stereotype of homosexual men, but to label the pansy as nothing more than a disgusting stereotype is to ignore his important function in films of the 1930s.İ More importantly, this view ignores the far more offensive stereotypes that emerged in the 1940s.İ

İİİİİİİİİİİ The pansy did not disappear in the 1940s but, his role as a comedic character was exchanged for that of a villain.İ The 1941 film The Maltese Falcon, featured a pansy in a leading role as a villain.İ His name was Joel Cairo, (played by Peter Lorre) and his feminine voice, gesturing, and gardenia perfume all characterize him as a pansy. İThe filmmaker even alters the music slightly each time Cairo enters a scene in order to alert the viewer to his effeminacy.İ Cairo along with the other villains of the film are willing to murder and steal at any cost so long as they get what they want:İ the Maltese falcon.İ Characterizing such a violent villain as a pansy, permitted the audience to associate homosexuality with crime.İ As homosexuality was already seen as deviance at the time, portraying homosexuals in such a way only served to further this idea.İ The pansy so often seen in films of the 1930s, had retained only his effeminacy in the 1940s as he was certainly no longer in the business of comedy.

İİİİİİİİİİİ Alfred Hitchcockís 1948 film Rope, did not use the pansy, but did use homosexuality to depict the two main characters.İ Recognizing the characters as homosexual was not easy because the men did not wear their sexuality flamboyantly like the pansy.İ Authur Laurents, the screenwriter of Rope affirmed that the film was centered on homosexual men, but most viewers failed to recognize this.[34]İ Rupert (played by James Stewart) and Brandon (played by John Dall) were depicted as homosexual men who murder their friend Phillip, simply to display their ability to accomplish such a feat.İ Farley Granger, who played Phillip, the victim of the murder in the film said, ìwe knew that [Rupert and Brandon] were gay.[35]îİ Just as The Maltese Falcon, allowed the audience to associate homosexuality with crime, so too did Rope as it portrayed the homosexual men in the movie as murderers.

İİİİİİİİİİİ The pansy was not the most accurate depiction of all homosexual men in the 1930s, but this stock character was certainly based on what filmmakers observed about some homosexual men at the time.İ However, in the 1940s, portraying homosexuals as murderers and villains was in no way a reflection of real homosexuals.İ This is not to say that homosexuals never committed crimes, but to represent homosexuality as a whole in such a defamatory manner reflected the association of homosexuality with immorality and deviance.İ While the pansy was not a perfect embodiment of homosexuality, he served to sexualize films and add humor in a manner that did not cast homosexuality in the negative light of deviance that would come to characterize depictions of homosexuals in the 1940s.İ The pansy clearly played an important role in presenting homosexuality to America through the medium of film, and ultimately allowed filmmakers to sexualize all characters in film at a time when sex was forbidden onscreen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

İBibliography

 

Banned from the Bathroom by Hays Office, Pictures Hop Into Pansy Stuff,î Variety, 2 February 1932.

Beaumont, Harry.İ The Broadway Melody.İ Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, 1929.İ

Chauncey, George.İ Gay New York:İ Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay İİİİİİİ Male World, 1890-1940.İ New York:İ BasicBooks, 1994.

Cole, Shaun.İ ëDon We Now Our Gay Apparelí:İ Gay Menís Dress in the Twentieth İİİ Century.İ New York:İ Oxford International Publishers Ltd., 2000.

Doherty, Thomas.İ Pre-Code Hollywood.İ New York:İ Columbia University Press, 1999.

Dyer, Richard.İ Gays and Film.İ London:İ British Film Institute, 1980.

Flugel, J.C. The Psychology of Clothes.İ New York:İ International Universities Press, Inc., İİİİİİ 1971.

Foley, Jack.İ ìWilliam McBrien, Cole Porter:İ A Biography Knopf,î İİİİ <http://www.alsopreview.com/foley/jfporter.html>.

Friedman, Jeffrey and Glassman, Arnold.İ The Celluloid Closet.İ Home Box Office İİİİİİ Pictures Production, 1996.İ

Gardner, Gerald.İ The Censorship Papers.İ New York:İ Dodd, Mead and Company, 1987.

Griffith, Richard.İİ The Talkies:İ Articles and Illustrations From a Great Fan Magazine İİ 1928-1940.İ New York:İ Dover Publications, Inc., 1971.

Griffiths, Trevor R. and Smith, Sue. ìRomantic Comedy.î `İİİİİİ <http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=344700>.

Hawk, Howard.İ Bringing Up Baby.İ RKO Radio Pictures Inc., 1938.İ

Hitchcock, Alfred.İ Rope.İ Warner Brothers, 1948.

Huston, John.İ The Maltese Falcon.İ Warner Brothers, 1941.

Khan, Samuel.İ Mentality of Homosexuality.İ Boston:İ 1937.

Lurie, Alison.İ The Language of Clothes.İ New York:İ Henry and Holt, 1981.

Martin, Olga.İ Hollywoodís Movie Commandments.İ New York:İ The H.W. Wilson İİİ Company, 1937.

Milestone, Lewis.İ The Front Page.İ United Artists, 1931.İ

 

Review of Myrt and Marge.İ 1934.İ Daily Variety, Ltd., New York.İ Variety, 23 January.

 

Review of Our Betters.İ 1933.İ Daily Variety, Ltd., New York.İ Variety, 28 February.

 

Review of Palmy Days.İ 1931.İ Daily Variety, Ltd., New York.İ Variety, 29 September.

Parish, James Robert.İ Gays and Lesbians in Mainstream Cinema:İ Plots, Critiques, Casts İİİİİİİİ and Credits for 272 Theatrical and Made-for-Television Hollywood Releases.İ İİİİİİİ Jefferson:İ McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, 1993.

Russo, Vito.İ The Celluloid Closet:İ Homosexuality in the Movies.İ New York:İ Harper & İİİİİİİ Row, Publishers, 1987.

Sandrich, Mark.İ Gay Divorcee.İ RKO Radio Pictures, 1934.

Sandrich, Mark.İ Shall We Dance.İ RKO Radio Pictures Inc., 1937.İ

Shaw, Susan M. and Lee, Janet.İ Womenís Voices, Feminist Visions:İ Classic and İİİİİİ Contemporary Readings.İ Mountain View:İ Mayfield Publishing Company, 2001.

Straayer, Chris.İ Deviant Eyes, Deviant Bodies.İ New York:İ Columbia University Press, İİİİİİİİİ 1996.

Sutherland, Edward.İ Palmy Days.İ Howard Productions Inc., 1931.İ

ìSymbolics,î<http://hawww.ha-nett.no/~tekarlse/gay/symbols.html>.

Wellman, William A.İ A Star is Born.İ Selznick International, 1937.İ

Wood, Julia T.İ Gendered Lives:İ Communication, Gender, and Culture.İ Belmont:İ İİİİİ Wadsworth, 2001.İ

 

 

 

 

İİİİİİİİİİİ

 

 

 

 



[1]George Chauncey, Gay New York:İ Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 (New York:İ BasicBooks, 1994), 15.

[2]Trevor R. Griffiths and Sue Smith, ìRomantic Comedy,î <http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=344700> (12 November 2001).

[3]Trevor R. Griffiths and Sue Smith, ìRomantic Comedy,î <http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=344700> (12 November 2001).

 

[4]Palmy Days.İ Edward Sutherland, Howard Productions Inc., (1931).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[5]Review of Our Betters.İ 1933.İ Daily Variety, Ltd., New York.İ Variety, 28 February.

[6]Review of Myrt and Marge.İ 1934.İ Daily Variety, Ltd., New York.İ Variety, 23 January.

[7]ìBanned from the Bathroom by Hays Office, Pictures Hop Into Pansy Stuff,î Variety, 2 February 1932, 6.

[8]Olga Martin, Hollywoodís Movie Commandments (New York:İ The H.W. Wilson Company, 1937), 180.

[9]Bringing Up Baby.İ Howard Hawks, RKO Radio Pictures Inc.,İ (1938).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[10]George Chauncey, Gay New York:İ Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 (New York:İ BasicBooks, 1994), 52.

[11]J.C. Flugel, The Psychology of Clothes (New York:İ International Universities Press, Inc., 1971), 27.

[12]Alison Lurie, The Language of Clothesİ (New York:İ Henry and Holt, 1981), 244.

[13]Gerald Gardner, The Censorship Papers (New York:İ Dodd, Mead and Company, 1987), 39.

[14]The Broadway Melody.İ Harry Beaumont, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, (1929).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[15]Jack Foley, ìWilliam McBrien, Cole Porter:İ A Biography Knopf,î <http://www.alsopreview.com/foley/jfporter.html> (13 November 2001).

[16]ìBannedİ from Bathroom by Hays Office, Pictures Hop Into Pansy Stuff,î Variety, 2 February 1932,İ 6.

[17]Thomas Doherty, Pre-Code Hollywood (New York:İ Columbia University Press, 1999), 125.

[18]During World War II, Nazis used the pink triangle to designate homosexuals.İ ìSymbolics,î<http://hawww.ha-nett.no/~tekarlse/gay/symbols.html> (17 November 2001).

[19]Gay Divorcee.İ Mark Sandrich, RKO Radio Pictures, (1934).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[20]George Chauncey, Gay New York:İ Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 (New York:İ BasicBooks, 1994), 13.

[21]George Chauncey, Gay New York:İ Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 (New York:İ BasicBooks, 1994), 13.

 

[22]Palmy Days.İ Edward Sutherland, Howard Productions Inc., (1931).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[23]Review of Palmy Days.İ 1931.İ Daily Variety, Ltd., New York.İ Variety, 29 September.

[24]Samuel Khan, Mentality of Homosexuality (Boston:İ 1937), 155.

[25]The Broadway Melody.İ Harry Beaumont, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, (1929).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[26]The Front Page.İ Lewis Milestone, United Artists, (1931).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[27]Shall We Dance.İ Mark Sandrich, RKO Radio Pictures Inc., (1937).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[28]Richard Griffith, The Talkies:İ Articles and Illustrations From a Great Fan Magazine 1928-1940 (New York:İ Dover Publications, Inc., 1971), 194.

[29]Shall We Dance.İ Mark Sandrich, RKO Radio Pictures Inc., (1937).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[30]A Star is Born.İ William A. Wellman, Selznick International, (1937).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[31]Bringing Up Baby.İ Howard Hawks, RKO Radio Pictures Inc.,İ (1938).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[32]George Chauncey, Gay New York:İ Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 (New York:İ BasicBooks, 1994), 68.

[33]The Celluloid Closet.İ Home Box Office Pictures Production, (1996).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

[34]The Celluloid Closet.İ Home Box Office Pictures Production, (1996).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)

 

[35]The Celluloid Closet.İ Home Box Office Pictures Production, (1996).İ (transcribed by Danyele McPherson)