When he was a kid Richard Dyer spent a lot of time at the movies. But unlike his peers who readily identified with the hard-boiled superdicks played by Humphrey Bogart and William Powell, Dyer found it easier to relate to the villains and supporting characters like Clifton Webb’s prissy Waldo in Laura and Peter Lorre’s scented sissy in The Maltese Falcon. He figured they must be homosexuals–just like him. Unfortunately these pansy portrayals didn’t do a whole lot for his self-image, especially at a time when positive gay role models were virtually nonexistent and the public’s ideas about homosexuality were heavily influenced by Hollywood.
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Dyer, who’s featured in the movie version of The Celluloid Closet opening later this month at the Music Box, will talk about gays and lesbians in film noir this Wednesday at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington. The program, “Queer Noir,” begins with a reception at 6 and is followed by Dyer’s lecture and a screening of clips from such films as The Big Combo, Gilda, The Maltese Falcon, and A Walk on the Wild Side. The program is the first offering in a film series hosted by the Gerber/Hart Gay and Lesbian Library and Archives, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Admission is $10; call 883-3003.
