“Since the film illustrates the horrors of such a lifestyle, it can be considered moral in theme even though it deals with sexual perversion." So said the Motion Picture Production Code Administration in 1959. The film being referring to was a big screen adaptation of Suddenly Last Summer. The Gore Vidal film adaptation of Tennessee WIllaims’ stage drama of the same name was allowed to openly discuss homosexuality due to its treatment of the subject matter as being tragic. The gay character in question was brutally murdered in Spain. The murder was witnessed by his cousin Holly, who is understandably shaken-up by the experience. So evidently it was okay to have a gay man feature prominently in a Hollywood film back then so long as he was brutally murdered. Nice to know we live in more civilized times.
Dennis F. Johnson brings Tennessee Williams original drama to life in an Uprooted Theatre production which will open later this month. This will be the final production for Uprooted, which has staged a number of memorable productions over the years.
Uprooted’s staging of Suddenly Last Summer runs May 14-24 at the Next Act Theatre on 255 S Water St. For more information, visit uprootedmke.com.
