Sapphic Actresses
From an early age I have had a passion for films and had the pleasure of working in an art house cinema, while undertaking my PhD, which hosted Edinburgh International Film Festival. Though I had crushes on actresses I also looked to female actresses for inspiration - gals with gusto who were adventurous, daring, entrepreneurial and... who didn't just stand there while her beau was fighting the baddie - she grabbed the knife / gun when it dropped and stabbed / shot / with a frying pan knocked out the baddie.
The Sewing Circle
On reading Axel Madsen's The Sewing Circle I wanted to run around with joy on discovering some of Hollywood's greatest and elegant female icons were bi or lesbian actresses. An amazing post by Riese summarises the old Hollywood lesbian actresses "love" links in a remarkable infographic: The Old Hollywood Chart. Eat your heart out The L-word chart!
The Celluloid Closet
Regardless of which industry you work in there is still a potential stigma / taboo to being out. In particular this could ruin
...
... someone's career as an actor. In particular, I recall dashing and talented actor Rupert Everett who has made numerous comments over the years about how coming out as a gay actor ruined his career in Hollywood. Everett came out over 20 years ago and, since then he has only been offered supporting roles – no lead parts. A huge bravo to the actors who have had the courage to come out in the film industry. Yet on coming out, they may fall on the sword and be typecast as a "gay/lesbian" actor, upon which there are considerably fewer leading roles.
I wonder
Citing the Oxford Dictionary, "acting" is "The art or occupation of performing fictional roles in plays, films, or television." Looking at wiki's list of Oscar nominations for "Performances of LGBTQ Characters Nominated for and/or Awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role" e.g. Oscar winners have been Hilary Swank for Boys Don't Cry, Nicole Kidman for The Hours and Charlize Theron for Monster (totally applauding their outstanding performances) and looking at a quite long list of Sapphic movies. It seems in mainstream cinema, lesbian characters are being mostly played by hetty actresses. If hetties can play gay roles what's the problem with gay women playing hetty roles?
Apologies
I hope I have not offended any actresses by including some coming out stories herein. These actresses have been massively courageous to do this and I empathise in particularly with those who found it hard because of their parents. Thank you - the coming out stories have encouraged me to be a little more out. Cin cin to the day when being gay is just a norm.
Alla Nazimova
Russian Actress: 1879 – 1945
Roles: a gypsy girl, a daughter of an Arab sheik, a brat, a courtesan...
One of the oldest Hollywood lesbians? Though in lavender marriages, Alla Nazimova was romantically linked to actresses Jean Acker and Eva Le Gallienne, film director Dorothy Arzner, writer Mercedes de Acosta, and Oscar Wilde's niece Dolly Wilde (what a list!). After divorcing Alla lived with actress Glesca Marshall from 1929 until her death in 1945.
Acting Roles: 23 | Star on the Walk of Fame
Silent Flick: Camille (1921)
Yvonne de Bray
French Actress: 1889 – 1954
Roles: Olivia's wise old cook, a spiteful aunt, Gigi's grandmother, a possessive mother...
Experimentation? Yvonne de Bray apparently had an affair with French athlete Violette Morris, in 1939. Moreover, she appeared in the movie Olivia (aka The Pit of Loneliness) (1951), a landmark in lesbian cinema.
Acting Roles: 13
Slick Flick: Gigi (1949)
Grace Darmond
Canadian Actress: 1893 – 1963
Roles: Grace Darmond starred in the first Technicolor film, The Gulf Between (1917) which was unfortunately not a success as this early Technicolor moved required being shown on a special projector.
Grace was known in Hollywood's inner circle as the lover of actress Jean Acker, Rudolph Valentino's 1st wife. She was also associated with the actress Alla Nazimova, but this has never been verified.
Acting Roles: 67
Slick Flick: The Gaiety Girl (1924)
