DIRECTOR: Paul Newman
BOTTOM LINE: Paul Newman produced and directed (his debut) “Rachel, Rachel,” a slight tale about a schoolteacher’s (Newman’s wife Joanne Woodward) sexual awakening in her mid-30s in a small Connecticut town. Highly regarded at the time of its release (NYFCC awards going to Newman as Best Director and Woodward as Best Actress), it seems a bit underwhelming today. However, it does offer one of the first sympathetic portraits of a lesbian character in an American Film: Rachel’s fellow schoolteacher, Calla. Calla, who has a crush on Rachel, is nicely played by Estelle Parsons, coming off her Oscar in “Bonnie and Clyde.” The screenplay is by Stewart Stern.
65 Queer Films Made Under the Hays Code (1934-1967) Part One. – TheBrownees
65 Queer Films Made Under the Hays Code (1934-1967). Part Two. – TheBrownees
65 Queer Films Made Under the Hays Code (Table) – TheBrownees
45 Queer Films from 1967-1976: Queer Cinema Comes Out – TheBrownees
