Ben-Hur (1959) Queer Film (B)
If you believe Gore Vidal it was all because of a lover’s spat. Wyler and Boyd were in on the ruse, and Boyd played his scenes that way, but Heston was not.
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Day: April 1, 2026
Compulsion (1959) Queer Film B-
“Compulsion.” Leopold and Loeb were lovers, and both Richard Murphy’s screenplay and Richard Fleischer’s direction lend the movie a queer subtext, evident in both dialogue and body language.
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North by Northwest (1959) Queer Film. Hitchcock. A+
Eva Marie Saint gives Grace Kelly in “Rear Window” a run for her money as Hitchcock’s most elegant leading lady and the chemistry between the two leads is more palpable than in any Hollywood picture before or since.
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Oscar Wilde (1960) Queer Film B-
John Neville is far too old to play Lord Douglas. However, Robert Morley is excellent as Wilde. Delivering a stream of bon mots with ease, he also captures the tragedy of the man, particularly during the trial.
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The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) Queer Film C+
Because the story is airbrushed to the point of uncertainty, The Trials of Oscar Wilde pales by comparison with Oscar Wilde, the other Wilde movie to be released in 1960. Clearly, the more expensive movie, filmed in Technicolor – the cinematographer is Ted Moore – and with a large cast, The Trials of Oscar Wild boasts a better Bosie (John Fraser) and a better Queensbury (Lionel Jeffries) but a lesser Wilde (Peter Finch) and a lesser sense of the foreboding that precedes a tragedy.
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