my official wife is a 1914 american silent film directed by james young and starring clara kimball young , harry t. morey and rose e. tapley .

the novel was first adapted to film in 1914 by vitagraph studios , starring clara kimball young and earle williams , and directed by young 's husband james young .

the movie opened on july 13 , 1914 .

sime silverman 's review for variety was mixed on the film , concluding that five-reels was too long , though he admitted that the scene of a boat being torpedoed at the end might go over well with audiences .

though the story is set in russia , silverman noted that the film " never dares go into the open because it was made so far away from any place even resembling the land of the czar that the studio posing and setting becomes extraordinarily obvious . "

clara kimball young later estimated she had appeared in more than 100 films before my official wife , but this was the film that launched her as a star .

when motion picture magazine conducted a popularity contest in 1914 , earle williams finished first and young came in second .

( mary pickford came in third ) .

young credited vitagraph founder j. stuart blackton 's supervision as responsible for the success of her emotional portrayal in the film .

but now a hot commodity , young soon signed with lewis j. selznick .

based on its prior success , vitagraph re-issued the film in late 1916 .

speculation once abounded that leon trotsky appeared in the film as an extra , based in part on a shot of young with a bearded man with a resemblance to the man .

though this claim started appearing as early as 1918 and was vouched for by actors in the film , and was often repeated , the story was always specious and has been discredited .

trotsky was not in the united states in 1914 , and he denied reports made during his life about alleged film appearances .

the film also possibly had a young rudolf valentino as an uncredited extra , though this claim can not be verified , as vitagraph studios head albert e. smith made a number of claims that later caused skepticism .

though the full movie is now lost , two short clips were compiled in the 1931 vitaphone short the movie album and still survive .

one of the clips includes " trotsky " , which was played up in the press promotion for the release .

my official wife ( 1914 film )

my official wife ( 1914 film ) <EOT> my official wife ( 1914 ) is available online at the internet archive ( 45 second fragment ) .

two new film plays are shown ; " my official wife , " a russian drama , splendidly produced at vitagraph theatre .

of his day and fellow actor of trotsky in “my official wife . ” shots of this old - time film showing morey , trotsky and

with the headline : two new film plays are shown ; " my official wife , " a russian drama , splendidly produced at vitagraph theatre .

two new film plays are shown ; " my official wife , " a russian drama , splendidly produced at vitagraph theatre . - the new york times

" my official wife " five - part drama by richard henry savage , produced by vitagraph . under direction of james young . released by vitagraph dec . 11

' broadway star features " vitagraph productions shown at the vitagraph theater , " my official wife , " drama in five parts , adapted by marguerite bertsch from a play by richard henry savage , directed by james young .

" clara kimball young , artist . " moving picture world ( 3 oct . 1914 ) : 41 .

leon trotsky , now so prominent in russian , politics was . at one ' time , it is sau ! , a . moving picture actor in america . ho appeared in a film entitled " my official . wife , " and his salary is stated to have been just five dollars a day .

( 1914 ) ( davis 420 ) . in 1914 , the youngs left vitagraph to work for producer lewis j . selznick ( “world film in merger” 7 ) . young made several films released between november 1914 and december 1916 that were produced and / or distributed by world film corporation , founded by lewis j . selznick , arthur spiegel ( of mail order fame ) , wall street financier moritz rosenthal , and lee shubert ( lewis 39 ) .

" my trip abroad , " in pictures and picturegoer , july 1924 - october 1925 .

“all my pictures are built around the idea of getting in trouble and so giving me the chance to be desperately serious in my attempt to appear as a normal little gentleman . ”

the vitagraph company of america production ; distributed by the general film company , incorporated [ special features department ; broadway star features ] . / scenario by marguerite bertsch , from the novel my official wife by richard henry savage . cinematography by robert a . stuart . / © 11 august 1914 by the vitagraph company of america [ lp3182 ] . premiered 13 july 1914 at vitagraph theatre in new york , new york . released august 1914 . / standard 35mm spherical 1 . 33 : 1 format . / russian advisor on the film , nick dunaew , is reputed to have once brought leon trotsky to the set of this film and appeared in the picture ! more likely , an actor was made up to resemble trotsky for a touch of russian realism , as can be seen in the film clip below . the film was rereleased in the usa by v - l - s - e , incorporated , on 25 december 1916 .

" my life story , " in photoplay ( new york ) , february - april 1923 .

my official wife ( 1914 ) vitagraph co . of america ; broadway star features . distributor : general film co . ; special features dept . by arrangement with broadway star features co . director : james young . adaptation : marguerite bertsch . camera : robert stuart . cast : clara kimball young , harry t . morey , earle williams , l . roger lytton , rose e . tapley , mary anderson , arthur cozine , eulalie jensen , charles wellesley , louise beaudet , helen connelly . 5 reels .

“the summation of my character is that i care about my work . i care about everything i do . if i could do something else better , i would do it , but i can ' t . ”

richard henry savage ' s novel of russian life , my official wife , is to be seen in a six reel vitagraph production soon at the vitagraph theater . the film version will feature clara kimball young as helen marie , the role portrayed on the stage by minnie seligman , and harry morey as colonel arthur lenox . others in the cast are earle williams and roger lytton .

" renounces actress wife . " new york times ( 14 feb . 1917 ) : 5 .

the eavesdropper , 1912 ; half a hero , 1912 ; in the flat above , 1912 ; the jocular winds of fate , 1912 ; lincoln’s gettysburg address , 1912 ; a lively affair , 1912 ; a mistake in spelling , 1912 ; mrs . lirriper’s lodgers , 1912 ; old kent road , 1912 ; popular betty , 1912 ; wanted—a sister , 1912 ; when roses wither , 1912 ; betty in the lion’s den , 1913 ; cupid versus women’s rights , 1913 ; extremities , 1913 ; fellow voyagers , 1913 ; getting up a practice , 1913 ; the interrupted honeymoon , 1913 ; jack’s chrysanthemum , 1913 ; john tobin’s sweetheart , 1913 ; love’s sunset , 1913 ; a maid of mandalay , 1913 ; on their wedding eve , 1913 ; the pirates , 1913 ; the spirit of the orient , 1913 ; taming of betty , 1913 ; the test , 1913 ; up in a balloon , 1913 ; the way out , 1913 ; the awakening of barbara dare , 1914 ; happy - go - lucky , 1914 ; lola , 1914 ; my official wife , 1914 ; the perplexed bridegroom , 1914 ; the silver snuff box , 1914 ; some steamer scooping , 1914 ; sonny jim in search of a mother , 1914 ; taken by storm , 1914 ; the deep purple , 1915 ; fates and flora fourflush , 1915 ; the heart of the blue ridge , 1915 ; marrying money , 1915 ; the dark silence , 1916 ; the feast of life , 1916 ; the yellow passport , 1916 ; hush , 1921 , the hands of nara , 1922 ; cordelia the magnificent , 1923 , a wife’s romance , 1923 , the woman of bronze , 1923 ; lying wives , 1925 .

my official wife ( five parts - - december ) - - the cast : helene marie ( clara kimball young ) ; sacha weletsky ( earle williams ) ; arthur lenox ( harry t . morey ) ; his wife ( rose e . tapley ) ; marguerite lenox ( mary anderson ) ; basile weletsky ( arthur cozine ) ; constantine weletsky ( charles wellesley ) ; olga , his wife ( louise beauder ) ; baron friederich ( l . roger lyton ) ; eugenie ( eulalie jensen ) ; directed by james young .

in 1914 chaplin made his film debut in a somewhat forgettable one - reeler called make a living . to differentiate himself from the clad of other actors in sennett films , chaplin decided to play a single identifiable character , and " the little tramp " was born , with audiences getting their first taste of him in kid auto races at venice ( 1914 ) .

in his magnificent screen presentation of " my official wife " james young has glorified and beautified all he has portrayed , has given dignity to melodrama through some remarkable characterizations , and has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the screen story can be made far more effective than that of cold print . " my official wife " in the original form casts its emphasis on incident and was popular because of a pervading spirit of adventure . mr . young has carefully preserved all the spirit of the original and given new significance , not only to events , but to the entire novel . this was made possible by some fine acting of the principals , especially that of clara kimball young .

general film co . , special features dept . , broadway star features co .

valentino began working as a nightclub dancer and tango partner at a number of dance halls and cabarets . he soon acquired professional dance partners , replacing clifton webb as bonnie glass ' s partner at one point . valentino began dancing in musical productions , eventually touring the country with a musical comedy troupe . when the tour ended in san francisco , valentino was again destitute . it was suggested that he try to get into the movies . valentino was cast in his first film in 1914 , making his screen debut in my official wife . after appearing in the serial patricia in 1916 , valentino decided to try his luck in hollywood .

" i ( was ) newsvendor , printer , toymaker , doctor & apos ; s boy , etc . , but during these occupational digressions , i never lost sight of my ultimate aim to become an actor , " chaplin later recounted . " so , between jobs i would polish my shoes , brush my clothes , put on a clean collar and make periodic calls at a theatrical agency . "

the reason for his success was simple : valentino appealed to women by being one of the first sexually passionate film stars . as silent film expert richard koszarski wrote in

" my official wife , " a russian drama written by richard henry savage , has clara kimball young in the leading picture role of helene marie , the young nihilist who succeeds in entering st . petersburg despite the fact that the russian police are after her . in that city she plots to kill the czar , but her plans fail because of the jealousy of an american whom she has tricked .

miss harding will be official hostess to the rainbow division’s convention in july . general gatley was second in command of the division during the war .

future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .

american avant - garde film 1894 - 1941 . dvd . ( image entertainment us 2005 )

her husband . dir . : theodore marston ( vitagraph co . of america us 1914 ) cas . : clara kimball young , earle williams , si , b & w . archive : nla .

" world film in merger " new york times ( 29 jan . 1916 ) : 7 .

, 1895–1926 , american film actor , b . italy as rodolfo guglielmi . he emigrated to the

the violin of m’sieur . dir . : james young ( vitagraph co . of america us 1914 ) cas . : clara kimball young , james young , si , b & w . archive : usr .

2 . clara kimball young as actress and co - producer ( clara kimball young film corp . )

the story concerns the visit to russia of the nihilist helene marie ( miss young ) , who succeeds in inveigling an easy dispositioned american , arthur lenox , to pass her by the russian sentries as his " official wife . " lenox ( harry t . morey ) has a real wife , but he thinks the fascinating woman who pleads that he save her from great inconvenience is the wife of a college chum , and presumes of course that once across the border he will receive the thanks of his old friend for his kindness . helene marie , however , without disclosing her identity , frightens lenox with the threat of siberia if his act be known ; forces him to continue the deception and even finally accompanies him to the grand ball where she plans to assassinate the czar . lenos ' s american manhood here asserts itself , and he drugs his " official wife " and carries her back to the hotel .

important note : all items and news stories in this blog are , to the best of my knowledge , from sources in the public domain . i ' ve done my best to credit specific authors when possible . if you are the copyright holder of any material included , please contact me and i will have the copyrighted material removed .

a growing source of silent era film information . this listing is from the progressive silent film list by carl bennett . copyright © 1999 - 2018 by carl bennett and the silent era company . all rights reserved .

survival status : the film is presumed lost : fragmentary print exists [ approximately 45 seconds of footage ] .

thomson , david , a biographical dictionary of film , third edition , alfred a . knopf , 1994 .

hansen , miriam , babel and babylon : spectatorship in american silent film , cambridge , massachusetts , 1991 .

in 1916 , clara kimball young became only the second female film star , after < strong > mary pickford < / strong > , to set up her own namesake production company : the clara kimball young film corporation .

immediately there were tensions between young and his wife’s new coworkers . art director ben carré recalled that on the set of trilby ( 1915 ) , director maurice tourneur “didn’t like jimmy watching what he was doing , or what his wife was doing . ” while clara made trilby , the first feature in which she was not directed by her husband , james young was working as a director on a different film in the same studio , and was clearly distracted by another man directing his wife . to be fair , clara kimball young had a nude scene in trilby , a film based on george du maurier’s famous 1894 serialized novel of an artist’s model who falls under the spell of svengali , a hypnotic musician who reinvents her as a fabulous opera star but utterly controls her . the solution was to hang “a muslin curtain between the two shooting units” ( carré oral history ) . young was concerned that his wife was falling under her own svengali—lewis selznick . by early 1916 , james young sued selznick for alienation of affection dating back to march 1914 , claiming that the producer told clara kimball young to get rid of her husband as a condition of employment ( “husband sues selznick” 9 ) . young did become estranged from his wife , but it was harry garson , a detroit theatre owner and publicist with no previous experience in film production , who provided the love interest ( davis 422 ) . in 1916 , garson survived a penknife attack by james young , prompting clara kimball young to declare in court : “i have no use for my husband” as reported by the new york times ( 5 ) .

3 . clara kimball young as actress and co - producer ( c . k . y . film corp . )

the sepoy’s wife . ( vitagraph co . of america us 1910 ) cas . : maurice costello , clara kimball young , si , b & w . archive : gbb .

" c . k . y . film corporation formed . " moving picture world ( 11 aug . 1917 ) : 918 .

my official wife ( vitagraph , 1914 ) the wisdom of re - issuing such a box - office attraction as this combination of stars and play represent can not be questioned . miss young has not had a greater opportunity to show all her charms than in this very play which was so largely responsible for her rise to fame . in the impersonation of a russian nihilist , so clever that she would have accomplished the assassination of the czar himself had she not overplayed her hand , miss young carries her audience with her in full sympathy even to the glorification of murder itself . how she thrills at her sinister task ! how she scorns the accommodating american gentleman who is like putty in her facile hands ! how instantly she changes her expression from fear , aversion , horror , and contempt to the brilliant smile of the alluring woman who fascinates all men and makes them do her bidding .

" film stars buy clara k . young’s home treasures . " illustrated news ( 8 june . 1932 ) : n . p .

charlie chaplin was a comedic british actor who became one of the biggest stars of the 20th century ' s silent - film era .

the first scene of the picture seems more like the conclusion of a love story , for it shows a happy couple standing beneath a floral wedding bell . lennox ' s daughter has just been married to a russian . he dies . lennox must visit russia ; therefore , he gets two passports , one for himself and one for his wife , and thereby hangs the tale . helene marie , awaiting an opportunity to return to her native land , learns that lennox ' s wife is not going to accompany him . there will be an extra passport , and it must secure her passage into russia . she plays her cards so well that she enters the country as the american ' s " official wife " in the eyes of the law , and visions of being sent to siberia prevent his exposing the fraud .

famous for his character " the tramp , " the sweet little man with a bowler hat , mustache and cane , charlie chaplin was an iconic figure of the silent - film era and one of film & apos ; s first superstars , elevating the industry in a way few could have ever imagined .

the strain on lenox induces him to resort to a drug for sleep . he forestalls his daughter ' s contemplated journey to petersburg ( from the russian provinces ) and attempts to take " his official wife " back to western europe . her work in russia has been completed . she would gladly go - - but the weletskys beg her to remain and attend a ball . she learns the czar is to be in attendance . it is her one chance to become the joan of arc of the nihilists .

she refuses to go back with lenox . lenox therefore purposely misses the train . he returns to the hotel - - finds his " official wife " being wood by sacha . but he accompanies her to the ball . during the evening his hand touches the pistol in the folds of her gown . he realizes her object is the czar ' s assassination . he averts this tragedy by a sleeping potion which he gives to helene marie in a glass of punch . she collapses and he carries her home .

the cycle of the gangster film has passed definitely for the present . in the future the police will be the heroes and racketeers the villains , executives have decided .

young was world film corporation’s biggest star . when financial trouble in the spring of 1916 caused the firm to reorganize , selznick left to create his own production company , taking clara kimball young with him ( lewis 45 ) . it was at this juncture that selznick created the clara kimball young film corporation , naming young , allegedly at her request , as its vice president and treasurer ( 1761 ) . four features produced by the clara kimball young film corporation were released between october 1916 and april 1917 :

was in this film as an extra . in fact , trotsky was not yet in the united states when this was filmed . there is an extra who resembles him .

lewis , kevin . " a world across from broadway : the shuberts and the movies . " film history . vol . 1 ( 1987 ) : 39 - 52 .

( 1895–1926 ) us silent - film star , b . italy . his smouldering blend of passion and melancholy wooed female audiences in the 1920s . valentino ' s films include

marguerite bertsch , scenario editor of the vitagraph company , brushed the cobwebs away from richard henry savage ' s old - time drama and dressed it up in film fashion and in the printing of the programme mr . savage gets the larger type of the two . he is not due to receive first credit , however , for a picture as russian as vodka , even if it was made in america . taking a play of this stamp and transforming it into a thoroughly dramatic screen production is virtually producing an original work ; for it is the handling , not the idea , that marks the difference between an ordinary russian melodrama and an extraordinary one . the verisimilitude of " my official wife , " the force of the situations and the beauty of the acting , combine to make a drama that , to the american mind at least , typifies explosive russia - - on the one hand luxurious nobility , on the other the nihilist , and a connecting chain of sizzling bombs .

spher and braff have more complete filmographies for clara kimball young than afi or fiaf . there are numerous inconsistencies between sources as to who directed young’s films . cardinal wolsey is generally attributed to lawrence trimble but may have been co - directed and / or produced by j . stuart blackton according to fiaf . both spehr and braff list lulu’s doctor as being directed by james young , however fiaf lists both van dyke brooke and maurice costello as being the director . dr . lafluer’s theory is credited to van dyke brooke in most sources except fiaf which credits j . stuart blackton and george d . baker . beauty unadorned is credited in all sources as being directed by rogers lytton , however fiaf also lists james young and sidney drew as co - directors . delayed proposals is attributed to james young in most sources , however braff lists maurice costello as director . dates and film titles are also sometimes inconsistent . most sources list lord browning and cinderella release year as 1912 , except for fiaf which lists 1913 . mr . mintern’s misadventures is listed as mr . mistern’s adventures in fiaf . the hindoo charm is confusing because there is also another film titled the hindoo’s charm from 1913 that may or may not be the same film . both titles are listed as extant at british film institute . both are directed by maurice costello and star clara kimball young . however hindoo’s charm is listed in fiaf as being a lubin film , though it seems unlikely as costello was a major vitagraph star at the time . it is not always clear as to what is extant . my official wife is thought lost , however a fragment does exist in a private collection . camille may be held in the norwegian film institute and the czech film archive , but neither archives will confirm . straight from paris exists in an incomplete 35 mm . nitrate print and safety negative ( reels 2 - 4 , and 6 ) and a 35mm safety print of reel 3 at library of congress . enter madame is believed to also exist at the cinematheque de toulouse .

in 1916 , clara kimball young became only the second female film star , after mary pickford , to set up her own namesake production company : the clara kimball young film corporation . soon after this , there was a flood of female star - producers , initiating what i have called a “second wave” of star companies , 1916–1923 ( 155 ) .

( 1921 ) . valentino played a bullfighter named juan gallardo , who is seduced and controlled by a woman . in 1922 , he appeared in a mathis - penned film ,

these two brief clips are all that remain of this lost film of 1914 , they were excerpted in the warner brother ' s 1931 vitaphone short " the movie album . " the first clip shows the meeting of helene ' s terrorist cell with an extra who is not leon trostky , and the second appears to be the scene of helene ( clara kimball young ) and lennox ( harry t . morey ) visiting the weletsky ' s ( earle williams and louise beaudet ) , with eulalie jensen as the angry woman . no sound track .

my official wife ( six parts ) . the story is woven around a beautiful nihilist , helene marie , who , in order to get by the secret police on the frontier of russia , induces lennox , an american , to introduce her as his wife , in order that she may enter on his passport . arriving in st . petersburg , lennox is met by friends and is compelled to introduce helene as his wife , also to register her as such at the hotel , where he is stopping . helene then discloses her identity . lennox is shocked at first , but already deeply in love with the beautiful schemer , decides to let things take their course . helene meets her nihilist friends and they conspire to assassinate the czar , she being chosen as the one to commit the deed . as the official wife of lennox , she meets a number of the russian nobility , and learns that the czar is to attend a fashionable ball on a certain date . she plans to be present . lennox has arranged to leave for paris the afternoon of the same day . now that the consummation of her plans is so near at hand , helene has no more use for lennox and entices an officer of the royal guards to become her lover . lennox becomes jealous of the russian , misses his train and returns to find helene in the arms of his rival . helene and lennox attend the grand ball , he learns her purpose is to assassinate the car and drugs her . she is taken to the hotel , restored to wakefulness and retaliates by playing the same trick on him , telephones her lover and the two make their escape to a yacht , but the secret police , having discovered helen ' s real identity , send a torpedo boat after the eloping pair with orders to destroy the yacht . a torpedo blows the vessel to atoms and ends forever the career of helene marie , the beautiful nihilist , and her lover .

this text was printed from the women film pioneers project at columbia university . to promote readability and conserve consumable resources , images and interactive elements in the digital version do not appear in print format .

in 1919 , the c . k . y . film corporation disappeared , and clara kimball young’s films were now produced by a new company : garson productions . after its initial release , the famous

" my official wife " is a story that has attracted a good deal of attention , and is bound to increase its following with the course of time . it is true to the russia and its autocratic system of before the great war . ever and anon , a scene is run showing the horrors of a pilgrimage to the barren wastes of siberia . it gives the sense of contrast that adds aa pleasure to the scenes of luxury in and about the court . there are many moments of suspense . several times it looks as if the pretty nihilist and the american would be caught in the toils , but they escape . a thriller comes with the entrance of the czar when all the court does obeisance . a fitting climax is the escape of the young noble with the nihilist . quite dramatic is her expression of hatred for him as one of the aristocracy and his overcoming of her scruples by renuniation of wealth and rank .

. one scene shows the meeting of helene ' s terrorist cell with an extra alleged to be leon trostky ( see the link to silent ladies picture 1 below ) , though kevin brownlow shows that trotsky was not in new york in 1914 when the film was made . the other clip appears to be when she and lennox are visiting the weletsky ' s . sacha argues with and then kisses eugenie , then enters the next room , where helene casts a meaningful glance at lennox and a flirtatious one at sacha , who reciprocates . picture 4 below seems to be from another part of that same sequence .

to miss young ' s remarkable impersonation of helene , a young nihilist of lofty aspirations , of unconquerable will , of spirited rebellion against injustice , is due a very large proportion of the fascination of " my official wife . " helene is of romantic temperament , one of the types that defy domestication , yet so eternally feminine that she contains within herself all the wondrous resources of deceit , all the vacillation and mystery of her sex . though she lures and drives men at will , she is not repellently attractive , because there seems to be hovering ever near and about her a sincerity and intensity of true passion . in pursuit of a definite purpose , helene holds herself superior to any minor obligations of conscience . she uses every feminine weapon of artifice and cunning , yet she is pure and an exalted champion of human rights . in portraying this complicated and deeply interesting character , clara kimball young has placed herself in the front rank of artistes .

camille . dir . albert capellani ( schubert film corp . us 1915 ) cas : clara kimball young , paul capellani , lillian cook , si , b & w . archive : rur , dew .

valentino continued to be cast in roles as a sexual being throughout 1921 , in films such as uncharted seas , camille , and the conquering power . after he signed a contract with the famous - players ( later known as paramount ) film studio , valentino played the title role in what is arguably his most important film , the sheik ( 1921 ) . many critics saw the film as a rape fantasy designed to appeal to valentino ' s female audience . in the film , his character , sheik ahmed ben hassan , is a wild man who becomes domesticated by a british girl parading as an arab slave girl . she accomplishes this by taking care of him after he suffers a severe wound . her work shows him that marriage and morality are desirable . such a role made valentino seem dangerous but palatable to his audience .

with the karno troupe , chaplin got his first taste of the united states , where he caught the eye of film producer mack sennett , who signed chaplin to a contract for a $ 150 a week .

lying wives . dir . : ivan abramson ( ivan film productions inc . us 1925 ) cas . : clara kimball young , richard bennett , madge kennedy , si , b & w . archive : usr .

despite his failed marriage and minor film roles , valentino ' s potential did not go unnoticed . june mathis , a screen - writer and executive at metro film studio , suggested casting valentino as julio desnoyers , in a film version of the epic the four horsemen of the apocalypse . the role made valentino an instant star , and saved metro from near bankruptcy . in the 1921 movie , valentino ' s character is an artist and tango dancer who becomes the object of many women ' s desire . he falls in love with a woman who is already married , and only redeems himself by dying as a hero in world war i .

magda , 1917 ; shirley kaye , 1917 ; the claw , 1918 ; the house of glass , 1918 ; the marionettes , 1918 ; the reason why , 1918 ; the road through the dark , 1918 ; the savage woman , 1918 ; the better wife , 1919 ; cheating cheaters , 1919 .

the marriage of marguerite lenox to a wealthy russian , and her subsequent widowhood , occasion a trip to russia by her father , arthur bainbridge lenox . he is a handsome man in the early forties . the noble weletsky family , into whom his daughter has married , have never seen either lenox or his wife ; but desire lenox ' s co - operation in the settlement of his daughter ' s estates . the summons comes while they are in paris . a passport for two , man and wife , is secured . but mrs . lenox is of delicate health and decides to let her husband take the journey alone .

this lost film was clara kimball young ' s first feature , and her last film for vitagraph , where she had made all of her short films . it was a sensational success and launched her as the most popular star that year . its russian setting was drawn upon by young for many more of her features . two short clips of the film exists in warner brother ' s 1931 vitaphone short " the movie album , " and have been mounted on internet archive and google video . one scene shows the meeting of helene ' s terrorist cell with an extra alleged to be leon trostky . the other clip appears to be when she and lennox are visiting the weletsky ' s . ( cont . urltoken

many sources mistakenly claim that russian communist icon leon trotsky was in this film as an extra . in fact , trotsky was not yet in the united states when this was filmed . there is an extra who resembles him . see more »

studlar , gaylyn , " discourses of gender and ethnicity : the construction and de ( con ) struction of rudolph valentino as other , " in film criticism ( meadville , pennsylvania ) , vol . 13 , no . 2 , 1989 .

hearts in exile . dir . james young ( world film corp . us 1915 ) cas . : clara kimball young , montague love , claude fleming , si , b & w . archive : itg , usr , esm , dkk , usw .

( 1919 ) , a silent film revival classic directed by albert parker , young’s next ten films would be directed by harry a . garson for his own garson productions . clara kimball young’s career as a producer was over . why did young give up her own production company to work for garson ? it seems possible that they did not initially realize that their new distribution company was under the supervision of their old nemesis : lewis j . selznick . zukor’s select pictures corporation owned all the stock in the c . k . y . film corporation , but select was run by selznick . this explains why zukor had no problem signing young to a distribution contract despite the lingering lawsuit with selznick—the two men were partners . in late 1918 , garson and young sued the c . k . y . film corporation for “flagrant violations of the terms” ( “announcement” 170 ) . young and selznick reached an agreement on june 17 , 1919 : young was released from her contract , but she had to pay the c . k . y . film corporation $ 25 , 000 for each of her next ten pictures . by mid - november 1920 , the c . k . y . film corporation claimed clara kimball young owed the company $ 50 , 000 ( “sues clara kimball young” 225 ) .

next in importance to this striking character is that of a middle - aged american , colonel lenox , played by harry morey . it is a delightfully human character and admirably impersonated . colonel lenox has left his real wife behind when on a visit to russia for business purposes , and is accosted by helene , when about to cross the border . from a combination of good nature , love of adventure and gallantry , colonel lenox permits helene to travel on his passport as his wife . they are barely in russia when his troubles begin , for the chief of police , rogers lytton , falls in love with the supposed mrs . lenox , though he is at that moment looking for the dangerous nihilist , beautiful helene .

nearing the end of his life , chaplin did make one last visit to the united states in 1972 , when he was given an honorary academy award . the trip came just five years after chaplin & apos ; s final film , a countess from hong kong ( 1967 ) , the filmmaker & apos ; s first and only color movie . despite a cast that included sophia loren and marlon brando , the film did poorly at the box office . in 1975 , chaplin received further recognition when he was knighted by queen elizabeth .

the chief follows them to saint petersburg because of his infatuation , not in pursuit of his duties , is on hand when lenox meets personal friends and is forced to present helene as his wife , and contributes to the social advancement of the lovely mrs . lenox . there is an element of comedy in this false relation , which becomes acute when lenox and helene are compelled to take hotel rooms together . she makes such a charming wife at the little supper in their private apartment that lenox , true to his sex tendencies , fluctuates between conscience and inconstancy . still true to those tendencies , he decides in favor of inconstancy , and the scenes that follow are admirably handled . all that is amusing in the relation is brought out with no sign of indelicacy .

after valentino ' s death , a cult of personality formed around him . scholars question whether he could have sustained a career in film during the sound era because of his acting style and thick accent . what he did accomplish sustained a legend for many years . legend has it that a mysterious " lady in black " place flowers on his crypt each year on the anniversary of his death . his diaries were twice published : my private diary ( 1929 ) and the intimate journal of rudolph valentino ( 1931 ) . two film biographies were released in 1951 and 1977 , both titled valentino . a television movie , legend of valentino , was made in 1975 . sixty - five years after his death , a memorial service was held for him . one attendee , michael back , who owned a large collection of valentino memorabilia , told janet rae - dupree of the los angeles times , " there will never be another like him . not in 1 , 000 years and not in 10 , 000 years . "

in 1921 , with his star still quite high , valentino decided to break his contract with famous - players . he felt underpaid and did not like the scripts he was being offered . because no other studio would talk to him while he was under a valid contract , valentino made money ( about $ 2500 per week ) on a dance hall tour with his new wife , natacha rambova ( also known by her birth name winifred hudnut ) . valentino had married the talented dancer , actress , set and costume designer , in 1921 , while still legally married to his first wife . he remarried rambova in 1923 , after his divorce was final . the tour was a publicity stunt for a facial cream , mineralava . rambova soon began taking an increased role in her husband ' s career .

the film colony raised its voice to - day to answer the charges of senator smith w . brookhart jr . , ( rep . ) iowa , that the industry went goggle - eyed last year over gangster pictures and was headed this year toward a run of productions dealing with indecorous women .

( 1926 ) , his last film . by the year of his death , valentino , the movies ' first " latin lover " and premier sex symbol , had become the idol of millions . valentino ' s screen personality and his early death , both surrounded by mystery , made him a cult figure .

she carries through a ruse whereby lenox permits her to cross the russian frontier as his wife . her charm begins to work upon his susceptible nature . the pair are continually brought into contact with personages and officials dangerous to helene marie . finally , at the hotel in st . petersburg she reveals her identity to lenox and dares him to betray her secret . she charms the rich aristocratic weletskys and sacha weletsky falls in love with her .

valentino ' s next four projects were not big box office successes . though valentino ' s wife , rambova , helped him get an increase in salary ( to $ 7500 per week ) as well as some creative input on his films , many believed that she ruined his career by picking noncommercial projects . as silent film expert koszarski wrote in the new york times , " natacha rambova was the most hated woman in silent pictures . she married rudolph valentino , took him away from his handlers , and put ideas in his head . in her hands , valentino ' s image as america ' s first male sex symbol underwent a crucial makeover , and the sultry star of the sheik emerged as the powdered , bewigged and highly esthetic monsieur beauclaire . "

in 1936 , chaplin married again , this time to a chorus girl who went by the film name of paulette goddard . they lasted until 1942 . that was followed by a nasty paternity suit with another actress , joan barry , in which tests proved chaplin was not the father of her daughter , but a jury still ordered him to pay child support .

by a curious quirk of fate , valentino ' s most entertaining film , son of the sheik was also his last . had he survived into sound he would certainly not have attained legend status ; through his death he became immortal . as one of his leading ladies , alice terry , aptly remarked , " the biggest thing valentino ever did was to die . "

the adventures of colonel lenox , in company with a fascinating woman who is keeping up the outward appearance of being his wife , while controlling his vacillating moods in private , and his growing inclination to " take the goods that the gods provide , " form the most interesting part of the story , but the serious purpose of helene is strongly developed through a series of beautiful scenes , culminating in one of the grandest ensembles ever shown on the screen - - a court ball in the presence of the czar and czarina .

chaplin spoke even louder in the great dictator ( 1940 ) , which pointedly ridiculed the governments of hitler and mussolini . " i want to see the return of decency and kindness , " chaplin said around the time of the film & apos ; s release . " i & apos ; m just a human being who wants to see this country a real democracy . . . "

the marriage of marguerite lenox to a wealthy russian , and her subsequent widowhood , occasions a trip to russia by her father , arthur bainbridge lenox . he is a handsome man in the early forties . the noble weletsky family , into whom his daughter has married , have never seen either lenox or his wife , but desire lenox ' s co - operation in the settlement of his daughter ' s estates . the summons comes while they are in paris . a passport for two , man and wife , is secured , but mrs . lenox is of delicate health and decides to let her husband take the journey alone . the nihilist , " helen marie , " is also preparing a trip to russia . of unknown identity , her activities are yet notorious , and the police of russia are warned . knowledge of the passport is brought to her by a young nihilist girl employed in mrs . lenox ' s services . helene marie has a just cause against the russian aristocracy . when hardly more than a child , she saw her family butchered in cold blood . she carries through a ruse whereby lenox . . .

at some point , selznick and zukor extended an offer to clara kimball young : they would forgive her debts and pay her handsomely if she got rid of garson . she refused ( davis 422 ) . financial matters became increasingly grim . in november of 1920 , the same month that the c . k . y . film corporation demanded $ 50 , 000 , the harriman national bank sued young to recover $ 24 , 500 on a loan two years overdue ( “harriman national bank sues” 374 ) . the next month selznick won his suit . a judge determined that young and garson kept all the profits of their post - c . k . y . film corporation releases and did not send selznick $ 25 , 000 per picture per their agreement ( “selznick wins in suit” 707 ) . garson’s last production credit with clara kimball young was

as to the story , it is one of intrigue , nihilists , secret police and people of high and low degree . briefly it recounts the adventures of a middle aged , but distinguished looking american , who is lured by a siren - like nihilist to spirit her into russia as his wife . many complications occur , and the end comes with a bang - - literally . a yacht is blown up by a torpedo and the beautiful russian nihilist and her lover are seen at the last with the smile of their late romance frozen on their faces as they drift with the tide .

more acclaim came with modern times ( 1936 ) , a biting commentary about the state of the world & apos ; s economic and political infrastructures . the film , which did incorporate sound , was , in part , the result of an 18 - month world tour chaplin had taken between 1931 and 1932 , a trip during which he & apos ; d witnessed severe economic angst and a sharp rise in nationalism in europe and elsewhere .

over the next year , chaplin appeared in 35 movies , a lineup that included tillie & apos ; s punctured romance , film & apos ; s first full - length comedy . in 1915 chaplin left sennett to join the essanay company , which agreed to pay him $ 1 , 250 a week . it is with essanay that chaplin , who by this time had hired his brother sydney to be his business manager , rose to stardom .

in the early morning hours of december 25 , 1977 , charlie chaplin died at his home in corsier - sur - vevey , vaud , switzerland . his wife , oona , and seven of his children were at his bedside at the time of his passing . in a twist that might very well have come out of one of his films , chaplin & apos ; s body was stolen not long after he was buried from his grave near lake geneva in switzerland by two men who demanded $ 400 , 000 for its return . the men were arrested and chaplin & apos ; s body was recovered 11 weeks later .

the reason for his success was simple : valentino appealed to women by being one of the first sexually passionate film stars . as silent film expert richard koszarski wrote in the new york times , " here was an openly sexual icon designed to feed the most hidden fantasies of the cinema ' s largely female audience . traditional values of home and family seemed wildly inappropriate when valentino held the screen . instead , his films offered hints of violent sexuality and miscegenation meant to tantalize viewers . " perhaps because his stardom was based on his sex appeal , many believed he had little to no acting ability . caryn james of the new york times wrote , " when he wasn ' t dancing or dueling , he acted by posing in elaborate costumes and popping open his eyes to show emotion . love , hate , surprise , any emotion at all . even considering that exaggerated gestures were standard in silent films , valentino lacked subtlety . "

featured an extensive interview with young in which she does not mention the name of her new company , nor does she detail her precise responsibilities , but relates her personal vision regarding acting styles , exteriors , interiors , story development , and continuity , implying that she would have control over such decisions ( 461 ) . in mid - august , the name of a new company was revealed : the c . k . y . film corporation . this was a distribution company created by adolph zukor , who agreed to buy , distribute , and market eight films from young annually for four years . now it was revealed that “miss young heads her own organization and dominates it completely , selecting her own stories and plays , her own directors , and her own supporting company” ( “c . k . y . film corporation formed” 918 ) . from 1917 to 1919 , when young appeared to exercise the most creative control , and is listed as “producer” by the afi catalog , she appeared in some of the best films of her career :


but i 'm a cheerleader is a 1999 satirical romantic comedy film directed by jamie babbit and written by brian wayne peterson .

natasha lyonne stars as megan bloomfield , a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a residential inpatient conversion therapy camp to cure her lesbianism .

there megan soon comes to embrace her sexual orientation , despite the therapy , and falls in love .

the supporting cast includes melanie lynskey , dante basco , eddie cibrian , clea duvall , cathy moriarty , katrina phillips , rupaul , richard moll , mink stole , kip pardue , michelle williams , and bud cort .

but i 'm a cheerleader was babbit 's first feature film .

it was inspired by an article about conversion therapy and her childhood familiarity with rehabilitation programs .

she used the story of a young woman finding her sexual identity to explore the social construction of gender roles and heteronormativity .

the costume and set design of the film highlighted these themes using artificial textures in intense blues and pinks .

when it was initially rated as nc-17 by the mpaa , babbit made cuts to allow it to be re-rated as r .

when interviewed in the documentary film this film is not yet rated babbit criticized the mpaa for discriminating against films with gay content .

many critics did not like the film , comparing it unfavorably with the films of john waters and criticizing the colorful production design .

although the lead actors were praised for their performances , some of the characters were described as stereotypical .

but i ' m a cheerleader

but i ' m a cheerleader <EOT> but i ' m a cheerleader clip . . . soooooo sweet ! - youtube

finding your true direction : but i’m a cheerleader | birth . movies . death .

soundtrack from the [ wonderful ] movie " but i ' m a cheerleader . "

drunk lesbians watch " but i ' m a cheerleader " ( feat . tania safi )

a but , i’m a cheerleader musical ? ! we can already picture the pom - pom dance numbers .

a clip from the end of but i ' m a cheerleader . music is glass vase cello case by tattle tale

from the " sew true " album , included on the soundtrack for " but i ' m a cheerleader " .

i ' m pumped for the movie , i ' m just tired of all the blind hatred for it .

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing but i ' m a cheerleader near you .

“but i’m a cheerleader” is a satirical look at the absurdity of the anti - gay movement . what i first i saw as a predictable film about an american high school cheerleader and her boyfriend turned into a triumphant portrayal of sexual …

the scene in “but i’m a cheerleader” in which megan and graham first kiss is ripe with discussion - worthy material ( watch here : but i \ ’m a cheerleader – first kiss ) . to recoup , graham follows megan outside of cocksuckers after megan grows jealous that …

this entry was posted in class blog and tagged " but i ' m a cheerleader " , bound , lesbianism . bookmark the permalink .

i agree completely . i loved the hell out of mos , so i know i ' m going to love the dceu .

i guess i ' m the only one who ' s never seen that movie .

critics think that but i ' m a cheerleader could have been better . the acting is stiff at times and the plot is surprisingly unoriginal .

broadly conceived and schematically directed , " but i ' m a cheerleader " is a shallow , only mildly entertaining satire about a rehabilitation camp for gays and lesbians .

' but i ' m a cheerleader ' , starring rupaul charles , natasha lyonne and clea duvall set to all american rejects ' dirty little secret .

“so i ' m not someone who really watches " kid ' s shows " but i freaking love stephen universe ! ! it heals my soul . i ' m . . . ”

doors open at 6 : 30 pm . saving face will begin at 7 : 10 pm , with but i’m a cheerleader to follow at 9 pm .

i hate it along with pharell williams happy . . . maybe i ' m a misery . : p

“but i’m a cheerleader” was not well received by critics , who claimed babbit tried too hard to imitate john waters with her colorful sets and overtly artificial scenery .

it was announced today that but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical , based on the 1999 lionsgate cult classic , will receive its first london exploratory reading .

tattle tale - sew true 1995 | st . francis records glass vase cello case love theme to feature film , . . . but i ' m a cheerleader .

i ' m on a boat ( ft . t - pain ) - album version

director jamie babbit’s “but i’m a cheerleader” is a hilarious 1999 cult romantic comedy that successfully satirizes the gay community , the social construction of gender roles , heteronormativity and the religious right .

i would love to direct a full blown musical . maybe sometime soon . they did a musical version of but i’m a cheerleader in london with the kinky boots director . if they find investors i know they want to mount it as a musical on broadway !

3 . new girl sandy somehow becomes a cheerleader after being a rydell high student for only a day . also , she sucks at being a cheerleader .

“i would love to direct a full blown musical . maybe sometime soon . they did a musical version of but i’m a cheerleader in london with the kinky boots director . if they find investors i know they want to mount it as a musical on broadway ! ”

i ' m thinking this as well . i just can ' t see it going well at all .

sooo . . . i ' m fairly certain we can debunk this rumour .

i loved it . i wanted to see it twice in a row but the theatre was closing .

broadway director and choreographer jerry mitchell could be aiming to score a hat - trick in the west end , as he directs a showcase reading of a new musical adaptation of 1999 film but i ' m a cheerleader .

publishers market to the press , but they’re not members of the press , and since i’m also a book reviewer , and i’ve advocated heavily for these books myself , i have my own contacts . i’ll call up

" but i ' m a cheerleader is an important , fun and infectious new musical about being who you are and never being afraid of that truth . i can ' t wait to tell this story . "

if the last film’s title put me off a little , this one’s title is the reason i wanted to watch it . but i’m a cheerleader is a 1999 film directed by jamie babbit that provides a satirical look at conversion therapy for homosexuals . bit of a dark subject i know , but i’m a sucker for satires and with a title like that , i was hopeful . like always if you care to avoid any potential plot spoilers avoid the first couple paragraphs !

“i would love to direct a full blown musical . maybe sometime soon , ” said babbit . “they did a musical version of but i’m a cheerleader in london with the kinky boots director . if they find investors i know they want to mount it as a musical on broadway ! ”

4 . i ' m still in love with you - sean paul feat . sasha

but she tells same same she’s also working on a musical version of cheerleader for the great white way .

graham smiles back . “i’m glad i could make you happy . do you want some help putting it on ? ”

we’re a few years from a 20 th anniversary celebration of the comedy film but i’m a cheerleader . however , stars clea duvall , melanie lynskey , and natasha lyonne being in outfest darling the intervention ( with duvall also writing and directing ! ) definitely gave us a great excuse to look back at the 2000 classic . and with both films having lgbt themes and characters , let’s catch up with everyone from but i’m a cheerleader .

“oh my fucking god their outfits alone i lag behind because i watch this on hulu but oh gosh i . . . ”

but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical , based on the 1999 lions gate film by jamie babbit and brian wayne peterson , begins performances sept . 13 at the theatre at saint clements .

additionally crow and elk productions said " adam bialow has and continues to champion bill augustin and andy abrams ' musical reworking of the cult film but i ' m a cheerleader . bialow has been involved in the musical ' s development since its birth at new york musical theatre festival and has been integral to the process of bringing but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical to london . "

these days , natasha lyonne is most loved for her portrayal of nicky nichols on netflix’s “orange is the new black . " but 14 years ago , lyonne played another iconic lgbt character in the satirical indie “but i’m a cheerleader . ”

oh my god , let me tell you about that night . so i have a free coupon to get like a dozen doughnuts , so i go , “all right , say no more . ” i go make moves — we’re all in line , we’re just talking . i was like , “yo , i’m about to make a video , i’m about to do a flip . ” so i give them my coupon , i’m like , “stand in line , get the dozen doughnuts , i’m gonna go over here and make this video , ” and all that .

it’s been 17 years since the lesbian cult comedy but , i’m a cheerleader hit theaters , and now the movie’s star , natasha lyonne and director jamie babbit have reunited for a new film , addicted to fresno .

" i would love to direct a full blown musical , " says " cheerleader " director jamie babbit .

, i was able to find a better - quality version of the original vine — one that had been posted a week before fab cheerleader’s . but , like fab cheerleader , funnyvinevideos didn’t credit the original author of the

exactly , i just think it ' s ridiculous . like , i don ' t think civil war trailer looks that good ( a but too similar to winter soldier ) but i ' m not gonna let that determine what i think the actual movie will end up being .

in a recent interview with same same , jamie babbitt , the cult classic’s director ( and filmmaker behind the upcoming addicted to fresno ) talked a little bit about but i’m a cheerleader and how it has continued to impact her career .

jerry mitchell said today : " but i ' m a cheerleader is an important , fun and infectious new musical about being who you are and never being afraid of that truth . i can ' t wait to tell this story . "

" i would love to direct a full blown musical . maybe sometime soon , " babbit recently told same same . " they did a musical version of but i ' m a cheerleader in london with the kinky boots director . if they find investors i know they want to mount it as a musical on broadway ! "

i ' m happy that it ' s getting positive reactions , but i just know some people are gonna hte on it just because it ' s dc or not a marvel movie .

7 ) but i ' m a cheerleader becomes a musical ! an early musical version of the 1999 film had a sold out developmental workshop at the new york theater festival , where it won the audience award for best new musical . but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical will receive an exploratory reading in london december 6 . the reading will be led by jerry mitchell , producer of kinky boots , with book and lyrics by bill augustin and andrew abrams .

i hope i never see dallas winston again . if i do . . . . i ' d probably fall in love with him .

when i need motivation my one solution is my queen ' cause she stays strong yeah , yeah she is always in my corner right there when i want her * all these other girls are tempting but i ' m empty when you ' re gone " and they say [ pre - hook : ] do you need me ? do you think i ' m pretty ? * do i make you feel like cheating ? i ' m like no , not really ' cause * [ hook : ] oh , * i think " that i ' ve found myself a cheerleader she is always right there when i need her oh , i think that i ' ve found myself a cheerleader she is always right there when i need her [ verse 2 : ] she walks like a model she grants my wishes like a genie in a bottle yeah , yeah ' cause i ' m the wizard of love and i got the magic wand * all these other girls are tempting but i ' m empty when you ' re gone * and they say hate it , worst song this year imo . the lyrics are dreadfully awful .

the world has changed a lot since but i’m a cheerleader , jamie babbit’s witty comedy about a cheerleader sent to a conversion therapy camp , debuted in 1999 . who would have thought ( or hoped ) in 1999 that gay marriage would be legal in all 50 states less than two decades later ? or that conversion therapy would be on its way to being banned nationally ? released the same year as boys don’t cry and american pie , but i’m a cheerleader treads that fine line between being socially important and goofy fun . last year’s carol was highly praised for being one of the few films with a lesbian love story to have a happy ending . but i’m a cheerleader is another – and probably the only movie in film history to have a happily ever after tied to a story about two ladies who fall in love at conversion camp .

but i’m a cheerleader isn’t trying to be subtle . the absurdity of gender expectations is put on display with a too - bubbly soundtrack . because : our society’s gender expectations are insane . and , it’s downright crazy to try to force an identity and sexuality on a person . but , but i’m a cheerleader gives us a little hope at the end of a wacky lace - trimmed narrative . while the camp wasn’t exposed , while the girls weren’t guaranteed their families , megan still performed a radical action in embracing both her identity as a lesbian and as a cheerleader . she challenged the expectations of her prescribed role , and still got the girl in the end .

in the long run , i ' m sure we ' ll be fine , and even if it ' s cool to hate and critics bash it , i guess we ' ll still have a movie with bloody superman , batman and wonder woman in it . but i ' m hopeful .

cheerleader could have been written as a dramatic analysis of gay rehabilitation programs and how it affects those that go through it , but thank goodness it was not . sometimes a situation needs to be laughed at instead of dwelled on and cried over . but i’m a cheerleader certainly has its flaws , but it recognizes just how ridiculous places like true directions are , and it allows us to laugh at those very institutions .

" i ' m sexy , i ' m cute , i ' m popular to boot , " sings lindsay sloane as big red in the punched - up opening scene . " i ' m bitchin ' , great hair , the boys all love to stare . don ' t hate us ' cause we ' re beautiful , ' cause we don ' t like you either . we ' re cheerleaders . "

( 2013 ) ' ] if you ' re at all a reasonable human being when you ' re 34 years old , you don ' t read scripts looking at the children ' s parts . i don ' t really feel like i need to be a teenager ever again . it ' s really a miracle that i made it out alive . i ' m doing all right being in my 30s - i think i ' m hitting my sweet spot . i ' m glad to have . . .

i know this is no easy task , but i ' ll try to help you brainstorm your personal statement story .

i only saw it twice in cinemas but probably over 7 times now , gets better each time i watch it .

so there you have it ! but i’m a cheerleader may end up on broadway soon . and if you’re an investor , now is your chance to make a lot of people really , really happy by helping get this inspirational story onto the big stage .

i’m willing to bet my life this was not biggie’s idea . i’d believe you if you told me puff had armed guards force him into the studio . ma $ e hopped in and said some squeaky clean “i might dress like a crossing guard but i’m still street” shit . this right before he started shooting himself outta cannons in harlem world videos and playing puffy’s cheerleader . however…i can’t hate this . mostly because of nostalgia . but i won’t pretend like it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb , or that it don’t sound like it was intended for a nickelodeon movie soundtrack .

even though what’s going to happen is obvious , that doesn’t make but i’m a cheerleader a bad movie . the film offers consistent laughs and enough good fun to be a fluffy , enjoyable film . the comedy comes from knowing just how pointless and silly true directions really is .

while “but i’m a cheerleader” pokes fun at some stereotypes , it does not reinforce character stereotypes . the gay males are not all depicted as effeminate , and the females are not all masculine . the varying appearances and personalities create an interesting dynamic .

“this was interesting to read . i ' m glad your female coworkers have been so accepting . i hope things are going well . . . ”

' but i ' m a cheerleader ' is one of those movies that i ' ve been meaning to watch for a long time , but i ' ve never been able to get a hold of it because it ' s hard to find ! i ' ve been told it ' s got something of a cult following , which is something that always appeals to me , but based on some of the reviews , i was expecting it to really suck ! well , there are times when i disagree on the general critical reception of a certain film , and this is one of those times .

broadly conceived and schematically directed , “but i’m a cheerleader” is a shallow , only mildly entertaining satire about a rehabilitation camp for gays and lesbians . basically a short extended to feature length , the movie benefits from a well - grounded performance by natasha lyonne as the vivacious teenager sent for sexual ( dis ) orientation , but suffers from cathy moriarty’s irritatingly [ … ]

dj khaled - i ' m the one ft . justin bieber , quavo , chance the rapper , lil wayne

# 5 . fuck you tonight feat . r . kelly how the fuck the first collab track goin ' be a ballad with r kelly ? i probably liked this when i was a kid , but i woulda been a kid . this ain’t painful or nothing but we can keep a theme going ? this is one of the tracks i’m likely to skip , plain hasn’t aged well .

dick also offers thrust - for - thrust comparisons of straight sex scenes from mainstream movies like american beauty , single white female , unfaithful and american pie with gay scenes from more independently spirited movies such as but i ' m a cheerleader , boys don ' t cry , mysterious skin and where the truth lies . dick argues that while straight scenes were passed with audience - friendly ' r ' ratings ( minors admitted with accompanying parent or guardian ) , cara often deemed gay material ' adults - only ' fare . jamie babbit , director of but i ' m a cheerleader , says : ' what ' s offensive is that they say they are rating movies as " average american parents " , but i ' m an " average american parent " . i ' m a lesbian ; i have a daughter ; i pay taxes . is there anyone on the ratings board who ' s a parent like me ? i doubt it . '

" as a cheerleader , you ' re saying , ' i agree to wear this costume and i agree to cheer for the boys , ' " bendinger said . " there was kind of a cultural moment of , ' oh , god ! i’m wearing a patriarchal uniform that’s appealing to the male gaze . ' "

there was kind of a cultural moment of , ' oh , god ! i’m wearing a patriarchal uniform that’s appealing to the male gaze . ' "

but i’m a cheerleader initially received an nc - 17 rating . this rating was only lowered to r ( thus opening the film up to distribution ) when the director agreed to cut a scene featuring the lead female character masturbating . through her clothes . while thinking about a person , and not a pie .

but i ' m a cheerleader - rating and distribution . . . when originally submitted to the motion picture association of america rating board , but i ' m a cheerleader received an nc - 17 rating . . . in order to get a commercially - viable r rating , babbit removed a two second shot of graham ' s hand sweeping megan ' s clothed body , a camera pan up . . . a critique of the mpaa ' s rating system , it suggests that films with homosexual content are treated more stringently than those with only heterosexual content , and that . . .

jamie babbit , writer and director of but i ' m a cheerleader , created her film with a teenage audience in mind . but her film , which had no violence and little sexuality , had to fight an nc - 17 rating as well . babbit told dick that she “felt discriminated against for making a film about gay teenagers . ”

this is a guest review by erin fenner . but i’m a cheerleader , directed by jamie babbit , plays with stereotypes . but not like , “haha let’s use broad generalizations to create characters , but never develop them . ” no , this film paints everything pink and blue ( pretty much literally ) and then asks the audience : really ? is this what gender and sexuality should look like ? it’s even in the title . but i’m a cheerleader is about a teenage girl , megan ( natasha lyonne ) , who’s naïve about her own sexuality because she fits so comfortably into the norm of femininity . she’s christian , an “all - american girl” and a cheerleader , so she doesn’t suspect that her attraction to women and sexual disinterest with men is a sign that she’s a lesbian .

regardless of critical reception , the film quickly gained a cult following and has become one of the most popular lgbt romantic comedies in america . for those who can appreciate the satirical dissection of stereotypes related to gender and sexuality , “but i’m a cheerleader” is an absolute must - see .

musical adaptations of movies can often be a recipe for disaster . still , some of our favorite teen flicks like bring it on , heathers , and jawbreaker have hit the stage , receiving a range of praise and criticism . now the cult classic but i ' m a cheerleader may join the club .

i am 15 and i don ' t totally understand why this movie has such a bad rating . i didn ' t find anything too bad about it . there is one sex scene , but it i . . . continue reading

its stats are all right , but kinda basic , as far as i can see .

new edition fans expect you guys to emulate those classic dance steps . was it hard getting bobby’s moves down ? you wake up 6 a . m . in the morning , ready . and then you have brooke payne on your back . he’s new edition’s original choreographer . and he’s hardcore . i’m thinking i got some rhythm , so i’m doing my steps . i feel like i’m killing it . and [ brooke ] cuts the music off…i’m smiling . and he’s like , “yeah , sit on down , you ain’t got it . ” and i’m like , “yo…this is crazy ! ” i loved it though . he pushed us extremely hard to not only look good [ individually ] , but to look good as a group . that was the most important thing . these guys have been doing it for like 30 plus years , so we had to build that same chemistry with only three weeks .

unfortunately — probably because of its lgbt - centered storyline — it never reached the level of national recognition that it deserved . like many other under - appreciated gems , but i’m a cheerleader was relegated to cult classic status , destined to remain a beloved addition to the collections of the small audience it reached . but that could change soon .

what makes but i’m a cheerleader so special is its distinct lack of shame . when megan is first questioned about possibly being a lesbian , she says something to the effect of “i don’t think those thoughts are unnatural . ” she might not have known she was a lesbian , but she never assumed or even thought that her sexy fantasies about her cheerleading pals were bad , something to be ashamed of .

duvall , lynskey and lyonne were all together in the 1999 film “but i’m a cheerleader , ” and duvall noted they have remained friends . as someone asked a question regarding how their off - screen friendship was reflected in the film , duvall tried to hand a microphone to lynskey , who repeatedly handed it back .

“i feel shattered , but you learn from it . when i wake up in the morning i get that sinking feeling , you know ? but you have to deal with it , you have to go forward . it’s given me a lot more resolve to do what i want to do . ”

stole ) , a cute boyfriend , fun friends and a spot on the cheerleading squad . imagine her surprise upon arriving home to find that her nearest and dearest have staged an intervention , and are packing her off to the true directions program to escape the curse of lesbianism . " but i ' m a cheerleader , "

the showcase reading of but i ' m a cheerleader , which has book and lyrics by bill augustin and music by andrew abrams will take place this friday 6 december ( at the same time as our whatsonstage awards launch party ! ) and marks the first london presentation of the show .

i ' m ready to see a darker , grittier and more real side of things . i want to see people fretting about the implications of a god on earth . i want to see people debate about the cost of victory when that cost was a major city . i want to see villains who are more complex than " i am evil because ! " .

like i always do when i say hi to someone . dating is weird for me .

“i think you’re the most beautiful thing i’ve ever seen . ” graham replies , truthfully .

cheerleader . a word that makes me want to hurl and is too often used to describe yours truly . i guess a bubbly , outgoing personality and attractive physique means you are a cheerleader . i sit excitedly waiting to hear my name . it’s 2006 . i’m 14 , and i’ve made it all the way to the florida state science fair for my experiment on determining whether bacteria or fungi is more effective in cleaning up oil spills ( bp could have used my help ) . i finally hear my name called and eagerly rush up to meet one of the judges to discuss my project . i spot him and am about to introduce myself . before i can get a word out , he stops me , saying , " let me guess , you’re a cheerleader . " let me clear the air now i am not now nor have i ever been a cheerleader . firstly , i lack the acrobatic prowess required for such a role . secondly , i hate the label . i correct the judge , to his embarrassment . we continue on to have an intelligent discussion about bioremediation , and i end up placing third in the state and winning an award from nasa .

objectively , it ' s amateurish , but i managed to tell a sweet story that demonstrated my interest in comedy .

in this introduction , i ' ve told you a story about me from my past that reveals who i am , and i analyze it to show you what kind of storyteller i want to be .

the blonde quickly gets up to kiss her anxious girlfriend . “seriously , don’t worry ! i’m so happy that you did this ! i love you so much , graham ! ”

she said : " i ' m remembered mostly for ' hocus pocus . when i grew up , they ' d mostly say ' ohhh , allison , ' but thankfully , they keep the ' yabbos ' comment to themselves .

i loved man of steel , but i absolutely hate the casting for lex in the movie , i cannot stand eisenbergs portrayal of lex and it is effecting my opinion of the film greatly .

“i just wanted to become a bigger piece of the puzzle , ” she added . “the more i do this the less i become interested in just my part . i want to be a part of all of it . ”

@ kanyeeast22 i still like mo ' money but no , fuck you tonight never grew on me .

# 9 . b . i . g interlude one minute musical interlude sampling schooly d . while it sounds nice , i’m sure this is just padding to stretch the track list to a double album .

if you think you see it all , here ' s a film that rasies questions . in the movie , " but , i ' m a cheerleader " , megan is just a normal girl is doesn ' t know she ' s a lesbian . now , in some places , this isn ' t a problem and will go away alone but not in megan ' s case . it turns out in her case , being a homosexual is illegal .

though peppered with both silly hetero and homo stereotypes ( “foreplay is for sissies ! real men go in , unload and pull out ! ” ) , but i’m a cheerleader is still an important staple in queer film history . this movie , along with slums of beverly hills and girl , interrupted , launched natasha lyonne’s and clea duvall’s careers . it’s sad to think we probably wouldn’t have nicky nichols without but i’m a cheerleader ! released sometime between ellen coming out and willow rosenberg ( alyson hannigan ) falling for tara ( amber benson ) on buffy the vampire slayer , but i’m a cheerleader was one of the first movies to showcase not only a lesbian love story , but a positive gay teen romance . megan ( natasha lyonne ) is a picture perfect teenage girl – she has long blonde hair , a handsome football player boyfriend , loving parents and is a star cheerleader . however , and not for lack of trying , she just doesn’t like making out with her boyfriend . she hangs pictures of women in her locker at school and room at home , including , gasp , famed rocker lesbian melissa etheridge , and tries to make her parents eat tofu .

synopsis : but i’m a cheerleader : megan is an all - american girl . she’s a cheerleader and has a boyfriend , but she doesn’t like kissing him very much , and she’s pretty tactile with her cheerleader friends , and she only has pictures of girls up in her locker . her parents and friends conclude that she * must * be gay and send her off to “sexual redirection” school , full of admittedly homosexual misfits , where she can learn how to be straight . will megan be turned around to successful heterosexuality , or will she succumb to her love for the beautiful graham ?

i love natasha lyonne . i have loved her ever since i first saw her in the slums of beverly hills . i don ' t know if it ' s the wild , untamable mane , the new york accent that even the finest elocution lessons couldn ' t curb , or her seemingly " fuck you , i do what i want " attitude . i ' m thinking it ' s the whole package , wrapped in day - glo paper and hastily tied with a barbed wire bow . when i found out she was starring in a new independent body horror film i was all over it . i mean , they had me at " natasha " but i stayed for the " body horror " .

the 1999 film " but i ' m a cheerleader " concerned a teenage girl who is sent to a " sexual redirection " school when her parents fear she is lesbian . the movie ' s cast included natasha lyonne , clea duvall , cathy moriarty , rupaul , michelle williams , mink stole , bud cort , melanie lynskey and joel michaely .

when will people learn that not everything is suited to be made into a musical ? i love this movie , and i generally like musicals , but this is just a no - no .

i hate it too . glad i ' m not the only one . i hate it because of the " she ' s always there when i need her " - yep , no other life at all . i guess i shouldn ' t take it so literally . though i hated that emili sande one about her boyfriend always being right next to her and not going to the pub or whatever it was - i thought it sounded like he had no self respect .

but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical is the story of megan , an all - american high school cheerleader who seems to have it all ; she ' s popular , pretty , intelligent , has a football player boyfriend and lives the perfect high school life . but that ' s all about to change ! her friends and family suspect megan is a lesbian , and after staging an intervention , send her packing to the ' true directions ' rehabilitation camp to put her on the straight and narrow . here , under the strict tutelage of headmistress mary brown , megan meets graham , a sexy tomboy who shows her exactly what her ? true direction ' is . hilarious , cheeky and one of a kind , but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical is a quirky coming - of - age comedy about sexual awakening and staying true to who you are .

but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical is the story of megan , an all - american high school cheerleader who seems to have it all ; she ' s popular , pretty , intelligent , has a football player boyfriend and lives the perfect high school life . but that ' s all about to change ! her friends and family suspect megan is a lesbian , and after staging an intervention , send her packing to the ' true directions ' rehabilitation camp to put her on the straight and narrow . here , under the strict tutelage of headmistress mary brown , megan meets graham , a sexy tomboy who shows her exactly what her ' true direction ' is . hilarious , cheeky and one of a kind , but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical is a quirky coming - of - age comedy about sexual awakening and staying true to who you are .

still though . you miss every shot you don ' t take . if i have to watch point break 100 times to watch bvs once , that ' s a chance i ' m willing to take .

i ' m just so sick and tired of the overwhelming negativity this movie gets anywhere but these subreddits . it ' s like the majority of people will love it , but will probably bash it on the internet because that is what is cool .

i happen to be the critic and the person who has this particular skill set and desire , so that’s how it wound up being me [ bringing back theses books ] . i can advocate for them in the publishing community and bang the walls , but i’m not alone in this quest .

but i’m a cheerleader , even 17 years removed from its original release , continues to be one of the most heartfelt , touching , and laughably innocent portrayals of lesbianism and queer desire — particularly among the “teenage romance” genre that rose to great heights during the john hughes ’80s and continued to dominate throughout the ’90s .

out director jamie babbit is busy these days . her new film the quiet began opening in theaters this month , and she’s currently at work on the feature film the itty bitty titty committee . but before all this , she wrote and directed the 1999 cult hit but i’m a cheerleader , a comedic look at the lunacy that is gay rehabilitation — think ex - gay movement at summer camp .

actually i think it was yesterday or something but idgf . kool keith’s solo debut , underground classic . it

i do not want bvs to fail . as a lifelong comicbook fan of the big two companies , the more superhero goodness i can get the better . this is the golden age of being a superhero fan and i don ' t want to spend this time being bitter or unhappy about it . i honestly thought after batman and robin with clooney we ' d never see another superhero film . i ' m glad i was wrong .

as much as i don ' t give two shits about rt scores . i ' d be lying if i said the low mos rt score didn ' t make me sad . i loved the film personally , but when i hear other people ( a lot ) say that the movie sucked , it just brings me down .

the thing about being gay is that it doesn ' t necessarily mean that you ' re a strong person . there are plenty of people who can ' t deal in life and who happen to be gay also , so it seems like just another reason to be unhappy . in the film , megan [ natasha lyonne ] starts off as a cheerleader , that icon of american femininity , and at the end of the film , which establishes the dichotomy , " normal " and " perverted . " and at the end , it comes together , " pervert " and " cheerleader . " so the title has two points : at the beginning , it ' s " but i ' m a cheerleader , i ' m not gay , " and in the end , it ' s " but i ' m a cheerleader and i am gay . " that ' s why she does the cheerleading at the end , because i wanted her to be gay but still be who she was , and not get on a harley and ride off . brian kept telling me we needed to earmark her change somehow , but i wanted her to keep her identity as a cheerleader . i that way , the film challenges the stereotypes even within the community . just last month , we had a review in the san francisco chronicle , which gave a synopsis of the film , because it was the closing night film for the san francisco gay and lesbian film festival . but the reviewer said that it was " the story about a girl who ' s straight , who goes to rehab and becomes gay " !

“i had zero nudity and i got an nc - 17 . it was just a more conservative , ridiculous time . ”

yanbu , i detest this song . i can ' t understand why it ' s so popular .

had some continuity problems , and a pretty lame ending , but decent overall .

the most interesting revelation came when babbitt was questioned about her desires to turn cheerleader into a broadway spectacle . she replied :

as i said , i had a number of concerns about this movie . i mentioned that the critical consensus was a concern for me , but most of all it was the premise . while i think it ' s interesting , i wondered how on earth someone could make a comedy about such a serious matter . conversion camps are a very real threat to gay teenagers out there , but thankfully , the writers managed to satirise the beliefs of anti - gay religious leaders pretty well .

before hanging up to board her flight to new york , lyonne recalled one particularly positive and touching memory about “but i ' m a cheerleader” that proved just how important the film was in its time . “i remember clea and i went to sundance together and a lot of the mormon girls were coming up to us , " lyonne said . " clea and i would be crying because it was so moving that they had come out because of that movie . they had never seen anything like it . ”

in conclusion life after death didnt truly need to be a double album . there’s some misses here and there but i’d still recommend it . if you need a rating then uh , uh okay i got chu

but i ' m a cheerleader may seem too elementary to a sophisticated crowd . the stereotypes are often absurd to anyone with a consciousness , and frightingly may seem real to the uninformed . but in truth the film does no harm and in a humorous way pokes fun at how hung up we are about being gay . it runs into a few problems as well for portraying ' true directions ' as a place where sex roles create homosexuality and that by simply reversing them everything comes out allright in the wash .

thanks ! it ' s sex and the city . . . and to be honest i have no idea where i found it . . . i think i just searched satc or sarah jessica avatars or something !

very clever and very funny . i don ' t know why i had this listed as " not inteested . " i ' ve seen it twice already !

there is a difference between , " well , i ' m more of a marvel fan , so i probably won ' t enjoy bvs " and " this movie sucks , its going to suck , even though its not even out yet . "

hate it , turn it off as soon as it comes on , calling your girlfriend a cheerleader is ridiculous , hate it .

she said : " the fact that ' hocus pocus ' found a niche in that world where it cannot be extricated from the holiday itself to me is really amazing . i’m really surprised , but humbled and happy to be a part of something like that . i had the best time on that film — maybe more than any other movie i worked on . "

' but i ' m a cheerleader ' is a story about a teenage girl called megan , who is a popular blonde , feminine pretty girl , who ( as you would have guessed by the title ) is also a cheerleader . when she begins exhibiting strange behaviour ( i . e . , checking out other women , going vegetarian , listening to melissa etheridge ) , her parents begin to notice and when they do so , they send her to a gay conversion camp . it ' s in the camp that she realises who she truly is , and under the influence of a tough girl named graham , she learns to accept herself .

i recommend option 2 or 3 . you can attempt option 1 if you want , but i think it ' s the most difficult of the three to write well .

in but i ' m a cheerleader , megan ( natasha lyonne ) is an innocent . as she says , " i ' m not perverted ! i go to church , i get good grades . . . i ' m a cheerleader ! " but her parents and friends suspect she has an " unnatural " attraction toward other girls . their proof ? she ' s vegetarian , she listens to melissa etheridge , she has pictures of girls in her locker , and she hates kissing her boyfriend . they whisk her off to true directions , a campy version of real - life ex - gay ministries , to straighten her out . surrounded by fey boys and some tough girls , megan realizes she ' s attracted to girls and starts a relationship with one of the girls ( clea duvall ) . meanwhile , true directions instructors mike ( de - dragged rupaul ) and mary ( cathy moriarty ) , try to bring them back into the heterosexual fold with instruction on proper gender roles and talk therapy .

strong > while altringer and lindsey hunt down the board members , dick interviews filmmakers whose films have been given an unwanted nc - 17 ( the kiss of death for films seeking u . s . distribution ) or r rating , including kimberly peirce ( boys don ' t cry ) and jamie babbit ( but i ' m a cheerleader ) .

i spoke on the phone with heath , a manager at the krispy kreme location who about knew the incident i was describing . he was , however , slightly surprised that i knew of the video . “actually , that video was supposed to have been removed from the web , ” he told me , “so i’m surprised it’s still out there

nearly everyone who worked on the film joined on with their very own cheerleader prejudice in need of unpacking .

i didn ' t have a video to submit for film school , so i wrote and directed something . my friends acted in it , and a friend with a camera filmed and edited it . it doesn’t look like a feature film , but it tells a cute , unique story .

so um… i noticed the other thread had 2k + posts so i thought now would be a suitable time to um . . create

that ' s a great idea , but i hope they are able to use some of the original music from the movie . it had such a great soundtrack !

no disrespect intended , but i just don ' t like zack snyder ' s style of film - making . his films are often pretty to look at , but totally hollow .

based on the 1999 lionsgate cult motion picture , but i ' m a cheerleader : the musical is the story of megan , an all - american high school cheerleader who seems to have it all . but that ' s all about to change ! her friends and family suspect megan is a lesbian , and after staging an intervention , send her packing to the ‘true directions ' rehabilitation camp to put her on the straight and narrow . it is billed as " a quirky coming - of - age comedy about sexual awakening and staying true to who you are " .

" she was like my l . a . friend , " lyonne recalled . " i was in her car and there was a script just sitting on her passenger - seat floor . i was like , ' what ' s this movie ? can i be in it ? ' " as it turned out , it was the script for " but i ' m a cheerleader . " duvall was already cast to play graham , a disillusioned lesbian with disapproving parents . duvall made a quick call to her good friend babbit and the next thing you know lyonne was set to play megan , a cheerleader and the film ' s protagonist . " this was the ' 90s , this is how deals were made , " lyonne said , laughing .

broadly conceived and schematically directed , “but i’m a cheerleader” is a shallow , only mildly entertaining satire about a rehabilitation camp for gays and lesbians . basically a short extended to feature length , the movie benefits from a well - grounded performance by natasha lyonne as the vivacious teenager sent for sexual ( dis ) orientation , but suffers from cathy moriarty’s irritatingly one - note rendition as the camp’s homophobic counselor . fine line should expect modest returns for a comedy that has limited crossover appeal beyond the immediate target audience of young , undiscriminating gay viewers .

" it ' s not just money . part of it is , but not all . you greasers have a different set of values . you ' re more emotional . we ' re sophisticated - - - cool to the point of not feeling anything . nothing is real with us . you know , sometimes i ' ll catch myself talking to a girl - friend , and realize i don ' t mean half of what i ' m saying . i don ' t really think a beer blast on the river bottom is super - cool , but i ' ll rave about one to a girl - friend just to be saying something . i never told anyone that . i think you ' re the first person i ' ve ever really gotten through to . "

i mean , i have no doubt the movie will be good because of the raw filmmaking talent behind it .

well , the movie isn ' t perfect , but it ' s certainly a lot better than i thought it would be and frankly , i think it ' s quite underrated . i wish that more teenagers would see this movie because conversion therapy is still going on , and i think movies like this could help spark a conversation .

i want these books to have their place in the canon . and if that means being back on every school list , that’s great . i think every book deserves to find it’s actual readership . people do want books to find readers , as well they should , i want books to find readers too . but i’m not so doctrinaire about who should read them . i’m much less interested in ‘tapping into a market’ than i am into making sure these books stay in print and are known as a period of literature , just like john cheever is , or like neil gaiman is , or f . scott fitzgerald , or edith wharton . i just want to make sure that their work is not completely forgotten .