News from Homo-wood
Mike Moore
world of film and entertainment.
Queen Elizabeth invested Oscar-winning screen icons Elizabeth Taylor and
Julie Andrews as Dame Commanders of the British Empire -- the female version
of knighthood -- in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on May 16. Both stars
were born in Britain although they've spent most of their lives in the U.S.
and Andrews' parents were Americans.
Taylor's honor recognized her remarkable fund-raising for AIDS charities as
well as her acting career, and its only the beginning of her recognition in
her native land. The National Portrait Gallery in London will be exhibiting
portraits of her beginning May 18 (a day when Taylor will be at Cannes for
the grand annual American Foundation for AIDS Research benefit associated
with the prestigious film festival) and continuing through June 16. On May
24, the British Film Institute will ceremonially present her with a
fellowship -- the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award, and only the
51st ever issued -- at a dinner in her honor with an auction to benefit both
AmFAR and the UK's Red Hot AIDS Charitable Trust. On May 26, she'll be
honored at a major AIDS benefit at the Royal Albert Hall featuring
performances by gays Sir Elton John and George Michael as well as Tony
Bennett and Michael Jackson, In addition, the National Film Theatre has
scheduled showings of a dozen of her classic films.
Taylor wore a knee-length blue and purple Thai silk jacket with white
embroidery and matching pants, along with a heavy pearl necklace, pearl and
diamond drop earrings, a gold bracelet, and a diamond ring that was a gift
from actor Richard Burton, her late ex-husband. Her four children
accompanied her. She had joked beforehand that, "I hope my wire hips hold me
up and when I curtsy I don't fall into the queen's lap." She arrived at the
ceremony (on time for once) in a wheelchair, but rose from it and walked to
receive her star medallion from the Queen. She told reporters, "I came to
Buckingham Palace once before, years ago, with Richard, when he received the
Order of the British Empire. I miss him so much. I wish he was here."
Taylor said, "I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. It's all kind of unreal.
Today doesn't compare to anything else that's happened in my life. Never in
a million years did I think I would be a recipient of a Dameship. It just
never was in my computer. It just never occurred to me."
For Andrews too it was "the greatest honor of my life. I didn't think I was
eligible as I've lived in America for such a long time but I've always felt
I've taken my Britishness with me." Andrews wore a pink tailored skirt and
large round pearl earrings. She was touched that selections from her classic
film Mary Poppins were played during the ceremony. She said afterwards, "I
feel very honored -- it is a wonderful deep quiet pleasure. I wasn't really
nervous, but truly excited. It is a beautiful place to come."
Andrews' early signature role in The Sound of Music has become an audience
participation cult classic ala Rocky Horror Picture Show at London's
"Singalong-a-Sound of Music." Her recent work includes a British film of a
comedy by gay Noel Coward, Relative Values.
Film Deals
Frameline Award-winner for Outstanding Achievement in Lesbian and Gay Media
producer Christine Vachon's and business partner Pam Koffler's Killer Films
has a major deal with Clear Blue Sky Productions, the companies announced at
the Cannes Film Festival on May 15. No numbers were cited, but the two-year
development and co-production "creative partnership" was described as "worth
a significant amount," and more importantly, as Vachon said, "This
relationship strengthens our ability to make movies." Killer Films' past
achievements include self-identified queer Kimberly Peirce's Boys Don't Cry,
gay Todd Haynes' Poison, Safe and Velvet Goldmine, Todd Solondz'
controversial Happiness, and Tony Vitale's Kiss Me Guido (now being piloted
by CBS as a sitcom). Before forming Killer Films with Koffler in 1996,
Vachon's productions included Rose Troche's Go Fish and Nigel Finch's last
work, the docudrama Stonewall.
A three-hour made-for-television movie on the brief life of Holocaust victim
Anne Frank will be produced by Stephen Spielberg for ABC for the upcoming
season, it was announced May 15. Anne Frank: The Whole Story will be based
on Melissa Muller's biography. Frank examined her lesbian feelings as well
as her heterosexual ones in her famous diary, although the material was
suppressed until relatively recently.
Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley announced May 15 at the Cannes Film
Festival that he'll be bringing his world-renowned Celtic dance show to
film, with a script he'll co-author with Shane Connaughton (My Left Foot).
British director Tony Palmer will begin shooting the film in a few months on
locations in Ireland, England and the U.S. for producer Matt Mazer with
German backing. Casting announcements are expected shortly, but Peter
O'Toole and Julia Ormond are among those who've been asked to participate.
Flatley has been touring his new show, Feet of Flame, since March, and will
continue through July before beginning preparations for filming in August.
Once shooting is over, he'll be back on the road again. The stage version of
Lord of the Dance was seen live by more than six million people, and Feet of
Flame will break the one million mark by July.
Those Gay UK Pop Stars
Sir Elton John threw a posh beach party at the Cannes Film Festival for more
than 250 guests on May 11 to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Guests
included Ursula Andress, George Clooney, Angie Everhart, Andie MacDowell,
and Jean Claude van Damme. The party was held under tents, but these were
made of pastel-colored chiffon that floated over tables decorated with
candles and rose blossoms.
Britain's regulatory Independent Television Commission (ITC) ruled against
MTV for a daytime broadcast of George Michael's Roxanne video, which
features real-life sex workers and some nudity.
Boyzone's Stephen Gately told a TV audience May 15 that he's "a completely
different person" since publicly identifying himself as a gay man eleven
months ago and so losing the stress of remaining closeted. He described the
pressure and worry of the elaborate arrangements formerly involved in simply
visiting with his Dutch partner Eloy de Jong, another equally closeted pop
singer with a successful career on the continent. They decided to come out
at the same time, and in retrospect Gately believes they picked the perfect
time. Gately's announcement was greeted with almost unalloyed support,
including messages from Sir Elton John and George Michael. Gately will soon
be launching his solo career with a single appropriately entitled, New
Beginnings.