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Gay Erotica from the 1960s + ScreenTalk (18*)

Queer 60s

,Cinema 1
A naked man laying face down on a chaise longue.

Fun, sun and naked men – dive into the world of 60s gay erotica, at a time when pornography was illegal, with a celebration of works by Bob Mizer, Pat Rocco and Peter de Rome. 

Pornography may have been illegal in the US in 1960s, but canny filmmakers nonetheless managed to find ways to produced erotica for grateful gay audiences through clever means. Bob Mizer was the man behind the Athletic Model Guild (AMG), nominally to promote the benefits of bodybuilding, though in reality the naughty antics on display offer softcore titillation rather than fitness tips. Pat Rocco similarly showed handsome naked men in supposedly non-erotic scenarios, while Peter de Rome went underground, creating beautiful, artful erotica for select, private audiences. 

Some are funny, some are celebratory, some are mysterious and intriguing. In the 1970s, pornography laws relaxed and these films were neglected. This event celebrates these remarkable works from a time of strict censorship. 

Tagged with: Cinema Queer 60s

This screening will be followed by a ScreenTalk with Maxwell Zinkievich (Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives) and writer and filmmaker David McGillivray. 

Mizer’s films by Bob Mizer and Athletic Model Guild. Under license by Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives.

Programme

The Cowboy and the Waiter (USA, 1966, dir Bob Mizer, 10 min, silent)
Brokeback Mountain, 60s style. 

Beat the Devil (USA, 1969, dir Bob Mizer, 8 min, silent)
Can two handsome studs defeat Satan? 

Boy from the Bottle (USA, 1969, dir Bob Mizer, 6 min, silent)
A lonesome guy rubs a lamp and gets a surprise. 

Strip Strip (USA, 1968, dir Pat Rocco, 3 min)
A young buck explores Sunset Boulevard. Clothing optional. 

Sunny Boys (USA, 1968, dir Pat Rocco, 3 min) 
What fun is nude sunbathing alone? 

Disneyland Discovery (USA, 1969, dir Pat Rocco, 16 min)
Can two gay guys find their fairytale ending? 

Scopo (UK, 1966, dir Peter de Rome, 6 min)
A young man enters an apartment, unaware he is being watched. 

Double Exposure (UK, 1969, dir Peter de Rome, 7 min)
Two men cruise each other in Fire Island. 

David McGillivray has enjoyed a colourful career in many areas of lowbrow entertainment. He is best known as a scriptwriter who has worked in the entertainment media for more than 60 years, including House of Whipcord (1974), Frightmare (1974) and Satan's Slave (1976). 

Educated at UC Berkeley and the Courtauld Institute of Art, Maxwell Zinkievich is a curator at the Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives in San Francisco, California. He also serves as the Head of Moving Images, working to catalogue, conserve, and exhibit the over seven thousand surviving Mizer film elements held in the Museum’s film archives. 

Queer 60s

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.