Is Jimmy Stewart's character in "Rope"-1948 gay?

Jimmmay!

I’m watching it too!

The character was supposed to be gay, but Stewart didn't really give off that vibe on the screen

Jimmy was an insatiable bottom.

Yes! Imo, they did not even bother to hide the relationship between the 2 killers. This is a true masterpiece . The way the movie was shot and the background really add to the atmosphere. Great movie. Good looking men.

I think a lot of movies after the war, or at least in the immediate postwar aftermath, turned darker (check out film noir). Many directors felt like they were free to deal with subtexts because of what all “our boys” went through and all they were exposed to. Also there were many theater directors moving to movies and they were a bit more liberal in their attitudes and were able to slip this kind of subtext in.

See: “Red River”, All the King’s Men,” and “Sunset Boulevard,” among others.

I agree. I also really appreciated what I posted about them not hiding the gay relationship. It would have taken away from the movie if they had.

The part was written with Cary Grant in mind, but he refused to be in the film (because he was worried about his image, the content of the script being so gay) so the part went to James Stewart. Stewart might not even have realised his character was supposed to be the slightly older gay to the two young men.

I love the film as it is, and Stewart's very good in it, but it would have been a very different film with Cary Grant (from Suspicion!) in it. Very uncomfortable, IMO.

I think Grant could have killed that role if he wanted.

Jimmy Stewart was perfect, imo. As much as I admire CG, I think Jimmy was a better choice for this movie. The killers really thought they could fool him. I don't it would have been believable if suave CG played that part. Jmo!

Cary would have had some hot three-ways with Farley and John Dall!

Oh my! What I would have given to see that!

Joseph Cotten would've been perfect.

Cary Grant was also the first choice for Norman Maine in the 1954 "A Star Is Born". I think he would have been excellent in that role.

Cary Grant was also first choice for Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner. He worried the role was too gay for him.

Grant was also first choice for Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. He old Jack Warner to hire Rex Harrison.

Has any actor ever been as consistently in demand as Cary Grant was?

Farley Granger was such a dream boat.

I never bought Farley Granger as a leading man. Something very weak about him . His co-stars/antagonists in Rope and Strangers On A Train completely overshadow him . However, he was probably Lisa's best husband on As The World Turns.

[quote]The part was written with Cary Grant in mind, but he refused to be in the film

The part was written as a Broadway play. Cary Grant never did stage work.

I'm sure Stewart knew that he was playing a gay character; he certainly knew how to communicate the complex sexual subtexts in Rear Window and Vertigo. I also think that the play the movie is based on is more explicit about the relationships between the professor and his students. Stewart also had to have known that he was miscast, but he played the role in an intelligent way. He knew to stand back and hand the movie to Granger and Dall.

There were no gays in the 1940s.

R19 Patrick Hamilton wrote the play, Rope, but then the script was entirely rewritten from the play by Arthur Laurents. Hitchcock wanted Grant for the role. Arthur Laurents and Farley Granger were an item, btw.

[quote]Cary Grant was also first choice for Mame.

R20 Agreed, Stewart is excellent in the film.

Both John Dall and Douglas Dick from the movie seemed to be in every other episode of Perry Mason back in the day.