In support of the poster exhibition in the theater galleries, this series takes a focused look back at the nature of sexual politics on screen. During the studio system’s “golden age,” subtle, empowered star turns by Barbara Stanwyck, Louise Brooks, Bette Davis, Gloria Grahame, and others simultaneously upheld gender norms and hinted at alternative models of sexual identity. Yet later players, like Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy, Marlene Clark and Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess, or Divine in Female Trouble, were given license to subvert gender limitations altogether.
Organized by Ron Magliozzi, Curator, and Brittany Shaw, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Film.
