How Charlton Hton played a gay man whout knowg ‘Ben-Hur’ | Culture | EL PAÍS English

Contents:

• THE HIDN HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY OF "BEN-HUR"DO THE NEW REMAKE KEEP THE GAY SUBTEXT?{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHAUGT 17, 2016/5:34 PMBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHAUGT 17, 2016 / 5:34 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"THE HIDN HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY OF \"BEN-HUR\"","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-08-17T21:34:32.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-08-17T21:34:32.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPH","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S HOLLYWOOD LEGEND THAT THE 1959 VERSN OF BEN-HUR—THAT WENT ONTO W A RERD 11 OSRS—HAD A GAY ROMANCE THAT MANY DIENCE MEMBERS NEVER PICKED UP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE HIDN GAY RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO MA CHARACTERS WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE 1995 DOCUMENTARY THE CELLULOID CLOSET WHEN GORE VIDAL REVEALED THAT HE WAS BROUGHT ON THE FILM AS A SCRIPT DOCTOR AND REWROTE SCEN TO "HT HEAVILY AT A PRR SEXUAL RELATNSHIP BETWEEN CHARLTON HTON’S TLE CHARACTER AND HIS CHILDHOOD IEND (AND LATER BETRAYER) MSALA (STEPHEN BOYD)," REPORTS THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER VIDAL'S MENTS THE FILM'S STAR CHARLTON HTON WROTE TO THE LOS ANGEL TIM BLASTG HIM FOR TARNISHG A HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC WH HOMOSEXUALY—BUT HTON DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN BEN-HUR AND MSALA BEE NO ONE TOLD HIM BEFORE THE SHOOT. VIDAL DID NFIRM THAT "HE HAD DISCSED THE MATTER WH BOYD, WHO DULY FOLLOWED THE SCREENWRER’S LEAD FOR THE KEY SCENE WHICH THE BOYHOOD CHUMS MEET AGA AFTER MANY YEARS APART."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}EVEN DIRECTOR WILLIAM WYLER ME AROUND TO VIDAL'S REASONG FOR THE NEED OF A PAST ROMANCE BETWEEN THE TWO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}VIDAL EXPLAED THIS HIS LETTER TO THE L.A. TIM:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE TOLD THE STORY OF HOW, FACED WH A HOPELS SCRIPT FOR BEN-HUR, I PERSUAD THE PRODUCER, SAM ZIMBALIST (THIS WAS AN MGM FILM AND THE WRER WORKED NOT WH THE DIRECTOR BUT THE PRODUCER; LATER THE DIRECTOR, THIS SE WILLIAM WYLER, WEIGHED ) THAT THE ONLY WAY ONE ULD JTIFY SEVERAL HOURS OF HATRED BETWEEN TWO LADS – AND ALL THOSE HORS – WAS TO TABLISH, WHOUT SAYG SO WORDS, AN AFFAIR BETWEEN THEM AS BOYS; THEN, WHEN RNED AT PICTURE’S START, THE ROMAN, PLAYED BY STEPHEN BOYD, WANTS TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF AND THE JEW, HTON, SPURNS HIM." {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THIS IS THE SCENE THAT WAS SHOT AND THIS IS THE SCENE THAT VIEWERS OF THE CELLULOID CLOSET WATCHED, WH MY MENTARY. LOS ANGEL TIM FILM CRIC KENH TURAN WROTE THAT “SEEG AN APPROPRIATE CLIP MAK A STRONG SE FOR THE TTH OF VIDAL’S ASSERTN THAT BOYD WAS ON THE SCHEME WHILE HTON WAS NOT.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO DO THE NEW BEN-HUR REMAKE KEEP THE GAY SUBTEXT TACT?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“IT WASN’T SOMETHG WE AVOID BUT WASN’T SOMETHG WE HAD,” SAID TOBY KEBBELL—WHO PLAYS MSALA THE LATT VERSN—AT THIS WEEK'S L.A. PREMIERE. “IN 1959, THE GAY NTEXT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. THEY NEED A VOICE. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO HI THE DARK ABOUT SOMETHG YOU FEEL AND YOU’RE GROWN WH. THAT WAS THEIR OWN THG THEY WANTED TO PORTRAY AND WE DIDN’T NEED TO. IT’S A DIFFERENT TIME, THANKFULLY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THAT WAS TE THAT FILM,” PRODUCER ROMA DOWNEY (Y, OM TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL) TOLD THE IRISH EXAMER. “HERE WE HAVE TWO BROTHERS. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. THEY’RE RAISED THE SAME HOEHOLD AND ’S SO TRAGIC TO SEE THEIR FAY JT RIPPED APART.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SOMEHOW WE THK VIDAL WOULD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEN-HUR IS THEATERS AUGT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}H/T: THE IRISH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• BEN-HUR Y LA SNOCIDA HISTORIA GAY TRáS LA PELíCULA MáS VISTA LA SEMANA SANTA
• SEMANA SANTA: REVELAN CUáL FUE LA CENA GAY ENTRE 'BEN HUR' Y 'MSALA' [VIDEO]
• GORE VIDAL’S SPAT WH CHARLTON HTON OVER GAY ‘BEN-HUR’ SUBTEXT
• GORE VIDAL'S DEFENSE OF BEN-HUR'S GAY SUBTEXT
• HOW CHARLTON HTON PLAYED A GAY MAN WHOUT KNOWG ‘BEN-HUR’

THE HIDN HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY OF "BEN-HUR"DO THE NEW REMAKE KEEP THE GAY SUBTEXT?{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHAUGT 17, 2016/5:34 PMBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHAUGT 17, 2016 / 5:34 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"THE HIDN HOMOSEXUAL HISTORY OF \"BEN-HUR\"","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-08-17T21:34:32.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-08-17T21:34:32.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPH","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S HOLLYWOOD LEGEND THAT THE 1959 VERSN OF BEN-HUR—THAT WENT ONTO W A RERD 11 OSRS—HAD A GAY ROMANCE THAT MANY DIENCE MEMBERS NEVER PICKED UP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE HIDN GAY RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO MA CHARACTERS WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE 1995 DOCUMENTARY THE CELLULOID CLOSET WHEN GORE VIDAL REVEALED THAT HE WAS BROUGHT ON THE FILM AS A SCRIPT DOCTOR AND REWROTE SCEN TO "HT HEAVILY AT A PRR SEXUAL RELATNSHIP BETWEEN CHARLTON HTON’S TLE CHARACTER AND HIS CHILDHOOD IEND (AND LATER BETRAYER) MSALA (STEPHEN BOYD)," REPORTS THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER VIDAL'S MENTS THE FILM'S STAR CHARLTON HTON WROTE TO THE LOS ANGEL TIM BLASTG HIM FOR TARNISHG A HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC WH HOMOSEXUALY—BUT HTON DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN BEN-HUR AND MSALA BEE NO ONE TOLD HIM BEFORE THE SHOOT. VIDAL DID NFIRM THAT "HE HAD DISCSED THE MATTER WH BOYD, WHO DULY FOLLOWED THE SCREENWRER’S LEAD FOR THE KEY SCENE WHICH THE BOYHOOD CHUMS MEET AGA AFTER MANY YEARS APART."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}EVEN DIRECTOR WILLIAM WYLER ME AROUND TO VIDAL'S REASONG FOR THE NEED OF A PAST ROMANCE BETWEEN THE TWO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}VIDAL EXPLAED THIS HIS LETTER TO THE L.A. TIM:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE TOLD THE STORY OF HOW, FACED WH A HOPELS SCRIPT FOR BEN-HUR, I PERSUAD THE PRODUCER, SAM ZIMBALIST (THIS WAS AN MGM FILM AND THE WRER WORKED NOT WH THE DIRECTOR BUT THE PRODUCER; LATER THE DIRECTOR, THIS SE WILLIAM WYLER, WEIGHED ) THAT THE ONLY WAY ONE ULD JTIFY SEVERAL HOURS OF HATRED BETWEEN TWO LADS – AND ALL THOSE HORS – WAS TO TABLISH, WHOUT SAYG SO WORDS, AN AFFAIR BETWEEN THEM AS BOYS; THEN, WHEN RNED AT PICTURE’S START, THE ROMAN, PLAYED BY STEPHEN BOYD, WANTS TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF AND THE JEW, HTON, SPURNS HIM." {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THIS IS THE SCENE THAT WAS SHOT AND THIS IS THE SCENE THAT VIEWERS OF THE CELLULOID CLOSET WATCHED, WH MY MENTARY. LOS ANGEL TIM FILM CRIC KENH TURAN WROTE THAT “SEEG AN APPROPRIATE CLIP MAK A STRONG SE FOR THE TTH OF VIDAL’S ASSERTN THAT BOYD WAS ON THE SCHEME WHILE HTON WAS NOT.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO DO THE NEW BEN-HUR REMAKE KEEP THE GAY SUBTEXT TACT?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“IT WASN’T SOMETHG WE AVOID BUT WASN’T SOMETHG WE HAD,” SAID TOBY KEBBELL—WHO PLAYS MSALA THE LATT VERSN—AT THIS WEEK'S L.A. PREMIERE. “IN 1959, THE GAY NTEXT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. THEY NEED A VOICE. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO HI THE DARK ABOUT SOMETHG YOU FEEL AND YOU’RE GROWN WH. THAT WAS THEIR OWN THG THEY WANTED TO PORTRAY AND WE DIDN’T NEED TO. IT’S A DIFFERENT TIME, THANKFULLY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THAT WAS TE THAT FILM,” PRODUCER ROMA DOWNEY (Y, OM TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL) TOLD THE IRISH EXAMER. “HERE WE HAVE TWO BROTHERS. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. THEY’RE RAISED THE SAME HOEHOLD AND ’S SO TRAGIC TO SEE THEIR FAY JT RIPPED APART.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SOMEHOW WE THK VIDAL WOULD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEN-HUR IS THEATERS AUGT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}H/T: THE IRISH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

It's Hollywood legend that the 1959 versn of Ben-Hur—that went onto w a rerd 11 Osrs—had a gay romance that many dience members never picked up hidn gay relatnship between the two ma characters was brought to light the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet when Gore Vidal revealed that he was brought on the film as a script doctor and rewrote scen to "ht heavily at a prr sexual relatnship between Charlton Hton’s tle character and his childhood iend (and later betrayer) Msala (Stephen Boyd), " reports The Vidal's ments the film's star Charlton Hton wrote to the Los Angel Tim blastg him for tarnishg a Hollywood classic wh homosexualy—but Hton didn't know about the relatnship between Ben-Hur and Msala bee no one told him before the shoot. ”So do the new Ben-Hur remake keep the gay subtext tact?

“In 1959, the gay ntext was very important.

BEN-HUR Y LA SNOCIDA HISTORIA GAY TRáS LA PELíCULA MáS VISTA LA SEMANA SANTA

In the 1995 documentary film The Celluloid Closet (based on Vo Rso’s book and lecture seri), Hollywood’s sketchy history wh pictg homosexualy on screen was vtigated wh great, specific tail.

SEMANA SANTA: REVELAN CUáL FUE LA CENA GAY ENTRE 'BEN HUR' Y 'MSALA' [VIDEO]

From the Hays Co to the League of Decency, om queer villas to predatory lbians, om fey sikicks to tragic AIDS victims, The Celluloid Closet put Hollywood’s history of d moralizg, erasure, and monizatn of gay characters on full blast. It also poted out the many ways which, while rtricted by the productn s the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, filmmakers managed to sneak gay ntent anyway.

GORE VIDAL’S SPAT WH CHARLTON HTON OVER GAY ‘BEN-HUR’ SUBTEXT

Further, Vidal claims that, after nsultatn wh Wyler and Boyd (but not Hton, who would have objected), he wrote one particular scene, where the tranged Ben-Hur and Msala meet aga, wh heavy gay subtext.

GORE VIDAL'S DEFENSE OF BEN-HUR'S GAY SUBTEXT

Vidal, a wrer and tellectual, famoly rejected scriptors like “homosexual” and “heterosexual” as fns, but would be false to tiptoe around Vidal’s gayns as central to his role as a social provotr, a pose he took often, ually opposn to nservativ like Hton and William F.

HOW CHARLTON HTON PLAYED A GAY MAN WHOUT KNOWG ‘BEN-HUR’

For s, the Hollywood system systematilly erased the acplishments of gay men and women.

After wrg the movi, starrg them, directg them, and beg volved the film dtry on all levels, gay men and women were closeted and gay characters were obscured and erased. This quasi-Biblil tale starrg Charlton damn Hton is as gay as blaz, and acrdg to one of s wrers, was om the moment was filmed.

Charlton Hton, que terpretó a Judá Ben-Hur, tuvo una reacción furibunda cuando le hablaron las nnotacn homoerótis. Defió ta revelación o "ridícula" en la revista Time, y llamó al productor l documental para negar que Ben-Hur fue homosexual.