Beautiful piece of writing Thomas. Like most people, I saw the 1969 film of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ long before I read the novel. I was struck, of course, by how markedly different they are. In particular, I found the account of Joe’s early life heartbreaking. For me, it came across as a warning on the perils of absent parenthood. Joe’s intellectual and emotional development, (what little there had been) seemed to halt at the time of his abandonment by the ‘blondes’. His grandma Sally did love him, but it’s possible to love a child in the wrong way…
We know now that in the absence of a stable parent figure, infants will form attachments with anyone they can, no matter how chaotic or damaging those attachments might be. And we carry this baggage forward through life. The director of the movie, John Schlesinger, was one of the first openly gay directors in Hollywood and, arguably, this must have had some bearing on the direction the film took. The screenwriter, Waldo Salt, had been blacklisted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1951 for refusing to testify.
Thanks so much for this discussion. Looking forward to Part 2 Thomas!
Thank you kindly! I first saw the film as a teenager and it made a huge impression on me, with it’s depiction of the ‘ragged people’
alluded to in the Simon and Garfunkel song ‘The Boxer’. When I finally got round to reading the book, I was struck by how different it was to the film. Very interested to read Part 2 of Thomas’s take on the work.
Saw it too as a wee lad in St.Louis. Didn't even know it was a book. Now Didn't even know the book existed. Now, I'm very intrigued. I can see Thom's critique...still I think it was a great film, standing on it's on. Oh, those were the days my friend. Real culture being
pumped... couldn't help but step in it. What a time, huh kid?
It’s an incredibly powerful film. Amazing soundtrack. And it’s still the only Oscar winning picture to have an ‘X’ certificate, due to its ‘homosexual frame of reference’. It was absolutely groundbreaking for its time, chronicling the story of two lost souls really…
Proverbs 16:18. Yeah. Let’s keep that in mind with all the dumbness we are all forced to look upon. The decadence. The screeching harpies. Ect. Ect. It’s all meant to demoralize.
The MANUSCRIPTS (STEELSTORM III and the INTERNATIONAL LAW book) plus my POD and STREAM content don't leave a lot of TIME for article length stuff. But I'm TRYING.
Beautiful piece of writing Thomas. Like most people, I saw the 1969 film of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ long before I read the novel. I was struck, of course, by how markedly different they are. In particular, I found the account of Joe’s early life heartbreaking. For me, it came across as a warning on the perils of absent parenthood. Joe’s intellectual and emotional development, (what little there had been) seemed to halt at the time of his abandonment by the ‘blondes’. His grandma Sally did love him, but it’s possible to love a child in the wrong way…
We know now that in the absence of a stable parent figure, infants will form attachments with anyone they can, no matter how chaotic or damaging those attachments might be. And we carry this baggage forward through life. The director of the movie, John Schlesinger, was one of the first openly gay directors in Hollywood and, arguably, this must have had some bearing on the direction the film took. The screenwriter, Waldo Salt, had been blacklisted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1951 for refusing to testify.
Thanks so much for this discussion. Looking forward to Part 2 Thomas!
Great comment. Very insightful and quite on the mark.
Thanks!
Thank you kindly! I first saw the film as a teenager and it made a huge impression on me, with it’s depiction of the ‘ragged people’
alluded to in the Simon and Garfunkel song ‘The Boxer’. When I finally got round to reading the book, I was struck by how different it was to the film. Very interested to read Part 2 of Thomas’s take on the work.
Saw it too as a wee lad in St.Louis. Didn't even know it was a book. Now Didn't even know the book existed. Now, I'm very intrigued. I can see Thom's critique...still I think it was a great film, standing on it's on. Oh, those were the days my friend. Real culture being
pumped... couldn't help but step in it. What a time, huh kid?
It’s an incredibly powerful film. Amazing soundtrack. And it’s still the only Oscar winning picture to have an ‘X’ certificate, due to its ‘homosexual frame of reference’. It was absolutely groundbreaking for its time, chronicling the story of two lost souls really…
Can't wait for the rest. That was fookin wild, T. Dealt with gays in the theatre. One on one they're manageable. Don't let'em gang up.
Like some other types, they get the preponderance and everything goes to hell.
Horrifying...
Proverbs 16:18. Yeah. Let’s keep that in mind with all the dumbness we are all forced to look upon. The decadence. The screeching harpies. Ect. Ect. It’s all meant to demoralize.
Yeah, this is nothing like the movie. Much darker.
Horrifying.
Great article, can't wait until Part II, I only ever saw the movie and never read the novel.
I always enjoy reading articles that broaden my horizons, especially those that discuss the backgrounds of people and works in popular culture.
The MANUSCRIPTS (STEELSTORM III and the INTERNATIONAL LAW book) plus my POD and STREAM content don't leave a lot of TIME for article length stuff. But I'm TRYING.
That's correct. I'd also add that, paradoxically, most seem to have a childish and ritualistic relation with sex. Very odd indeed.