Showcasing vintage male photography, mostly nude. You must be 18 years of age or older to visit this blog! If you hold a copyright on any material shown on this blog, notify me, and it will be removed immediately.
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Saturday, June 21, 2025
Ben Hur
Here we have a still from the 1925 version of the movie Ben Hur.
Big Dude's bus will be loading shortly. As for me, I'd happily
I remember the first time I saw this version on PBS. I wasn't expecting this nude scene, and it gave me the vapors. From what I've read, they actually put a spotlight on the naked man. I sure Ramon Navarro was happy about that.
Gays were employed frequently in costume and set design jobs in Hollywood from the very beginning. Of course, there were actors, too, but they had to keep things very low key. It's surprising how much the studio bosses allowed to make it onto the screen.
It's quite interesting, but sadly, many of the movies from that era have not been preserved. And it has nothing to do with risque' content. The film stock they used back then was unstable and even became flammable over time. What does remain required a lot of restoration work.
+ l'era della diva e di Maciste, come una scena di Cabiria, L'Inferno, Messalina, Nero e Quo Vadis. proprio quando il cinema muto in tutto il mondo raggiungeva il suo apogeo artistico, arrivò il cinema sonoro e un'epoca finì. poiché in altri paesi molti film muti italiani sono andati perduti, il Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Turino è una tappa obbligata.
Many old silent films have been loss through neglect and deterioration. Nitrate film stock was very unstable, old films were melted for their silver content during Ww1 and Ww2 and many films were stored in less than ideal conditions. Film archives have also been destroyed in wartime and from fires. The film archive of Germany was housed at the UFA studios in Berlin and was gutted in a 1944 Allied air raid that destroyed 90% of their silent films, a private archive of silent films of Italy were purposely set on fire by vengeful German occupation forces in 1943 and the national film archive of Italy was moved to Berlin and lost in the aforementioned air raid, the Fox studio in America had a fire at their film vaults that destroyed almost all their films made before 1932, the 1965 MGM film vault fire destroyed 30% of their holdings, the film archive of Mexico was destroyed by fire in 1977 and the 1978 vault fire at the US National Archives destroyed a vast collection of newsreels and government films. The earliest American films made in Fort Lee NJ and Astoria NY were left to rot in disused studios when the film industry split for Hollywood. Even today some films of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s made with safety film have shown serious signs of deterioration. Case in point the master print of The Godfather 1972 was found to be in fair to poor shape when it was remastered and restored for DVDs. Once so often films thought long lost have been found and rediscovered, from films hidden in a deceased collectors closet in Chicago, an old movie house set for demolition in Istanbul, an antique shop in Japan to a barn in New Zealand….:)
Honestly? I'd prefer the one with his back to us.
ReplyDeleteYes, the drum beater would do in a pinch.
DeleteWould they have allowed such a scene in a movie back then? I realize you can't see his gear, but???
ReplyDeleteYes, the allowed it. The code restrictions really became severe in the 1930s.
DeleteI remember the first time I saw this version on PBS. I wasn't expecting this nude scene, and it gave me the vapors.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read, they actually put a spotlight on the naked man. I sure Ramon Navarro was happy about that.
SB Dan
Gays were employed frequently in costume and set design jobs in Hollywood from the very beginning. Of course, there were actors, too, but they had to keep things very low key. It's surprising how much the studio bosses allowed to make it onto the screen.
DeleteJerry, could you get me started on a bus... with hairy men and asses as beautiful as this man in this picture!!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Albert. You might need a whole train.
DeleteLLOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL
DeleteYou would be surprised what they could do in the pre-Production Code days. Google " pre code movie nudity".
ReplyDeleteCorrect. It surprised me when I found out how extensive it was.
DeleteI definitely will check out the pre-code information!
ReplyDeleteIt's quite interesting, but sadly, many of the movies from that era have not been preserved. And it has nothing to do with risque' content. The film stock they used back then was unstable and even became flammable over time. What does remain required a lot of restoration work.
Delete+ l'era della diva e di Maciste, come una scena di Cabiria, L'Inferno, Messalina, Nero e Quo Vadis.
ReplyDeleteproprio quando il cinema muto in tutto il mondo raggiungeva il suo apogeo artistico, arrivò il cinema sonoro e un'epoca finì.
poiché in altri paesi molti film muti italiani sono andati perduti, il Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Turino è una tappa obbligata.
There are some that survived, but many lost. Will Hays .... Reps are always causing trouble.
ReplyDeleteAlways.
DeleteMany old silent films have been loss through neglect and deterioration.
ReplyDeleteNitrate film stock was very unstable, old films were melted for their silver content during Ww1 and Ww2 and many films were stored in less than ideal conditions.
Film archives have also been destroyed in wartime and from fires. The film archive of Germany was housed at the UFA studios in Berlin and was gutted in a 1944 Allied air raid that destroyed 90% of their silent films, a private archive of silent films of Italy were purposely set on fire by vengeful German occupation forces in 1943 and the national film archive of Italy was moved to Berlin and lost in the aforementioned air raid, the Fox studio in America had a fire at their film vaults that destroyed almost all their films made before 1932, the 1965 MGM film vault fire destroyed 30% of their holdings, the film archive of Mexico was destroyed by fire in 1977 and the 1978 vault fire at the US National Archives destroyed a vast collection of newsreels and government films. The earliest American films made in Fort Lee NJ and Astoria NY were left to rot in disused studios when the film industry split for Hollywood.
Even today some films of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s made with safety film have shown serious signs of deterioration.
Case in point the master print of The Godfather 1972 was found to be in fair to poor shape when it was remastered and restored for DVDs. Once so often films thought long lost have been found and rediscovered, from films hidden in a deceased collectors closet in Chicago, an old movie house set for demolition in Istanbul, an antique shop in Japan to a barn in New Zealand….:)
Thanks for a helpful, if painful, reminder of what happens when we don't safeguard our cultural assets.
Delete