1980: Richard Gere and American Gigolo (Erotic 80s Part 3) / by Karina Longworth

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One of the most aesthetically influential movies of the ‘80s, Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo sets a template for much of what we’re going to discuss this season: it’s about sex as a conduit for wealth, masks and double lives, and the role of danger in desire. Today we’ll talk about the sexual persona of Gigolo star Richard Gere in the early 1980s; the ways in which Gigolo and other films from 1980 (Dressed to Kill, Cruising) grapple with straight male anxiety over gay male visibility; and the tension between the promotion of sex-positivity for women and the anti-feminist backlash.

Richard Gere in American Gigolo 1980

SHOW NOTES:  

Sources:

Film Reviews: American Gigolo, Variety, Jan 30, 1980

American Gigolo, Films in Review, March 1980, Vol 31 Iss 3

American Gigolo Review, by Arthur Knight, The Hollywood Reporter, 1980
Schrader Deep In 'Gigolo', Variety; Vol. 298, Iss. 4, Feb 27, 1980

Screen: 'American Gigolo,' a Southern California Melodrama: Gauging the Glitter By Vincent Canby, The New York Times, Feb 1, 1980

WET Magazine – Vol. 4, No. 4, Issue 22, Jan/Feb 1980

“The Male Idols” Newsweek, May 23,1983

GQ Magazine September 1979 

Playgirl, June 1985

"Richard Gere: Stripped Down and Sexy" Rolling Stone, March 6, 1980

Call Me! American Gigolo swaggered into theaters 40 years ago this month and forever rocked the worlds of film, fashion, music, and sex. An oral history by Lili Anolik, Feb 8, 2020

Schrader by Schrader & Other Writings, edited by Kevin Jackson

Easy Riders Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-And Rock 'N Roll Generation by Peter Biskind

Was Hemingway Gay? There's More to His Story By Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times, November 10, 1994

The Rise of Richard Gere by Hollis Alpert. American Film, October 1979

On the Make with American Gigolo by Steven M. Silverman. American Film October 1979

As Hollywood Gigolo or Broadway Gay, Richard Gere Slouches Toward Stardom, People Magazine, April 7, 1980

Playboy Viewpoint: The New Puritans, Playboy, November 1980

Playboy Isn’t Playing: An Interview with Judith Bat-Ada 

Travolta to leave the starring role of 'American Gigolo', The Hollywood Reporter, Vol. 255, Iss. 5,  Jan 23, 1979

Stateside: All for the good of 'Gigolo' by Tony Crawly, Screen International Iss. 209, Sep 29, 1979

The Rise Of Richard Gere by Hollis Alpert, American Film Vol. 5, Iss. 1,  Oct 1, 1979

Please note: as an Amazon Associate Karina earns from qualifying purchases made when you click the links above. #ad

Production still on set of American Gigolo 1980) with Paul Schrader and Richard Gere | Photo Courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin

Music:

The music used in this episode, with the exception of the intro, was sourced from royalty-free music libraries and licensed music collections. The intro includes a clip from the film Casablanca.  

Excerpts from the following songs were used throughout the episode: 

"Rumoi Night" - Kokura Station

"Pxl Htra" - The Fence

"Even Dreams of Beaches" - Resolute

"The Killjoy Brothers" - Kittyhawk

"Pxl Eventuat" - The Fence

"Four Cluster" - Fornax

"Vik Fence Haflak" - The Fence

"Vengeful" - Warmbody

"Tower of Mirrors" - TinyTiny Trio

"Pxl Cray" - The Fence

"Ion Cruiser" - Kokura Station

"Pxl Deter" - The Fence

"Readers Do You Read" - Chris Zabriskie

Credits:

This episode was written, narrated, and produced by Karina Longworth.

Our editor this season is Evan Viola. 

Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.

Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.

Logo design: Teddy Blanks.