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Mart Crowley "THE BOYS IN THE BAND" Obscenity Charges 1970 Australian Matchbook

$ 68.63

Availability: 35 in stock
  • Condition: See Item Description
  • Restocking Fee: No
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Item must be returned within: 30 Days
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  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted

    Description

    This is a rare promotional matchbook advertising the
    Original Australian Tour of the landmark MART CROWLEY play "THE BOYS IN THE BAND" at the new Playbox Theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. (The Original Off-Broadway production opened April 14th, 1968 at Theatre Four in New York City and ran for 1001 performances. The
    Original Australian
    production opened June 3rd, 1969
    at the new Playbox Theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    and ran for 36 weeks before transferring to Sydney. Beginning in April 1970, the production then played engagements at Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide, His Majesty's Theatre in Perth and the Theatre Royal in Hobart, Tasmania.) .....
    The controversial play was among the first to revolve around gay characters and the motion picture released two years later (with the Original New York cast) is often cited as a milestone in the history of "
    queer cinema
    ".
    The
    cast
    included JOHN KRUMMEL as "Michael", JOHN NORMAN as "Donald", CHARLES LITTLE as "Emory", IAN SPRAKE as "Alan", HENRY SZEPS as "Harold", ROBERT ESSEX as "Hank", GERARD MAGUIRE as "Larry", VERN TODD as "Cowboy" and KUKI KAA as "Bernard" ..... Historical Note: In July of 1969, John Krummell, John Norman and Charles Little stood in the dock of the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, charged, on the information of officers of the Vice Squad, with using obscene language in a public place. They had uttered this obscene language in the course of performances of Mart Crowley's play,
    The Boys in the Band
    , at the Playbox Theatre in Melbourne. The obscene language was, of course, the f-word and the c-word, which appear a number of times in the play. The play's homosexual content was not an issue in the case, although it may have influenced police and judicial attitudes. When the Magistrate found the charges proved but then dismissed them on the grounds they were 'trifling,' the Vice Squad successfully appealed to the Supreme Court. Harry M. Miller, who had brought
    The Boys in the Band
    to Australia, pointed out that 72,000 people had seen the play since its opening in June, and not one had complained. "To my certain knowledge no-one complained to members of our staff, the switchboard or the Vice Squad," he testified. The case of
    The Boys in the Band
    was an important step in the breaking down of Australia's archaic censorship laws. Australia had always had one of the most rigid censorship regimes in the western world, and authors, publishers and theatre people had long chafed under its strictness, illogicality and unpredictability. Banning films and books coming from overseas was one thing, but the prosecution and conviction of Australian actors was too much for many people to stand. On October 30th, 1969, a demonstration organized by Actors' Equity was held, with 150 actors and supporters marching from the Playbox Theatre to Parliament House. This case and others like it led to a serious effort by Australian intellectuals to break down the censorship regime. "Court action against
    The Boys in the Band
    has demonstrated the inanities of the present censorship laws," wrote John Tasker (who directed the play) in
    The Australian
    . "A decision to ban a play or modify a performance is usually founded on the advice of one or two men, constables who last visited the theatre 15 years ago, or for whom
    The Sound of Music
    is the acme of theatrical experience. Perhaps one should feel pleased that the police are now such staunch theatregoers." (
    OutRage
    , June 1997) ..... CREDITS: Book by MART CROWLEY; Sets designed by ROBERT LLOYD; Directed by JOHN TASKER; Produced by HARRY M. MILLER, AZTEC SERVICES and PHILLIP PRODUCTIONS
    ..... DETAILS: This rare matchbook measures 1 1/2" X 2" inches and has the show's cast on the front and excerpts from a number of reviews and list of venues on the backside ..... CONDITION: With the exception of minor edge wear, this rare matchbook is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.