film spotlight
by chris carpenter
CODED Many have never heard his name, but our community owes a debt to artist J.C. Leyendecker. Born in 1874 in Montabaur, Germany, Joseph Christian Leyendecker was a German-American illustrator considered one of the preeminent American illustrators of the early 20th century. He was also openly gay to a degree unheard of at the time. Leyendecker is best known for his poster, book and advertising illustrations; the trade character known as the Arrow Collar Man; and his numerous covers for The Saturday Evening Post. Between 1896 and 1950, he painted more than 400 magazine covers during what is considered the golden age of American illustration. No other artist, until the arrival of Norman Rockwell two decades later, was so solidly identified with one publication. Leyendecker died in 1951. One commentator had this to say: “Unlike Rockwell’s celebration of traditional family values, Leyendecker’s two hyper-masculine, square-jawed, all-American icons of Thanksgiving — a Puritan and a football player — eye each other like two men cruising a gay nightclub with a strict and peculiar dress code.” In doing so, the artist contributed to an idealized image of gay men that endures to this day. A new, Oscars-shortlisted documentary short film about him is now streaming on Paramount+. Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker was directed by award-winning gay filmmaker Ryan White (Ask Dr. Ruth, Serena,
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WANTS TO OPEN YOUR EYES The Case Against 8). Out actor Neil Patrick Harris provides narration as the voice of Leyendecker. It won the grand jury prize for best short documentary at Tribeca Film Festival as well as a special recognition from the GLAAD Media Awards.
director ryan white
White was honored by Queerty two years ago as one of “50 individuals who are leading the nation toward equality, acceptance and dignity for all people.” He recently chatted via email with The RAGE Monthly about his latest film.
When and how did you first learn about J.C. Leyendecker? I made a series for Apple TV+ in 2020 called Visible: Out on Television, about the history of queer representation throughout television history. It began with the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954, which was the first time the word “homosexual” was ever said on television. It was in the research of that storyline that my team discovered this period that predated McCarthyism where there had been quite a bit of LGBTQ progress, especially in New York. We learned about this prominent artist of the time named J.C. Leyendecker, but his storyline didn’t fit in Visible. So, I always wanted to return to his story, and making a short film allowed me to do that. What spoke to you most or inspired you most about his story? All of my films have been character films. Although Leyendecker has been dead for 70 years, I see Coded as a character film as well. Even by today’s standards, his artwork is very homoerotic. I was fascinated that this man was doing this subversive work 100 years ago, and I wanted to know more about him. It also felt like his legacy had been somewhat forgotten, and I wanted to know why. How did your documentary come together artistically and/or financially? Short films are tough to get financed and made, but I had a great team of partners who all recognized the importance of telling Leyendecker’s story. My editor Rejh Cabrera
