Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Westerns/2023/May

Warlock (1959 film)

Are any editors aware of any discussion in film criticism/history of a homoerotic subtext to the Quinn/Fonda relationship in the 1959 Western Warlock? Having seen the film for the first time, I thought the undertone was extraordinarily explicit for a movie made in 1959. Looking at our article, I see that there was some coverage, which was removed around 2009, with some mildly homophobic commentary. Looking for sources, there certainly is some discussion of the issue, though it appears to be largely in blogs. I’d be interested if any editors are aware of coverage in RS. I’ve also posted on the Film Project. Thanks and regards. KJP1 (talk) 16:28, 27 May 2023 (UTC)

I don't necessarily have an opinion other than I'm not sure it's all that notable. When it was originally in the article, it came from a single source, and that single source has a single author. So while it's not necessarily wrong per se to have an opinion in the article, it is something that needs to be presented as attribution (if at all). It would be better if there were additional sources that didn't rely on the first one. ButlerBlog (talk) 14:01, 28 May 2023 (UTC)

I think the notability would be determined by what, if anything, the sources say. Looking at the history, The Aurum Film Encyclopedia described it as “perhaps the most open depiction of homosexual love in the classic Western”. That sounds pretty notable. Unfortunately, it wasn’t cited, so I will look for the source. This piece, [1], from the Orlando Sentinel, considers the film in the context of Brokeback Mountain. There’s plenty of other discussion, but it’s mostly of the blog type. I’ll keep looking. 19:18, 28 May 2023 (UTC)

”some critics note a homosexual theme in their relationship”. - Paul Varner, Historical Dictionary of Westerns in Cinema, Scarecrow Press, 2008.

”in Warlock he was a crippled homosexual, somewhat nebulously in love with Henry Fonda” - Anthony Quinn Daily Telegraph obituary, [2].

References