GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

July 9, 2004

evenin

It's delightful, it's delicious

Cole Porter bio features his work sung by a wide array of performers

by Kaizaad Kotwal

Cole Porter's public life, his secret life, and the lasting music he created out of these parallel lives are re-created in the lavish biopic De-Lovely.

The film is directed by Academy Awardwinner Irwin Winkler, with a script by Jay Cocks. De-Lovely stars Oscar-winner Kevin Kline (who has played gay before in the film In and Out), Ashley Judd, and Jonathan Pryce.

The filmmakers turned to Oscar-winning costume designer Janty Yates (Gladiator) and Oscar-nominated production designer Eve Stewart (Topsy-Turvy) to create the lush look of the characters and their era.

Cole Porter was born on June 9, 1891, in Peru, Indiana and was named for his mother, Kate Cole, and his father, Sam Porter. He began piano lessons at age 6 and composed his first music at age 10 called "Song of the Birds." Porter attended high school at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts and then went on to study at Yale and Harvard.

It was at Yale where his career as a musician began to burgeon as he wrote six fullscale productions and over 300 songs for various fraternities and student organizations there. He left Harvard to move to New York, quickly becoming a part of the Manhattan social scene with his quick wit and engaging personality.

Porter's first Broadway show, See America First, was a disastrous flop, and upset by this he moved to Paris in 1917 in the midst of World War I. In 1918, Porter met American divorcee Linda Lee Thomas, already a society figure and a wealthy woman in her own right.

They became very close friends and married on December 19, 1919. With her support and guidance, Cole's career finally took off. He had his first big hit in 1928 with "Let's Do

It, Let's Fall in Love" for the musical Paris. A number of subsequent hits soon confirmed him as one of America's most important composers, alongside such greats as Irving

Curbside

Cole Porter (Kevin Kline, right) coaches a performer (John Barrowman) before a performance of "Night and Day."

Berlin, George Gershwin, and Jerome Kern.

Porter's relationship with Linda was a good yet stormy one, especially when she realized that he was also interested in men and was rather open about it.

Porter suffered a horseback riding accident in 1937, fracturing both legs and causing him excruciating pain for the rest of his life. He had his final and biggest success with the 1948 Broadway production of Kiss Me, Kate, which won the first ever Tony Award for Best Musical.

Linda passed away on May 20, 1954 of emphysema. Porter was devastated.

After his right leg was amputated in 1958, Porter never wrote another song. He died on October 15, 1964.

In the press notes to the film, director Winkler writes, "We've used the broad outline and certain details of Porter's life-especially his long, strong marriage to Linda Lee -to weave an impressionistic musical biography. The historical facts of Porter's life are

FREE AGENT 2003 ROBERT KIRBY NOW THAT CAL AND I WERE ALONE AT LAST, I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO GENTLY PRY A LITTLE INFORMATION OUT OF HIM.....

SO WHAT'S A NICE KID LIKE YOU' DOING GETTING ALL MIXED UP WITH A STREET GANG??

I'M NOT

SUCH A

KID, NATHAN

I'M 20 YEARS OLD.... SO, UH...YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE GUYS, HUH?

WELL, YEAH.. A BUNCH OF THEM CORNERED ME AND

WARNED ME ABOUT MAKING EYES AT YOU FROM THE STAGE. THEY BASICALLY THREATENED ME, CAL.

put together like notes in a melody, to try and give a truer, deeper picture of the man, his work, and, most importantly, his heart."

Porter led an extremely theatrical life, especially in his mannerisms, his style of living, and his flamboyant way of dressing. He lived like royalty, partied and drank extravagantly.

"And Cole's life was so contradictory," Winkler continues. "Here's a man who was married for 38 years, but a man who was also gay in a time when it was considered extremely taboo. Cole and Linda's relationship was very unique, to say the least, and I knew exploring their relationship would be fascinating."

The film is very stylized and spans 40 years, traveling from Paris to Venice and from New York to Hollywood. It also includes over 30 of Porter's songs, performed by an impressive array of musical celebrities. They include Robbie Williams ("It's Delovely"), Elvis Costello ("Let's Misbehave"), Alanis Morissette ("Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love"), Sheryl Crow (“Begin the Beguine"), Mick Hucknall (“I Love You”), Diana Krall ("Just One of Those Things"), Vivian Green ("Love for Sale"), Lara Fabian (“So in Love”), Mario Frangoulis ("So in Love"), and Natalie Cole (“Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye").

De-Lovely is getting a lot of early Oscar buzz. It's box-office success however, will depend on how many fans come out to see the film and how many younger people are intrigued enough by the talented cast to get their first introduction to Porter. ✓

The film opens July 16 at the Cedar-Lee Theater in Cleveland Heights. Opening dates in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton have not yet been revealed, although it is slated to open “soon” at one of the Drexel theaters in Columbus.

by Robert Kirby

FOR REAL? THOSE DUMBASSES. ATOM MUST'VE PUT 'EM UP TO IT.

YEAH, HE'S THE LEADER OFUS ALL. HE THINKS.

ATOM

THAT THE GUY I SAW WITH HIS ARM AROUND YOU? THAT NIGHT WHEN I WAS DANCING? THE MEAN-LOOKING ONE WITH NO SHIRT ON?

YEAH, THAT'D BE ATOM ALL RIGHT.. HE KINDA THINKS I'M HIS.... You KNOW, MAIN GUY AND STUFF.. BUT I'M NOT, NATHAN, FOR REAL.. I'M A FREE AGENT.. NO MATTER WHAT HE OR ANYBODY ELSE SAYS...

..I CAN SEE ANYBODY I WANT, I'L SET EVERYBODY STRAIGHT ON THAT SCORE, DON'T WORRY. NO ONE'S GONNA HURT YOU, I TOTALLY PROMISE.

George Bush:

SUPPORTS a U. S. Constitutional amendment to ban marriage for gays and lesbians

John Kerry:

OPPOSES a U. S. Constitutional amendment to ban marriage for

gays and lesbians

Paid for by the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, Patrick Shepherd, President 12931 Shaker Blvd., Cleveland: 44120

PAT

PAT PAT

OKA-AY..WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO HERE??

ESI