Today in 2SLGBTQI+ history…
On November 1, 1972, That Certain Summer – a made-for- TV movie about a teenage son learning about his divorced father’s homosexuality – aired on ABC. Directed by Lamont Johnson, and written by Richard Levinson and William Link, the movie was watched by almost two million people, and is widely considered the first sympathetic depiction of gay people on American television. A novelization of the film was written by Burton Wohl and hit bookshelves after airing.
The plot turns on Doug Salter (Hal Holbrook), a divorced contractor in his mid-40s who has been living with his homosexual lover, Gary McClain (Martin Sheen), for years now, but has never admitted as much to his 14-year-old son, Nick (Scott Jacoby). Doug has to de-gay his living arrangement when Nick comes for a vacation visit…but Nick wises up to the existence of his father’s lover, and Doug is forced to explain his situation – pathos ensues.
The movie was recognized as being the first network drama to depict a stable, same-sex couple; the first to depict a gay parent; and the first gay-themed show to win an Emmy, with Jacoby winning for his performance.
It was a big deal for that era.
At the time, the New York Times television critic John J. O’Connor observed that the movie “is not ‘about’ homosexuality. It is about personal relationships being affected by the fact of homosexuality. In terms of average television, however, it is something of a major event. The performances throughout the film are excellent,” and the movie “can lay claim to some of the most impressive and sensitive acting ever contributed to television.”
In a 2007 interview with the Dallas Voice, Sheen recalled, “I thought it was wonderful. There was a great deal of freedom in it because it wasn’t about advocating a lifestyle or a sexuality. It was about two people who adored each other, and they weren’t allowed to have a relationship that involved their sexuality.” When asked if he was concerned at the time that the role could affect his career, Sheen responded, “I’d robbed banks and kidnapped children and raped women and murdered people in any number of shows. Now I was going to play a gay guy and that was considered a career ender. Oh, for Christ’s sake! What kind of culture do we live in?”
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