The Hitchcock Gays

Spencer Robelen

In this limited series, Spencer Robelen investigates queer themes and gay characters in the films of Alfred Hitchcock. But in doing so, he also rediscovers the origins of his own queerness, including his hilarious obsession with Hitchcock movies as a kid. Part memoir, part film club, this podcast is the gay movie scavenger hunt you never knew you needed.

  1. Episode 1: Introduction to an Obsession

    Episode 1

    Episode 1: Introduction to an Obsession

    The Hitchcock Gays is a podcast about queer themes and gay characters in the films of Alfred Hitchcock. But before we get to that, you should probably learn a little bit about your host—a bisexual composer-lyricist-playwright who was weirdly obsessed with Hitchcock in elementary school. Special thanks to Dorie Spangler, Tyler Chatham, and Michele O'Brien. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    16 min
  2. Episode 2: The Pansy's Coming from Inside the House

    Episode 2

    Episode 2: The Pansy's Coming from Inside the House

    Alfred Hitchcock's career took off in 1927 when he directed The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. We discuss this silent film and its queer imagery, as well as its star, Ivor Novello, who was one of the hottest (and gayest) performers of the British stage and screen. Downhill, Hitchcock's subsequent film with Ivor Novello, is also discussed. References 1) "Keep the Home Fires Burning," music and lyrics by Ivor Novello, 1917 recording 2) Painting of Ivor Novello by Emil Veresmith 3) The Avenger's triangle compared with the "Silence = Death" triangle Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    13 min
  3. Episode 3: Buddies, Beards, and Bros

    Episode 3

    Episode 3: Buddies, Beards, and Bros

    Alfred Hitchcock's espionage films of the 1930s contain a surprising amount of queer themes, from secret identities to cottageing. We take a look at Secret Agent (1936), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), and The Lady Vanishes (1938) for "othered" characters hiding in plain sight. Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    30 min
  4. Episode 4: Joan Fontaine vs. The Lesbians

    Episode 4

    Episode 4: Joan Fontaine vs. The Lesbians

    What are the odds that actress Joan Fontaine would be menaced by queers in two back-to-back Hitchcock films? In this episode, we shine a light on Alfred Hitchcock's most prominent lesbian characters in Rebecca (1940) and Suspicion (1941). We also find butch and sapphic themes in his lesser-known silent films Champagne (1928) and Easy Virtue (1927). Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    27 min
  5. Episode 5: Hitchcock's Musicals?

    Episode 5

    Episode 5: Hitchcock's Musicals?

    One wouldn't normally associate musical theatre with Alfred Hitchcock, but it wasn't a foreign genre to him. Musical numbers take center stage in many of his films (The Pleasure Garden, Elstree Calling, Stage Fright) and singing can play an integral role in others (The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1956). And of course, who could forget Waltzes from Vienna, Hitchcock's first — and only — musical comedy film? Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    30 min
  6. Episode 6: The Queers are Among Us

    Episode 6

    Episode 6: The Queers are Among Us

    At the very start of the Lavender Scare—a period of intense homophobia within the U.S. government—Hitchcock released a film noir thriller that perfectly encapsulated the paranoia of the time: Strangers on a Train. We explore its blatant queer coding, and how its undeniable subtext makes it one of Hitchcock's gayest films. We also discuss Shadow of Doubt, Hitchcock's unassuming family drama that suggests none of us are safe from the things we fear the most. Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    24 min
  7. Episode 7: These Gays are Trying to Murder Me

    Episode 7

    Episode 7: These Gays are Trying to Murder Me

    As we continue to explore the gay villains in Hitchcock's mid-career films, we find that both Rear Window (1954) and North by Northwest (1959) have a lot to say about getting married and getting murdered. Also, do I look "heavyish" to you? Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    29 min
  8. Episode 8: A Boy's Best Friend is His Mother

    Episode 8

    Episode 8: A Boy's Best Friend is His Mother

    This episode contains spoilers for the films Murder! and Psycho. The "mama's boy" and "domineering mother" tropes reach a terrifying zenith in Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock's game-changing masterpiece from 1960. In this episode, we examine the gay iconography of actor Anthony Perkins, Hitchcock's surprising relationship with drag, and that time my childhood friends gifted me a homemade Hitchcock movie. Murder!, Hitchcock's British whodunnit from 1930, is also discussed. Credits Written, produced, and hosted by Spencer Robelen. Artwork by Skye Stoyer. Episode transcript available here. Follow The Hitchcock Gays on Instagram and X. Support the show on Spencer Robelen's Patreon! Contact us at hitchcockgays@gmail.com.

    35 min
See All (19)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

In this limited series, Spencer Robelen investigates queer themes and gay characters in the films of Alfred Hitchcock. But in doing so, he also rediscovers the origins of his own queerness, including his hilarious obsession with Hitchcock movies as a kid. Part memoir, part film club, this podcast is the gay movie scavenger hunt you never knew you needed.

Information

  • Creator
    Spencer Robelen
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    The Hitchcock Gays

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