My friend Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar, Bear Nation) wants to put together a documentary on The Continental.  He is requesting pledges through Kickstarter – if he reaches his goal, then the documentary is a  go.  If he does not, then not only do you not have to pay your donation, but unfortunately the doco is a no go.

Here is the synopsis of what Malcolm is trying to accomplish:

What do sex without consequence, men in towels and Bette Midler have in common?

The Continental Baths was a seminal gay New York City hotspot that existed from the late sixties to 1974.  The baths themselves were a lavish Roman style affair, which were opened in the late 60’s in a newly post-stonewall NYC. Owner Steve Ostrow wanted to create a decadent and luxurious clubhouse where newly liberated men could explore with wanton abandon.

“A gay man with $15 can get both sex and entertainment at the Continental and know he is mixing with the beautiful people. He might still turn up to work on Monday and be fired for being a fag” – Dennis Altman-1971

Along with the baths, The Continental was home to glamorous shows that attracted first class performers such as Cab Calloway, Peter Allen, Wayland Flowers, Patti Labelle and a then unknown Bette Midler, who (with her piano player Barry Manilow) became ringmaster to the revelry.

Continental is a stylish examination of a lively and lascivious piece of real estate that transcended sexual identity and acted as a beacon to the hip, beautiful and infamous.  Housed at the former site of the legendary Ansonia Hotel at 230 W. 74th St., the Continental ultimately became one of the most important metropolitan keystones for a sexual revolution, fostering an environment of tolerance and indirectly contributing to a level of mainstream gay acceptance the likes of which has never been seen again.

Told through archival footage, photographs, music and the voices of owner Steve Ostrow as well as patrons, performers and opponents,Continental will be a thorough examination of a time and a place not so long ago when the word positive wasn’t so negative.

Directed by Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar – Sundance 06, Bear Nation –SXSW 10)

What we are up to:

We are looking to put together enough money to get our project off the ground and go film our initial set of interviews. Most importantly our interview with Steve Ostrow who now lives in Australia. This interview will create the spine for the documentary.

Why ‘Continental’ ?:

Having had the privilege of making a documentary a few years back on the proud owners and patrons of some gay bars in the South called ‘small town gay bar’, I began to realize how important it was to present as many varied voices of my community as possible. Documenting our history while the key players are still around isn’t only an opportunity…it is a duty.

Continental existed in a very unique period, post Stonewall – pre Aids. That little window when gay ruled the zeitgeist and Continental was the clubhouse. Its a story of sex, celebrity, politics and most importantly…it is part of our history