Chris & Don: A Legendary, Literary Gay-December Love Story

Christopher Isherwood & Don Bachardy: Love + art + Malibu!

If you're a literary gay, you probably know of the works of Christopher Isherwood. His most famous works, The Berlin Stories, were the basis of the Broadway music and film Cabaret. Yes, he lived the life with Sally Bowles in Berlin back in the day... After being the young Brit prancing around Weimar-era Berlin, Isherwood zipped it over to the U.S., working in Hollywood as a screenwriter and novelist and being out and proud way back before it was cute to do so. Another of his novels, 1964's A Single Man, recently caught the eye of fashion/media mogul Tom Ford, who's considering making it into a movie.

Now Isherwood's real-life love story is the basis for the documentary, Chris & Don, opening in NYC today (at the Quad Cinema). While in his mid-40s, Isherwood met teenaged beach boy Don Bachardy, and the two began a relationship that lasted for decades, up until Isherwood's death in 1986.

Watch the trailer for "Chris & Don" at Zeitgeist Films.

Chris & Don, directed by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara, tracks their relationship through the years as the pair jaunted around the globe (Venice! Paris! Hollywood! Morocco!), sustained infidelities and temptations, mingled with celebs and literati (W.H. Auden, E.M. Forster, Anna Magnani, Liza Minnelli, David Hockney), and maintained a 30-year relationship as Bachardy's own painting and drawing career blossomed and Isherwood grew older.

And yes, the film frankly takes on the tricky issue of a 40-something man dating a teenager, how that was viewed in fussy Hollywood at the time, and how it's still somewhat scandalous. But what shines through is the true affection, love and respect this glamorous, smart and artful pair had for each other for over three decades.

Like I said, if you're an arty, literary gay you'll love it. And it's worth seeing alone for all the brilliant home-movie footage of this handsome pair dashing all over the globe throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s. It's gay nostalgia with a pedigree...

Queer history with some Southern California style.

A star-struck teenaged Don Bachardy meeting Marilyn... Glamour!


Bachardy and Isherwood in front of their portrait painted by their pal David Hockney. Nice!