Documentary Coming About Legendary Continental Gay Bathhouse

Nowadays, gay bathhouses have a reputation that’s solely about sex, but back in the past, when there were still few places to gay people to meet up, some of them offered a lot more than dark rooms and glory holes (although they did offer that too). Perhaps the most famous is New York’s Continental Baths, which will be getting a feature-length documentary made about it, and is currently looking for funding through Kickstarter to get it through post-production. There are just a few days to go to reach is $12,000 target.

So why is the Continental worth making a doc about? Well, here’s what the Kickstarter page has to say, ‘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…

‘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.’

Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar, Bear Nation) will direct. If you fancy helping out, watch the film from Ingram above and then head over to Kickstarter.