Talk:Edward Everett Horton

USA

If you are saying that wikipedia should start generally using USA as an adjective to describe citizens of the United States, I think you should discuss it elsewhere before implementing it. I suspect most will disagree with you.

Like it or not, American is the accepted adjective used to describe citizens of the United States, just as Ni-Vanuatu is the accepted adjective used to describe citizens of Vanuatu. I understand some want to reserve "American" to refer to occupants of all of the Americas, but that isn't how it is used today.

On the other hand, if there is something specific about Edward Horton that I don't understand that would lead us to refer to him *poopy* as "USA", then I missed that entirely.

I certainly am aware that people from the USA commonly refer to their nationality as "American". I am not calling that "wrong". I just think that the term "USA" is clearer and more specific-- and not "wrong" either. This is a bit tangential to Mr. Horton; perhaps the discussion should go to somewhere like Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies) or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Biography. Also, perhaps you'd like to choose a name for yourself and log in. Cheers, -- Infrogmation 20:43 Feb 18, 2003 (UTC)

Sexual Orientation

Horton's been classified under the category "Gay actors from the United States". However, I've yet to find any proof-- despite some considerable google-fu on my part-- that Horton was gay. A few sites do say that he's gay, but they don't cite any proof, compelling or otherwise. So I'm removing it. If someone does have some proof, feel free to provide it and to revert my edit.Anonymoustom (talk) 23:38, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

According to director George Cukor, Horton was part of Hollywood's gay scene, although his statement probably doesn't meet WP:RS. 162.39.194.20 (talk) 22:30, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

A kind, talented character-actor, and my friend

Mr. Horton was a frequent visitor to Rochester, NY, where he was loved and made us all giggle. I was in my teens and had the delightful chance to play, and lose, at tennis with him in the indoor court at the Genesee Valley Club. I resent snide remarks about his sexual orientation- - -which is nobody's business, totally beside his talent and deeply in bad taste. I hope Wikipedia is able to filter slander OUT. If not, I have a slew of goodies to contribute to the sleaze faction. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Elettra (talk • contribs) 22:44, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

It's interesting that you want to be viewed as open minded but if you were really open minded you wouldn't think that identifying him as gay was snide, slander or "deeply in bad taste." 66.245.66.225 (talk) 23:29, 12 October 2009 (UTC)

You didn't read Elettra's comments correctly. Elettra said the remarks were "deeply in bad taste," not the sex acts. Elettra added they were "nobody's business." I agree. We don't do investigations here at Wikipedia. We only put in articles stuff that comes from legitimate sources. For example, Elettra's memories of Mr. Horton visiting his family in Rochester, New York can't go in the article because they aren't published or broadcast in a legitimate media source. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.166.33.92 (talk) 06:12, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

I have added a reference to a reliable source regarding his homosexuality. I think it would be a trivial matter to demonstrate that Mr. Horton's sexuality, while obviously a private matter for him in his lifetime, is a notable fact today, and reporting it is neither in bad taste or showing undue weight. He was in his roles an apparent homosexual stereotype, so people have naturally been curious. curious enough that their focus, and the truth of this part of his life, is notable. If we want to debate this, im ok with it, but if we decide to remove it, we MUST remove the categories related to his being gay.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 03:29, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Your comment that Mr. Horton "was in his roles an apparent homosexual stereotype" is totally POV. It's a generalization about different film roles he played and cartoon characters he voiced over a period of several decades. You might as well say Gracie Allen was using a "girl next door" stereotype as a comic foil for her husband. In truth, neither Mr. Horton nor Ms. Allen included in his/her persona any suggestion of what he/she fantasized about. Suggesting Ms. Allen had a crush on any character besides George Burns is totally POV -- as would be calling her a girl next door or tramp.

Not that there's anything wrong with those POV interpretations of very old movies. But they belong on discussion pages, not in actual articles. This article leads readers to several of Mr. Horton's movies that can let a viewer decide for himself/herself if his character in that film was supposed to be gay. Aren't the DVD's of his films and TV series (like F Troop) substantial sources compared to a user-driven website that was created several decades after his death on which someone tries to dictate how you should interpret his performances?

With Liberace, I understand. But I've seen Edward Everett Horton's work in several Rogers / Astaire musicals and I see him as purely a comic foil -- a lot like Ed Wynn, who never seemed to have a romantic relationship onscreen, either. Rogers and Astaire had pleasant, appealing personalities, but neither could be funny no matter what lines the screenwriter gave them. (After their partnership ended, Astaire kept getting gigs for another forty years, but never in a screwball comedy or on a radio or TV sitcom. It Takes A Thief wasn't supposed to be funny. Rogers switched to drama soon after they parted, even winning an Academy Award for it.) So the RKO Studios brought in Edward Everett Horton to elevate the non-musical scenes, which would have dragged without him. It was his indignation and "double take" that were funny -- not his refraining from making a pass at Ginger Rogers' character.

Who he is named after

Just a guess, but he's named after Edward Everett, the man who spoke before Lincoln's Gettysburg Address? Could he be a relation? I hesitate to ask, but if he is, there's always the chance his unusual voice is alike. Piano non troppo (talk) 06:49, 9 June 2009 (UTC)