Viacom : Paramount Employees Tour Hollywood’s History of Pride Through the Costumes of Iconic LGBTQ Movies

September 21, 2018 @ 11:48 AM

In July, members of EMERGE (Viacom's employee resource group focused on LGBTQ employees and straight allies) took a tour of the famed movie studio's historical vault, discovering a wealth of heritage.

'It is truly an impressive collection,' said Randall Thropp, Paramount's manager of Costume and Prop Archives. 'We love to share our treasures.'

Paramount Pictures' Archive Building holds approximately 3,500 vintage costumes dating back to 1914, including nearly 30,000 individual costume pieces from 1987 onward, and 12,000 precious pieces of jewelry accumulated since the early 1920s.

Members of EMERGE (Viacom's employee resource group focused on LGBTQ employees and straight allies) took a tour of the famed movie studio's historical vault, discovering a wealth of heritage in costumes from films with gay and lesbian characters and stars.

Paramount Pictures' jewelry archivist Jaci Rohr showcased the glamour of archived gems from the studio's classic films. Chuck Woodfill, executive director of inventory and logistics for Paramount, led part of the tour with a journey into the film vault, telling the little-known stories hidden behind rows of reels.

The tour served not only as a primer on Paramount Pictures' century-plus history, but also as a nod to the rich tradition of LGBTQ characters populating its films.

To customize the event for EMERGE, Thropp rounded up some of the studio's LGBTQ-centric costumes, culling through the garment racks of yesteryear to find frocks worn by actors in Paramount films featuring gay and lesbian characters.

The tour showcased charming, classic pieces worn by Montgomery Clift for his role in 1951's poignant, Oscar-winning melodrama, A Place in the Sun. Clift passed away before coming out publicly, but the talented star left a legacy in Hollywood as a posthumous gay icon.

Watch a clip from A Place in the Sun:

Employees also learned more about Paramount's 1997 rom-com In & Out - a film that, according to producer Scott Rudin, portrayed a 'coming-out story that was in no way tragic.' A 2017 Vanity Fair article, published 20 years after In & Out was released, celebrated the film's legacy of acceptance and inclusivity, describing it as 'gay comedy gold.'

Thropp and the costume crew showed off the sartorial side of the groundbreaking hit: late 90s apparel worn by costars Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck and Joan Cusack.

Watch a clip from In & Out:

Randall and Paramount EMERGE leader Kevin Carter, who works as executive assistant to Paramount's Executive Vice President of Finance, Dan Martinez, helmed the adventure.

The idea sprung from a casual conversation between Thropp and Carter during an employee screening on the Paramount lot.

'I had been wanting to spearhead an EMERGE archive tour for a year,' said Carter, 'So I knew I had to jump on this opportunity to speak directly to the man behind it all.'

Thropp shared his passion for costume design and deep knowledge on the subject. His inside access to the props and costumes in the archive building provided the perfect chance for other EMERGE members to explore Paramount's intricate and singular pieces. Employees truly enjoyed discovering what their workplace had hidden in the archives, said Thropp.

The employee-led costume tour served not only as a primer on Paramount Pictures' century-plus history, but also as a nod to the rich tradition of LGBTQ characters populating its films.

'This event was a way for our employees to get up close and personal with the studio's rich cinematic history by peeking into our archive,' said Anita Ortiz, Viacom vice president of Diversity and Inclusion, who supported EMERGE with their tour.

Viacom's employee resource groups proactively set up engaging activities to celebrate culture and diversity. The fact that this particular event materialized as a result of two employees sharing a common interest speaks to Viacom's open and inclusive internal culture.

'Our employee resource groups like EMERGE empower employees to connect not only with one another, but with our business,' said Ortiz.

October is LGBT History Month. Click here to learn more about the achievements of 31 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender icons.

Related Posts