Arnold, a New York drag queen, experiences love and loss. He gains self-respect and the courage to stand up for himself. Harvey Fierstein wrote and starred in three separate plays about the character. Then combined them into one epic story. Torch Song Trilogy was not directly autobiographical, but it incorporated elements of his life. Many actors have played the role, but Fierstein was able to recreate his performance on film.
The film’s grittier, and sadder, than the wacky drag comedies of the 90’s. But it’s a creature of the stage. Harvey Fierstein’s broad performance overwhelms his subdued love interests (Matthew Broderick and Brian Kerwin). Only Anne Bancroft, as his hostile mother, matches his energy. Cutting the story from four to two hours forces arguments to escalate too fast. Long stretches of the film feel like shouting matches. Still, it’s a valuable archive of pre-AIDS gay culture. And captures a key moment in queer theater history.
Here’s a quick, spoiler filled, recap of the plot.
As Time Goes By
Part One: International Stud
ARNOLD (a gravel voiced drag queen): I’m the last of a dying breed. No one’s gonna care about drag queens in a few years.
ED (a handsome teacher): Come here often?
ARNOLD: The men I meet are married or straight. Which are you?
ED: Bisexual.
(They sleep together. Arnold scrambles through his morning routine, then hops back into bed before Ed wakes. They’d steal this joke in Tales of the City and Weekend.)
ED: We’ve had a dating montage and I’m still a cipher. Why is my character so underdeveloped?
ARNOLD: This part of the play is mostly me monologuing.
ED: Well, I’m leaving you for a woman. Gay life is depressing. I want a heteronormative relationship. (He leaves.)
ARNOLD: So do I. I just want it with a fella.
Part Two: Fugue for a Nursery
(Arnold rescues a handsome model from a bar fight.)
ALAN (Matthew Broderick): Gee thanks! May I take you on a date?
ARNOLD: What’s a young twink want with an old queen?
ALAN: You’re the only New Yorker I’ve met who wants a relationship.
ED: So you’re dating someone else now? Cool cool cool. I’m not jealous. Why don’t you come over and meet my girlfriend?
GIRLFRIEND: I’m underwritten.
ED: But I love her! Hey Alan, want to have sex?
ALAN: Sure, why not? (They do.)
ARNOLD: Glad to see that heteronormativity’s working out for you.
ALAN: Arnold, how about marrying me?
(Cut to Alan being murdered by homophobic teens.)
ARNOLD: We originally kept that part off stage. But I want the audience to remember that back then most folks didn’t care if gays lived or died. Surely the U.S. will never get that bleak again.
Part Three: Widows and Children First!
MA (Anne Bancroft): I brought oranges. You ignore me for years and now I learn you’re back with your bisexual ex and you’ve adopted a son?
SON: My best scenes were cut for time.
MA: Hush. Arnold, why don’t you settle down with a nice girl?
ARNOLD: Come on Ma. Don’t you get it by now?
MA: HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!? I RAISE YOU AND YOU SPIT IN MY FACE!
ARNOLD: ALAN WAS KILLED BY BIGOTS LIKE YOU! IF YOU CAN’T RESPECT ME THEN GET OUT! WHY ARE WE SHOUTING!?
MA: BECAUSE THE MOVIE’S NEARLY OVER AND WE NEED AN EMOTIONAL CLIMAX!
ARNOLD: I miss Alan.
MA: I miss your father. Grief never stops. But we learn to live with it. It helps us remember them.
(Ma leaves. Arnold hugs the bag of oranges.)
THE END
Beautiful Dames
“I was cautioned ‘If you want a career keep your personal life to yourself.’ My answer was ‘have you seen Torch Song Trilogy?” Harvey Fierstein. 2025 Tony Awards.
Hollywood didn’t appreciate Fierstein. Broadway did. The Tony’s awarded his performances in Torch Song Trilogy and Hairspray. His libretto for La Cage aux Folles won Best Book of a Musical. His books for Newsies, Kinky Boots and his play Casa Valentina were Tony nominated. They have gone on to multiple productions. In 2017 he revised Torch Song Trilogy for a revival that transferred to Broadway in 2018. These credits only scratch the surface of a rich career. I recommend his 2022 memoir, I Was Better Last Night, for a deeper dive.
The film adaptation of Torch Song Trilogy is not the best representation of the work. But it is a valuable document of the evolution of queer theater. It deserves a proper restoration and a broader audience.
You can find more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.