Fall of '55

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The Fall of '55 is a documentary about the 1955 scandal in Boise, Idaho, and set to premiere in 2006.

It focuses on a sex scandal which began on October 31, 1955 in which a number of prominent men in Boise, Idaho were persecuted for alleged homosexual acts in late 1955 and early 1956. The film covers the same subject matter as John Gerassi's book The Boys of Boise (1966), although Seth Randal, the film's writer, director, and producer, says he has completed five years of independent research on the topic.

Some accounts of the incident note that nearly 1,000 boys were seduced by a "ring" of men. A 1955 Time Magazine article said "Boiseans were shocked to learn that their city had sheltered a widespread homosexual underworld that involved some of Boise's most prominent men and had preyed on hundreds of teen-age boys for the past decade."

The filmmaker's blog indicates that dozens of new interviews have been conducted to bring a new narrative to the incident's impact on the Boise community. The filmmaker states three goals for the production:

• "To sensitively explore the 1955-1956 morals drive in Boise, Idaho — and examine the ongoing consequences of the investigation and its subsequent publicity."
• "To reveal and record untold stories, by speaking with people who have never before shared their perspectives."
• "To fairly and accurately present the various sides of the story, without judgment and bias."

The film is narrated by former Boise television anchor Claudia Weathermon. The film premiered on 10 June 2006 at Newfest in New York City and was shown at the Idaho International Film Festival at Boise's Egyptian Theater on 30 September 2006.

[edit] See also

• Fall of '55 website
• The Fall of '55 at IMDB