Sewing Circle (Hollywood)

This article is about the Hollywood usage of the phrase. For social groups for sewing, see Sewing circle.

Sewing Circle (often styled the Hollywood sewing circle) is a euphemism used from the silent era through the mid-twentieth century for informal networks of lesbian and bisexual women, primarily actresses, writers, and filmmakers, in Hollywood. The term is discussed in film history and biography and has been used by curators framing scholarship on sapphic icons of early Hollywood. ^{[1] [2]}

Etymology and usage

Film and theatre sources credit actress-producer Alla Nazimova with coining or popularizing "sewing circle" as discreet code for women who loved women in Hollywood's studio era; later accounts note the term's currency in circles around Marlene Dietrich. ^{[3] [4] [5]} Sources emphasize it was not a formal club but a private, flexible network shaped by studio publicity, the Hays Code, and prevailing social mores. ^[6]

Sewing Circle is also the phrase used (by Marlene Dietrich, for instance ^[7] ) to describe the group of lesbian and bisexual woman writers and actresses, such as Mercedes de Acosta and Tallulah Bankhead, and their relationships in celebrity circles, particularly during Hollywood's Golden Age from the 1910s to the 1950s. ^[8] Unlike de Acosta and Bankhead, most members of the Sewing Circle were closeted. This usage of the term Sewing Circle was coined by the actress Alla Nazimova. ^{[9] [10]}

Historiography and reception

Axel Madsen’s monograph popularized the term in the 1990s, prompting mainstream coverage and debate about evidence standards for studio-era private lives; reviewers noted the book’s reach and cautioned against sensationalism, urging careful corroboration. ^{[11] [12]} Institutional usage, such as the Academy Museum’s 2024 screening series The Sewing Circle: Sapphic Icons of Early Hollywood. ^[2]

Associated figures

• Alla Nazimova — Often credited with originating or popularizing the euphemism in Hollywood. ^{[13] [14]}

• Marlene Dietrich — Later usage and popularization are frequently associated with Dietrich's social milieu; scholarship and criticism discuss her connection to the subculture and to queer screen/persona politics. ^[15]

• Ona Munson — Listed in a standard theatre reference as a member; that source attributes the term's origin to Nazimova. ^[16]

• Eva Le Gallienne — Linked by reputable overviews to Nazimova and to the informal network described by the euphemism. ^[17]

• Dorothy Arzner — Pioneering studio director frequently situated by scholars within queer Hollywood histories of the period. ^[18]

• Ann Warner — Cited in a popular history as a close companion of Dietrich. ^[19]

• Claudette Colbert — Claims of an affair with Dietrich circulate. ^{[20] [21]}

See also

• Closeted

References

1. Benshoff, Harry M.; Griffin, Sean (2006). Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 56. ISBN   978-0-7425-3377-6. …there existed a vibrant network of lesbian social life in Hollywood informally referred to as "the sewing circle."
2. "The Sewing Circle: Sapphic Icons of Early Hollywood". Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. March 22 – April 4, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
3. Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim; Schanke, Robert A., eds. (2005). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy: A Biographical Dictionary of Major Figures in American Stage History in the Pre-Stonewall Era. University of Michigan Press. p. 297. ISBN   0-472-09858-6. Munson was a member of "the sewing circle," a term originated by Alla Nazimova for a clique of lesbians and bisexuals who socialized in Hollywood.
4. Benshoff, Harry M.; Griffin, Sean (2006). Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 56. ISBN   978-0-7425-3377-6.
5. "Story of the Week: Alla Nazimova". Library of America. June 5, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2025. Nazimova, Le Gallienne, and Barnes were linked to an informal network of lesbian and bisexual actresses and artists known as the "Sewing Circle"—an affectionate name Nazimova is credited with coining.
6. "Alla Nazimova – AFI Catalog Spotlight". American Film Institute. June 1, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
7. Freeman, David (January 7, 2001). "Closet Hollywood: A gossip columnist discloses some secrets about movie idols". The New York Times . Retrieved April 18, 2011.
8. Madsen, Axel (2002). The Sewing Circle: Sappho's Leading Ladies. New York: Kensington Books. p. 3. ISBN   978-0-7582-0101-0.
9. Film Actors: Lesbian, glbtq.com. Retrieved: 2014-01-12.
10. Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim; Schanke, Robert A., eds. (2005). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy. University of Michigan. p. 297. ISBN   0-472-09858-6. Munson was a member of 'the sewing circle,' a term originated by Alla Nazimova for a clique of lesbians and bisexuals who socialized in Hollywood.
11. "THE SEWING CIRCLE". Kirkus Reviews. June 15, 1995. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
12. "The Sewing Circle: Female Stars Who Loved Other Women, by Axel Madsen (Robson Books)". The Irish Times. October 24, 1998. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
13. "Story of the Week: Alla Nazimova". Library of America. June 5, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
14. Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim; Schanke, Robert A., eds. (2005). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy. University of Michigan Press. p. 297. ISBN   0-472-09858-6.
15. Mayer, So (December 14, 2020). "'My Best Girlfriend': Queer Dietrich, on screen and off". British Film Institute. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
16. Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim; Schanke, Robert A., eds. (2005). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy. University of Michigan Press. p. 297. ISBN   0-472-09858-6.
17. "Story of the Week: Alla Nazimova". Library of America. June 5, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
18. "Dorothy Arzner – Women Film Pioneers Project". Columbia University. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
19. Madsen, A. (2002). The sewing circle: Sappho's leading ladies (p. 3). Kensington Books. Archived April 25, 2024.
20. "Marlene Dietrich and Claudette Colbert (Fake News / Fact-Checking Hollywood Babylon)". You Must Remember This. December 24, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
21. Longworth, Karina (December 25, 2018). "The Alleged Lesbian Affair of Marlene Dietrich and Claudette Colbert". Slate. ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved September 13, 2025.