According to a 6 Jul 1985 article in The Nation, the documentary Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community was inspired by John D’Emilio’s 1983 book, Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-1970. Although D’Emilio is credited onscreen as historical consultant, his book is not listed as a literary source.
       A 19 May 1982 Var news item announced that a fundraising event for the documentary, billed as, “An Evening of Lesbian and Gay Film History,” was planned for
22 May 1982 at a New York City public school. However, the film’s $240,000 budget came mostly from endowments and grants. The 1 Nov 1985 LA Reader, stated that a large portion of financing included $130,000 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, $40,000 from The New York Council for the Humanities, and $15,000 from the New York State Council. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS) also included a deal to air the documentary on its television channel following the film’s theatrical run.
       During production, the filmmakers appealed to the homosexual community for historical footage and home movies. On behalf of the documentarians, the 8 Feb 1983 Village Voice published a request for “visual evidence of a hidden culture” and for interview subjects, “with stories to tell of gay old times, who were privy to legendary events or personalities.” According to LA Reader, over 500 people came forth to share their experiences, but only 100 were pre-interviewed. Ultimately, nineteen personal accounts made it into the film. Producer John Scagliotti explained in a 21 Jun 1985 HR article that footage was culled from the public because Hollywood film sources were too costly. In addition, archival resources director Andrea Weiss reportedly spent months scouring film libraries for documentary footage. When several librarians claimed they had no visual resources on the subject of homosexuality, Weiss and her extensive team of assistants searched Library of Congress indexes using less obvious terms, such as “Cross-dressing,” “Police Raids,” and “Greenwich Village Street Life,” as stated in the LA Reader. However, director Greta Schiller explained that she was unable to use some of the best uncovered material because it proved difficult to obtain “signed consent forms.”
       Before Stonewall won several first prize awards, and Greta Schiller was nominated for a Sundance Film Festival honor in the Documentary category. The film also received two Emmy Awards in the categories Outstanding Information Cultural or Historic Programming – Programs, and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Researchers (Andrea Weiss).
       Modern sources noted that a companion film, After Stonewall, was released in 1999, examining gay activism during the thirty years that followed the1969 Stonewall rebellion.
       The film begins with the prologue: "As a historical treatment, this film relies on archival footage to capture the spirit of the years before Stonewall. Viewers should not make any assumption about the sexual orientation of persons appearing in this archival footage or any other portions of this film, unless that orientation is acknowledged by the person about himself or herself." End credits include the following acknowledgements: “Special Thanks To: Don Beavers, Alan Berliner, Jack Campbell, Matt Coles, Quentin Crisp, Emile de Antonio, Murray Edelman, Adrienne Edwards, Film Fund, Gay & Lesbian Visitors Center of NY, Bertha Harris, Colin Higgens, Jim Hormel, Lambda Rising Bookstore, Loius Landerson, Mike Mathis, National Community Funds, Mike Palma, Jeannette Poillon, Ron Sable, Marc Weiss, Edmund White, and all the other friends and supporters who helped make this film possible. Archival Sources Personal Collections: Kenneth Anger, George Buse, Hal Call, Eugene S. Carsey, Jr., Ed Held, Betty Lane, Nancy (Bunny) McCulloch, Fred McDarrah, Harry Otis, Pat Rocco, Donna Smith, Valery Jarrard, Kay Tobin, Craig Rodwell, Sylvia Rhue, Joe Van Rogers, Lilli Vincenz, Irene Weiss, Randy Wicker. Archival Film Sources: Archives Film Production, Cable Films, Cine Matrix Film and Design, Estate of Carl Van Vechtan, Fox Movietone News, Frank Driggs Collection, International Gay Archives, Jezebel Productions, Kinsey Institute, Lesbian and Gay Archives, Lesbian Herstory Archives, Library of Congress: Motion Picture Division, National Archives and Record Service, New Yorker Films, Pacific Street Films, Sherman Grimberg Library, Third World Newsreel, UCLA Film, TV and Radio Archives. Special Projects: Augustines Artery, Diana M. T. K. Autin, David Bank, Jan Blair, Michael Bumblebee, Kathy Conkey, Gregg DeChirico, David Fischer, David Hill, Bill Jacobson, Andrew Kopkind, Terry Lawler, Paula Liss, Linda Matalon, Media Alliance, Jay Merritt, Mark Pasley, Lydia Pilcher, Caryn Rogoff, Susan Smith, Chris Straayer, Jan Stuart, Ian Stulberg, Janet Tom, Dan Taplitz, Tom Wilson Weinberg, Joe Windish.”