The Gentleman Bank Robber

The Gentleman Bank Robber is a portrait of rita “bo” brown, a working-class butch from rural Oregon, an anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, ex-prisoner and member of the militant, underground George Jackson Brigade, active in the 1970s in the Pacific Northwest. bo became known as “The Gentleman Bank Robber” in the 1970s for combining her butch style of dress with a polite way of demanding funds from bank tellers. The film moves between everyday moments with bo in and around her home in Oakland, California, and historical retelling of the events of bo’s life through interviews with bo and her collaborators, archival materials, and rare social movement ephemera. The Gentleman Bank Robber weaves together personal and political perspectives on 20th century social movement histories, including queer liberation in the 1960s; militant, underground activity with the George Jackson Brigade in the 1970s, a revolutionary prison abolitionist group; political prisoner support work in the 1980s, and prison activist work into the present day. bo brown is a model for how to lead a life of committed activism while maintaining a sense of humor and humanity.

In 2012, I met bo brown in Portland at prison abolition conference, through my friend Lydia Bartholow. At that time, bo was mentoring young activists and speaking widely about her experiences. I was struck by how grounded and funny bo was, how nonjudgmental and kind. Lydia and I were eager to preserve her story, as women in social movements do not often get the attention they deserve. What began as an oral history initiative evolved into this documentary featurette. Over a five year period, I interviewed bo and her collaborators, friends, and community members several times in Oakland, California and in Oregon. The film includes significant creative contributions from: Erin McNamara (production & interviews), Lydia Bartholow (production & interviews), Erin Yanke (editing support), Marisa Anderson (music), Lisa Schonberg (music), Max Swanson (research), Lily King (research), James Casey (graphic design), Briar Levit (type consultating) and Kat Enyeart (graphic design).

If you would like to organize a screening email: gentlemanbankrobber@gmail.com. Closed captioning is available in English and subtitles are available in Spanish and French. In 2022, Josh MacPhee and I created a poster about bo brown for the Celebrate People’s History poster series, printed and distributed by Just Seeds artist collective. The image is derived from The Gentleman Bank Robber film, from an interview with bo. Buy yours now!

still images from the film

The Gentleman Bank Robber still image
The Gentleman Bank Robber still image
The Gentleman Bank Robber still image
The Gentleman Bank Robber still image
The Gentleman Bank Robber promotional poster
selected screenings, exhibitions & events
2018: Twist Queer Film Festival, Seattle, Washington
2018: Birthday Benefit Screening for bo brown, The New Parkway Theater, Oakland, California
2018: Highline College, with George Jackson Brigade members Ed Mead, Janine Bertram and film director Julie Perini in attendance, Des Moines, Washington
2018: Hollywood Theater, Portland, Oregon
2017: Northwest Filmmakers Festival, Northwest Film Center at the Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon

selected press
2017: Julie Perini & Ben Popp (Northwest Filmmakers Festival Director) on KOIN television, Portland, Oregon

support provided by:
hundreds of individual donors
2017 Oregon Media Arts Fellowship
2014 Oregon Arts Commission Career Opportunity Award
2014 Portland State University Faculty Enhancement Award, and a community of Kickstarter backers.

Julie Perini is a filmmaker and artist in Portland, Oregon.

The Gentleman Bank Robber: The Story of Butch Lesbian Freedom Fighter rita bo brown

The Gentleman Bank Robber:
The Story of Butch Lesbian Freedom Fighter rita bo brown