Miller’s Time : Hollywood Syndrome

Regarding “The Robin Williams Syndrome,” by Irene Lacher (Dec. 8):

It’s ironic that the same day The Times’ Book Review features a review of a George Cukor biography that touches on the closeted existence of homosexuals in Hollywood, Calendar features a cover story on Robin Williams that quotes him as saying he’d like to play murdered San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay elected official and perhaps the most significant individual in building the current lesbian and gay political movement.

Hollywood would be better advised to leave Milk’s life alone until an openly gay director, writer and star have the courage to step out of the “celluloid closet” and make the movie properly.

Only members of the lesbian and gay community can contribute the political, social and sexual knowledge of that community needed to dramatize the Milk story effectively and honestly. Casting Williams, or any other heterosexual actor, as Milk is as absurd as casting a white actor as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

MARK GABRISH CONLAN

San Diego