Allen Ginsberg

James Franco was seen on location and in wardrobe for his new film Howl yesterday.

He plays legendary Beat poet, Allen Ginsberg. Obviously before Ginsberg was bald and portly but still with his signature spectacles.

Yesterday was the first day of filming in Long Island City, New York.

Howl is considered one of the preeminent works of the Beat movement but it was also once considered so obscene it was banned and led to an obscenity trial in 1957, two years after its publication.

James Franco is preparing to saddle up for a second biopic about a gay icon.

Following on the heels of Milk, Gus Van Sant’s absolutely brilliant film about the life of the first openly gay elected official in America, Harvey Milk, played by Sean Penn, where James plays Scott Smith, Harvey’s longtime partner, Franco has signed on to play gay poet Allen Ginsberg in the movie Howl.