At the time of the film's release, homosexuality was a highly taboo subject in American society and, prior to the 1960s, one of the topics the Hollywood Hays Code expressly prohibited. Redford reportedly insisted that his character, gay in the original novel, have some interest in women. Likewise the studio, fearful of the potential controversy, insisted that the film only acknowledge the character's bisexuality through a few bits of dialogue. Despite these limitations, the film is generally recognized for one of the early depictions of a gay or bisexual character in American cinema who is not ashamed of his sexuality and does not commit suicide.