 In connection with the case, Bell wrote a series of columns about a string of unsolved murders of gay men; these columns, along with the novel "Cruising" by Gerald Walker, were the inspiration behind the William Friedkin film "Cruising".Bell wrote additional columns condemning Friedkin and "Cruising" after reading a leaked early screenplay, deploring what he viewed as its negative depiction of gay people and claiming that it would inspire violence against homosexuals.At Bell's urging, gay activists disrupted the filming of "Cruising" and demonstrated at theatres where the film was playing.