The Leather Boys
| The Leather Boys | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Sidney J. Furie |
| Produced by | Raymond Stross |
| Written by | Gillian Freeman |
| Starring |
Rita Tushingham Colin Campbell Dudley Sutton |
| Music by | Bill McGuffie |
| Cinematography | Gerald Gibbs |
| Edited by | Reginald Beck |
| Distributed by | British Lion-Columbia |
|
Release date
|
January 1964 |
|
Running time
|
108 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £100,000 |
The Leather Boys is a 1964 British drama film about the rocker subculture in London featuring a gay motorcyclist. This film is notable as an early example of a film that violated the Hollywood production code, yet was still shown in the United States, as well as an important film in the genre of queer cinema.
An example of British kitchen sink realism, it was considered daring in 1964 as it touched upon homosexuality, however obliquely. Reviewers have noted that it contains naturalistic photography and period locations such as the Ace Cafe.
The film is based on a novel commissioned by the London literary agent and publisher Anthony Blond, who suggested that Gillian Freeman write about a "Romeo and Romeo in the South London suburbs".
The book was published in 1961 under the pseudonym Eliot George—an inversion of the pen-name of the famous 19th century female author, Mary Ann Evans, who published as George Eliot. Freeman is credited under her own name in the film as the author of the screenplay based on the novel of "Eliot George". The original novel is explicit about the sexual relationship between the two male characters, and about the odds that the hero's wife is pregnant by another man. It also portrays the gang to which they belong as a criminal network, and ends with a botched robbery committed by the two main characters.
The film plot was changed considerably, presumably to make it more palatable to 1964 movie-goers. Only one of the main male characters is gay in the film (with the hero Reggie leaving Pete upon finding out his sexuality at the film's end) and there is no criminal activity at all. Even the wife's infidelity is portrayed ambiguously.
Working class cockney teenagers Dot (Rita Tushingham) and biker Reggie (Colin Campbell) get married. Their marriage soon turns sour. During an unsuccessful honeymoon at a holiday camp Reggie becomes alienated from the brassy and self-absorbed Dot. Afterwards, they begin to live increasingly separate lives as Reggie becomes more involved with his biker friends, especially the eccentric Pete (Dudley Sutton). Reggie also loses interest in having sex with Dot. When Reggie's grandfather dies, Dot merely complains that his support for his bereaved grandmother (Gladys Henson) has stopped them visiting the cinema. Her boorish behaviour at the funeral and her refusal to move in with Reggie's grandmother leads to a major argument. She leaves and Reggie stays with his gran, who will not leave her own house. He brings in Pete, who has been forced to leave his lodgings, to stay as a lodger with her. The two share a bed at her house. Meanwhile Dot shows an interest in Brian (Johnny Briggs), another biker. The following day Pete and Reggie drive to the seaside. Reggie wants them to chat up a couple of girls, but Pete shows no interest.
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Wikipedia