"Our Betters" is about social climbing and what it takes to get into all the best parties - and be received" at the royal court, and be "accepted" by high-society. George Cukor did a great job of directing Sometset Maugham's play; this playwright didn't flinch at doing outrageous stories with outrageous characters. Those high-class, Brits who look down their noses at normal slobs, like we Americans are, are truly no angels ! Money and a "title" will get you lots of places.........Constantce Bennet and Anita Louise, two early-film beauties, in gorgeous gowns are a camp, but.......
....it takes the final scene, as everyone agrees, to make the movie a scream. I roared when I saw it. It involves a horny ole (titled) biddy being instructed in the tango by a painted queen with bitchy tones in his voice and flamboyant characteristics. TCM was doing a thing called "Screened Out", that is, gay scenes and characters the "code office" would not allow to be released to the general public. If they only had known! The "general public" knoew more about these "gays" then the office did.
TCM had a gay man as co-host - I suppose he's the one who chose the several movies which had over-the-top sissies in them. If they had looked more closely for an outrageously gay actor, they'd have found the fabulous Ray (Rae) Bourbon, who could have put all the "pretending" actors they cast in their rightful places. "Rae" was a big drag-star who appeared many times with Mae West - a female drag-queen if ever there were one.....all over the world.
The gay host told the truth that many gay men cringed when this character appeared, but did not mention that an actor's career usually went to the pits if they dared play anything NEAR being gay - I laughed myself silly, and gave myself a pat on the back to realize that I had helped all those over-the-top "butch" gays out of the closet. Go to a gay bar and watch all those "machos" play at being men. Watch this movie and laugh yourself to tears. We need more modern Movies like "Our Betters"......."closet" doesn't mean a thing to us........
....it takes the final scene, as everyone agrees, to make the movie a scream. I roared when I saw it. It involves a horny ole (titled) biddy being instructed in the tango by a painted queen with bitchy tones in his voice and flamboyant characteristics. TCM was doing a thing called "Screened Out", that is, gay scenes and characters the "code office" would not allow to be released to the general public. If they only had known! The "general public" knoew more about these "gays" then the office did.
TCM had a gay man as co-host - I suppose he's the one who chose the several movies which had over-the-top sissies in them. If they had looked more closely for an outrageously gay actor, they'd have found the fabulous Ray (Rae) Bourbon, who could have put all the "pretending" actors they cast in their rightful places. "Rae" was a big drag-star who appeared many times with Mae West - a female drag-queen if ever there were one.....all over the world.
The gay host told the truth that many gay men cringed when this character appeared, but did not mention that an actor's career usually went to the pits if they dared play anything NEAR being gay - I laughed myself silly, and gave myself a pat on the back to realize that I had helped all those over-the-top "butch" gays out of the closet. Go to a gay bar and watch all those "machos" play at being men. Watch this movie and laugh yourself to tears. We need more modern Movies like "Our Betters"......."closet" doesn't mean a thing to us........