Knight at the Movies Archives
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A trio of terrific DVD releases from the BBC track the evolution of gays on TV in Britain over three decades
The British have always been on the forefront when it comes to portraying gays honestly on the screen. Victim from 1961 with Dirk
Borgarde as the prominent lawyer subjected to blackmail for his homosexuality was one of the first films to present a three
dimensional gay character – and a sympathetic one – in the movies. America wouldn’t do it until The Boys in the Band nine years
later. Likewise, our British brethren also forged ahead on the small screen as a trio of new DVD releases from BBC Warner attest.
Together, The Naked Civil Servant, The Lost Language of Cranes, and Little Britain Live offer a 30 year time capsule with regard to
changing cultural attitudes towards gays on television.
Between Oscar Wilde and Boy George, England’s most well known fop was probably Quentin Crisp. Growing up in Britain during the
late 1930s and 1940s Crisp defied convention and rather than conform to societal pressure openly acknowledged his
homosexuality. More, he was honest about his preference for men, dying his hair, nails and foppish clothes. Reviled and subjected
to all manner of physical and verbal abuse, Crisp nonetheless continued to live as a gay man in repressive England. Eventually he
published his autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant and in 1975 a tremendously entertaining TV film with John Hurt portraying
Crisp was made. The film created a scandal for PBS when it was shown in America due to its frank and sympathetic portrayal of Crisp
as an Everyman who just happened to be gay, witty and more than a touch nellie. Hurt won wide acclaim and went on to a
substantial career in movies. 30 years on the movie hasn’t lost a bit of its panache or, unfortunately, its punch – as much of the
verbal and physical gay bashings Crisp is subjected to in the movie are still with us. Sadly, the subject of the film is not. Crisp took
a powder from England for good in the early 80s and famously resided in New York City thereafter, dying in 1999. The famous
raconteur, however, had the last laugh and lived to triumph over his oppressors and see himself become a gay icon. The DVD
includes a featurette in which Crisp interviews then Vanity Fair editor (and fellow Brit expat) Tina Brown.
17 years after the furor of Civil Servant not a peep was heard when in 1992 PBS showed another BBC offering, The Lost Language
of Cranes. Based on the popular gay novel by David Leavitt, the movie was transplanted from New York to London and focuses on
Brian Cox and Eileen Atkins as father and mother to Richard Burton look-a-like Angus MacFayden who hesitantly comes out to his
parents. But that’s not really the problem. What is, it quickly becomes apparent, is that dad is also gay and wants to come out
too. This drama of “secrets and lies” is beautifully acted by the stellar cast – now all familiar from years of work in theatre and film
work – and has the bonus of a great many scenes set in gay bars, a gay porn cinema and the young gay couple cuddling in bed.
I'm sure the full frontal nude shots of MacFayden and his lover weren’t shown on PBS when I first saw this and though this edition
includes them, it also reminded me that by the time this film was shown gay rights had made huge advancements both here and in
England. Gays on TV were becoming familiar in 1992.
By the time the outlandish Little Britain series was created by in 2003 by queer funnyman Matt Lucas and his queer friendly but
heterosexual acting partner David Walliams gays were commonplace on TV. Through three seasons (all available on DVD) the duo
has taken England by storm and caused a sensation. Their zany characters (gay and straight) include a wide assortment, both
female and male but it is Dafydd, the porcine poofta with his skintight latex shirts, disco shorts and army boots who insists that he is
the “only gay in the village” who has made the greatest impact on audiences. In each of his segments other villagers innocently
point out a myriad of other gays and lesbians engaged in all sorts of amorous activities (usually utilizing sex toys) to Dafydd who is
horrified and angry to learn that he will not have to carry the banner of homosexuality alone.
In 2005 Lucas and Walliams took their characters on the road and played to packed houses throughout England (totaling more than
800,000 people). The hilarious show, along with a batch of extras, has now been released as Little Britain Live and the
difference between the gentle but firm cry for understanding underneath the henna haired Quentin Crisp of 1975’s Civil Servant and
the over the top, raunchy and unapologetic gay material of Little Britain is exhilarating. Each of the shows ends, naturally, with
Dafydd leading the audience in a gay anthem but it is an earlier sketch in which Walliams portrays the gay children’s entertainer that
clearly shows the cultural advancement of the previous 30 years. Without hesitation, Walliams pulls an unsuspecting straight hunk
out of the audience and within moments has planted a kiss on his lips and nearly pulled his pants off – all to the enthusiastic
encouragement and blessing from the clearly mixed gay and straight audience of thousands – and the sheepish okay from the
volunteer.
US television has yet to offer up anything quite this accepting and overt but one can certainly take heart. If entertainment tradition
has taught us anything it’s that success this large foretells that an American version – a tad watered down no doubt – will soon follow.
Borgarde as the prominent lawyer subjected to blackmail for his homosexuality was one of the first films to present a three
dimensional gay character – and a sympathetic one – in the movies. America wouldn’t do it until The Boys in the Band nine years
later. Likewise, our British brethren also forged ahead on the small screen as a trio of new DVD releases from BBC Warner attest.
Together, The Naked Civil Servant, The Lost Language of Cranes, and Little Britain Live offer a 30 year time capsule with regard to
changing cultural attitudes towards gays on television.
Between Oscar Wilde and Boy George, England’s most well known fop was probably Quentin Crisp. Growing up in Britain during the
late 1930s and 1940s Crisp defied convention and rather than conform to societal pressure openly acknowledged his
homosexuality. More, he was honest about his preference for men, dying his hair, nails and foppish clothes. Reviled and subjected
to all manner of physical and verbal abuse, Crisp nonetheless continued to live as a gay man in repressive England. Eventually he
published his autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant and in 1975 a tremendously entertaining TV film with John Hurt portraying
Crisp was made. The film created a scandal for PBS when it was shown in America due to its frank and sympathetic portrayal of Crisp
as an Everyman who just happened to be gay, witty and more than a touch nellie. Hurt won wide acclaim and went on to a
substantial career in movies. 30 years on the movie hasn’t lost a bit of its panache or, unfortunately, its punch – as much of the
verbal and physical gay bashings Crisp is subjected to in the movie are still with us. Sadly, the subject of the film is not. Crisp took
a powder from England for good in the early 80s and famously resided in New York City thereafter, dying in 1999. The famous
raconteur, however, had the last laugh and lived to triumph over his oppressors and see himself become a gay icon. The DVD
includes a featurette in which Crisp interviews then Vanity Fair editor (and fellow Brit expat) Tina Brown.
17 years after the furor of Civil Servant not a peep was heard when in 1992 PBS showed another BBC offering, The Lost Language
of Cranes. Based on the popular gay novel by David Leavitt, the movie was transplanted from New York to London and focuses on
Brian Cox and Eileen Atkins as father and mother to Richard Burton look-a-like Angus MacFayden who hesitantly comes out to his
parents. But that’s not really the problem. What is, it quickly becomes apparent, is that dad is also gay and wants to come out
too. This drama of “secrets and lies” is beautifully acted by the stellar cast – now all familiar from years of work in theatre and film
work – and has the bonus of a great many scenes set in gay bars, a gay porn cinema and the young gay couple cuddling in bed.
I'm sure the full frontal nude shots of MacFayden and his lover weren’t shown on PBS when I first saw this and though this edition
includes them, it also reminded me that by the time this film was shown gay rights had made huge advancements both here and in
England. Gays on TV were becoming familiar in 1992.
By the time the outlandish Little Britain series was created by in 2003 by queer funnyman Matt Lucas and his queer friendly but
heterosexual acting partner David Walliams gays were commonplace on TV. Through three seasons (all available on DVD) the duo
has taken England by storm and caused a sensation. Their zany characters (gay and straight) include a wide assortment, both
female and male but it is Dafydd, the porcine poofta with his skintight latex shirts, disco shorts and army boots who insists that he is
the “only gay in the village” who has made the greatest impact on audiences. In each of his segments other villagers innocently
point out a myriad of other gays and lesbians engaged in all sorts of amorous activities (usually utilizing sex toys) to Dafydd who is
horrified and angry to learn that he will not have to carry the banner of homosexuality alone.
In 2005 Lucas and Walliams took their characters on the road and played to packed houses throughout England (totaling more than
800,000 people). The hilarious show, along with a batch of extras, has now been released as Little Britain Live and the
difference between the gentle but firm cry for understanding underneath the henna haired Quentin Crisp of 1975’s Civil Servant and
the over the top, raunchy and unapologetic gay material of Little Britain is exhilarating. Each of the shows ends, naturally, with
Dafydd leading the audience in a gay anthem but it is an earlier sketch in which Walliams portrays the gay children’s entertainer that
clearly shows the cultural advancement of the previous 30 years. Without hesitation, Walliams pulls an unsuspecting straight hunk
out of the audience and within moments has planted a kiss on his lips and nearly pulled his pants off – all to the enthusiastic
encouragement and blessing from the clearly mixed gay and straight audience of thousands – and the sheepish okay from the
volunteer.
US television has yet to offer up anything quite this accepting and overt but one can certainly take heart. If entertainment tradition
has taught us anything it’s that success this large foretells that an American version – a tad watered down no doubt – will soon follow.
30 Years of Pooftas:
The Naked Civil Servant-The Lost Language of Cranes-Little Britain Live
Expanded Edition of 5-23-07 Windy City Times Knight at the Movies Column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
The Naked Civil Servant-The Lost Language of Cranes-Little Britain Live
Expanded Edition of 5-23-07 Windy City Times Knight at the Movies Column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
