FILMS

BY

T

From the London Evening News and Star

HEAVYWEIGHT AT LAST

JULIAN HOLLAND

O-DAY

we must

salute Dirk Bogarde. Applaud him for his courage and for the revelation of previously unplumbed depths of his talent.

No doubt spurred on by the creative successes of his twin star of British films, Richard Attenborough, he has suddenly at the age of 41 turned against the lightas-popcorn roles of his past.

IT'S SINCERE

He has made a film of which he can be truly proud, a film of fierce, honesty, adult conviction and sincere purpose.

What is more-and this makes one want to stand up and cheer Victim (X, Odeon, Leicester-square) is a good and an exciting film.

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It is a success for everyone concerned with it, from scriptwriter Janet Green, director Basil Dearden and producer Michael Relph, down to the Rank Organisation which has undertaken its distribution despite its X certificate.

"Victim" is a film about homosexuality. But it is also a suspense story about blackmail (90 per cent. of blackmail victims are homosexuals because they cannot seek police protection).

It poses the problems of these men. offers the different view-

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points, and comes down emphatically in favour of a change in the law. if only to stamp out blackmail

A successful young barrister (played by Bogarde) with a beautiful wife, a prosperous practice and soon to become a Q.C., finds himself involved when a young boy kills himself after stealing to pay a blackmailer.

He was emotionally involved with the boy and decides to uncover the blackmailer even though it will mean his own ruin.

It does. Through the tawdry world of pick-ups in pubs and the cultured backgrounds of people in high places with guilty secrets to hide, he stalks the "murdering" blackmailer.

Almost everywhere he meets opposition-people who would rather go on paying than risk jail.

It is for Bogarde the performance of his career.

Excellent too is Sylvia Syms as his wife, confronted and bewildered by the question of where her love stands in the face of her husband's admitted confession to her of his feelings about the dead boy.

I am told that women who have been given a preview of this picture, rather than being shocked by it, have been enthusiastic about its merits. recommend it to you.

I

mattachine REVIEW

READERS write

Letters from readers are solicited for publication in this regular montbly department. They should be short and all must be signed by the writer. Only initials of the writer and the state or country of residence will be published. Opinion expressed in pub. lished letters need not necessarily reflect that of the REVIEW' or the Mattachine Society. No names of individuals will be exchanged for correspondence purposes.

DR. ALVAREZ

REVIEW EDITOR: The illumination from Dr. Walter Alvarez discovered in the October issue of the REVIEW was so brilliant that it should bum out the silliness and nonsense about homosexuality forever. Of course it will not; not so long as children are fed the lies, bigotry, and hatred which are the heritage from their brainstalled parents and other adults concerned with the trivia of this planet. The problem is posed by a busy-body, bored, ignorant, sadistic public. IF "something went decidedly wrong in the development of the boy's brain and, to some extent, his body" (Dr. Alvarez), then how can any mortal undo what Nature has done; and what is Nature but God? The bigots will not even admit the possibility that a homosexual is part of God's plan: To not overpopulate and overmomulate the Earth. But the same bigots are largely for contraceptives. That is even more unnatural than homosexual If orgasms you please or do not please.

It is unbelievable that the vast majority oflosers in the sex game (those who have reproduced to their own chagrin and amazement and alarm) are pleased with their sins of reproduction. And does the loser not hate with extreme jealousy those who have not been caught thus. O yes he does! And the purveyors of commerce and the churches hate the escaper too; why? Oh so simple: It bringeth not MONEY Into the coffers! And the homosexualists have insights into life and the spiritual realm which develop and abet their artistry and brains. And does that not make the simpletons whitehot with jealousy? Ergo, punish the homosexual_a marvelous sport!-Mr. P. B., N. C.

REVIEW EDITOR: Thank you so much for the kind words in your REVIEW for October. I'm so glad that you are happy about what I have been trying to do. I will try to keep helping all I can, but,

as you know, I mustn't try the patience of editors too much or too often.

Cordially,

Walter C. Alvarez, M.D. Des Moines Register & Tribune Syndicate

WITH IMPUNITY

REVIEW EDITOR: Enclosed is a copy of my letter to the Adult Probation Department dated Sept. 29, 1961. Coples of the enclosure were sent to San Francisco newspapers and all were, of course, "Spurlos versnkt."-Vincent Hallinan, Attomey at Law, San Francisco.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The enclosed letter is as follows (it refers to the case covered In June 1961 REVIEW, p. 6):

Adult Probation Department 7th and Bryant Streets San Francisco, California

Re: William Castillo, Alex Hall, Lawrence Magee, Michael Kilkenny; Superior Court Action No. 58500; Department 6

Gentlemen:

In the above matter there are some suggestions which I feel obliged to make in connection with the application for probation now pending in your department.

First, let me say that I have no con. nection or acquaintance of any kind with any of the four defendants, any member of their families, or, so far as I know, any friend or relative of any one of them.

The element in the case which involves my interest and impels the writing of this letter, is the motive which the defendants claim led them to attack their victim, and the manner in which this was handled by the prosecution and by the newspapers reporting the trial.

According to the four boys, they were cruising about for the purpose of finding and beating up "queers," that is to say, homosexuals. Encountering Mr. Hall, and

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