3. THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (?)

4.

5.

ESCAPE TO YESTERDAY

MAEDCHEN IN UNIFORM (GIRLS IN UNIFORM)

6. NO EXIT

7. OPEN CITY

8.

PIT OF LONELINESS

9.

TIME OF DESIRE

10. TORST (THIRST)

11.

TURNABOUT

·

THE ADVENTURES OF KING PAUSOLE WAS WRITTEN BY PIERRE LOUYS, OF "APHRODITE" FAME, AND FILMED IN FRANCE IN 1932, STARRING EMIL JANNINGS IN THE ENGLISH TALKING VERSION WITH 366 UNINHIBITED ARTIST'S MODELS AND DANCERS FROM THE FOLIES BERGERE WHO RAN AROUND ABOUT AS BARE AS WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT OF BRIGITTE BARDOT. AMONG THESE 366 (ONE FOR LEAP YEAR) NEAR-NUDE AND NUBILE NYMPHS WAS A GIRL DISGUISED AS A MALE BALLET DANCER, WITH WHOM THE KING'S DAUGHTER ALINE HAD A ROMANCE EVEN AFTER SHE DISCOVERED THEY WERE OF THE SAME SEX!

NO EXIT WAS A FRENCH FILMIZATION OF THE PLAY BY JEAN PAUL-SARTRE ; SETTING: LIMBO; AND ONE OF THE CHARACTERS WAS A LESCORT TYPE, HALFWAY TO HELL BECAUSE SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH A MARRIED WOMAN AND DROVE HER TO SUICIDE BY SPOOKING HER.

THE CHILDREN'S HOUR BEARS A QUESTION MARK BECAUSE, WHILE THE PLAY DEFINITELY HAD ITS LESBIAN MINUTES, I REGRET THAT MEMORY FAILS ME WHEN IT COMES TO THE FILM. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER IF THERE WAS ANY HINT OF SISTERISM ON THE SCREEN?

CHILDREN OF LONELINESS, AN OUTRIGHT ANTI-HOMOPHILE PROPAGANDA PIECE, WAS MAINLY MALE-ORIENTED BUT DID CONTAIN A GAY NITECLUB SCENE AND PICTURED AN OFFICE BUTCH WHOSE OFFER OF AFFECTION AND PROTECTION DROVE A "THIRD SEX" GIRL TO A PSYCHIATRIST'S COUCH, WHERE SHE WAS COUNSELLED AGAINST "ABNORMAL LOVE".

IN 1951, ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF MY LIFE IN PARIS, I FOUND PIT OF LONELINESS PLAYING AND HASTENED TO SEE IT. IT IS BASED ON THE ANONYMOUSLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL "OLIVIA", A BOOK WHICH A DEAR DYKE FRIEND OF MINE IN LONDON HAD JUST GIVEN ME AS A GIFT, BUT THE CINEMADAPTATION WAS SOMEWHAT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF SIMONE SIMON, A BLUE ANGEL IN REAL LIFE BUT A DREAM-FLUFF IN REEL, AND THE REGAL PALE EDWIGE FEULLIERE.

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