The Gay Deceivers (1969) st and crew creds, cludg actors, actrs, directors, wrers and more.
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50 YEARS LATER, THE FILM GAY DECEIVERS IS STILL VERY GAY, VERY BAD
The Gay Deceivers was homophobic, juvenile, and, somehow, ahead of s time. * the gay decievers *
The last year of the 1960s also broke ground when me to film, wh a movie about a d gay iendship between a htler and a grifter (Midnight Cowboy) wng the Bt Picture Osr the followg year. When me to paradigm-shiftg films of 1969, The Gay Deceivers do not qualify.
Centered on two bonehead straight guys (played by Kev Coughl and Larry Casey) who pretend to be gay to avoid the draft, The Gay Deceivers was a precursor to shows like Bosom Buddi and Three's Company and movi like Mrs.
Doubtfire and I Now Prounounce You Chuck and the jok are broad and stupid, the puns obv (a character brgs a u basket to the tular ceivers), the women eher cluels, lechero, or ceful (but always sexy and ually half-naked), and the antigay slurs ubiquo, the movie has several fun flash of gay culture that mastream Ameri was not at all ed the ceivers rent an L. Apartment lord over by a swishy landlord named Mallm (Michael Greer), 's adorned wh homoerotic art that is still rigur Palm Sprgs and Provcetown. Gay men the film ll each other "she" whout a bat of the eye, drag is held up as an art form, and two men even dance together.
THE GAY DECEIVERS
* the gay decievers *
In one scene, a gay man miserat to Casey's character of Ellt how straight people believe gays are animals and how unfair is that they are routely fired om their jobs.
Two men mt pose as gay lovers to avoid gettg drafted. * the gay decievers *
Of urse, that potential is wasted when Ellt punch the man for g on to the gay men are universally portrayed as sex-obssed, most e off as likable (albe silly).
Greer, an openly gay ic at the time, reportedly worked wh director Bce Ksler to make the movie more sympathetic to the gay characters. "While this movie tragilly reflects s era's mastream attus toward queer people, what mak The Gay Deceivers worth watchg for a ntemporary LGBTQ dience is the great Michael Greer as landlord Mallm DeJohn, " says Alonso Dural, a film cric for TheWrap and -host of the podst Lolm Knife. The rt of the movie is an object lson of tablishment homophobia actn, but Greer's performance allows a ltle rebelln and realy to elbow s way .
Whout spoilg too much, the screenwrers and Ksler imply that not all gay people are swishy, snarky, and fashnable; anyone your orb uld be queer. Though that msage don't make up for The Gay Deceivers' many, many fics, was one very seldom exprsed The Gay Deceivers below.
Two men try to avoid ary service by pretendg to be gay, but they mt act the part when the recg officer don't buy . * the gay decievers *
Two men mt pose as gay lovers to avoid gettg drafted. Danny Devl and his woman-chasg iend Ellt Crane ci to pose as homosexuals to avoid ductn to the Army.
Sce Danny is nvced that he and Ellt mt appear to live together as homosexuals to nfirm the Army's judgment, they rent a one-bedroom apartment an area popular wh the gay set.