The Gay Deceivers was homophobic, juvenile, and, somehow, ahead of s time.
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50 YEARS LATER, THE FILM GAY DECEIVERS IS STILL VERY GAY, VERY BAD
* 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.
THE GAY DECEIVERS
The Gay Deceivers (1969) st and crew creds, cludg actors, actrs, directors, wrers and more. * the gay decievers *
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.
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).
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 *
Greer, an openly gay ic at the time, reportedly worked wh director Bce Ksler to make the movie more sympathetic to the gay characters.