Picture, darlings, a gaggle of screaming queens, gathered in a large room, to discuss one of the greatest of Girls Novels--Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca." When these cats (or should I say pussies, loves?????????) got mewling, I am telling you, the fur began to fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keeping to the novel's atmosphere, the Gay and Lesbian Reading Group was, by coincidence, given the largest room on the first floor of the Center--the Paul Kaplan Assembly Hall--which made us feel as if gathering within one of the over sized rooms at Manderly. Too bad the hot weather prevented me from my coming dressed as Mrs. Danvers!!!! Honey, I would have brought down the house!!!!!!!!!!! Just like Mrs. Danvers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One nice thing about last night was running into Tom, a school teacher I had sung in the Dignity choir with, who moved out of the city, for a time!!!!! Well, now he is back, and welcome! I am telling you, he could be cast as ANYTHING or ANYONE in "Into The Woods." And he couldn't help but improve on what is going on right now, over at the Delacorte!!!!!!!!!!!!
But back to "Rebecca." Julio, our group's esteemed leader, who would make a perfect Mrs. Van Hopper, elected this older guy, this chit named Steve, to lead the discussion, since whomever nominated it in the first place did not have the decency to show up!!!!!
Well, Steve began with a nice presentation about Du Maurier. Nothing I did not know already, darlings, but then......!!!!!!!!!!! Afterwards, to set the proper mood I read, in my best Joan Fontaine voice, her opening monologue that begins the film!!!! You better believe I was brilliant, loves!!!!
So brilliant, I should have led that discussion!!!!!!
Because that chit Steve had the NERVE to insinuate to me--ME, who knows better, darlings!!!!!--that Alfred Hitchcock had already made this film in England!!!!!!!!!!! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Now, don't you start with ME," I chimed right in, at which point I thought Julio was going to have to prevent me from assault!!!!!!!!!!! The film Hitchcock made in England and over here was "The Man Who Knew Too Much." First, in England, back in 1934, then in Hollywood, 1955. That is the version, girls, where Doris Day sings "Que Sera, Sera!" He actually DARED to give me an argument, till I started citing books on Hitchcock and Selznick that I had read over the years!!!!!!!!!!! Who does he think he is???????????
And let me say, this group collectively seemed to suffer from attention deprivation!!!!
Thank God for Julio, Tom, and myself!!!!!!!! I wish Adam and Joel had been there! Julio could hardly maintain order; he had to keep saying, "One at a time!", so that folks could get a word in edgewise!!!!!!!!!!!
"Rebecca" is a story about merging the present and the past. And in literary terms, too; a Brontesque influence hangs over the story, making it a kind of Twentieth Century "Jane Eyre." Do you think this was even broached, darlings???????????? No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instead, everyone seemed to focus on the camped up aspects of Mrs. Danvers, the implied lesbianism (which comes more from the movie, than the novel, which no one bothered to say), and how "creepy" ALL the characters were. I guess they don't understand upper crust sorts!!!!!!!!! This group of queens needs to read some Vogue, Plum Sykes, and Anna, before tackling "Rebecca!"
Nevertheless, a good time was had by all!!!!!!!!! Though a better time might have been had by serving a high tea, then lighting some sort of fire, at discussion's end!!!!!!!!!!!!
With everyone dancing!!!!!!!! "Burn, Baby Burn! Diiiiiisco Infeeeerno!!!!!!!!"
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