And darlings, they don't come more predatory than Mrs. Mercy Croft, the vitriolic, predatory catalyst of Frank Marcus' border on misogynistic comedy, "The Killing Of Sister George." As fun as it is, this play is less a study in lesbianism than a camp fest. Which is why it is more entertaining and satisfying than Mart Crowley's "The Boys In The Band," which glorifies internalized homophobia among gay men to the max, so that, instead of a groundbreaking piece for gay rights, which it mistakenly referred to as, one gets a paean of justification for great big male closet cases to remain so.
But this is not a drama class, girls. This is by way of naming Mercy Croft the winner of this week's Raving Queen Bitch Of The Week Award. Yesterday, during what is still a difficult time, my David and I did a lot of running around, and I could not get on here.
Mercy, on film, was immortalized by the great Coral Browne, who, just eleven years before, played Vera Charles, in the 1958 non-musical film version of "Auntie Mame," starring Rosalind Russell. What a difference a decade makes. The scene where Croft finger fucks Childie in her (gulp) vagina, was the most talked about sex scene of its day, and made audiences squirm. Darlings, it makes me squirm, just to write about it. Pity poor Susannah York, who played Childie. She did not want to do the scene, but was forced to, by director Robert Aldrich, who, just seven years before, did 'Baby Jane.' Boy, is he going for extremes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Browne just played Croft to the hilt, so much so, it was like she was having fun with the role. Which makes Mrs. Mercy Croft sort of a fun Bitch Of The Week. I can use all the fun I can get, right now.
But, I am telling you, if something as repulsive as she tried to finger me in my man hole, I would kick them in the teeth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a pity my idea never came to fruition. I maintained this play would have made a great musical--it practically is, when you watch the film. But it needed the cast I wanted--
Angela Lansbury (who was actually offered the film role, and wanted it, but bowed to the career conformity of the times) as Sister George, Alice Playten, as Childie, and Elaine Stritch as Mrs. Croft.
Don't forget, Stritch played a lesbian who gets murdered, in the classic 1965 film, "Who Killed Teddy Bear?" When her agent offered her the role, before he finished its description, she said, "I'll take it!" A real trouper, that Elaine.
Now, Alice and Elaine are gone, and the idea is far too outdated. Or is it?
I am certain there are plenty of male queens out there who would love to play Mrs. Croft! Hell, they probably live their lives, as Mrs. Croft!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which is why we love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And your references to my early gay education just keep coming today...
ReplyDeleteAdd "Sister George" to the list of Betamax tapes my friend and I rented and never returned to the store (not that the stores in our benighted, straighter-than-straight neighborhood ever missed them).
Providing more scenes for our all-night camp festivals, we'd often have a double feature of "Boys" and "George". Always "Boys In The Band" first, because we'd need the lighter camp of "George" (and its completely alien female point of view) to bring us back from the ledge.
"Sister George" isn't a very good film adaptation, but it strings a nice quantity of isolated amazing scenes at a decent pace. The performances are stellar, esp Coral Browne, whose surprise reveals were so shocking the first time I saw the story unfold.
My personal favorite, aside from the obvious moment you pictured, is when Beryl Reid makes Susannah York eat her cigar butts as "punishment" for some "infraction" I can't remember. York grudgingly does so, her expression reflecting total disgust and humiliation at first. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she shifts abruptly into an over-th-top simulation of ecstacy, as if there was nothing she'd rather be doing. Slowly, sensually, she chews on and swallows the cigar butts, moaning as if in orgasm, eyes rolled back in her head. Beryl Reid stomps her feet in futile fury, whimpering "no, no, not like that: you're SPOILING it for me: You're deliberately SPOILING it for me!"
At the time I only superficially understood what the scene meant. Thirty years (and lots of real life experience) later, I get it: this is probably the most brilliant, succinct representation of the unpredictable power dynamic between "tops" and "bottoms" ever put to stage or film. Gay, lesbian, straight: doesn't matter, this scene covers in three minutes the same point it took "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" three hours to get to (albeit brilliantly).
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen 'Sister George' on the stage?
I saw one in the Eighties, with Tandy Cronyn (Jessica
and Hume's dtr) as Childie, and an Irish actress,
Aideen O'Kelly, as George. It was darker, and
had none of the campiness of the film.
That said, I LOVE the film for its camp
excesses. Poor Susannah York. She did not
stand a chance!