The Flaming Urge

Just finished viewing THE FLAMING URGE, primarily on the basis of the Alpha Home Entertainment cover description of Harold Lloyd, Jr. ("tormented by chronic alcoholism and masochistic homosexual urges"). One of the other reviewers here noted something that I picked up on about halfway through the film--the "flaming urge" is a 1950s code term for homosexuality. The protagonist is a young man, always neatly dressed (highlighted by a colorful bow tie), extremely polite, who must move from town to town because of his uncontrollable urge. He is unfamiliar with the normal male rituals of the period and is pretty much a loner. But everyone seems to know how to cure him - his urges will stop once he's married! An oddly amusing movie overall.

FLAMING URGE is, in its way a remarkable film by one time director-writer Harold Ericson which ought to be better known. It concerns the arrival in a small town of Tom Smith (Harold Lloyd, Jnr). Tom has a problem - he is irresistibly attracted to fires and compulsively chases every fire engine which is en route to a blaze. He has chosen this town as the level of fire incidents is the smallest on record that he can discover, in order to help himself overcome his pyrophilia. Tom finds himself a job in a local store with an understanding boss, but soon discovers that the number of fires locally is suddenly increasing and, despite his protests, he becomes chief suspect as the local arsonist...

A pleasant and curious enough film about an unusual fetish on first viewing, it is only when one discovers (as other reviewers here note) that 'flaming' is homosexual slang for quick arousal/or 'flaunting effeminate traits' that the real sociological interest emerges. In real life Harold LLoyd Jnr was the great comedian's gay, alcoholic son who died early at age 40, victim of his life style. In manner and speech in this, one of his few starring vehicles, he reminds one of his famous father, albeit without the signature glasses. Thus FLAMING URGE's early comic scenes in the drapery store where the young man works, recall the elder LLoyd's work in the first half of SAFETY LAST, even to the point of a couple of sly, specific visual references to the older comedy. Lloyd snr of course was straight; some of the impact of FLAMING URGE is an implied gay deconstruction of a famous screen persona - one wonders what dad said when he saw it.

In short, a fun film with substantial gay coding throughout - right down to the good deal of banter situated around the tie counter (at one point the star creates a gigantic bow tie, by way of marketing) and play on pencils. Tom's 'problem' is treated with a calmness and respect for difference throughout - miles away from the sniggering and caricature with which it might have been received elsewhere. And while the film necessarily ends with a heterosexual wedding, it proves unconvincing. FLAMING URGE can be recommended, especially to those who like lesser known gay/camp classics such as TURNABOUT.

A gem of a 50s film. The story concerns a mild mannered young man who cannot resist the impulse to chase fire trucks and firemen. In doing so, he risks losing his position as a clerk in a department store. After a few unexplained fires, his fellow townsmen come to believe he is an arsonist. The story was filmed entirely in Michigan and the film's unadorned presentation of small town America circa 1950 is appealing. A dog has a rather prominent part in the film and adds an unusual interest to the story. Harold Lloyd, Jr. is adept in his role and Cathy Downs is an attractive addition. The film is well worth a viewing.

Wow, what an usual subject matter---fire bugs. Never seen a movie dealing w/ this subject before. I liked the innocence of it: the small homey town and some of the friendly caring people in the town, and the un-chain dept. store, and the lakeside picnic, and Robbie the dog---who is also a fire bug and sits atop fire hydrants at the scene of the fires he runs to. It's all so innocent and cute.

My brother-in-law asked me to help him find a copy of this and I did. Turns out that the film-maker filmed a lot of the movie in my brother-in-law's grandmother's house!!! How odd is that to watch a movie that was shot in the house you spent your summers in as a kid!!!!!!!!!!