The Leather Boys

Sidney J. Furie's 1964 Leather Boys was way before its time. Touching on the then controversial subject of homosexuality. The young cast of Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell and Dudley Sutton are outstanding. Filmed in black and white, the story is a realistic look at relationships between a husband and wife, and between two friends, one who turns out to be gay. Even the title of the film seems to tell it all, yet there aren't any scenes in any "Leather" bars. Watching the film you can figure out that one of the two friends is gay, but I guess in the early 1960s it was more difficult to figure out. The movie is interesting to look at, as it captures the norms of the society for those days. Now, it's clearly out-dated and if the viewer can not figure out the historical significance of the film, than the movie will only be fair.

I laughed when I saw the title. I thought that is a very dodgy title! I was even more surprised when I realised it had a gay character lurking in his sexy leathers behind the main character! (Not that he got up to anything behind him) Although, I have to say it is extremely well acted, and even though the film is rather ancient now, it was actually rather refreshing, and very entertaining. So if it pops up on television somewhere, and you happen to be in front of it, watch it! It is well scripted and splendid stuff. You don't have to be gay to enjoy it either! Nice bikes too, makes me want to get my three wheeler out of the garage. Pedal power... Oh yes... Work those legs!

I think The Leather Boys can be engaging and awfully dramatic for audiences on the merits of simply its acting and direction, which is handled with a great deal of sensitivity, but a way into this film that makes it even more of a satisfying and heartbreaking experience is looking beyond the lines (and in-between as well of the text). This is the story that on the surface is fairly basic - a young biker named Reggie (Colin Campbell) gets married to a woman about his age and from the same town and school and all that (Rita Rushingham), simply because it's... what people did back then when they wanted to get out of their respective environments (or with a 'Shotgun' marriage approach, which this isn't, at least not exactly). But he's not attracted to her really, though she's endearing, and instead he focuses on his bike and his mate Pete (Dudley Sutton). And... there may be feelings there, just under the surface.

When I say 'beyond' the lines, think about how England was at the time, as much of America was and other places in the Western world: if you were gay, for the most part, if it wasn't a crime outright (in England it wasn't until 1967 by the way, which some may not know to today, so the context helps with a quick Google search of the info), then it was certainly looked at as abhorrent and ridiculous. The word 'Queer' is only used perhaps once in this film - from Tushingham's Dot to the two guys Reggie and Pete at a moment when she's just about had it - but it hangs over so much even before this, that those repressed feelings are there, as if it could be heard in a whisper, but if it ever goes above that it can be really dangerous (with the exception of one place near the end).

This is Sidney Furie dealing with this tale of closeted, gay love with tenderness but also a sense of full realism that is made interesting because of how he works with the actors - especially, throughout, Tushingham, who practically steals away much of the performance of Campbell, who is more subdued when he's not yelling at her in a "row", but he's good too, and eventually Sutton reveals a lot without even having to look at his actor (there's one really heartbreaking scene where it's clear Reggie has to move on from his time away from Dot at his grandmother's place, where Pete's been lodging, and how they talk to one another without looking is note perfect). But it's also Furie, from a book/script by Gillian Freeman, taking a look at how class has to do with it too; this was a hallmark of these "Kitchen Sink" dramas - and indeed there are at least a couple of scenes where Tushingham is acting in hysterics right next to a sink - and that all of the realism heightens the stakes for these characters.

There's work concerns that the characters deal with - Dot just stays in all day after they make their vows, and this also builds resentment from Reggie - but it's also the institution of marriage itself, what expectations come from that. This is a world that certainly would judge someone to hell if it came out that person was gay (who knows if women also were then, that subject's never broached here), but there's the part of it that... men got married to women because that's what they were told they HAD to do. A holdover from decades, centuries really, of men getting married and women getting married because it was what was required. The difference here is Reggie and Dot are working class, so the resentment increases aside from the attraction and lack of chemistry factor - she wants it, she can't read the signals, and, as we see in one key moment as Reggie watches her dancing with others as he sits and stews, he knows he doesn't but goes through the motions. At absolute best he can get a chuckle out of being tickled, or once in a while a moment sticks out as them being friendly.

Near the end it becomes clearer how conflicted Reggie is, that he has such a good, tight friendship with Pete, and probably (definitely?) knows there's more there. A key scene happens at what is clearly a gay bar - who knew they were there back in England, shows my ignorance I guess - and it makes him increasingly uncomfortable. A big decision about where the men will go is hanging in the air, but this scene is interesting in that a) I actually didn't understand all of the slang or accents, but it didn't matter, the body language and attitudes of the actors communicated all, and b) the moment right after this bar scene makes the tragedy complete while keeping open more ambiguity. I dare not reveal what it is, but it's shot by Furie and his cameraman, as with much of the film, with a directness that favors a wide view and yet so much emotion conveyed in the frame.

The Leather Boys is a look at a period of time that is probably gone now, and good riddance, but that doesn't mean people aren't still made to feel, whether from external or internal forces, like they can't come out and be who they are and love who they want to love, and that societies institutions contribute a lot to feeling alienated. There's a lot of alienation to this film, not to mention, lastly, some fun/exciting biker-riding footage. It's a really good film.

Rita Tushingham and Colin Campbell get married. Things don't work out. He expects sex , a clean home and meals on time. She...seems vaguer on what's entailed. They quarrel constantly and he walks out to live in his grandmother's house with his motorcycle buddy, Dudley Sutton.

There's a lot of gay subtext in this movie, what with the leather motorcycle togs, the men sharing a bed in Gladys Henson's house. Both of the principals seem lost and clueless as to what marriage entails, and fall into old habits. It's one of those kitchen-sink dramas that were popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the performances under under-rated director Sidney Furie are terrific, but it's a movie in which there is no one to root for. The camerawork by Gerald Gibbs seems purposefully gray and gloomy, with a constantly foggy outdoors.

I caught this film on TV earlier this summer after having first seen it 30 years ago and it was every bit as good as I remembered it.

It gains a great deal by not being overt about its gay subtext. This does a lot to increase its poignancy. Beautifully shot and edited ,it also fascinating for the various location shots around south west London. It also to my mind has a undermining sniggering tone to the fairly wooden dialogue amongst the family in the first part of the film..very reminiscent of a Mike Leigh film. Did anyone out there ever remember seeing it in the cinema, as I imagine people would have got more of the references and picked up its satirical tone more acutely then.

Music by BillMcGuffie.He also did some arrangements for Sinatra.

Check out Dudley Sutton on you-tube