Let us be gay film
After years of marriage, Kitty Brown (Norma Shearer) still adores her husband Bob (Rod La Rocque) and is faithfully devoted to him and their two children. She doesn’t dress stylishly and she doesn’t spend much time on hair or makeup, but she’s happy. At least, she’s happy until Bob’s mistress drops by the house one day. She’s heartbroken and wants nothing to do with him. But she’s not one to sit around and feel sorry for herself. After he divorce, Kitty gets a makeover and earns a reputation for being notorious maneater.
Three years after her divorce, Kitty is invited to pay a weekend at the home of Mrs. Bouccicault (Marie Dressler). Mrs. Boucciault’s granddaughter Diane (Sally Eilers) is engaged to be married to Bruce (Raymond Hackett), but is not-too-secretly seeing a man named Bob on the side. She invites Kitty because she’s practically an specialist at stealing men away from women and asks her to work her magic on Bob. She agrees, not realizing Bob is her ex-husband.
Bob hasn’t seen Kitty since their divorce and he can barely recognize her as the woman he used to be married to. Although it’s an awkward reunion
Let Us Be Gay is a 1930 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
Yes, that is the title.
The film opens with a domestic scene showing Katherine "Kitty" Brown (Norma Shearer), who is the stereotypical housewife, being a tireless caretaker for her husband Bob and their two children. Specifically, she spoils Bob to an absurd extent, bringing him breakfast in bed when he's slow to wake up, as well as bringing the paper and lighting his cigarette. That unfortunately has not stopped Bob from cheating on her. While Kitty eschews makeup and is so thrifty that she makes her own clothes, Bob is dating a sexy babe named Helen. Helen, whose slinky dress and fox wrap certainly contrast with Kitty's frumpy clothes, brings matters to a top by showing up at Kitty's house and telling her exactly what is going on. This is followed by Kitty throwing Bob out of the house.
Cut forward three years. The Browns are divorced, and Bob is courting pretty young Diane, a child of the Drawn-out Island smart set. Diane's grandmother, Mrs. Boucy Bouccicault (Marie Dressler) is an unrepentant rich snob who disapproves of Bob. Hoping to break Diane and Bob up, Mrs. Bouccicault recruits an acquaintance of hers...K
“Oh, innocence is not my long suit.”
So many films have been made where a guy leaves a girl who is not “pretty” and cannot give him the satisfaction that he wants (that makes me cringe with anger just writing that). The girl still loves the guy and wants to get him back so she decides to get a steamy make over and completely change her personality and way of life. Stories like this when they are made today provide off so many false messages to young women. They make me cringe with anger. The guys in these situations are total assholes and I have to say the women even more so because they apparently cannot see the value of self worth. Anyway that is what happens in the films of today. Films in the Pre-Code era of Hollywood own the women get even with their men and drive them insane with jealousy and lust. These women were brazen, bold, unabashed, and sexy. No one was calling them out on their “slutty” ways. They felt free and liberated and looked stunning doing so. No one pulled off the care free, liberated female to perfection like Norma Shearer. While the story of he
Proof That It’s Pre-Code
- Crumbum Kitty Brown goes from housewife to the toast of Paris after her divorce from cheating Bob. After spending three years in the city of lights, she confides in her ex-husband about her promiscuity:
“I know how men experience about those things now.”
- “Oh, go to…” “And when you come back, carry me some hot coffee!”
- Old dowager Bouccicault responds with a frustrated “BOSH!” whenever she’s upset, which I can only assume is an abreviated term for ‘bullshit’.
“You’re my wife.”
“Wrong. I’m your widow.”
“Wait.” I caught myself a minute or so into Let Us Be Gay. “Is that… Norma Shearer?”
Despite her identify being the first on the marquee and obviously being the star of the show, it took me a minute or two to recognize one of the most known actresses of her age. That’s because, in Let Us Be Gay, Norma Shearer does something almost as shocking as her many onscreen taboo-breaking trysts. Norma Shearer lets herself be frumpy.
Norma Shearer, sans makeup.
Old Hollywood, built on glamor and glitz,
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