Envisaged as a ‘Romeo and Romeo in the south London suburbs,’ Gillian Freeman’s 1961 novel centred on an explicitly homosexual relationship. Inevitably, Freeman had to tone down her screenplay for the film version, yet it deserves recognition as a significant moment in queer British cinema for its sympathetic portrayal of a working-class gay man (Dudley Sutton).
The Leather Boys (1964)
Hit the road: gay guilt and desire in the mid-60s.
- 1964 United Kingdom
- Directed by
- Sidney J. Furie
- Produced by
- Raymond Stross
- Written by
- Gillian Freeman
- Featuring
- Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell, Dudley Sutton
- Running time
- 108 minutes
Articles related to The Leather Boys
Features
Hand in Glove: The Smiths, Morrissey and ‘kitchen sink’ cinema
By Alex Davidson
Where to begin
Where to begin with kitchen sink drama
By Neil Mitchell