DIRTY LITTLE BILLY (1972)

Title: DIRTY LITTLE BILLY

Year of Release: 1972

Director: Stan Dragoti

Genre: Western

Synopsis: The life of Billy the Kid in all its stark rawness.

Within a film history context: There have been quite a few films over the years dealing with Billy the Kid. One of the first was a possibly lost movie, J.P. McGowan's BILLY THE KID (1925), with western star Franklyn Farnum in the titular role. More well-known was BILLY THE KID (1930), directed by King Vidor. It charted the relationship between Billy the Kid and lawman Pat Garrett, specifically whether Pat Garrett should bring Billy to account for a crime he committed. Sam Newfield's BILLY THE KID OUTLAWED (1940), cast Billy the Kid in a more righteous light, seeking to avenge the killing of two ranchers. BILLY THE KID (1941), directed by David Miller, was a remake of the 1930 movie, this time with Robert Taylor in the lead role. The movie concentrated upon the relationship between Billy the Kid and Jim Sherwood, and how events tested their friendship. Sam Newfield's BILLY THE KID TRAPPED (1942), had Billy the Kid and others escaping from jail, trying to track down those who dressed as them, and committed crimes. THE OUTLAW (1943), directed by Howard Hughes, concentrated on the interactions between Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, and Pat Garrett, with an added romantic angle for Billy the Kid with Rio McDonald. More fantastical was Ray Taylor's SON OF BILLY THE KID (1949). A play on real events, the film presents Billy the Kid as being alive, and now a banker whose bank is under siege by outlaws. THE KID FROM TEXAS (1950), directed by Kurt Neumann, was a darker movie about Billy the Kid, with him involved in land disputes and other related mayhem. William Berke's short film I SHOT BILLY THE KID (1950), was another exploration of the relationship between Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, lasting less than one hour in duration. 

THE LAW VS. BILLY THE KID (1954), directed by William Castle, was a movie that again attempted to paint a view of Billy the Kid as righteous. In this instance, Billy the Kid is pursued by someone as he has taken money owed to him, and finds not only trouble, but also time for some romance. Oliver Drake's THE PARSON AND THE OUTLAW (1957), was yet another in a line of films which gave a more benign view of Billy the Kid. Here, a preacher enlists the assistance of Billy the Kid, who is living in anonymity in a new town, to take on a corrupt man and his henchman. BILLY THE KID VERSUS DRACULA (1966), directed by William Beaudine, was entirely different from previous takes on the character. Casting Billy the Kid in a heroic light, it was about how he saves his ladylove from the clutches of Dracula, who wants her as his new mate. Julio Buchs' Spanish-Italian production I'LL KILL HIM AND RETURN ALONE (1967), again gave a sympathetic account of Billy the Kid, this time having him protect his mother, becoming an outlaw in the process, but also, falling in love. CHISUM (1970), directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, offered a distinctive portrait of Billy the Kid. He becomes embroiled in the Lincoln County War, and a partner in the many violent events of this incident. DIRTY LITTLE BILLY was another interpretation on the legend of Billy the Kid, and one of the best.

There were a number of features which distinguished DIRTY LITTLE BILLY from the other film versions of Billy the Kid. While many of the previous movies detailed the interactions between Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, such as BILLY THE KID, THE OUTLAW, and I SHOT BILLY THE KID, to name but a few examples, DIRTY LITTLE BILLY did not present Garrett at all within the narrative world, likewise with Doc Holliday. Instead, Billy and Goldie's relationship was the main focus in the movie, which was in keeping with the two-character approach of many Billy the Kid movies. In addition, other characters who generally were not in the other pictures also made their presence felt in DIRTY LITTLE BILLY, such as Billy's mother. This gave the movie a different set of circumstances which to explore, moving it away from Billy the Kid being pursued by Pat Garrett, or other standard scenarios. Billy's mother and stepfather added depth and complexity to the proceedings, making evident Billy's feelings about life, and providing rationale somewhat for his behavior. 

Unlike the films with a romantic angle for Billy the Kid, such as THE OUTLAW, and THE LAW VS. BILLY THE KID, in DIRTY LITTLE BILLY Billy's relationship with Berle was strained at first, and the first woman for whom he had an attachment, but it could hardly be classified as being romantic in nature. This is in keeping with the film's overriding emphasis on realism, far detached from the escapism of other Billy the Kid entries. It has connections with the darker movies about Billy the Kid such as THE KID FROM TEXAS, being that Billy the Kid was not as two-dimensional as in other movies. In DIRTY LITTLE BILLY, there is great care to present Billy not as a total villain, or overly sympathetic, which past films delivered. Here he is neither fully evil nor kind, rather an impressionable character falling into crime as a victim of his intellectual level, and circumstances. This gives Billy the Kid a more realistic, rounded set of traits taking him away from the simplistic depictions of the other examples over the years. An excellent account of the Wild West, providing a different insight into Billy the Kid, DIRTY LITTLE BILLY is a well-made portrait of a person, time and place which have been romanticized far too often in film history.

Overview: Stan Dragoti made six films over the space of nineteen years, generally comedies, but with the odd drama. His second movie, LOVE AT FIRST BITE (1979), was a financially successful comedy horror film about Count Dracula, and the pursuit of his love in New York. Next was MR. MOM (1981), which, as with LOVE AT FIRST BITE, was another box office success for Mr Dragoti. The story of a man who loses his job, and stays home to raise a family and keep house, resonated with the public, and was one of the year's most commercially profitable movies. This was followed by THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE (1985), another comedy. An innocent violinist prone to a number of calamities is pursued by the CIA, with romantic difficulties and intrigue explored. The combination of comic and thriller elements was not as warmly received in this instance, and despite the presence of Tom Hanks in the lead, made a financial loss. 

Stan Dragoti's fourth film was SHE'S OUT OF CONTROL (1989), yet another comedy. A young woman makes a massive change to her physical appearance, and becomes popular with young men, despite already having a boyfriend. Her widowed father, though, has grave concerns, this leading him to obsession with this predicament, enlisting a psychiatrist for advice. Stan Dragoti's final film, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (1991), had him again in comedy territory. The antics of a Texas University football team was the subject of this movie, but unlike Mr Dargoti's two previous movies, was a box office success with the public. DIRTY LITTLE BILLY was Stan Dragoti's directorial debut, and his best movie.

With DIRTY LITTLE BILLY, Stan Dragoti has created a striking version of the life of outlaw Billy the Kid. From the opening scenes to the very end, the movie is a compelling account of the life of the notorious criminal. It seeks to not glamorize his life but also, makes it understandable as to why he acted as he did. Much of this seems to stem from his fractured upbringing, his widowed mother marrying another man, and Billy not being able to connect with his stepfather. There is also the related implication in the movie that a distinct lack of opportunity, and education, was another draw into crime for someone not sure what to do with their life. 

Billy not being able to see beyond the confines of the repressive, bleak environment is something which Mr Dragoti expresses so vividly in DIRTY LITTLE BILLY. The movie is just so well mounted, and thoroughly convincing, it is difficult to take the visions of depressing Kansas landscapes out of one's mind. As an example of Stan Dragoti's work, it is totally contrary to his following films, which were more commercially-geared, and mainly comedic in tone. With DIRTY LITTLE BILLY matters are of a contrary nature. DIRTY LITTLE BILLY is an artistic, thoughtful movie that makes the viewer yearn to ponder what Stan Dragoti could have made in a similar vein, but unfortunately did not deliver in his filmmaking after the movie.

Acting: The main performances in DIRTY LITTLE BILLY are all first-rate. As Billy Bonney, notorious outlaw of the wild west, Michael J. Pollard contributes another fine example of screen acting. An actor with an understated, lightly humorous, yet compelling manner, Mr Pollard provided a great representation of the infamous 1800s criminal. Billy's friend Goldie is also made memorable by Richard Evans. With his penetrating stare and no holds barred way of doing things, Mr Evans is well paired with Michael J. Pollard as the footloose criminal combo. The third party in this trio, Berle, is played with astonishing strength by Lee Purcell. Berle is a thoroughly three-dimensional character, by turns tough, tender, and uncompromising. Miss Purcell gives it her all as Berle, and the character's outcome is one of the most memorable sequences in the film. The final acting contribution of note is by Dran Hamilton as Cath McCarty, Billy's mother. A woman in a difficult position, trying to hold onto her son despite her husband's, and Billy's stepfather's, protestations, Miss Hamilton makes Cath's plight understandable, her actions invoking sympathy from the viewer. 

Soundtrack: Musical accompaniment to the visuals is one of the most low-key elements of DIRTY LITTLE BILLY. Sascha Burland's banjo score is present in several scenes, enriching these with a sense of 1800s rural American, and the Wild West, but it is a movie that does not depend upon music. DIRTY LITTLE BILLY prefers to concentrate upon what is taking place onscreen, and building tension for the viewer largely without the use of music.

Mise-en-scene: One of the most striking aspects of DIRTY LITTLE BILLY is what appears onscreen for viewers. Despite the uncompromising nature of its content, and harsh landscapes often featured in the movie, Ralph Woolsey's cinematography is beautiful, giving the film an easy on the eyes watchability that works to balance the film's toughness. Lighting is another prominent attribute of DIRTY LITTLE BILLY. The indoor sequences especially are lit in a natural way, emphasizing the harsh life of the protagonists in the 1800s. The movie does have periodic bursts of violence, but these have been carefully shot in order to avoid exploitative gory connotations, the indoor scenes of mayhem excellently executed. Set decoration by George James Hopkins is another standout, creating a story world that is utterly real, and transfixing to witness. The home of Billy's family, and Berle and Goldie's shack, to name two examples, are both evocative of the time and place which the film demonstrates in its exceptional way. 

Notable Acting Performances: Michael J. Pollard, Richard Evans, Lee Purcell, Dran Hamilton.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Adult themes, high-level violence.

Overall Grade: A

Link: IMDB Page

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR GUERIN BARRY

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Guerin Barry, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Guerin has appeared in films such as RACQUET, A DIFFERENT STORY [my review of the film can be found here] A MILLION TO JUAN, A MATTER OF TIME, and STAR 80, and lending his voice talents to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, and THE HEROIC TRIO. In this interview Guerin will be discussing his role in A DIFFERENT STORY, acting, television, rock music, whistling, and voice over work.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Guerin!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Guerin: Thanks for having me, Athan. I was always interested in performing, musically at an early age. Growing up in New York, I was exposed to lots of different entertainment. As a teen, I discovered a wonderful place in Times Square, Hubert’s Museum and Flea Circus. It impressed me that these sideshow folks, freaks, found gainful employment in using what they had to entertain the public and earn a living. I think I have always considered myself a bit of a Carney. After studying Architecture in college for a few uninspiring years, I enrolled in an acting school in Boston and realized that this was something I could enjoy.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Guerin: The school was Leland Powers School of Radio, Television and Theater. We studied acting, fencing, diction and radio broadcasting. I had a few detours after that and found myself back in New York, producing commercials for an ad agency. At night, I studied acting with a well-known director/teacher, Milton Katselas, director, Burt Brinckerhoff and actor/teacher, Darryl Hickman. I acted in off-off Broadway plays and small films preparing myself for the move to Los Angeles.

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Athan: Your performance as Ned in A DIFFERENT STORY, as the owner-manager of the fashion house where Albert Walreavens works as a fashion designer, was utterly authentic. What it is that drew you to the part of Ned in A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: I met director Paul Aaron quite by accident through family friends as he was preparing to shoot A Different Story and he offered me the part of Ned Roth. This was to be my first film in LA and I was very excited to work.

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Athan: As Ned Roth in the fashion house, you seemed fully at home in this milieu, as if the viewer was watching real events in the life of a design company taking place, and the actions of its owner. Did you undertake research, or hands-on experience in a fashion design company for the movie?

Guerin: We have to back up a bit here. In the late ‘70s, writers were populating more scripts with gay characters. This film was one of the groundbreakers in that regard.  Many gay actors were not anxious to play gay characters, lest they “out” themselves and not be able to get other work. Many straight actors played “gay” in an offensive, stereotypical way. I had lived with a fashion model in New York and our social circle included many photographers, stylists, hairdressers and other gay friends.  Observing them, as actors do, I realized that gay men came in all shapes and sizes, temperaments and expressions. I knew that, given the costume, the situation and the script, that I could embody Ned without falling into the trap of offending anyone. I had no fashion experience but, shooting in the sewing room of a fashion house as we did, I had access to the sewing machine operator who worked with us in the scene, I believe his name was Armando. I asked him some questions about the technical aspects of the work and I used that information to inform my character.

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Athan: A DIFFERENT STORY had an excellent cast with yourself, Perry King, Meg Foster, and Doug Higgins, Peter Donat, and Valerie Curtin in supporting roles. What was it like working with these performers?

Guerin:  My scenes were with Perry King, who was very easy to work with. He was focused and trying to do his best, as were we all. I do remember walking into the dressing room trailer and seeing Meg Foster’s reflection in the mirror. I was amazed and said, “WOW, I’ve never seen eyes as beautifully blue as yours!” She looked up and told me that they were contact lenses, that her natural eye color was so pale blue that it didn’t photograph well.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about making A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: There is no experience as exciting as acting in your first feature film. My parents attended the premier in New York. After seeing the film, my mother actually questioned my brother to see if, perhaps, I was gay. When you can fool your own mother…now that’s exciting!

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: As a young actor, I was too naïve to recognize any demands, I was just having fun. There was a scene where I tell Perry’s character that an important designer is waiting for him in the other room. I ad-libbed the name, Lorenzo, my father’s name.  That was very emotionally satisfying.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: I have only seen Paul Aaron. One day, decades later, having lunch at the Magic Castle in LA, he was at an adjacent table and I went over to say hello.

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Athan: A DIFFERENT STORY was directed by Paul Aaron, who also directed the motion pictures A FORCE OF ONE, DEADLY FORCE, MAXIE, and MORGAN STEWART’S COMING HOME. What was the experience of being directed by Mr Aaron in A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: Paul was well-prepared, relaxed and confident to let the actors act. It was a really gentle first experience in a feature film.

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Athan: You have acted in countless television series, both daytime and nighttime. In comparing both mediums, for you, what are the main differences between film, and television?

Guerin: Television production goes much faster than film. There’s more rehearsal in film. I’ve done more TV and enjoy the pace. I have enjoyed doing theater as well, but lose interest after the first few performances.

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Athan: As a voice artist you have been featured in not only films but also many television series, as a narrator of eBooks, and television commercials. What is it that you most love about being a voice actor in these mediums?

Guerin: Voice acting is the ultimate acting for me. As an audiobook narrator, I voice all the characters in their own different voices.  My voice is responsible for everything, the set, the costumes, the characters. Voice acting also requires no memorization, no makeup and no costumes. I like that. I once voiced the role of a killer in a daytime soap and got religious tracts from fans who believed that I really was a killer and who wanted to help me “find the way”.  In Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, I created the voice of the Computer Council, Dr. Theopolous. Conversations with Buck very much put me in the scenes. I also voiced the Alex 7000 computer in the two-part Bionic Woman, Doomsday Is Tomorrow. My voice was given Guest Star credit in that one.  In animation and video games, the characters tend to be very expressive and over the top, which is also fun.

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Athan: You are a professional whistler, your talent displayed in many television shows, commercials, and on stage in musical performances. When did you first start whistling, and what is it about it that relaxes you?

Guerin: I’ve been a whistler all my life. It was so interesting when composers found me. I’ve whistled in the scores of several documentaries, pop records, commercials, feature films and TV. I once got wind (no pun intended) that they were looking for an actor who whistled for an episode of LA LAW. I had been cast by the casting director, Simon Ayer, in other projects so I called him and asked if it was so. He then said, “Why, can you whistle?”  I responded, “Is the Titanic moist?” I worked that episode, titled, Whistle Stop.  Seriously, I think whistling has kept me healthy, too. I had smoked, heavily for decades during which doctors always complimented my lung capacity and strength. I suspect it was whistling, the deep inhalation of breath and the slow, measured exhalation that kept me healthy. We need food, water, sleep and oxygen for healthy life. I get more oxygen than most. However, I do whistle all day, which can be annoying to others. During my time as a member of the rock and roll group, Sha Na Na, they made rules…No whistling in the airport, the limo, the hotel front desk or backstage. The rule was exempted when we performed Rockin’ Robin or The Stroll, both of which have whistling passages in the song.

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Athan: As a member of rock and roll group Sha Na Na, you were a bass singer in the band for several years. From your perspective, what was the best part of being a member of the group?

Guerin: The wife of a friend saw the notice in Variety…Wanted, bass-player, bass-singer for Internationally-touring, ‘50s rock band.  That sounded to me like Sha Na Na, a band that I liked because they played the music of my own teen years.  I do play the bass and my voice had matured to a deep bass but…I was 42 years old.  I knew that nobody was going to hire my old ass to rock around the world but I wanted to play with the band just once.  It was a blast. I enjoyed meeting the guys and “getting down” with them for a few tunes.  Imagine my surprise when, days later, band member, Chico called and said, “Your number’s up, bub.” I reminded him that I was the old dude and asked if he had the right number. It seems that the other auditioners who were better singers, better dancers and better bass players than me were in their ‘20s. The members of the band, who had been on tour for 14 years, were in their late ‘30s and I was a fresh-looking 42. If they had hired a young player, they would have looked older so…they hired me because I looked more age appropriate. They gave me the name, Tito. Occupying another life was so much fun, revisiting my teen years at that age, touring the world, seeing Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and every State Fair and casino in the States. Not everyone gets a chance to drop into another life at that age.  After four, long years in the air and on the road, 250 days a year, I missed acting and “real life”, so I gave notice and became Guerin again.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Guerin: I am, at 81, in glorious, semi-retirement, although still active in voice acting.  I am working on a new project. As I Face Time with my three, great granddaughters, I play the uke and sing children’s songs to them. One of their mothers, my granddaughter, Sasha, suggested that I create a YouTube channel of children’s songs so that they might access them at any time, so I’m in the process of creating the YouTube channel, MISTER JIYAN, (the name that the babies call me). Look for me on YouTube.  If you’ve got small children, feel free to sing along with me. All of my audiobooks are also available at audible.com.

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Thank you so much today for your time Guerin, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, A DIFFERENT STORY, cinema, television, voice over work, whistling, and being part of a rock and rock band. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Guerin Barry links

+Guerin Barry IMDb Actor Page

+A DIFFERENT STORY movie IMDb page

A DIFFERENT STORY (1978)

Title:  A DIFFERENT STORY

Year of Release: 1978

Director: Paul Aaron

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A gay man and a lesbian fall in love.

Within a film history context: A DIFFERENT STORY was the first movie which explored the relationship between a gay man, and a lesbian. There have been a few films after which examined this theme in various ways. Gregg Araki's TOTALLY F***ED UP (1993) surveyed the heady lives of young gay and lesbian people, and their friendships. There was no crossover of gays and lesbians in a relationship sense, instead maintaining their distinct identities. Similar was BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER (1999), directed by Jamie Babbit. A young woman who appears heterosexual on the surface, but is a lesbian at heart, is sent to a camp to cure herself of her lesbianism by her parents. She falls for a young woman there, this affirming her sexuality. There are interactions between gays and lesbians in the movie, both portrayed sympathetically, and treating each other likewise. There is no crossover sexually, though, between gay and lesbian people in the film. 

Glenn Gaylord's I DO (2012), was about a gay man who marries a lesbian in order to avoid being deported, and attain his green card. Upon meeting another man with whom he falls in love, matters take an unexpected turn for him, and his wife. STUD LIFE (2012), directed by Campbell Ex, followed the life of a lesbian and her lover, and how her friendship with a gay man puts a strain on her relationship with her lover. On the other hand, William Sullivan's THAT'S NOT US (2015), centered on three couples, one heterosexual, one lesbian, the other gay, and their interactions at a beach house. DATING AMBER (2020), directed by David Freyne, focused on two young people in 1990s Ireland, and how they attempt a faux straight relationship to hide their real sexuality as a gay man, and lesbian. A DIFFERENT STORY looked intensively at how a gay man, and a lesbian bonded in its context.

In A DIFFERENT STORY, Albert and Stella consummate a physical relationship, with repercussions from this, which is something the later films did not explore. TOTALLY F***ED UP, BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER, and THAT'S NOT US had a number of characters, being couples, who did not interact sexually with others who were not of their orientation. THAT'S NOT US differed from the other two in that it featured a heterosexual couple in addition to gay and lesbian couples, where TOTALLY F***ED UP and BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER just had gays and lesbians within its context. A DIFFERENT STORY is closest to I DO in terms of its gay male character marrying a lesbian to avoid deportation, as occurred with Albert and Stella in the former movie. The characters of I DO, though, do not carry on a physical relationship, as the man falls for another man, maintaining his gay identity. This is something on which A DIFFERENT STORY does not follow through, in that Albert's gay identity is whitewashed by the narrative to keep his marriage to Stella intact. Thus, A DIFFERENT STORY posits an overriding heterosexual context which forgoes the previous homosexuality of the characters. DATING AMBER is another side to issues, in that a young man and woman try to hide their gay and lesbian lives by posing as a couple. This movie was another view on matters, as homosexuality was forbidden in the story world, akin to BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER's parental figures, who try to cure their daughter of her lesbianism. Shame is not something which the protagonists of the other pictures display, with their respective sexualities freely known to others. An affecting view of sexuality, A DIFFERENT STORY is a thought-provoking movie.

Overview: Paul Aaron is an American director who has helmed six movies over a nine year duration. His films are mainly dramas, with action, and two comedy projects. His second picture, A FORCE OF ONE (1979), focused on the murders of undercover drug officers, and how a martial artist is hired to find the killer. IMPERIAL NAVY (1981), was Mr Aaron's fourth film. A persona non grata police officer returns to his Los Angeles stomping grounds to catch the killer of his friend's daughter, and patch things up with his wife. Paul Aaron's penultimate movie, MAXIE (1985), was entirely contrary in tone. Mayhem ensues when a deceased flapper of the 1920s possesses the body of the new owner of her house in this comedy. Notable for its cast, including Glenn Close in the lead, Mandy Patinkin, Ruth Gordon, Barnard Hughes and Valerie Curtin, it was not a box office success. Paul Aaron's final cinematic outing, MORGAN STEWART'S COMING HOME (1987), was co-directed with Terry Winsor. A young man returns from boarding school after years away from home, and clashes with his parents, but does one good deed which sets everyone on the right path. A DIFFERENT STORY was Paul Aaron's first movie, and one of his best-known works.

Paul Aaron has made an engaging film debut with his direction of A DIFFERENT STORY. The story of the blossoming relationship between Albert, a gay man, and Stella, a lesbian, has been handled with sensitivity and grace by Mr Aaron. The movie has many telling passages throughout its running time, with plenty of palpable emotion conveyed to the viewer via the characters. What stands out most, though, is the central relationship between the protagonists. Their status as two single people, growing need for each other, and all the ups and downs depicted in making their way together as a couple, are very moving. Likewise for Stella's relationship with former girlfriend Phyllis, this providing the movie with some great moments. While A DIFFERENT STORY has many positive elements, there are a few flaws which do hinder its power when looking over the film as a whole.

In seeking to explore the relationship between a gay man, and a lesbian, there are some omissions which do not make sense overall. It is not extraordinary that Albert and Stella would be attracted to one another, but the movie does not follow up on their attraction to people of the same sex, which would occur at some point. It seems to be conveniently forgotten that Albert was a kept man by a businessman, and subsequently goes to a men's club one day to find another man, being Roger. Likewise, Stella's relationship with Phyllis also drops away to a memory, despite the film being at pains to show that Stella is a lesbian. Phyllis does have a presence which is considerable, but Roger is seen three times, and never heard from again. In addition, having Albert cheat on Stella with a woman instead of a man is comprehensible, but takes away from the surprise if he had a male lover on the side while married. This would definitely have added color to the movie, and spun matters off into an unexpected direction. In essence, it makes one ponder if the movie could have pursued matters in a more profitable, clear direction.

Dispensing with Albert as gay, and Stella as a lesbian would have transformed A DIFFERENT STORY into more of a film about unlucky in love souls finding mutual contentment. Sills could have been a more lascivious employer who might have created mayhem for Albert and Stella upon finding out about their relationship, and marriage. Phyllis and Stella's friendship could have been a deeper bond threatened by Albert's marriage to Stella. On the other hand, if the film did have the full courage of its convictions, Albert may have decided at some point that heterosexual married life was not for him, and resumed his life as a gay man. The same with Stella as a lesbian, with the effect that she was left to raise a child on her own; a difficult, touching scenario for her. In saying this, several things stand out about A DIFFERENT STORY. It is a meaningful movie that does not quite reach its full potential in terms of its story, but is important for opening a discourse on gay and lesbian people, and humanity itself.

Acting: A DIFFERENT STORY has a number of affecting performances which boost the movie considerably. As Albert, the central gay character of the film, Perry King is in one of his best appearances in a picture. A personable actor able to play drama, romance, comedy, and tragedy with thorough skill, Mr King makes Albert a flesh and blood figure for which the audience can root. Albert's other half, Stella, is given equally careful shading by Meg Foster. The film utilizes Miss Foster's acting prowess more than others, where her eyes and appearance were overly emphasized. Here she matches perfectly with Perry King, and their tremendous chemistry overrides the lapses which the movie does have from time to time. Stella's best friend, and former lover Phyllis is made vivid by Valerie Curtin. An actress with great comic timing also does excellent dramatic work here, her final scenes haunting to watch. Three other actors provide excellent acting despite their brief appearances in A DIFFERENT STORY.

Peter Donat makes the role of Albert's former employer, and lover, composer Sills, his own. With his aristocratic demeanor and calculating manner, Mr Donat projects Sills as a fascinating, enigmatic figure in the movie. The small part of Roger, a man Albert meets at the men's club, is played with impressive candor by Doug Higgins. A performer who unfortunately only acted in this film, his agreeable nature, and ability to make his character human, makes Roger a striking presence. Ned, Albert's boss at the fashion house, is given authority by Guerin Barry. An actor with a distinctive, expressive visage, ideal for professional or debonair roles, Mr Barry's controlled facial expressions and body language make Ned fit in perfectly at the fashion house.

Soundtrack: A DIFFERENT STORY takes an individual approach to its soundtrack. The picture begins with a booming classical music piece, in keeping with the introduction of composer Sills, who is also Albert's employer, and lover. The end of the movie is in sharp contrast to the beginning, with 'Let Tomorrow Be', performed by Cory Wells, a thoughtful tune which successfully encompasses the movie's intentions, and the journey its characters take.

Mise-en-scene: Philip Lathrop's color cinematography lends an air of naturalism to A DIFFERENT STORY. Capturing events with a subdued color palette complements the film's contemplative mood and aura well. Sets designed by Lee Poll are also in keeping with the film's feel of everyday life. There are two striking examples of this is the movie. Sills' mansion is in complete contrast to Stella's slightly messy apartment, which reflects his artistic life and pursuits, and Stella's busy life as an estate agent. Costuming is another aspect worthy of consideration for its impact in the movie. Even though fashions reflect the late 1970s, costuming by Robert De Mora is adept at expressing the characters' individuality through apparel. Perry King's Albert, for example, sports more casual/original attire in the beginning of the movie, replete with accessories such as cravats, while by the end his wardrobe is slanted toward the conservative. This signals a change in the character, and his place in the film in an understated manner.

Notable Acting Performances: Perry King, Meg Foster, Valerie Curtin, Peter Donat, Doug Higgins, Guerin Barry.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Male nudity, female nudity, adult themes.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page