"The Gay Deceivers" is definitely an odd movie for its time, as in 1969, gay-themed films were certainly NOT mainstream. Now by today's standards the film is ridiculously campy and stereotypical, but it was still a very bold departure for its time.
The film begins with two friends (Kevin Coughlin and Larry Casey) pretending to be gay in order to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam. Their ruse seems to work, but later one of them sees a fellow from the draft board nosing around so they decide to go all the way--moving in together and pretending to be a couple. They live in a very gay-friendly apartment complex and soon are accepted by their EXTREMELY stereotypical neighbors. And, over time, it becomes less and less certain to those around them that they are actually straight and it's interesting to see how their friends turn against them.
I am sure some will blanch at the antics of these gay characters and the language used to describe gays--but considering the time, it was still a rather bold film. It was clearly anti-Vietnam when this wasn't popular and even talking about homosexuality in ANY way was quite unusual. I also thought that it was rather funny--not brilliantly funny but a cute little spoof. I also particularly liked the final scene--you just have to see that one for yourself. A bit offensive, but in this era of extreme over-sensitivity, I think we could use a few films like this.
By the way, the film has a bit of nudity here and there.
The film begins with two friends (Kevin Coughlin and Larry Casey) pretending to be gay in order to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam. Their ruse seems to work, but later one of them sees a fellow from the draft board nosing around so they decide to go all the way--moving in together and pretending to be a couple. They live in a very gay-friendly apartment complex and soon are accepted by their EXTREMELY stereotypical neighbors. And, over time, it becomes less and less certain to those around them that they are actually straight and it's interesting to see how their friends turn against them.
I am sure some will blanch at the antics of these gay characters and the language used to describe gays--but considering the time, it was still a rather bold film. It was clearly anti-Vietnam when this wasn't popular and even talking about homosexuality in ANY way was quite unusual. I also thought that it was rather funny--not brilliantly funny but a cute little spoof. I also particularly liked the final scene--you just have to see that one for yourself. A bit offensive, but in this era of extreme over-sensitivity, I think we could use a few films like this.
By the way, the film has a bit of nudity here and there.