After all of the petty ugliness of the Kevin Jennings controversy, I thought that I would devote this edition of Know Your LGBT History to some light comedy.
California Suite (1978) was a comedy written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Neil Simon.
It featured four episodes regarding the misadventures of couples who check into a ritzy hotel for the weekend.
Between you and me, the movie misses a lot, especially an opportunity to make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime team up of legendary comedians Bill Cosby and the late Richard Pryor.
The only place the movie does hit its mark is when it comes to the couple from England.
One of my favorite actresses of all time, Maggie Smith, portrays a distinguished English actress who has just gotten her first Oscar nomination for a silly comedy. She and her husband (Michael Caine) are in town for the ceremony.
As they prepare for the Oscars and the eventual letdown of her loss (her character does not win), they hilariously tear each other apart as they examine their relationship.
It seems that Smith's husband is gay, a fact that she is aware of and does not seem to mind. That is until after she loses and in the middle of her sadness needs some "physical comfort."
Smith and Caine are at the top of their game here. Whenever I rented California Suite, I always fast forwarded through the other couples to get to these two.
Interesting bit of trivia - Smith would win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this role, making it the first time someone has ever won an Oscar for portraying an Oscar loser.
Enjoy:
Past Know Your LGBT History postings:
Know your lgbt history - Taxi (Elaine's Strange Triangle)
Know your lgbt history - Come Back Charleston Blue
Know your lgbt history - James Bond goes gay
Know your lgbt history - Windows
Know your lgbt history - To Wong Foo and Priscilla
Know your lgbt history - Blazing Saddles
Know your lgbt history - Sanford and Son
Know your lgbt history - In Living Color
Know your lgbt history - Cleopatra Jones and her lesbian drug lords
Know your lgbt history - Norman, Is That You?
Know your lgbt history - The 'Exotic' Adrian Street
Know your lgbt history - The Choirboys
Know your lgbt history - Eddie Murphy
Know your lgbt history - The Killing of Sister George
Know your lgbt history - Hanna-Barbera cartoons pushes the 'gay agenda
'Know your lgbt history - Cruising
Know your lgbt history - Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones
Know your lgbt history - I Got Da Hook Up
Know your lgbt history - Fright Night
Know your lgbt history - Flowers of Evil
The Jeffersons and the transgender community
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