Know Your LGBT History - My Top Five LGBT Villains in Cinema

As you all may or may not have noticed (and I hope you have), the Know Your LGBT History portion of my blog has been under hiatus. The reason was simple. I was burnt out and running out of topics.

I wanted to bring it back with a bang so I hope that this post does the trick.

My Top Five LGBT Villains in Cinema

I love villains. Who cares about the heroes because it's the villains which make the movie. If it's a good villain, it will be a good movie. If the villain sucks, then the same will be said for the movie.

Lgbt villains are a difficult class to pinpoint. Our community have had to deal with movie characters who are villains for simply being lgbts. Unfortunately, these villains embody  the very worst ofthin, one-dimensional stereotypes which do nothing but insult us. I'm glad to say that times are changing.

That's not to say that there were certain villains who transcended the stereotypes via nuanced performances or just downright campiness. With that in mind, I present my Top Five Villains who did just that. One note - this list will contain plot spoilers.

Honorable Mention: Mercy Croft - The Killing of Sister George (1968) - Late actress Coral Browne portrays Mercy Croft (I love that name), the innocuous television executive who is more than she seems in this controversial rendition of the hit Broadway play. Beryl Reid portrays June Buckridge, an actress who portrays a kind nurse, Sister George, on a popular soap opera. However, in reality, Buckridge is a loud, boisterous, drunken lesbian whose off-the-set exploits get her into trouble involving her job and threatens her relationship with her partner, Childe (Susannah York). Croft is the media executive who not only delivers the news of her firing to Buckridge, but also (in a scene still controversial by today's standards) seduces and steals Childe. Then she proceeds to verbally DEVASTATE Buckridge after being caught. Croft is honorable mention solely because many don't see her as a villain.  Her incredible tongue lashing of Buckridge does have some truth to it because Buckridge is not a likable character. However, after having the temerity to steal someone's girlfriend and then verbally annihilate the person, Croft needs to have some type of recognition.





5.  Raoul Silva - Skyfall (2012) - Silva (Javier Bardiem) is the villain in Skyfall, which is probably the best James Bond movie I have ever seen. His plot is simple. He wants revenge on Bond's boss, M (Judi Dench) for what he felt was a betrayal. But his methods are complex, including this scene where he teases Bond with a seduction. Some have said he was merely playing with Bond's head. I say that there was more to Silva than meets the eye and this scene proved it:




4. Mrs. Danvers - Rebecca (1940) - The oldest and easily the creepiest on our list. Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) is the head housekeeper of the estate Manderley whose actions in the motion picture are possibly because of her secret love of the late mistress of Manderley, Rebecca De Winters. As such, she despises the new wife  (Joan Fontaine). She deviously manipulates Fontaine's nervousness and inadequacies until she has the poor child contemplating suicide. Then she tells to go ahead and do it. Not to worry though. Evil doesn't triumph in the end.  Mrs. Danvers' secret love for Rebecca is hinted in a sly manner, such as in this scene of her and Fontaine in Rebecca's bedroom:




 
3. Dr. Frank N. Furter - The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - Can a space alien doctor from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania be all that bad? I won't even bother with the plot of this movie or explaining Dr. Furter (Tim Curry) because you probably know it already. But I do have one question. What exactly was his mission before he decided to make a man for "dynamic tension?"





2. Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint - Diamonds are Forever (1971) - A pair of assassins from easily the campiest James Bond movie in the series. Kidd and Wint are lovers and cold blooded assassins hired to kill all of the chains of a diamond smuggling operation. They trade silly witticisms while doing just awful things such as blowing up helicopters, stuffing scorpions down the backs of their victims, throwing old women into canals, chaining folks to cement blocks at the bottom of swimming pools, etc. etc. The following scene, which cements who is in control of the relationship, is a classic:




1. The Nun - Come Back Charleston Blue (1972) - I know what you are thinking  - who the hell is that. Bear with me. Come Back Charleston Blue was a blaxploitation movie sequel about a  Harlem neighborhood besieged by the murders of drug dealers and the theft of their products. Residents claim that it is the work of Charleston Blue, a Prohibition era gangster who disappeared while on his way to kill legendary gangster Dutch Schultz. In reality, it is the work of a neighborhood photographer and community leader, Joe Painter (Peter De Anda). Painter is slowly but surely taking over the drug ring in Harlem by getting rid of the competition. Helping him is a character who I will call The Nun, although he is known as "the freak" in the movie and is credited as a "drag queen" by the credits.  In a scene stealing performance (and unfortunately what looks like his only performance), actor Tony Brealond is Painter's second in command and a former soldier in Vietnam. Through subtle hints, it is implied that he is also Painter's lover even though Painter is also carrying on with Carol (Jonelle Allen), the niece of the neighborhood mob boss.



Some may ask why would I pick this character with no name from a movie which many of you don't remember or know. Basically because he is one of the only few lgbt of color characters in cinema not picked as comedy relief or to be pitied. He is the epitome of the "genderfuck" with an attitude.    He commands respect and at times is downright fierce (particularly in the graveyard scene where he, clothed as a grieving widow, leads a massacre of mob figures) And then there is my favorite scene - when he starts a knock-down brawl with a bunch of pastors at a youth recreation center after being called a bad influence on young boys.

Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:


Know Your LGBT History - Charlie's Angels : 'Angels in Springtime'

Know Your LGBT History - Lonnie Frisbee 

Know Your LGBT History- 'Night Warning' 

Know Your LGBT History - Lawrence vs. Texas - Sodomy laws overturned 

Know Your LGBT History - The gay black church experience told by US 

Know Your LGBT History - The AIDS Memorial Quilt

Know Your LGBT History - Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag 

 Know Your LGBT History - George Michael 

 Know Your LGBT History - My Beautiful Laundrette 

 Know Your LGBT History - Olivia Newton John's 'Physical' video 

 Know Your LGBT History - Gerry Studds 

  Know Your LGBT History - Black, LGBT, and Christian 

Know Your LGBT History - 'You Are My Friend' 

Know Your LGBT History - That Certain Summer 

Know Your LGBT History - The 1965 San Francisco New Year's Ball Raid 

 Know Your LGBT History - Love between gay men 

Know Your LGBT History - Culture Club 

Know Your LGBT History - The Story of Miss Atlanta Lively 

 Know Your LGBT History - Moms Mabley 

Know Your LGBT History - The Gay Deceivers 

Know Your LGBT History - Famous transgender men and women throughout history 

Know Your LGBT History - Famous bisexual men and women throughout history 

Know Your LGBT History - 25 years of National Coming Out Day 

Know Your LGBT History - Brothers

Know Your LGBT History - The Lion In Winter 
 
Know Your LGBT History - Three's Company 

Know Your LGBT History - Billy Squier and the 'Rock Me Tonite' video 

Know Your LGBT History - A tribute to Bayard Rustin 

Know Your LGBT History - Rock Hudson's Mysterious Illness

Know Your LGBT History - Gays in Film

 Know Your LGBT History - Hit & Miss

 Know Your LGBT History - Soap and Billy Crystal

Know Your LGBT History - Kylar Broadus

 Know Your LGBT History - Ex-gay therapy

Know Your LGBT History - The end of DADT

Know Your LGBT History - Lesbian and gay clubs of the 1950s

Know Your LGBT History - The Billy Douglas storyline on 'One Life To Live'

Know Your LGBT History - Anita Bryant

Know Your LGBT History - 'THE GAYS ARE COMING TO GET YOU' documentaries

Know Your LGBT History - The story of 3 minutes

Know Your LGBT History - Outing

Know Your LGBT History - WKRP in Cincinnati: 'Les on a Ledge'

Know Your LGBT History - Jeanne Manford and PFLAG

Know Your LGBT History - In-the-closet politicians and pastors

Know Your LGBT History - Tales from the Crypt - 'The Assassin'

Know Your LGBT History - Gays in Sports 

Know Your LGBT History - Barney Frank

Know Your LGBT History - Roseanne

Know Your LGBT History - Ellen - 'The Puppy Episode'

Know Your LGBT History - World AIDS Day

Know Your LGBT History - The sad hysteria over the 'down low'

Know Your LGBT History - The Stonewall Riots of 1969
 
Know Your LGBT History - Trevor

Know Your LGBT History - Christine Jorgensen

Know Your LGBT History - Stephen Stucker

Know Your LGBT History - Coming Out

Know Your LGBT History - Prayers for Bobby

Know Your LGBT History - Roy Cohn

Know Your LGBT History - Gladys Bentley

Know Your LGBT History - Wanda Sykes 

Know Your LGBT History - William 'Billy' Haines and Jimmy Shields

 Know Your LGBT History - The Dynamic Superiors

Know Your LGBT History - Jack Fertig (Sister Boom Boom)

Know Your LGBT History - Bugs Bunny

 Know Your LGBT History - The Jeffersons (a repeat)

Know Your LGBT History - Homoeroticism in Fright Night

Know Your LGBT History - New York passes marriage equality law

 Know Your LGBT History - Leonard Matlovich

Know Your LGBT History - Liberace

Know Your LGBT History - A brief history of gay relationships

Know Your LGBT History - Bessie Smith

Know Your LGBT History - Josephine Baker

Know Your LGBT History - Clara Ward and Willie 'Little Axe' Broadnax

 Know Your LGBT History - Venus Xtravaganza

Know Your LGBT History - LGBTs who are changing the world for the better

 Know Your LGBT History - Danitra Vance

Know Your LGBT History - Oliver Sipple

Know Your LGBT History - Gay Rights, Special Rights

Know Your LGBT History - Alan Turing

 Know Your LGBT History - Bayard Rustin

Know Your LGBT History - Billy Preston

Know Your LGBT History - Sylvester

 Know Your LGBT History - Billy Tipton

Know Your LGBT History - Nell Carter

Know Your LGBT History - James Baldwin

 Know Your LBGT History - Paul Winfield

Know Your LGBT History - Barbara Jordan

Know Your LGBT History - Michael Jeter

Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family and Beverly LaSalle

Know Your LGBT History - The Lion in Winter

Know Your LGBT History - Saturday Night Live and 'Schmitts Gay'

 Know Your LGBT History - Brother to Brother

Know Your LGBT History - Shameless

Know Your LGBT History - Car Wash

Know Your LGBT History - The 37th anniversary of 'Flowers of Evil'

Know Your LGBT History - The Best Way To Walk

Know Your LGBT History - The Jackal

Know Your LGBT History - A Cage Without A Key

Know Your LGBT History - In & Out

Know Your LGBT History - 'The Fabulous Gays' of Steambath

Know Your LGBT History - Bound

Know Your LGBT History - Gay characters from children's television show and movies

 Know Your LGBT History - Gay documentaries, past and present

Know Your LGBT History - The Hotel New Hampshire

Know Your LGBT History - The Crying Game

Know Your LGBT History - Set It Off

Know Your LGBT History - The Wedding Banquet

Know Your LGBT History - Bachelor Party

Know Your LGBT History - Starsky and Hutch

Know Your LGBT History - The Naked Civil Servant

 Know your LGBT History - Partners

 Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family: Cousin Liz

Know Your LGBT History - Rebecca

Know Your LGBT History - urban African-American movies

Know Your LGBT History - Charles Pierce

 Know Your LGBT History - Torch Song Trilogy

The Best of Know Your LGBT History

Know Your LGBT History - Masters of Horror - Sick Girl

 Know Your LGBT History - MadTV

 Know Your LGBT History - Gimme A Break

Know Your LGBT History - Not Another Gay Movie

Know Your LGBT History - My Beautiful Laundrette

Know Your LGBT History - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Know Your LGBT History - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

Know Your LGBT History - The Gay Deceivers

 Know Your LGBT History - Reflections in a Golden Eye

Know Your LGBT History - Dynasty

 Know Your LGBT History - Milk

 Know Your LGBT History - Black Shampoo

Know Your LGBT History - Never Too Young To Die

 Know Your LGBT History - All About Eve

Know Your LGBT History - Hotel

Know Your LGBT History - The Streets of San Francisco

Know Your LGBT History - Two looks at transgender characters in films

Know Your LGBT History - Flawless 

Know Your LGBT History - Mahogany

Know Your LGBT History - Beverly Hills Cop

Know Your LGBT History - Some Like It Hot

Know Your LGBT History - Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia 

Know Your LGBT History - Dirty Laundry

Know Your LGBT History - The Willie Witch Project

Know Your LGBT History - Spartacus

Know Your LGBT History - Caged

Know Your LGBT History - The Birdcage

Know Your LGBT History - Maude

Know Your LGBT History - That Certain Summer

Know Your LGBT History - Boat Trip

Know Your LGBT History - Staircase

Know Your LGBT History - Beautiful Thing

Know Your LGBT History - Armed and Dangerous

Know Your LGBT History - The Proud Family

Know Your LGBT History - Suddenly Last Summer

Know Your LGBT History - Gay TV Now

Know Your LGBT History - Stewardess School

Know Your LGBT History - Up the Academy

Know Your LGBT History - Don't be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

Know Your LGBT History - A Different Story 

Know Your LGBT History - Victim

Know Your LGBT History - The Color Purple

Know Your LGBT History - Making Love

Know Your LGBT History - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge

Know Your LGBT History - Noah's Arc

Know Your LGBT History - Adorable Adrian Adonis

Know Your LGBT History - The Night Strangler

Know Your LGBT History - All in the Family

Know Your LGBT History - Tongues Untied

Know Your LGBT History - The Celluloid Closet

Know Your LGBT History - Querelle

Know Your LGBT History - Theatre of Blood

Know Your LGBT History - Strange Fruit

Know Your LGBT History - Designing Women

Know Your LGBT History - The Children's Hour

Know Your LGBT History - Sylvester

Know Your LGBT History - Once Bitten

Know Your LGBT History - The Boys in the Band

Know Your LGBT History - Christopher Morley, the crossdressing assassin

Know Your LGBT History - Midnight Cowboy

Know Your LGBT History - Dracula's Daughter

Know Your LGBT History - Blacula

Know Your LGBT History - 3 Strikes

Know Your LGBT History - Paris Is Burning

Know Your LGBT History - The Women

Know your LGBT History - Soul Plane

Know Your LGBT History - The Player's Club

Special Know Your LGBT History - Fame

Know Your LGBT History - Welcome Home, Bobby

Know Your LGBT History - Barney Miller

Know your lgbt history - The Jerry Springer Show

Know your lgbt history - Martin Lawrence and that 'gay guy' on his show

Know your lgbt history - The Ricki Lake Show

Know your lgbt history - Which Way Is Up

Know your lgbt history - Gays in Primetime Soaps

Know your lgbt history - Boys Beware

Know your lgbt history - The Boondocks

Know your lgbt history - Mannequin

Know your lgbt history - The Warriors 

Know Your LGBT History - New York Undercover 

Know Your LGBT History - Low Down Dirty Shame 

Know Your LGBT History - Fortune and Men's Eyes 

Know your lgbt history - California Suite

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