GB
1971
1hr 26mins
Dir: Bob Kellett
Starring: Joan Greenwood and Michael Hordern
The straightlaced parents of a young boy are surprised when he comes home with a girl/boy from the West Indies
This British farce is based on the play Girlfriend by David Percival, and has the distinction of being the earliest, non-coded film, where an LGBT couple ends up together. It is a fascinating piece of cinematic history for its positive portrayal of a trans woman-of-colour and her romance with her white boyfriend, a portrayal that, in many ways, is still more progressive than a lot of current cinematic depictions of trans people. Although not a great film by todays standards, it is held together by fabulously theatrical performances from Joan Greenwood and Michael Hordern, as the exasperated upper-class parents of the put-up-on son. With regards to railways, there is a sequence near the beginning that features a train journey made up of scenes through the window of Mk 1 compartment stock where we see a young woman giving birth, although I’m not sure of the relevance to the film.
