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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Let Us Be Gay remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for early sound movies where everyone talks like they are trying to reach the back of a theater, then yes.
It is definitely worth it for fans of Norma Shearer or anyone who likes seeing a complete character transformation. 👗
Modern audiences might find the 'cheating husband' plot a bit dated, but the snappy dialogue keeps it from being a total drag.
If you hate movies that feel like filmed stage plays, you should probably skip this one and watch something like Forbidden instead.
The movie starts with Kitty (Shearer) looking very tired and, frankly, a bit frumpy in her house with two kids.
Her husband, Bob, comes home and basically admits he’s been seeing someone else like he’s talking about the weather.
It’s actually kind of shocking how casually he brings it up. 🤨
Kitty doesn't take it lying down, though; she kicks him out and the screen fades to black.
When the movie picks up again, three years have passed and she's in Paris looking like a million bucks.
She’s no longer the 'homely' wife; she’s a socialite who knows exactly how to handle men.
I have to talk about Marie Dressler because she is the best part of this whole thing.
She plays Mrs. Boucicault, an old woman who is basically bored and wants to stir up drama at her estate.
Every time she makes a face at the camera, I laughed. 😂
She has this way of looking over her glasses that makes you feel like she’s judging your entire life.
She hires Kitty to come to her party to distract a young man from a 'dangerous' woman.
The twist is that the young man's rival for this woman is none other than Kitty's ex-husband, Bob.
One of the funniest/weirdest things is that Bob doesn't recognize her at first.
I know, I know—she has a new haircut and fancy clothes, but they were married for years! 💇♀️
It’s one of those movie tropes you just have to accept, like how nobody knows Clark Kent is Superman because of the glasses.
There’s a scene on a balcony where they are talking and the lighting is just... off.
You can tell they are on a soundstage because the 'moonlight' looks like a very specific spotlight from 1930.
But the way Shearer delivers her lines is so sharp you almost forget the fake grass.
The movie is based on a play by Rachel Crothers, and you can really tell.
Most of the scenes are just people standing in rooms talking for ten minutes at a time.
It reminds me a bit of the pacing in Time to Love, where the dialogue has to do all the heavy lifting.
There isn't much 'action,' but the words are spicy for 1930. 🌶️
They talk about divorce and 'being gay' (meaning happy/carefree back then) in a way that feels very Pre-Code.
I did notice that the two kids from the beginning just... disappear from the plot.
I guess Kitty left them with a nanny in Paris while she went to go ruin her ex's weekend.
It’s not a perfect movie, and the ending feels a little bit like they ran out of film and had to wrap it up fast.
But it’s a great example of why Norma Shearer was such a huge star; she has this look in her eyes that tells you she's always three steps ahead.
It’s a lot more fun than some of the other stiff dramas from that year, like The Wife He Bought.
Give it a watch if you want to see a woman reclaim her life with some 1930s style. 📽️
The title card has this weird font that looks like it belongs on a circus poster.
One of the guys at the party has a mustache that looks like it was drawn on with a Sharpie.
Kitty's 'transformation' is really just her not wearing a giant apron anymore.
There's a lot of talk about 'modernity' that feels very funny looking back from 2024.
The house they stay in is way too big for just a few people; it looks like a museum.
IMDb —
1920
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