Ruggles

I just bought (finally!) a couple of Laughton's films that are on the Masters of Cinema series from Eureka - Island of Lost Souls and Ruggles Of Red Gap.

I had forgotten just HOW brilliant he was as Ruggles, and was delighted by the Simon Callow interview that accompanied because he pointed out some really wonderful aspects of Laughton's performance that I had noted - such as the degree to which he imbues a lot of classic British campness into the role. It's unusual, because he almost plays Ruggles as slightly gay - despite having a love interest. But then, Zasu Pitts is a fairly peculiar love interest for Laughton in 1935. It seems to be a very loving blossoming, but even by the end there's never been much intimacy. Considering the closing moments of the film, where Egbert Floud pushes Ruggles through the doors into the kitchen, theoretically, into an embrace with Pitts' Mrs. Judson I think it's quite likely that Ruggles was, indeed, constructed by Laughton to actually BE a gay man. His attractions to Mrs. Judson seem fairly platonic. She's an eccentric, slightly older woman at this point. I mean, it's kind of like the gays and Cher, right? But she's got eyes for him and Egbert, assuming reciprocation, pushes him toward it. Or, perhaps, we're to assume simply that Ruggles is conflicted within himself about his sexuality in much the same way that Laughton was in real life.

Then again, this is based on a book, which I've not read. I doubt it was written that way, but it's definitely how Laughton plays it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of these people that runs around seeing gay characters in everything (that's so tiresome). Does anyone else think there's a case for it here?

Incidentally, I may say, all of the performances in this are fantastic. Roland Young, Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland, Zasu Pitts and Maude Eburne were all stunning in this.

I rate it 10/10 to be honest.