The Naked Civil Servant (1975) on Netflix
NR19751h 17mBiographyComedyDrama
In the late 1920s, Quentin Crisp realizes he is not attracted to women. His parents send him to art college, where a transvestite prostitute shows him a gay hangout and makeup.
- Netflix3.6/5
- IMDb7.8/102,158 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes94%
Plot summary
Quentin Crisp is a teenager living with his parents in England in the late 1920s. He becomes aware of his sexual orientation and knows he is not drawn to women. His parents ask doctors what is wrong with him and then send him to art college to push him into company. There he makes friends with a female art student. A transvestite prostitute takes him to a local gay hangout, and he tries makeup, dyes his hair red, and wears his homosexuality openly. His father compares him to a male whore. Quentin begins selling himself. He meets his first boyfriend, Thumbnails, and leaves the family home. In 1930 he takes a job as a commercial artist and gives up prostitution, but his flamboyance brings beatings and rejection, and the still-closeted gay community keeps its distance.
Cast
- Liz Gebhardtas Art Student
- Katherine Schofieldas Mrs. Pole (as Katharine Schofield)
- Stephen Johnstoneas Young Quentin
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Naked Civil Servant (1975)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- When The Naked Civil Servant first aired on U.S. television it drew protests, though TV Guide later noted it was unclear how many of the protesters had actually watched the film they were complaining about.
