Rent Entertaining Mr. Sloane (1970)

Period Comedy. - Entertaining Mr. Sloane review by Steve

Joe Orton's sex comedy was a landmark on stage in 1964 for its brash, unambiguous representation of male homosexuality. By the time it was adapted into a film, its themes weren't as unconventional, and now it's a period piece which reflects long ago values. And this is its principle interest today. And the bouncy theme song by Georgie Fame.

Peter McEnery is Sloane, a serial killer who lodges with a sexually predatory older woman (Beryl Reid) and attracts the interest of her closeted gay brother (Harry Andrews). Their decrepit father (Alan Webb) reckons he can link the newcomer with the murder of a local man...

Well... there's no incest! The set up is cursory, it's a background which allows Orton to take aim at sixties social conventions just as they were being shrugged off. This is an extremely unwholesome black comedy. Not just because the characters are so disinterested in ethical consequences, but because of how ugly and grimy is their environment.

This must have been an interesting role for Harry Andrew, who was gay, which was only decriminalised in 1967. Douglas Hickox normally worked on tv, but he directs for the big screen with psychedelic exuberance. It runs out of energy in the second half, and it's not particularly funny. It's a dark, amoral portrait of another side of the sixties.