The Queen (1968 film)

The Queen is a 1968 documentary film directed by Frank Simon and narrated by Flawless Sabrina. It depicts the experiences of the female illusionists organizing and participating in the 1967 Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest held at New York City's Town Hall.[1][2] The film was screened at the International Critics' Week section of the 1968 Cannes Film Festival; however, the festival was ultimately curtailed and ended due to ongoing civil unrest in France before any awards could be given out.[3]

The Queen
Directed byFrank Simon
Produced by
  • Si Litvinoff
  • Don Herbert
Narrated byJack Doroshow
Cinematography
  • Frank Simon
  • Ken van Sickle
  • Robert Elfstrom
  • Alfons Schilling (add)
  • Joseph Zysman (add)
Edited by
  • Fred Shore
  • Geraldine Fabrikant
Distributed byGrove Press
Release date
1968
Running time
68 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

First released in the United States in June 1968, it was subsequently screened in France (November 1968), Netherlands (1969), Denmark (1969), and Finland (1969). The film was revived in January 2013 at New York Film Forum, followed by a 4k restoration screened during the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).

Synopsis

Jack, a 24-year-old gay man living in New York and working as a drag queen named "Sabrina", is the mistress of ceremonies for the Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest. The competition operates on a points system: a maximum of five points each for walk, talk, bathing suit, gown, make-up and hair-do, and ten points for beauty.

In between rehearsing and performing, the contestants discuss topics such as draft boards, sexual identity, sex-change operations, trans identifies, and being a drag queen. One contestant recounts receiving a draft notice and being turned away because of his feminine appearance, despite requesting to serve and protect his country.

Jack's protégé, Richard, performs under the name “Rachel Harlow” and has entered the contest. Also competing is Crystal LaBeija (founder of the House of LaBeija, of which Pepper LaBeija was a member and later the mother). Rachel and Crystal both make it into the top five, with each finalist completing a final runway walk into the audience. Crystal places fourth, to her displeasure, and storms off the stage. Rachel is crowned as the winner.

Some contestants are shown protesting Rachel's win; Crystal states that the contest was fixed, that she may sue Sabrina. As they leave the building, Crystal runs into Rachel and Sabrina on the stairs where Sabrina denies the allegations. The film closes on Rachel out of drag, walking through the Port Authority Bus Terminal and twirling his crown on one hand.

Reception

Critical Response

The documentary originally opened to mixed reviews in June 1968 when first released in the United States, then later in France (November 1968), Netherlands (1969), Denmark (1969), and Finland (1969).

In January 2013 The Queen was revived at the Film Forum in New York, then restored in 2019 by Kino Lorber for screenings at the IFC Center and Melbourne International Film Festival.[4]

In a 1968 The New York Times review, Renata Adler states the film “shows us another America” but also, “It is good to watch for about an hour these colorful human beings whose entire self-image is a put on.”[5] Andrew Sarris from Village Voice stated, “The drag queen contestants are eminently likable in curiously peripheral ways.”

According to Jerry Portwood from Rolling Stone, “Simon's movie is...extraordinary because it captures so much, doubling as a time capsule of a generation's innocence and fashion-forward sophistication. You can tell why it functioned as a template for many future gender-nonconforming people looking for some sort of pre-internet guide through the confusing maze of sexuality and gender."[6]

References
  1. "The Queen (1968)". AFI Catalog. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  2. Adler, Renata (June 18, 1968). "Screen: 'Queen' of Drag Is Crowned". The New York Times. CXVII (40323) (Late City ed.). p. 37. ProQuest 118270872.
  3. "7e Selecion de la Semaine de la Critique - 1968". archives.semainedelacritique.com. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  4. "The Queen". MIFF 2019. 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  5. Adler, Renata (June 18, 1968). "Screen: 'Queen' of Drag Is Crowned". The New York Times. CXVII (40323) (Late City ed.). p. 37. ProQuest 118270872.
  6. The Queen, retrieved 2019-11-19

Further reading
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