From the murky depths of British Cinema cometh information which some may prefer forgotten - especially if they follow it up and view the material ("the horror" "the horror") I think forgotten British Comedian Arthur Askey made a film version of CHARLEY'S AUNT sometime in the late 30s or early 40s titled CHARLEY'S BIG HEARTED AUNT (after Askey's vaudeville logo "Big Hearted Arthur Askey" // "Cheerful Charlie Chester") Perhaps some plunging into the Crazy Gang archives or Flanagan and Allen may produce some information. An 80s film PRIVATES ON PARADE (get the Pythonesque nudge) featured Dennis Quilley as a gay officer who dressed in drag. I believe he impersonated Carmen Miranda in the film. Also British comedian Dick Emery made a move in the 70s "OOOh you are Awful" after his character Mandy he impersonated in the BBC 60s Dick Emery Show, Furthermore, the Old Mother Riley series with Arthur Lucan and Kitty Mc Shane may provide further leads. Lucan was an aged actor who played Old Mother Riley always wanting to marry off his daughter Kitty. Each film ended with the wedding ceremony (in real-life Lucan was married to McShane). Theories of cross-dressing disavowing the "dirty old man" charge may ne interesting in this context. After Lucan died (sometime in the 50s) McShane ended her career playing Old Mother Riley in vaudeville. One film is available in the U.S. - OLD MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE (a.k.a. MY SON THE VAMPIRE) where Lucan plays opposite a highly debilitated Bela Lugosi obviously suffering from drug addiction if the stills are any indication. What about other cultures? Perhaps Brigitte Lin Chia-Hsia as "Invinceable Asia" in SWORDSMAN 2 and 3 (Hong Kong)may qualify? She plays a man who accepts castration to become powerful and turns into a woman as a result. But it is noticeably Brigitte Lin. Note her other mild "cross-dressing" performances in DRAGON INN (1992) and PEKING OPERA BLUES (1986). However, as Julian Stringer correctly pointed out in a FILM QUARTERLY article on the last film, it is really essential to view these traits according to the relevant cultural and historical associations and not just adopt them into Western modes of understanding. Finally, I saw Jack Benny in drag with George Burns in a televised performance from the London Palladium many years ago. It was probably never recorded. He played Gracie Allen. This was before Gracie's death. Tony Williams P.S. Alistair Sim plays the headmistress and her "bookie" brother in the first St. Trinians movie ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]