Third Sex, The; He Loved An Actress

2412. THE THIRD SEX (He Loved An Actress) (1958-Germany). An otherwise respectable middle-aged woman is on trial for “criminal procuring.” She relates her story, and it is a most provocative one. Her son Klaus is a handsome 18-year-old who is not interested in girls. The fact is that he is gay, and is involved in a relationship with a classmate named Manfred. The two young men do not hide their affection, resulting in their being taunted at school. Klaus’ huffy bank director father vows to do all in his power to wreck the relationship between his son and Manfred, as well as to destroy the lives of their gay acquaintances. Meanwhile Klaus’ mother is alternately compassionate and cunning. She schemes to “interest him in women” by initiating a sexual encounter between her son and her household’s attractive maid, This action eventually leads to the predicament she finds herself in as the film opens. While in no way as graphic as contemporary films depicting homosexualily, this nevertheless is an intelligent, and hard-hitting portrayal of gay lifestyles and a gay relationship, as well as the often unrelenting pressures placed on homosexuals by all levels of society. Interestingly, there is more than a bit of nudity in the film – and all of it is female Dubbed in English. 77 minutes. Drama