Ms Kathleen's Movie Review

Screen 4 of 6

Ed now gets hold of this movie with the financial backing from Weiss and writes the screenplay with his own agenda in mind. He virtually turns it into a surreal biography of himself as well as a cinematic plea for acceptance to a world that shunned him for wearing women’s clothing.

Then there’s the small matter of getting a big name for the movie. Ed has recently befriended Bela and while old, feeble and desperate for money Bela still has to be convinced. When questioned by Bela as to exactly what kind of movie it will be Ed replies “Well, it’s about how people have two personalities. The side they show to the world. And the secret person they hide inside”.

Bela ends up playing the part of God. Having Bela’s omnipotent Godly narrator act as judge over Glen/Glenda takes the burden of transvestism off of Glen’s soul, suggesting that perhaps it is not Glen’s own choice to be transvestite but that he was born a transvestite instead, a very heavy concept for those living in the world of 1953.

Finally the script is finished and Ed asks Dolores to read it alone in the bedroom with the door closed. When she’s finished reading she opens the bedroom door to find Ed standing before her fully dressed in women’s clothing:

Dolores: So that’s where my sweater’s been? How long have you been doing this?

Ed: Since I was a kid. My mom wanted a girl so she used to dress me in girlie clothing and it just became a habit.