Day of the Locust (1975)

John Schlesinger's eccentric and entertaining adaptation of Nathaniel West's novel about Hollywood in the thirties. The film is well worth watching for a very different style of presentation.

In a nightclub, there is a drag singer (played by Paul Jabara) towards the end of the film, horrifying the slow and usually emotionless Homer.

Running through the film is an obnoxious child called Adore. The character was put in the book to illustrate a group of mothers who hawked their offspring round the studios in the hope of getting their presumed talent spotted, and making a pile of money. Adore and his mother live next door; here the mother is encouraging him to show off his dancing skills.

Adore is portrayed as an obnoxious brat, and in the film his gender is very ambiguous -- in fact the first time I saw the film I assumed it was a girl.

The book portrays him quite differently --

They heard a woman shouting from behind the garage; "Adore! Adore!"

She had a high soprano voice, very clear and pure.

"What a funny name," Tod said, glad to change the subject.

"Maybe it's a foreigner," Homer said.

The woman came into the yard from around the corner of the garage. She was eager and plump and very American. "Have you seen my little boy?" she asked, making a gesture of helplessness. "Adore's such a wanderer."

A minute later, a little boy came appeared dragging behind him a small sailboat on wheels. He was about eight years old with a pale peaked face and a large, troubled forehead. He had great staring eyes. His eyebrows had been plucked and shaped carfully. Except for his Buster Brown collar he was dressed like a man, in long trousers, vest and jacket.

In the film, Adore was played by Jackie Earle Haley, 14 years old when the film was released.

HF October 2004

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