My Hustler (1965)
The action in the first reel takes place at a bungalow on the beach at Fire Island. Ed Hood (the John) plays a bitchy, aging queen has ordered a blonde male hustler, Paul (Paul America) from a service called "Dial-a-Hustler." He is watching the hustler from the back porch of the bungalow, where he is joined by self-described "fag hag" Genevieve (Genevieve Charbon), who wants to steal Paul away from the John just to see him suffer. Another, older hustler (Joe Campbell, also known as "The Sugar
Plum Fairy"), shows up, claiming already to have "had" Paul, much to the consternation of the John, who proposes a bet to see who will win Paul's heart and soul in the end. The entire second reel takes place in a bathroom which is filmed from the hallway outside an open door. Sugar Plum and Paul are showering, shaving, and cleaning up as they have a long conversation about the pros and cons of hustling. Sugar Plum is about to make the move on Paul when he is interrupted by Genevieve, who promises Paul a good time if she will go off with him. Genevieve is followed by the John, who offers Paul money, cars, and girls in exchange for companionship. A woman (Dorothy Dean) with lipstick and glasses, not previously seen in the film, stops by to suggest that hustling might not be the best career choice for Paul and that he should probably seek an education instead. The question is left hanging as the film runs out of Andy Warhol's camera. ~ David Lewis, Rovi
