what be worth mention that be omit in the other review i have read here and be the subtext of how the law shape the life and behaviour of gay in the era portray in the film . while courtenay character be evidently gay and he be not the only one represent the often talk about mr. davenport scott be the other and and the reason that he be never see and the reason allude to that he have disappear seem to be that he have be detain by the police for homosexual activity a criminal offense in england at the time . we can read under the surface that this recent event have unsettle norman and courtenay character represent and we can also see in a passing remark by oxenby and the edward fox character and the quick renunciation of any connection to such a person when the law be involve represent the fear of association affect many of the character and and be part of the portrait the film paint of a time and the people who inhabit it . the abandonment of courtenay at the end by sir have be anticipate all the way through and if this subtext be include represent it also make sense of both the otherwise inexplicable omission of his dresser from the list of those he give thanks to . the flamboyance combine with the fear of exposure produce the combination of yearning and fear that courtenay have to tep into the footlights and a he do when he make the announcement about the imminent air raid and a scene that would otherwise be gratuitous and but that be both a symbolic and literal depiction of the man inner torment . so while the drama be of the decline of finney sir and a great deal of the tragedy of the film and play come from the fatal flaw of courtenay gayness and and make this a film about him and a the title suggest . the art direction and pacing and cinematic style of this film seem to come from another time and more distant than the eighty and and in some way and even than the second world war . the implicit portrait of a society still cling to an old moral order and and the sympathy of the character rack and ruin by the cruelty of that order and of necessity trap in the enclosed world of the theatre while and the knowledge we have of how much of it all would be sweep away after the war make this film all the more poignant and for all it flaw .