Digital Transgender Archive

The Rivals- Some Chippings From the New Splinters Dancing Troupe (1928)

A 1920s drag act imitating chorus girls. M/S of what appears to be a troupe of chorus girls doing a high kick routine in the Pathe studio. There is one main dancer and six girls dancing behind. They perform a pretty standard dance routine. "But you ought to see them really step out in their dressing room!" reads an intertitle. M/S of a set representing a dressing room. The girls trot in and begin to relax after the show. Some smoke, others drink. They drink bottles of beer. Suddenly they start to take off their wigs - they are boys! Various shots of the drag artistes as they take off their disguises, drink big tankards of beer and smoke. "Conclusive proof that "men were deceivers ever" isn't it girls?" asks an intertitle. C/U of one of the dancers having a beer poured from a bottle into a tankard. He reads a letter then drinks his beer - heavily made up. The boys chat amongst themselves and laugh. One of the boys drinks beer from a wine glass, one smokes a pipe. They laugh uproariously about something and make funny faces at each other - excellent!