Long-unseen for over 36 years, DINAH EAST is a peculiarly entertaining little movie from the early-seventies that attempted to take on some then-taboo breaking subject matter. It may be nothing more than a long-forgotten exploitation movie to the majority of the public, but it is much more than that to me personally. My uncle, the late Matt Bennett, has a supporting role in the film as Dinah's chauffeur/love interest, and it is a role that he is quite likable in. While the movie would probably win a place in my heart for Matt's appearance alone, the film as a whole is a flawed-but-fascinating time capsule of a era when the film industry was just beginning to deal with then-unorthodox themes such as homosexuality and the social construction of gender roles.
DINAH EAST is first and foremost an exploitation movie; it basically exists to showcase attractive actors in some sweaty sex scenes. However, this particular exploitation movie also has another, more serious agenda: it wants to treat its transgender character with respect and explore some of the more serious repercussions that come when an individual conceals his or her true identity. Most exploitation movies (especially of this era) handled such serious themes in a very campy and awkward manner, but this is not the case with DINAH EAST. In fact, this may be the only exploitation movie I have ever seen where the serious dramatic elements are significantly more effective than the more traditional exploitive elements.
Although his voice can be rather monotone and inexpressive, Jeremy Stockwell's portrayal of this unconventional role emotes with warmth, intelligence, and even dignity. In a particularly memorable scene, Dinah comforts the widow of a man who had helped her out in her early years and she states, "If it weren't for your husband helping me the very first day I walked on the lot, there'd be no 'Dinah East.'" Even with his obviously limited acting experience, Stockwell manages to deliver this somewhat overwrought line with a startling degree of strength and credibility. Simply put, Stockwell gives a fully multi-layered performance in a film genre that typically portrays a one-dimensional world.
The rest of the cast is also above average for this type of film, with everyone being well suited to their respective roles. Former Warhol model Ultra Violet brings some appropriate old-school Hollywood glamor to her memorable supporting role, and she displays a terrific sisterly chemistry with Stockwell during their one big scene together. The fresh-faced Reid Smith certainly seems to have had no qualms with film nudity, as his spends a considerable amount of his screen time sans clothing. However, Smith's contributions to the film rise above that of the mere flesh, and he emotes with touching "little-boy-lost" charisma that lends a sweet pathos to some of his more dramatic scenes.
Ray Foster is likable as Dinah's faux suitor (and the pair share a charming dinner scene where Stockwell actually gets to incorporate an amusing West impersonation), but it is Alan Davis who really delivers a standout performance as the lug whose masculinity is assaulted when he discovers the truth about Dinah. Playing a character that is both unlikable and sympathetic, Davis gives a performance of considerable complexity and nuance that is almost unheard of in the bulk of films from the genre. Unfortunately, musician/stage actor Joe Taylor turns in a completely stiff performance as Davis' son, and he is the only true weak link in the cast. Taylor has greatly improved as actor of the decades, but his solemn delivery of the line "Love for a son that born out of rape?" is the only moment in this film where you catch a glimpse of the likable actor that he would eventually become.
While I'm probably too biased to give a truly competent critique of my uncle Matt's performance, I will offer some general impressions that I had while watching his performance. I felt his first scene (which was his reaction to Dinah's death) is a little stilted, however, this is probably the most awkward scene in the entire movie in general. After this brief opening, all of Matt's scenes are near the end of the movie and are mostly depicted in flashback, and I was genuinely impressed with his work here. Even though he was a large and imposing hulk of a man, Matt was actually a very sweet and gentle guy in real life. The downtrodden boxer he plays in this movie is probably the closest he ever came to playing a character that was similar to himself.
There are several well done scenes depicting the blooming love between Matt and Stockwell, my favorite of which is a tender scene on a lonely beach where Tank and Dinah first express their love to each other. In most exploitation movies, this scene would have been mawkish and cheesy, but, in this film, it is subtle and affecting. There's a similar scene a few moments later where Dinah reaffirms her love for Tank after he loses his last big fight. This is another scene that shouldn't work, but somehow does. In fact, these two scenes not only transcend the rest of the picture, but also the entire exploitation genre in and of itself.
NOTE: There is a heavily-edited 60-minute version of Dinah East that is frequently sold online which leaves much of the film incomprehensible. The full 90-minute version was released on VHS in 1984, but most copies are in pretty bad shape and are often hard to watch. I really hope that somebody somewhere will master a new home video release in the near future.
DINAH EAST is first and foremost an exploitation movie; it basically exists to showcase attractive actors in some sweaty sex scenes. However, this particular exploitation movie also has another, more serious agenda: it wants to treat its transgender character with respect and explore some of the more serious repercussions that come when an individual conceals his or her true identity. Most exploitation movies (especially of this era) handled such serious themes in a very campy and awkward manner, but this is not the case with DINAH EAST. In fact, this may be the only exploitation movie I have ever seen where the serious dramatic elements are significantly more effective than the more traditional exploitive elements.
Although his voice can be rather monotone and inexpressive, Jeremy Stockwell's portrayal of this unconventional role emotes with warmth, intelligence, and even dignity. In a particularly memorable scene, Dinah comforts the widow of a man who had helped her out in her early years and she states, "If it weren't for your husband helping me the very first day I walked on the lot, there'd be no 'Dinah East.'" Even with his obviously limited acting experience, Stockwell manages to deliver this somewhat overwrought line with a startling degree of strength and credibility. Simply put, Stockwell gives a fully multi-layered performance in a film genre that typically portrays a one-dimensional world.
The rest of the cast is also above average for this type of film, with everyone being well suited to their respective roles. Former Warhol model Ultra Violet brings some appropriate old-school Hollywood glamor to her memorable supporting role, and she displays a terrific sisterly chemistry with Stockwell during their one big scene together. The fresh-faced Reid Smith certainly seems to have had no qualms with film nudity, as his spends a considerable amount of his screen time sans clothing. However, Smith's contributions to the film rise above that of the mere flesh, and he emotes with touching "little-boy-lost" charisma that lends a sweet pathos to some of his more dramatic scenes.
Ray Foster is likable as Dinah's faux suitor (and the pair share a charming dinner scene where Stockwell actually gets to incorporate an amusing West impersonation), but it is Alan Davis who really delivers a standout performance as the lug whose masculinity is assaulted when he discovers the truth about Dinah. Playing a character that is both unlikable and sympathetic, Davis gives a performance of considerable complexity and nuance that is almost unheard of in the bulk of films from the genre. Unfortunately, musician/stage actor Joe Taylor turns in a completely stiff performance as Davis' son, and he is the only true weak link in the cast. Taylor has greatly improved as actor of the decades, but his solemn delivery of the line "Love for a son that born out of rape?" is the only moment in this film where you catch a glimpse of the likable actor that he would eventually become.
While I'm probably too biased to give a truly competent critique of my uncle Matt's performance, I will offer some general impressions that I had while watching his performance. I felt his first scene (which was his reaction to Dinah's death) is a little stilted, however, this is probably the most awkward scene in the entire movie in general. After this brief opening, all of Matt's scenes are near the end of the movie and are mostly depicted in flashback, and I was genuinely impressed with his work here. Even though he was a large and imposing hulk of a man, Matt was actually a very sweet and gentle guy in real life. The downtrodden boxer he plays in this movie is probably the closest he ever came to playing a character that was similar to himself.
There are several well done scenes depicting the blooming love between Matt and Stockwell, my favorite of which is a tender scene on a lonely beach where Tank and Dinah first express their love to each other. In most exploitation movies, this scene would have been mawkish and cheesy, but, in this film, it is subtle and affecting. There's a similar scene a few moments later where Dinah reaffirms her love for Tank after he loses his last big fight. This is another scene that shouldn't work, but somehow does. In fact, these two scenes not only transcend the rest of the picture, but also the entire exploitation genre in and of itself.
NOTE: There is a heavily-edited 60-minute version of Dinah East that is frequently sold online which leaves much of the film incomprehensible. The full 90-minute version was released on VHS in 1984, but most copies are in pretty bad shape and are often hard to watch. I really hope that somebody somewhere will master a new home video release in the near future.