Narrated by Sir Ian McKellan

As LGBT people come further into the mainstream of American life, this compilation of clips from Britain’s post-war cinema archives is a testament to the closeted appearances of LGBT characters and perspectives on sexuality from film’s earliest days.

Following gay characters as they go from being the butt of jokes to full-blown leading men and ladies, “A Bit of Scarlet” captures a playful, occasionally melodramatic insight into on-screen characterizations of LGBT people in early cinema.

Sir Ian McKellen’s narration helps reveal the lengths to which the early film industry went to include—and yet also to ridicule—gay characters. Well-known portraits like John Hurt’s portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the groundbreaking BBC biography join more obscure finds to make for a telling look at British cinema’s postmodern queer soap opera.