Over the Moon (1939)

The 1939 British romantic comedy OVER THE MOON features two gay characters.

OVER THE MOON

1939. UK.

 Directors: Thornton Freeland & William K. Howard

Screenplay: Anthony Pelissier, Alec Coppel & Arthur Wimperis

 Starring: Merle Oberon, Rex Harrison, Ursula Jeans, Robert Douglas, Louis Borel, Zena Dare & Peter Haddon

In OVER THE MOON, Jane Benson (Merle Oberon) struggles to run her large home, taking care of family and servants, on a small budget. After becoming engaged to Dr. Freddie Jarvis (Rex Harrison) she discovers she has inherited 18 million pounds. Convinced the money will change her, Dr. Jarvis ends their engagement and Jane sets off to enjoy her new society life.

Surprisingly, the film contains two queer characters: François the model, and Lord Petcliffe (Peter Haddon) – who can later be seen wearing the model’s fancy slippers.

Petcliffe is an interior decorator and a party planner. He helps introduce Jane to society, which unfortunately leads to numerous suitors and money-hungry vultures trailing her through Europe. Jane is unbothered, and eventually decides to track down her old flame, Dr. Jarvis, in Switzerland.

You can find OVER THE MOON streaming through Criterion (USA/Canada) and there is a lower quality version on DailyMotion – it’s also available on DVD.