Topic summary
The Leather Boys
The Leather Boys is a 1964 British kitchen sinkdrama film directed by Sidney J. Furie, adapted by Gillian Freeman from her 1961 novel. It stars Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell, and Dudley Sutton. The story is set in the early 1960s following the ton-up boy rocker subculture in London and features a gay motorcyclist.
The film is notable as an early example of a film that violated the Hollywoodproduction code, yet was still shown in the United States, as well as being an important film in the genre of queer cinema. An example of British kitchen sink realism, its treatment of homosexuality was considered daring at the time of its release.
The film was released in the UK by British Lion-Columbia on 23 January 1964. The Leather Boys was nominated for Best English-Language Foreign Film at the 23rd Golden Globes.