SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS (1972) 

• Director: Robert J. Kaplan
• Cast: Holly Woodlawn, Tally Brown, Suzanne Skillen
• Film: 82mins | USA | Subtitles | Intermission
• Event: 20:45 – 23:15 [18+]

GIRL TRASH: CELEBRATING THE GODDESSES OF EXPLOITATION CINEMA

Our season continues with SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS (1972) where we’ll be joined by queer horror academic and professional pervert Avery McNeilly to introduce the film. 

GIRL TRASH takes a walk on the light side with SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS – a queer, countercultural fairytale with a trans actress squarely at its centre. It’s a frothy melange of musical numbers, screwball comedy, surreal vaudeville, and fun facts – did YOU know that Richard Nixon was a lesbian? 

GIRL TRASH GODDESS Holly Woodlawn stars in the leading role, one she chose over a supporting part in a Merchant Ivory production, opting instead for the highest pay she’d ever received: $6,500. SCARECROW was pitched as a movie with a transgender lead and a secret. Robert J. Kaplan’s concept for the film was that a trans woman would be the leading lady and her “sex” would never be revealed. With a simple plot – a small-town girl, Eve, arrives in the big city and tries to find a normal roommate – and low budget, the film relies on Holly’s slap-stick comedic timing and stunning beauty to solidify its cult status.

Add cameos from Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin, and you have a film bursting with future legends. It was one of only two features directed by Kaplan (the other an X-rated JAWS spoof involving an orally fixated mermaid that just shot to the top of our watchlists), and was written by crime and YA author Sandra Scoppettone (who claimed she also directed significant amounts of the film uncredited). 

Soon after its release, the film all but disappeared, made available only on low quality video transfers for decades. Its recent rediscovery and restoration by the Academy Film Archive restores its place as a jewel in the crown of queer film history – exactly the recognition Holly Woodlawn had hoped for. “I’m so sorry that Holly isn’t around to know, because she was desperate to find that movie,” said Scoppettone.

/// GIRL TRASH celebrates the femme filmmakers of trash and exploitation cinema, hosted by Zodiac Film Club and Token Homo. All films are served with introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @zodiacfilmclub and @tokenhomo on Instagram for info and updates. Please contact the venue for access information. ///

Programme supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london