Uncle Denis? (Quentin Crisp documentary)

Born Denis Charles Pratt, Quentin Crisp was a writer, an artist's model, an actor and a raconteur. He became a gay icon after the publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant in 1968, and even more of a celebrity when the book was filmed in 1975 with John Hurt in the starring role. This documentary asks how such a public figure -- and a queer icon -- fits into ideas of family, and in particular into his own family. Through an exploration of photographs, home movies and interviews with relatives, UNCLE DENIS? reflects on how traditions of familial memory-making intersect with the more public image-fashioning of one of the twentieth century's most determinedly self-made men. For many of his fans, Quentin was alone in the world, happily separate from heteronormative structures, and yet, he kept close contact with generations of relatives. Filmmaker and great-nephew to Quentin Crisp, Adrian Goycoolea reflects on the relationship Quentin had to the idea of family and his family's relationship to the idea of Quentin Crisp. While older relations were scandalized by Quentin's open homosexuality, even younger family members felt a distance between their straight lives and Quentin's queer public persona. The film analyzes the difficulty of “family” for someone like Quentin, who rejected many social and sexual conventions but nonetheless valued traditional bonds. What emerges is a complex portrait of a complicated man, featuring many, never-before seen images of Quentin Crisp.

[@imaginationunreal]

I've always admired Quentin Crisp for many reasons: his humor and wit, his intellect, his openness and generosity of spirit, and his bravery. Thanks for sharing this intimate portrait.

[@atis9061]

all true but I'm going to put BRAVERY to the front of that list

[@bigboxbobby2]

I took my late mum to see Quentin Crisp's one man show in London as she adored him and she spoke to him afterwards and he was charming to her as he appeared charming and personable to everyone who wanted to talk to him. A lovely man - such an original talent. Lovely Video thanks for sharing with us.

[@ptrck99]

What a wonderful memory. And so nice of you to take your mother to see him. Greetings!

[@michaelkline884]

Your great uncle helped me some 50 years ago to realize that being different was a gift. Thank you for this ❤️

[@PhilAlumb]

Quentin always stated that he'd rather have been part of the Mainstream, than the "one among the many."

[@khaartoumsings]

"He couldn't make conversation anymore. I thought, we've sort of lost him. He's become lost in the theatrical world"....This is really telling. What a helpful documentary on an incredible icon... Uncle Denis. Denis Pratt. Quentin Crisp. ; ) K

[@jenniferpower981]

What I drew from that was that perhaps they had in fact,found the truly real him.

[@khaartoumsings]

@@jenniferpower981 Interesting observation. So the 'Denis' they know was a mask for Quentin, not the other way round ; ) K

[@jenniferpower981]

@@khaartoumsings Yes,that's precisely the conclusion that I drew,that Dennis was indeed a mask for Quentin,he really was a fascinating individual,a beautiful soul.

[@MicaFarrierRheayan]

He was a lovely man. Honest and go straight to the point. The drawing is so beautiful ❤

[@TheLorrephile]

What an amazing document. I had the honor of interviewing Quentin for "The Advocate" when he first came to the States. It is fascinating to connect him to the rest of his family.

[@dorothystott3336]

With my friends I went to see him give a speech or a performance maybe, at a University I can't remember which, could have been Manchester or Sheffield and I will never forget him coming from behind the curtains and just bellowing out the word "happiness " from then on we were transfixed, it was a magical evening and experience, then afterwards he did book signing. None of us there about 7 of us I think, are gay we just loved his take on life and this about his family adds to that wonderful memory.

[@justinwhite6787]

Thank you Adrian! What a lovely tribute to your beloved Uncle, wonderful.

[@stuartylad]

Thank-you so much for making this video. My other half and I have recently been going through your great-uncle's archived footage on KZbin and other platforms and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing his clear wit, intelligence and very astute observations on humans. You know, generally self-centred! He took that baton and ran with it and made fantastic entertainment. What does come across, too, is how exceptionally polite he seemed.

[@laulan1000]

An honest and dignified portrayal of your uncle and his family

[@leslie5139]

I was privileged to meet Quintin in a Diner back in the mid 1980s in the East Village, He was so charming and had a dry sense of humor.

[@sebastianmelmoth685]

I too have had the experience of being put in the "corner of shame" at family weddings. It's usually not consciously intentional... but is indeed a subliminal fear of horrifying the "normals".

[@21stcenturyozman20]

Screw the "normals" - they are so fucking dull and boring!

[@aprilapril2]

I don’t even get invited. 😂

[@altudy]

I have the same experience. I think it's partly being gay, but also being childless which puts me beyond the pale. A childless aunt is one thing, but a childless unattached man is unacceptable. Apart from my sister my other immediate family have passed on. There are great family get-togethers for weddings and Christmas, with nephews and nieces, their partners, great nephews and nieces etc etc, but I am never invited. It's not malicious or intentional. It's just an assumption that I don't fit in and my presence would be a little awkward. I would be the spectre at the feast. You learn to be philosophical and just accept it.

[@aprilapril2]

@@altudy pah. Boring bastards with their dull get togethers. You wanna join the grass roots festival scene . From baby to 75 year old plus. You just need a tent or a van and some sturdy boots.

[@thecook8964]

It is their loss...Make your unconventional family

[@maggieadams8600]

I've been watching videos about him, mostly interviews, documentaries and "Englishman in New York", from 1968- 1991, for days now, and it's lovely to get to know a little more about him. I can remember watching "The naked civil servant" on the box in the 1970's, when I was a teenager. It made a big impression on me. I'd had quite a lot of bullying and so related to that side of his life. He was a very beautiful man I thought in 1968 aged 60, and who would have thought that he would become so famous then? Not him by the sound of the things as he said, such as that at 60 life was bound to be downhill from there! It just goes to show how wrong we can all be. An inspiring man, great spirit!

[@buckluster]

Many thanks for producing this! It really provides some insight.

[@francescaruby1150]

Thank you so much for making this. He showed so many people it was okay to be yourself, whoever that might be.

[@yasinradee]

That last quote. Exactly how I feel. 💜

[@gavinmillar7519]

Very thoughtful, sensitive and insightful, most of all a gracious commentary on a very human man. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@Problembeing]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@davidbrown1029]

Thank you! I grew up, in a sense, with Quentin Crisp, as a young gay man looking for brave role models. I always appreciated him but I see him, now, not so much eccentric but resourceful and strong, a trans pioneer facing a harsh culture hell bent on conformity. The culture was freakish, not he.

[@Nailsnailsnailsallday]

Thank you for this video , Quintin crisp was a hero to me I am from London and as trans woman I hated school when people found out I was trans woman as I went to school as a woman since 6 well a girl at that time and I was bullied badly When I found out about him I thought how amazing there is someone like the people I dreamt of . My brother loved the movie made about him and now I watch it as a comfort on a rainy day He was a true hero to grow up in London in the 30s the amount of prejudiced that was inflicted upon him was unprecedented So I hope he is up in heaven looking down on you and thanking you for making this video and opening up this forum of like minded people Thank you And thank you Quintin crisp

[@Robotina-e8u]

Quentin Crisp. :)

[@GeorgeDeCarlo]

I had first seen Quentin give a talk at a gay organization's weekly meeting in New Jersey. Another time a friend had him at his house at a nighttime party. Then an acquaintance and his friend asked me to have dinner at a Times Square restaurant with Quentin. The two left after dinner and I thought I cannot let him venture late a night alone all the way back to the East Village. So I got us a taxi. I had driven in from New Jersey and my car was parked in the West Village. We got out before his street since he wanted to get potatoes. After he asked me to join him for a drink at his apartment. We talked about ourselves and he mentioned family and a financial issue he was having and a health problem among many stories. It was an evening I will never forget. Maybe a year or two after I called him inviting him for lunch near his place. Many more stories and mention of family in New Jersey. A guy came in wanting to take his picture. Oh, I mentioned his health concern and which I cannot recall what it was now. But I did say to get something. So before leaving we went to a pharmacy. The pharmacist gave him the item at no charge. Several years after that I brought my spouse to see his off Broadway show. Then sadly when my spouse and I were returning from a trip to London on the plane the gentleman next to us read in a newspaper that Quentin had died in Manchester the day before. We knew he was in England. Eventually there was a memorial at Cooper Union's hall we attended. A social friend was at the entrance table. He was surprised to see me. The memorial was a beautiful tribute. So that's my story of meeting Quentin Crisp.

[@mrminer071166]

OMFG, HOW DO YOU THINK HE FELT, growing up with a name like DENIS PRATT!?!??!?!

[@johnboys4697]

This was a wonderful tribute to QC loved it !

[@ninianmacmillan-keith7435]

He was a very brave man. Utmost respect

[@caroledrury1411]

When they say that who is this at the other they never say that he was wonderful, that he was fabulous, that he was entertaining, that he was brilliant, but he was funny, he was human! It’s a palling that they just keep saying that he was gay that he was this that and that he was in the way. I just adored adored him

[@GypsyHunter232UK]

A man first and a character unique in his own right. The establishment and thugs tried to down tread Quinton but they failed miserably. A great British man who should have been officially recognised by the general public and should have been celebrated in his life not ridiculed for being or wanting to be an individual. Any way Quinton it his way. Rest in peace Quinton..never to be replaced or forgotten.

[@geoffdundee]

Greg Preston .............The establishment and thugs tried to down tread..........and they still TRY do it to this very day - IF YOU LET THEM.

[@guydreamr]

Actually, Quentin did achieve fame and acclamation later in life so you could say he had the last laugh.

[@markeddeckmusic7202]

Hero ! One word to describe

[@markeddeckmusic7202]

...of course I could say more

[@solcutta3661]

He loved family apparently. Prob because he had always imagined they wouldnt accept him but of course they did because he was such a wonderful man

[@asbjrnbraanaas2110]

Precious.

[@chrystallkurts3914]

I appreciate this so much, thank you.

[@Talentedtadpole]

Families casually defend their psychological violence against black sheep.

[@Ms.Laterholmes5253]

No, that’s just a polite etiquette is to send out thank you cards do you have a year to do it but that’s the right thing to do especially for that generation

[@raven_ous2585]

Absolutely adore this man 😘😘

[@suemadell8878]

This piece deserves so many more Likes, it's wonderful, thank you so much ❤

[@pennyc7064]

Adrian, does Quentin's book ...The naked civil servant have any photos of him in his younger years? as I'd like to buy the book.

[@Queen-of-Swords]

If you want photos I suggest you look elsewhere, it is a NOVEL.

[@ubermonsterfilms]

No. My copy (penguin classics) has no photos at all I'm afraid.

[@PrecociousFriand]

If Oscar Wilde was the greatest wit of the C19th then Quentin was the greatest wit of the C2Oth.

[@anitarichmond8930]

Being a lover of style after I’m gone there could be no greater compliment than all her life she had should magnificent taste because style survives.

[@kitheskethharvey3576]

I wonder, Adrian, whether your paternal line might be related to the distinguished landowning West Norfolk family, the Pratts of Ryston? (They are mentioned as far back as the Norman Conquest, and appear in the Victorian children's classic by Charles Kingsley, Hereward the Wake.) Clearly, hearing the cut-glass accents, your family came from an upper bracket, and there is a quite startling physical resemblance between your great-grandfather and the current male Pratt line over here ...

[@ubermonsterfilms]

Hi Kit. I don't think my family is connected to that line of Pratts actually. Pratt is quite a common name though and I doubt they all connect. But interesting that you see a physical resemblace!

[@farshm.7400]

I want you know that if not for your great uncle's wisdom, I very likely would have succumbed to my neurosis a few years ago in my early twenties.

[@deidraboswell8451]

Beautiful

[@allmodcons2274]

I was 'introduced' to the persona that was Quentin Crisp as a young child, probably in the mid to late 70's. My grandmother admired him greatly and would quote him often, especially his takes on housework. Our family is from the north of England and attitudes towards the gay community were very negative. My grandmother and grandfather have both past away now and since then I have reflected much on the family dynamics and believe, if times and circumstances had been different for my grandmother, she would have never married. I also believe she would have been a lesbian. She had a very close relationship with one of her nephews, who 'came out' to the family when he was in his 50's, something my grandmother had known about for more than 30 yrs and never told anyone, not even my mother. Anyway due to the influence of my grandmother on me I have also have admired Mr Chisp, and always had a positive opinion on the LBGTQIA community. Thank you Mr Crisp, a beacon for many, even today.

[@KalvinSmithWarriorsPathSystema]

So sorry I missed jim this time around xx

[@clairevancleave1508]

Very interesting. How very rude of you to have not sent thank you notes for wedding gifts that you received.

[@srothbardt]

I just discovered him. He was very impressive. A bit like Oscar Wilde.

[@belladonna70]

great

[@markpalmar70]

Quite sad, very interesting, valuable, an addition of considerable significance to those he inspired. Re seating, that tends to be anarchy at these horrific family parties. No need to blame yourself. Great film.

[@Talentedtadpole]

I get the impression that they only valued him because others did, and that indeed they did regard him as a joke. Most people are not honest and do not think about the hurt and harm they do. They are 'nice'. They are acceptable and respectable. Bless Quentin for his wit, wisdom, grace, bravery and huge heart. Patron saint of outsiders, the family who truly love and deserve him.

[@ericowensnyc]

Adrian...what happened to Quentins hat since u cleared his room after his passing?

[@ubermonsterfilms]

Phillip Ward, the executor of his estate holds all his personal effects.

[@ericowensnyc]

@@ubermonsterfilms thanks Adrian

[@sahotamarie71]

He is his mother recreated

[@johnnygwapo.Lapu-Lapu]

i question the legitamacy of this video, it's full of publicly accessable videos and photos, you claim to be related although this relationship is dubious and small if it exists, that voice recording at 15:35 is not Quentin Crisp talking, sounds like a jewish guy or woman narrating that, i am born and bred in London, i am very familiar with Quentin Crisp's voice, and that soundbite is not him! i believe this video has been concocted by people with a finite connection, just people trying to capitalise and further their own causes.

[@aalexjohna]

Prat by name, Prat by nature.

[@dionlindsay2]

That only works because you can't spell. And it has no relevance to him. Sort yourself out.

[@aalexjohna]

Calm down Granddad, and stop lubing up your loose hole. Mr Prat is dead.@@dionlindsay2

[@Chillmax]

@@aalexjohna If you so obviously don't like something, why watch and why comment at all. Your comments are vile, as I'm sure are you. You're blocked, don't bother.

[@GrantTarredus]

Thank you very sincerely for opening some of your family’s life up in order to share their thoughts on Quentin Crisp with all of us who also think of him as a relative, for your uncle truly is an inspirational forefather to so many. I do appreciate this beautiful film and everyone who participated in it.

[@ubermonsterfilms]

I appreciate that

[@Themanwhocameback2]

I spent a whole afternoon with Quentin in Manhattan in October 1983. I met him outside his apartment and we went to lunch and afterwards, for a drink in a neighborhood pub. I remember when I had initially called him (he was in the phone book) he answered not with an "Hello", but "Yes?" He was one of a kind and I enjoyed my afternoon with him immensely. God bless him.

[@UrDeedMeatMarra]

A lovely memory that you clearly treasure ;-)

[@Themanwhocameback2]

@@BellaFirenze Great photo! I see "Muscatine Avenue", Was he on tour?

[@tinabolesful5184]

Wow. And who paid?

[@catherineoconnell3213]

Wonderful .....I also say "yes" when answering the landline.......never know who is on the other end.......God Bless

[@johnboys4697]

Lucky you !

[@denverleatherboy]

I know you felt badly about where Quentin ended up at your wedding. But, I will proffer this theory. Knowing many an old queen myself, and having listened to the many things Quentin said in his life. He was at a wedding, where he knew few people, other than family. (and what could be more boring than that). At this event, he managed to sit himself directly next to the most handsome man in the room. Your Mom even noted it.. "who is that handsome man" , as a gay man it was my first thought too. I bet if you speak to your friend Matt you will learn Quentin planted himself there and had an extended conversation with him. You shouldn't feel bad, meeting handsome young men is one of the few guilty pleasures an older effeminate gay man has.

[@ABC_DEF]

I thought the same. He made a beeline for the most handsome man in the room and sat next to him. He sat where he wanted to sit.

[@FreeBrunoPowroznik]

Heart touching comment

[@guydreamr]

What an incredibly meaningful insight, thank you.

[@SR-kv3pb]

I hope the nephew reads this comment.

[@jaysilverstone7221]

A very rare soul. Saw through all of it. Manners maketh the man.

[@marg233]

So true, well said 🥰

[@bak2back]

I think Quentin knew they would look, and so he was going to give them a whole lot more than they bargained for. I grew up gay in the 80's and I wish I had known of him then. I could have learnt from his bravery.

[@annmitchell4663]

Have you ever seen the Naked Civil Servant...its a great film and well worth a watch.

[@personofinterest8731]

What a man! What a personality! What a wit! What kindness always emanated from him. I am so glad to be able to go back over his life like this. Thank you.

[@MrPlownds26]

Real rebels have manners.

[@tampazeke4587]

Your great uncle was an international treasure. I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting him in Tampa in the early 90's.

[@guydreamr]

Cool, how did it go? What were the circumstances?

[@tampazeke4587]

@@guydreamr It was at a Tampa LGBT film festival. He was the guest of honor and I was fortunate to spend a few minutes with him in one on one conversation. No doubt the most witty person I've ever met, and I've met DOLLY!

[@guydreamr]

@@tampazeke4587 Excellent, I'll bet Quentin really enjoyed Tampa! I've read most of his books and he's just as witty on the page as he is in person. Sounds like it was wonderful encounter, thanks for sharing.

[@pennyc7064]

Very interesting man! Someone I would have liked to have met!

[@ubermonsterfilms]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@raven_ous2585]

Definitely

[@bowes-lyonmedia6762]

Thank you for sharing this. I adored your Uncle. An incredible man. Kind regards Tim LORD BOWES-LYON

[@nickydbc]

Adored this this rumination on family, fame and the enigmatic legend that is Quentin Crisp.

[@paulinemoriarty552]

My goodness Quentin looks like his mother

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

I believe it was Oscar Wilde who said, "Every woman grows up to be just like her mother. That is her tragedy. No man does. That is his." Apparently he was wrong.

[@greeneyedmimibostian3013]

I wish I could have been his friend

[@christianbernardsinger1216]

What a wonderful view - so beautifully done - honestly, even though he "felt outside of his family," Adrian Goycoolea's piece is above all a great act of love. Thank you for this!

[@jimw1274]

Thank you for this film. It's important that future generations know what bravery truly is.

[@jharchery4117]

Very enlightening. I learned about Mr. Crisp back when the film was shown on our local PBS channel in the late 70s. My father and I gained an appreciation for him and John Hurt who has always been one of my favorite actors. Thank you for putting this together.

[@tracylf5409]

Quentin was a legit human. There are literally handfuls of true humans, and Quentin was the one.

[@oc5939]

Quentin was a gift to the world.

[@Chillmax]

Sending thank you cards is (or was) very English/ British, I was brought up to do it after every birthday & Christmas, especially the later. People still do it today, but it is definitely dying out, the postage cost alone is dreadful, but, if you can, it's still nice to do, no matter how small the gift.

[@victorsilvester78]

What a beautiful tribute.

[@davidm587]

What an amazing unique man ! Thank you for sharing this !

[@SR-kv3pb]

Thank you for sharing your family memories of your Uncle. So glad you made this special documentary which rounds out, adds another dimension to this wonderful man. Feels bittersweet though (but that's family right?) that "propriety on both sides" affected the relationships from being deeper (for want of a better word). But one thing is clear, that both sides felt the love of family/blood.

[@carlabroderick5508]

The problem I have seen as a doctor for many of my patients who value flamboyance in their gay lives is that this puts their worth in the hands of others’reaction to them. We all put much of our worth in this area, but with homosexuality this means that those who will not respond positively will be judged more than in the case of a heterosexual who may not invest as much in how every heterosexual responds to them. As Quentin says, he has set himself up for failure, because his dream is to attract a “great, dark man,” a heterosexual, which will never happen.

[@dionlindsay2]

That looks interesting, but I don't understand your middle sentence. Which "those", which "them" please?

[@RamessesIX]

Thank you notes... Right. _Manners From Heaven_ was the one book of his I read in toto. So, like a lot of stand up comedians, he retreated behind the mask of a persona who was always more witty and charming than personally frank. Yet, with all the wisdom that he delivered, it seems to have been a very noble calling, and so many of us are much the richer for it. I only got to see him once, and thank the gods it was in New Orleans, where the flavor is different and we could observe him in a more relaxed environment.

[@reasonrestored9116]

I remember coming across Mr C as a teen and realising that I was not mad, there were others who saw the worlds absurdities as I did. I have had a very different life (not nearly so brave as him) but no doubt made possible through people like him. RIP

[@MrFalconford]

Thank You for sharing your journey Denis, i'll always remember you this way.

[@deemor5013]

Thank you sharing for this. MOST interesting! - a glimpse into Quentin's family life.

[@amesadamson]

Oh Adrian, this is marvelous, thank you. UD was a hero of mine. I was a brash 20 something and called him up (he was in the Book), and he lived in a building owned by a friend of mine. I was in awe. Best lunch ever, but THIS is the dessert. Thank you.

[@guydreamr]

Where did you go for lunch, and what were some of the more memorable moments?

[@amesadamson]

@@guydreamr rang his bell, (pink stucco place- did the stairs go down from the sidewalk?) and he came down with his empty guiness bottles, which I offered to carry to the corner store (bodega). he wore all black and velvety high heel boots and a hat and scarf. he was having some diffculty walking so we just went across the street and sat in some place to eat and talk. i was mezmerized...what we atre/ no idea, but i treated and we spoke once more on the phone a day later.

[@guydreamr]

@@amesadamson Funny about the Guiness, in an interview Quentin once said that he starts each day with a stout for breakfast, as it "makes the day much shorter." In one of his books I believe he mentioned the place where you and he went, as he said he liked to dine frequently at a place right across from where he lived. What a wit he was, both on the page and in person. Sounds like you had a wonderful encounter, thanks for sharing.

[@joealexandra7185]

I totally understand Quentin being hurt over not receiving a thank-you note for his wedding gift; it's a rude, lazy, low-class move not to send them. But I guess it's just part of the general decline.

[@PhilVerryChannel]

He did say he was not versed in all manners.

[@ubermonsterfilms]

Yes that was a sad mistake on my part. But like I say, I did thank him in person by taking him out to dinner.

[@Moluccan56]

My English grandmother drilled that into me. She was born in 1906. Her philosophy was, if the recipient can’t spend the time to sent a note, I won’t spend my time buying and sending a gift. It’s just good manners. Parents are supposed to teach their kids.

[@PhilVerryChannel]

Great. Honest. I relate.

[@tommyumbrella6239]

Thank you!

[@ubermonsterfilms]

You're welcome!

[@atis9061]

This is so beautiful. Quentin is a legendary voice for gay people. He will remain forever in LGBTQ history. I met him when I was in my early 20s in NYC. He had a demanding but inviting exterior. Gay people in their elder years are mostly alone and when we are alone we think of those little things, like cards and acknowledgement.

[@JSB1882]

It's amazing that is his time his family was as supportive of him. That was really nice to see. His mother looked very much like him. I remember Quentin Crisp on TV and I have always felt that connection of not really needing people but I like to be around them. That's the one thing that always intrigued me about him because it made me more comfortable about who I am.

[@Talentedtadpole]

They tried to make out they were supportive after the fact.

[@davidrobinson8470]

I saw Naked Civil Servant pretty early on. I loved it; I loved him. Perhaps I agree with him on too many things!

[@raycope2086]

I think he created his own pantomime, because he realised just how ridiculous we all really are.

[@dexocube]

Cool documentary, thanks

[@theretreatanimalrescuefarm2758]

Very special and kind documentary about a great man ❤

[@garyfenlon5769]

The name Denis just does not suit Mr.Crisp, too ordinary!!

[@TAROTAI]

Well, he changed it, didn't he? What are you on about?

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Ordinary? It's a form of the name of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility in whose honor the ancient Greeks invented theatre.

[@garyfenlon5769]

@@oliverbrownlow5615 but he wasn't christened 'Dionysus' was he, he was christened 'Denis' which where i come from is the sort of name you would expect a Bank Clerk or a Plumber to have.

[@garyfenlon5769]

@@TAROTAI exactly, he changed it, which validates my comment.

[@JANXDPDX]

fascinating!

[@geoffdundee]

Thankyou for sharing

[@Chillmax]

Wonderful memories, thanks Adrian, this should be on TV. How absolutely typical of Denis/ Quentin, everything was always so sweet but with a bitter after taste, and I felt very much for his mother finding all that out. With fame & a little fortune pulling at him to be 'Quentin' his family started to lose the real Denis, but then Quentin never felt part of it anyway, so there was no loss for him, perhaps until there was no one left to lose. As a fascinated member of the public looking on, I'm struck by his conscious or unconscious decision to make his family entirely disappear from his story. Looking back, I did always feel sorry for him, as other than 'hangers-on' he did seem very alone, but here, as his family says, that wasn't the case at all. Just yesterday I saw the follow on from the original film, The Naked Civil Servant, never knew anything about it and for the most part, it was pretty good, Hurt reprising his role equally well. So, if Denis/ Quentin is listening, looking down, I'm wondering if he might finally be happy, as he might now realise that those old ways of thinking, that the 'Great Dark Man' who can't love another man, as it's not manly have finally come to an end, and if you love someone, for the most part, no one cares who it is, as long as all concerned are happy. RIP Mr Crisp.

[@TheHandsomeman]

Seeing his mother, answers, to me, a lot of questions.

[@deemor5013]

How do you mean? Which particular questions were answered? (I thought he looked very much like her! - Except their noses were different.) What an interesting man he was!!

[@TheHandsomeman]

​@@deemor5013 His mothers genes, are obviously, very prominent in him, and he has adopted her look and nature. I mean when he got older he is the image of a typical old woman.

[@mephistophelescountcaglios1489]

That old devil moon

[@joannbyrne182]

Light years a head of his time

[@maxruehl]

Your mom sounds German or Austrian.

[@ubermonsterfilms]

Yes she had a unique accent because of having lived all her life in South America but going to English schools

[@catherinepoloynis]

I love this so much!

[@SkyeRangerNick]

We each do the work that the time in which we live has given us. We pass the torch. To light the way.

[@SkyeRangerNick]

💜

[@raolhooley]

While some interesting data it's sad to see the attempt to revarnish the truth..while capitalising on your uncle's fame.ie,I don't know why he sat at that table..that's funny..because it's obvious.also the aunt...my father wasn't being rude addressing the letter that way..oh the hell he wasn't..lol...

[@Talentedtadpole]

Yes, a painful and familiar story for so many ❤

[@sjukfan]

Thanks for sharing.