EXCLUSIVE: Watch romantic WWII drama ‘The Letter Men,’ based on real letters written by gay soldiers in love
Subscribe to our daily newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.Today, Gilbert and Gordon’s messages are considered the largest known collection of LGBTQ+ love letters from that era, and they remain a crucial time capsule to our community’s past.“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our letters could be published in a more enlightened time…?
Then all the world could see how in love we are.”Shortly after the letters’ discovery, husbands and filmmakers Andy and Danny Vallentine—a.k.a.
The Vallentines—set off to dive deeper into the story, which eventually became the basis of their short film The Letter Men, a romantic war drama that brings Gilbert and Gordon’s moving love affair back to life.“What I think is so special about Gilbert and Gordon’s love story is that Gordon never mentions feeling conflicted or ashamed about being gay,” co-writer Danny Vallentine shares in a press statement. “In fact, through the letters we are able to see that there was a really inclusive, thriving gay scene during this time in the UK.
I was so surprised to learn this, and that can partially be attributed to the fact that people aren’t yet telling stories that represent that experience.”At just over eight minutes long, The Letter Men manages to be a sweeping vision of a life on the frontlines of WWII and a life between-the-lines, as these brave men kept their love a secret from the rest of the world.Known for his breakthrough role in the musical Teen Beach Movie and the dark drama King Cobra, Garrett Clayton delivers a powerful, heartbreaking performance as Gilbert.
