The Killing of Sister George
1968, R, 138 min.
Directed by Robert Aldrich, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Beryl Reid, Susannah York, Coral Browne.

This out-and-proud lesbian drama about a soap actress whose career and love life are on a devastating collision course caused quite a stir when it was first released. Today, some of the stereotypes may chafe, but the movie remains funny and riveting. Sister George is the name of a chirpy soap character played by the otherwise butch June (Reid), who fears the show is trying to kill off her character. At home is her love kitten Susannah York, who is also being wooed by June’s female boss (Browne). A lesbian cinema classic.

This article appears in July 6 • 2001.

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.