Louis Ives

A naive and sensitive young gentleman, Louis Ives fancies himself a budding writer, wishes he had lived in the 1920s of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and secretly yearns to don ladies' undergarments. After an embarrassing incident that cuts short his career as a New Jersey English lit instructor, he makes his way to Manhattan to “find himself” — accompanied by a literary voiceover that tells us as much.

school teacher who loves literature and is driven by a secret fascination with cross-dressing. After losing his job, he decides to test himself in New York where he hopes to eventually establish himself as a writer. He rents a small room from Henry Harrison, a former playwright.

In a rather shabby corner of the grand metropolis, Louis finds himself, all right. He finds himself sharing a dingy apartment with Henry Harrison, a flamboyant bachelor playwright who cultivates a long list of grudges and a fondness for Christmas balls. Henry considers himself an aristocrat, albeit one of meager means. He escorts ancient dowagers to social events in exchange for tastes of the high life. Never mind, then, that he must paint black socks on his ankles because his real ones are too frayed for public exposure. Also, he attracts fleas.