Above : William Cross, FSA Scot, Author, Researcher and Lecturer, Newport, South Wales, UK
Cliff Gordon, Welsh Actor, Playwright, Homosexual, Victim.
Born in Llanelli: 11th February 1920.
Died Hastings : 16th October 1964 .
A Tribute from William Cross, FSA Scot
Clifford Gordon, aka Clifford Moses ( 1920-1964): Welsh born actor, writer & producer Cliff Gordon was born in 1920. Best known for Valley of Song (1953), Choir Practice & A Man’s Affair (both 1949) .
Cliff was a victim of his homosexual leanings at a time when homosexuality was illegal. He was one of those caught up in the Abergavenny Gay Witch Hunt, the subject of the book “ THE ABERGAVENNY WITCH HUNT: AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROSECUTION OF OVER TWENTY HOMOSEXUALS IN A SMALL WELSH TOWN IN 1942” By William Cross, FSA Scot.
In 1942 the 22- year -old Cliff Gordon was described as an actor and charges with two counts of gross indecency. The Judge took a shine to him and he was given a slight sentence. It did not affect his ability to work and he did several shows in London's West End and was in war time shows ( including post war shows with ENSA) for soldiers / airmen overseas.
Cliff enjoyed close friendships with Evan, Viscount Tredegar, Noel Coward, Ivor Novello, Christopher Isherwood & Caitlin Thomas.
He also turned his hand to producing musical shows and is cited as the man who gave Shirley Bassey an early break. However illness struck him and he died in 1964. He married it seems too, although the Abergavenny case was not his only brush with the laws of “gross indecency” , now repealed and with the so called Turing case coming into full effect, with those charged under that law granted a pardon. That whole process was begun by another Welshman, Leo Abse, when he succeeded in getting his Sexual Offences Act 1967 passed by Parliament.
A chapter of “ The Abergavenny Witch Hunt: An Account of the Prosecution of Over Twenty Homosexuals in a Small Welsh Town” is devoted to Clifford Gordon, a notable Welshman and man of the theatre.
William Cross is currently writing an update to the story of the youths and men of Abergavenny and district in 1942 who were in some cases sent to prison for TEN YEARS.
ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT THE WRITER WILLIAM CROSS