Gilded Cage

Commercial models, including male ones, were at the top of the pampered and self-absorbed pyramid even in the 1930s, and young American model, Alec, is quite wrapped up with himself and convinced that he is irresistably desirable to all men, with an interest in men. He has strong views on what he deserves from a man when he is taken by fashion photographer lover, David, to Egypt to film atmospheric man’s perfume ads in Cairo and Luxor.

Feeling slighted and taken for granted by David and feeling the sexual competition from another model, Jared, Alec turns to rich, mysterious, and strikingly handsome Pasha Rushdy Abazar—at first to invoke David’s jealously, but increasingly to attract the pasha himself. Abazar, who hosts the first photo shoot at his Giza villa across the Nile from Cairo, overlooking the great pyramids, does seem to be making moves on Alec when he personally flies Alec to the second photo shoot in Luxor and wines and subsequently dines him in style in Cairo.

But Abazar’s attentions do not quite meet Alec’s expectations and Alec’s narcissism requires “it all.” The question quickly emerges of whether Alec is going to be blind to the pasha’s own, separate, agenda until it is too late to save himself and to maintain control of his own life.