From Room 100 and Raquel Welch, a truly “independent” film for background amusement and star-spangled sightings.
We suggest (like you aren’t already) starting your Indie Day festivities this weekend, and carrying it on all through the week until next Wednesday, the fireworks-y climax.
And who’s better to be our freaky-flag mascot than Raquel Welch, who portrayed a transsexual with style in the highest of camp-comedies, “Myra Breckinridge,” released in 1970 to universal disdain and reactions of incredulity.
Don’t look for a real plot. As you’re making your deviled eggs, lying out with a beer on your Budweiser towel, or making kooky drinks in your beach house, we suggest NetFlix-ing the film, adapted from Gore Vidal’s 1968 novel, and just keeping the sound on the screen muted. It’s hilariously bad, but visual eye candy. And it’s great for seeing some upcoming and famous stars strut through this glorious madness.
Look! There’s the director John Huston, playing big-daddy Buck Loner! And there’s… what? Mae West! And you’ve got a very young Tom Selleck, portraying one of West’s studs.
And if you’re more of a fashion buff, the great Edith Head designed Miss Mae’s costumes. Of course, we like the one pictured here on Welch just fine—even if she is in fact playing the former Rex Reed. Yup, the film critic in a rare movie role.
