Happy Birthday, Raquel!

Today marks the 82nd birthday of actress Raquel Welch. The photos from today’s post show her in the camp classic, “Myra Breckinridge” (1970), which was VERY loosely based on the Gore Vidal book. Her costars included film critic Rex Reed (above)…



and Farrah Fawcett (below). The film is so bad it’s…well, still bad, but Raquel continued with her craft and became a very bankable and capable actress.



She’s also a marvelous raconteur. Her stories about Mae West (also in “Myra”) are much funnier than the film was.



See more movie and pop culture photos at my main website.

Marmont Monday with Myron/Myra

Vintage interior shots of the Chateau Marmont hotel are not easy to come by; this color image shows film critic/actor (debatable on that one!) Rex Reed in the 1970 film “Myra Breckinridge.” Reed played Myron Breckinridge, who became a transgendered woman (Myra) played by Raquel Welch. To say that casting was interesting for the film is an understatement. A few scenes from the camp classic (based on a novel by Gore Vidal) took place in the hotel’s Penthouse, aka Room 64. This shot from the movie includes Farrah Fawcett and Raquel Welch; just outside the sliding glass door is the balcony that overlooks Sunset Boulevard.

The first time I was able to get a look at the room for myself was on Christmas Eve, 2002.

In 2015, I spent a few nights there, too. By that time, it had been redecorated and the furniture reupholstered.

The framing around the fireplace visible in the “Myra” shot and the white tile in front of it are gone; whether the brick is original or a replacement is not known.

Looking at the end table in the 1970 “Myra” shot, you can see a copy of Motion Picture magazine.

With a little digging, I was able to find a better shot of the original cover from May 1924, featuring silent screen star Barbara La Marr, one of the first tabloid sensations known as “The Girl Who Is Too Beautiful.” She died at the age of 29 in 1926. Louis B. Mayer of MGM fame renamed actress Hedwig Kiesler after Barbara and she became better known as Hedy Lamarr.

See more vintage and contemporary Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Raquel and Farrah at The Chateau Marmont

I acquired two vintage "Myra Breckenridge" stills from Israel. Why would I want those from one of the most wacky movies in Hollywood history? Because this scene was filmed at the Chateau Marmont! If you still don't know why, then you obviously have not been reading my blog for very long. OBSESSED.

Here are Rex Reed, Farrah Fawcett, and Raquel Welch in Room 64 at The Chateau, aka the Howard Hughes Penthouse Suite. Here's a contemporary view of the same area:



I am guessing this vintage poster for "Hangover Square" was not part of the Chateau's decor, but rather a plug for Myra's studio, 20th Century Fox.



What the poster looks like in full color:



I am still not sure if the bedroom scenes were filmed at a studio or at the Chateau. If actually filmed on location, then I am cringing at the choice of headboard:



UPDATE: Upon further inspection, it appears that neither of these scenes were actually filmed at the Chateau Marmont. They recreated the penthouse suite on a soundstage.

See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.