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.

Another Marmont Monday with Myron/Myra

I have acquired another vintage slide from the 1970 camp classic “Myra Breckinridge.” Film critic Rex Reed played Myron, a man who dreams that he is a transgendered woman named Myra, played by Raquel Welch. The physical similarity between the two is incredible (insert sarcasm here). Rex is shown in one of the Chateau Marmont’s penthouse suite bedrooms. On the wall is a movie poster:

Thanks to the miracle of squinting and Google, I was able to figure out it was for “Between Heaven and Hell” (1956) with Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, and Broderick Crawford. Here’s what the original poster looked like:

I wonder if the poster was on the wall at the Chateau or just set dressing? There’s not enough of the room to tell if Rex was in the master bedroom:

or the guest bedroom:

Both are obviously more tasteful looking now. Just ask Willis.

See more vintage and contemporary Chateau Marmont 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.

Raquel at the Chateau

If you have read this blog for any period of time then you are familiar with my fascination for the Chateau Marmont hotel. How could I pass up three negative frames from 1970 that show Raquel Welch and Rex Reed filming there for the cult turkey 'Myra Breckenridge'?

A closeup of the photo on the wall:



One way I identified this as the Chateau and not a Soundstage set was through the distinctive window hardware...



Which is still there today.







The room they filmed in is room 64, aka the Howard Hughes penthouse. Here's how it looks today:



More Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Friday the 13th with Myron and Myra

It's Friday the 13th; to get your mind off of this day filled with superstition, I will blog about one of the weirdest films ever made: "Myra Breckinridge." VERY loosely based on a novel by Gore Vidal, "Myra" is the story of Myron (Rex Reed) and his alter ego Myra (Raquel Welch). The two are shown standing on the balcony of the Penthouse Suite of the Chateau Marmont; here's how that very same balcony looks today:



If you look over Raquel's left shoulder…



you'll see this rotating statue which promoted the Sahara Hotel from 1957-1966:



…and also graced the cover of Vidal's novel:



A frame from the movie showing a closeup of the Sahara Girl; Welch is visible on the Chateau balcony:



To publicize the movie, Raquel Welch wore a similar costume:



When released, "Myra" lost over a million dollars; today it is a cult classic.

Want to see more Chateau Marmont photos? Head on over to my main website.