Myra Breckinridge (film)
Myra Breckinridge | |
---|---|
20th Century Fox | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $5 million[1] |
Box office | $4 million (US/Canada)[2] |
Myra Breckinridge is a 1970 American comedy film based on Gore Vidal's 1968 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Michael Sarne, and featured Raquel Welch in the title role. It also starred John Huston as Buck Loner, Mae West as Leticia Van Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, Roger Herren, and Roger C. Carmel. Tom Selleck made his film debut in a small role as one of Leticia's "studs."[3] Theadora Van Runkle was costume designer for the film, though Edith Head designed West's costumes.[4]
Like the novel, the picture follows the exploits of Myra Breckinridge, a transgender woman who has undergone a
The picture was controversial for its sexual explicitness (including acts like female-on-male rape), but it, unlike the novel, received little to no critical praise and has been cited as one of the worst films ever made.[5] In subsequent decades the film has developed a cult following.[6]
Plot
Myron Breckinridge flies to Copenhagen to get a sex change, becoming the beautiful Myra. Returning to America, Myra goes to her uncle Buck Loner's acting school, where she pretends to be her own widow and claims that it was Myron's will that she receive half the school, or $500,000; when Loner demurs, she asks that she be given a teaching job there to provide for herself. Buck reluctantly agrees, while launching an investigation into the veracity of Myra's claims.
Although she is ostensibly assigned an
On campus, Myra becomes obsessed with a pair of young lovers named Rusty and Mary Ann, whom she believes embody all the traits of American
Buck continues his investigation, ultimately uncovering evidence that Myron never died and that no death certificate exists for him. Confronted with the truth, Myra admits to the truth and strips naked before a horrified Buck; Buck's response indicates that Myra did not have her
Myra continues her pursuit of Mary Ann, who turns her down, telling her that she wishes she were a man. The next day, the manifestation of Myron—claiming that Myra has become too ambitious—runs her down in a car.
Myron awakens in the hospital from the beginning of the film, where it's indicated he has been admitted for a car accident, not gender affirmation; his nurse is Mary Ann. Looking at his bedside table, Myron sees a magazine featuring an article on Raquel Welch.
Cast
- Raquel Welch as Myra Breckinridge
- Rex Reed as Myron Breckinridge
- John Huston as Buck Loner
- Mae West as Leticia Van Allen
- Farrah Fawcett as Mary Ann Pringle
- Roger C. Carmel as Dr. Randolph Spencer Montag
- Roger Herren as Rusty Godowski
- George Furth as Charlie Flager, Jr.
- Calvin Lockhart as Irving Amadeus
- Jim Backus as Doctor
- John Carradine as Surgeon
- Andy Devine as Coyote Bill
- Grady Sutton as Kid Barlow
- Robert Lieb as Charlie Flager, Sr.
- Skip Ward as Chance
- Kathleen Freeman as Bobby Dean Loner
- B.S. Pullyas Tex
- Buck Kartalian as Jeff
- Monte Landis as Vince
- Tom Selleck as Stud
- Toni Basil as Cigarette Girl
- Dan Hedaya as Hospital Ward Patient
- William Hopper as Judge Frederic D. Cannon (uncredited)
Production
Development
Film rights were sold for a reported $750,000 - $900,000 including a percentage of the profits and a fee covering Gore Vidal writing the screenplay.[7][8]
Vidal wrote a draft, but the job was ultimately assigned to David Giler, who wrote a draft in three weeks. Vidal told Giler how much he liked the draft.[9]
Michael Sarne had just made
The original director was Bud Yorkin. Producer Jim Cresson said "we thought he would play it too safe" and the studio ended up giving the job of directing to Sarne.[9]
There were months of speculation over who would play the title role. Raquel Welch was cast in July 1969.[10][11]
The next major casting was Mae West, accepting her first film role since 1943. (She said she had turned down Pal Joey and The Art of Love.) West was introduced to producer Robert Fryer via George Cukor.[12] "It's a return, not a comeback," said West. "I've never been away, just busy."[13] The producers allowed her to rewrite her dialogue and sing some songs, including Hard to Handle. [13] She was paid $350,000.[14] In addition, West was allowed to arrive no earlier than 5 p.m. and had final approval over Welch's wardrobe as well as her own.[15] She was also responsible for getting then-unknown Tom Selleck cast as one of her studs in the film.[16] Farrah Fawcett was also an unknown when she was cast in this movie.[17]
Shooting
Filming was laden with controversy due to Michael Sarne being granted complete control over the project. Sarne quickly went over budget due to his unorthodox techniques, which included spending up to seven hours at a time by himself, "thinking", leaving the cast to wait around on set for him to return so that filming could commence.[18] Additionally, Sarne spent several days filming tables of food for a dream sequence which, in addition to being non-essential to the plot, appears in the film for only a few seconds.[18]
According to many accounts, Sarne encouraged bickering among cast members. After the failure of this film, he was never asked by an American studio to direct another film.
There were also reports of conflicts between Raquel Welch and Mae West, who came out of a 27-year retirement to play Leticia Van Allen.[19][20] Farrah Fawcett said that they projected their dislike towards each other onto her and stopped talking to her and that she would cry in her dressing room, afraid to come out.[21]
Furthermore, some 1940s- and 1950s-era film actors who appeared in Myra Breckinridge were upset that footage from their old films was inserted into the movie to punctuate some of the gags and the film's rape sequence. After the film was previewed in San Francisco, the White House demanded that footage from the 1937 film Heidi, featuring Shirley Temple, be removed due to Temple's role as a United States ambassador. Loretta Young also successfully sued to have footage of herself removed from the film.[19] Commenting on this, Rex Reed, who co-starred and was then a columnist, said "This was a film where the lawsuits really flew".
"I've never seen so many personality conflicts on one picture," said Richard Zanuck. "Fryer has quit three times. I don't think there's anyone on this movie who hasn't been fired or quit three times. Including me."[9]
"I feel sorry for Bob," said Zanuck. "Raquel is always nervous during a film. Rex isn't exactly easy. And Sarne is rough. Much tougher than he looks."[9]
"Fryer is a really nice man," said Sarne. "We just disagree on everything."[9]
"He tells everybody on this picture we're diametrically opposed, which we are," said Fryer. "I want to do a comedy. He wants to do a fantasy. He's trying to superimpose 1964 Fellini—not Fellini, mind you, but 1964 Fellini—on a subject matter which is way out to begin with."[9]
"I don't understand it," said Giler. "Bobby Kennedy and Jack Kennedy, they were assassinated. But no one touches Sarne. Sarne's script for Myra should be hermetically sealed."[9]
Rating
Myra Breckinridge was one of two films with an
Release
The film premiered at the Criterion Theatre in New York City on the evening of June 23, 1970. A crowd of roughly 2,000 people formed around the barriers of the red carpet to catch a glimpse of Raquel Welch and Mae West, who arrived separately. The crowd became riotous which led to injuries and arrests as people smashed windows and clashed with police. Michael Sarne did not attend the premiere.[24] It opened the next day at the Criterion and at Loew's Tower East in New York City as well as at Loew's Hollywood Theatre in Los Angeles before expanding nationwide on July 1.[25]
Reception
Upon its release, the film drew fiercely negative reviews and was a box office flop.
In a 2012 interview with Mark Peikert, Welch said of the film, "The only good thing about that was the clothes."[33]
Home media
In 2004, Myra Breckinridge was released on DVD with minor changes: to make the film's ending (that the title character never had a sex change) clearer, the ending sequence was changed to a black-and-white format. Since its release, it has developed a fan following.[5]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1.
- ^ Solomon p 231. Please note figures are rentals not total gross.
- ^ "Myra Breckinridge". TV Guide. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-0601-9428-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-1353-1172-8.
- ISBN 978-1-1353-1172-8. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ Haber, Joyce (29 April 1968). "Look Who Says the Novel Is Dead". Los Angeles Times. p. C34.
- ^ Daly, Steven (April 2001). "Swinging Into Disaster". Vanity Fair. p. 412.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Haber, Joyce (October 19, 1969). "Shell Shock on the 'Myra' Set--and It's Not a War Film". Los Angeles Times. p. U1.
- ^ "'Myra' Title Role for Raquel". Los Angeles Times. 18 July 1969. p. D9.
- ^ "Raquel Welch to Star In 'Myra Breckenridge'". The New York Times. 18 July 1969. p. 16.
- ^ Thomas, Kevin (August 31, 1969). "Mae West: in Great Form". The Washington Post. 93.
- ^ a b Thompson, Howard (14 August 1969). "Mae West Back in Films For 'Myra Breckinridge'". The New York Times. p. 26.
- ^ Browning, Norma Lee (23 October 1969). "Hollywood Today: Mr. Untouchable?". Chicago Tribune. p. E1.
- ^ Braithwaite, Lester Fabian (15 February 2023). "How Myra Breckinridge became Raquel Welch's wildest movie role". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Longsdorf, Amy (September 14, 1997). "Kiss & Tell Tom Selleck Goes Straight to the Truth Discussing Role as Gay in 'In & Out'". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
- ^ Curtis, Gregory (April 1982). "How Farrah Fawcett Changed the World". Texas Monthly.
- ^ a b "Myra Breckinridge (1970)". The Agony Booth. August 24, 2003.
- ^ ISBN 978-0806513591.
- ISBN 978-0-3133-3599-0.
- ^ "At the Movies". The New York Times. December 23, 1977.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-8063-0.
- ^ "Myra Breckinridge (1970): Articles". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ Daly, Steven (April 2001). "Swinging Into Disaster". Vanity Fair. p. 412.
- ^ "Everything You've Heard About Myra Breckinridge Is True (advertisement)". Variety. May 27, 1970. p. 15.
- ISBN 978-0-8065-2199-2.
- TIME. July 6, 1970. Archived from the originalon May 13, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (June 29, 1970). "Breckinridge". Chicago Tribune. p. Section 2, p. 10.
- ^ Kelly, Herb (August 29, 1970). "'Breckinridge' Worst Ever". The Miami News.
- ^ "Myra Breckinridge". Variety. December 31, 1969.
- ISBN 978-0060909901.
- ISBN 978-1-5748-8480-7.
- ^ Peikert, Mark (9 February 2012). "Catching Up With Raquel Welch". Out.