sixties

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Received an inquiry about Pamela Tiffin. Poster agreed with a previous blog where I voiced my opinion that I always found Stefanie Powers to be bland and one-note and not worthy of the “fame” that she achieved over some more worthy 60s starlets like Carol Lynley, Anjanette Comer and Pamela Tiffin.

As for the question regarding Pamela, you can read a lengthy interview with her in my first book Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema, but in a nutshell Pamela refused to dye her hair blonde despite pressure from Hollywood. However, when producer Carlo Ponti came a-calling with an offer to be the first American leading lady to star opposite Marcello Mastroianni, Pamela yelled “Si” even though there was a stipulation that she had to dye her hair. The film was called Oggi, domani, dopodomani (1966) but released in the US in 1968 as Kiss the Other Sheik. Pamela was so enthused with the attention she received and unhappy with her marriage to Esquire publisher Clay Felker who encouraged his wife to work much to her distress that she decided blondes really do have more fun and kept her hair that way. Returning to the states, she took a role on Broadway in the Jean Harlow part in the revival of Dinner at Eight and when the show closed so did her marriage. Pamela packed her bags and moved to Roma to act in films that were beneath her.

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A few blogs ago I mentioned Anjanette Comer being one of my faves. During the 60s Comer starred in The Loved One, The Appaloosa with Marlon Brando, and Rabbit, Run with James Caan. The 70’s saw her movie career trail off but she starred in a number of TV-movies including one of my faves Death Stalk. An exciting rip-off of Deliverance, escaped cons kidnap the two wives of businessmen on a river rafting trip. Anjanette played the “good” wife married to Vince “Ben Casey” Edwards who falls for her captor, Vic Morrow, while Carol Lynley was the adulterous party girl trophy wife who fights them off to return to her older husband.

Well, I just learned that Comer is co-starring in a Robert Altman-esque comedy called Screen Door Jesus yet to be released. Set in a small town in Texas where the towns folk are super religious, the film’s plot revolves around the sighting of the image of Jesus on a screen door of one of the town’s residents and how it affects the lives and spirit of the town and its inhabitants. Comer plays Vernalynn (she thinks TV is a sin), the only white member of a Pentecostal church, whose grandkids are left with her while her son goes off on his “4th or 5th” honeymoon. She vows to give the boys that ole time religion despite their disinterest. For more information visit the web site: www.screendoorjesusthemovie.com.

This week’s featured 60s beach boy is Frankie Avalon or should I say Frankie Avalon’s cute butt. This is from Muscle Beach Party where Frankie was at his sexiest stuffed into tight square-cut trunks to compete with the Speedo-clad muscle boys. (For you girl watchers that’s Annette Funicello kneeling, Luree Holmes on far right, and Valora Noland second from right).

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I was a tad disappointed with Francine York‘s appearance on Las Vegas the other night. Though she received “Top-of-the-Show” billing Francine had not much to do other than to look glamorous and coo as the amorous sexually satisfied wife of an old geezer on Viagra. The show’s running joke was that York’s moaning and screaming while doing the nasty kept getting the couple thrown out of their rooms. They were finally updraded to a private bungalow. Funnier would have been seeing the older sexually agressive Francine trying to make time with hottie Josh Duhamel. I’m sure Viagra would not have been needed to get that boy up.

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January 18, 2005

Last night I saw my fave 80s actor Andrew McCarthy on stage in the excellent play Fat Pig by Neil LaBute. He was perfect in the James Spader-role as the sleazy best friend of Steven Pasquale a nice guy who tries to keep his new girlfriend, a fat chick he met at lunch, a secret from his malicious co-workers because he is embarassed by her weight. Though McCarthy is first-rate and oozes smarminess, the years of drinking have started to take their toll and he is out hunked by Pasquale who looks very hot in his swim trunks. As for Andy he has let his hair grow long and the wrinkles are starting to show–not to mention the fact that he is skinny as a rail. Andrew please get a haircut, grow back your Kingdom Hospital goatee, call my friend Fran on LI for a facial, and for Godsake starting eating!

Speaking of studs, here’s another shot of 60s surfer boy Aron Kincaid: