Sixties Posts

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R.I.P.

I am sorry to report the passing of 60s starlet Alberta Nelson (pictured at left with Harvey Lembeck in Bikini Beach ) on April 29, 2006. Alberta was a very talented comedienne who was best known for playing a biker chick as part of Eric Von Zipper’s inept motorcyle gang Ratz and Mice in all the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello movies beginning with Beach Party (1963) and ending with The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966). She also had funny bits in Muscle Beach Party (1964) as one of Don Rickles’ fitness nuts and a malfunctioning robot in Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965). When the beach party came to an end, Alberta made a few appearances on The Andy Griffith Show as Flora, a waitress and love interest for Goober.

I was on the hunt to interview Alberta Nelson for my new book and knew she lived in Erie, Pennsylvania but unfortunately I was never able to locate her.

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STARLET HALL OF SHAME

A few blogs ago I bashed Hanoi Jane and added her to my list of 60s starlets I-love-to-hate. I had an inquiry about the other 3 actresses mentioned and why I personally dislike them so here is my all-in-fun personal “bitchy” opinions:

Diane Baker – To me, she is one of the blandest most boring actresses from the decade to reach leading lady status. No range whatsoever. Despite this she is sooo full of herself that she teaches acting classes. When one of her 60s contemporaries heard this, she remarked incredulously, “What credentials does she think she has to teach? They might as well have hired a hamster.”

Jill St. John – Of all the actresses I have interviewed that worked with her all but one said she was unkind to them on the set and described her as a witch and that is one of the nicer terms used.

Stefanie Powers – Beautiful? Yes. Deserving of her stardom? No. She never had a memorable movie role and in my opinion gives the same performance in everything she does.

On the positive side, starlets of their ilk that I love-to-love include Carol Lynley, Pamela Tiffin, Anjanette Comer, Tina Louise, Joanna Pettet, Nancy Kwan, Stella Stevens, Julie Newmar, Marianna Hill, Raquel Welch, and Ann-Margret.

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THE MORNING AFTER

That’s right last night me and about 50 other lucky folks got the pleasure to see The Poseidon Adventure on the big screen in an ass-kicking mint print. The movie looked phenominal and still holds up to this day. The new Poseidon will of course outdo the original in the special effects department (though I still get goose bumps in the scenes where the SS Poseidon turns over-Hold on Linda!) but from the trailers I’ve seen none of the characters seem to be as memorable as in the original. Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens are simply terrific as the battling but loving Mike and Linda Rogo; Shelley Winters was well-deserving of her Oscar nomination as the fat Jewish lady, Belle; and Carol Lynley gives the film’s most poignant performance as the terrified and helpless pop singer, Nonnie. Gene Hackman as the group’s blustery leader Rev. Scott and Roddy McDowall as the injured steward Acres (never noticed his cute butt before, but I digress) also are effective.

It was a dream come true for me to finally see The Poseidon Adventure in a movie theatre. I have to thank my boyfriend Ern (despite his wisecracks about my Carol Lynley as Nonnie) who not only told me about the screening, he trekked with me out to Brooklyn to see it.

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MORE DVD NEWS

In June Fox is releasing special editions DVDs of Valley of the Dolls (1967) and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) both camp classics and chock full of 60s starlets. Though both these films run constantly on the Fox Movie Channel in a letterbox format the DVDs will feature some great extras most notably the failed auditions of starlets who vied for the roles and came very close to snagging a part: Laura Devon and Lara Lindsay in Valley and Claudia Jennings and Anne Randall in Beyond the Valley. Plus audtion tapes from Barbara Parkins she took the blue pills, Sharon Tate she took the red pills, and Judy Garland she took any pill in sight.