Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis by Craig B. Highberger Page A
Authors: Craig B. Highberger
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big feet. But Candy’s Jacqueline Kennedy/Marilyn Monroe voice took the illusion right over the top. Candy could go anywhere and no one would question it. Holly Woodlawn had the zaniest sense of humor of all of the three ladies. She seemed to me to be a kind of sexed up Zasu Pitts on drugs. I am so pleased that Holly, as the only living member of that trio, is in Hollywood living her own legend.
Paul Morrissey
Women in Revolt was meant to be a leading part for Holly. The idea of her being a women’s libber was my amusing take on this idea that was just starting then that women should be just like men. It was a silly idea, it’s been proven that but it’s not going to stop.
It seemed to me a funny idea, a comical idea, that men who had devoted their lives to assuming the roles of women, should be asked to play women who had been told by the women’s liberation movement that they should assume the roles of men. So I mentioned it to Andy Warhol, I said I think they should play women’s libbers like that ridiculous Valerie Solanas who had shot him a few years before. Andy was very brave about it, he said, “That’s a good idea.” I don’t remember every saying to Andy anything that he didn’t say was a good idea. Warhol was so glad to have any ideas, because he didn’t come up with any himself, I remember. He wasn’t the kind of person who had funny ideas or creative ideas.
I remember after Women in Revolt was released, reading an interview with Jackie where she said “I like it when Andy directs me, not Paul.” Andy never directed anybody, what she liked was Andy didn’t interfere with her. Andy didn’t interfere with anybody because he didn’t know what to interfere with.
Jackie dominates the movie with this strong character Jackie had. The remarks she makes are funny in a Jackie way, while the remarks Candy makes are funny in a Candy Darling way. You become very sympathetic to the plight of women. And you sort of say to yourself, gee it isn’t easy being a woman. You wouldn’t say that if women were playing the parts, you’d just take it for granted. But because the roles are being played by men, because men are going through these problems pretending to be women, I think it makes it much more effective.
I operated with Jackie and Candy in Women in Revolt the same as in every film that I’ve made – without a script. I would always just explain to Jackie very briefly, I would say, “Jackie in this scene this is the guy you’re trying to pay to have sex with. He is Mr. America, you are a women’s libber.” I would give them each the basis of the scene, and I would suggest lines and then we would just turn on the camera. What I think this did, in retrospect, is it took out self-consciousness and it made them just take chances.
These films besides being unusual when you see them – no films in the history of the world ever were made in this way, where they were actually made in ten hours on afternoons. It always disappointed me that these pioneer female impersonators were so gifted and so funny and yet had such a hard time making any money – if they made any at all. They lived very difficult lives.
Holly Woodlawn
One of my favorite moments working with Jackie was making Women in Revolt with Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey. We shot it in maybe ten days over a period of a couple of months. At the end of every day shooting we would sign the release form and they would pay us twenty-five dollars, which we were happy with. We were “Superstars” and got a lot of attention at Max’s Kansas City. So the film had been out for some time and had a lot of attention and big audiences. So Jackie devised this plan. He said why don’t we go to Max’s for dinner, and order filet mignon and lobster and wine and sign Andy Warhol’s name? So we did this for about a month before Andy found out and the jig was up.
Harvey Fierstein
I couldn’t believe that we would all go to Max’s Kansas City, sit at
Paul Morrissey
Women in Revolt was meant to be a leading part for Holly. The idea of her being a women’s libber was my amusing take on this idea that was just starting then that women should be just like men. It was a silly idea, it’s been proven that but it’s not going to stop.
It seemed to me a funny idea, a comical idea, that men who had devoted their lives to assuming the roles of women, should be asked to play women who had been told by the women’s liberation movement that they should assume the roles of men. So I mentioned it to Andy Warhol, I said I think they should play women’s libbers like that ridiculous Valerie Solanas who had shot him a few years before. Andy was very brave about it, he said, “That’s a good idea.” I don’t remember every saying to Andy anything that he didn’t say was a good idea. Warhol was so glad to have any ideas, because he didn’t come up with any himself, I remember. He wasn’t the kind of person who had funny ideas or creative ideas.
I remember after Women in Revolt was released, reading an interview with Jackie where she said “I like it when Andy directs me, not Paul.” Andy never directed anybody, what she liked was Andy didn’t interfere with her. Andy didn’t interfere with anybody because he didn’t know what to interfere with.
Jackie dominates the movie with this strong character Jackie had. The remarks she makes are funny in a Jackie way, while the remarks Candy makes are funny in a Candy Darling way. You become very sympathetic to the plight of women. And you sort of say to yourself, gee it isn’t easy being a woman. You wouldn’t say that if women were playing the parts, you’d just take it for granted. But because the roles are being played by men, because men are going through these problems pretending to be women, I think it makes it much more effective.
I operated with Jackie and Candy in Women in Revolt the same as in every film that I’ve made – without a script. I would always just explain to Jackie very briefly, I would say, “Jackie in this scene this is the guy you’re trying to pay to have sex with. He is Mr. America, you are a women’s libber.” I would give them each the basis of the scene, and I would suggest lines and then we would just turn on the camera. What I think this did, in retrospect, is it took out self-consciousness and it made them just take chances.
These films besides being unusual when you see them – no films in the history of the world ever were made in this way, where they were actually made in ten hours on afternoons. It always disappointed me that these pioneer female impersonators were so gifted and so funny and yet had such a hard time making any money – if they made any at all. They lived very difficult lives.
Holly Woodlawn
One of my favorite moments working with Jackie was making Women in Revolt with Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey. We shot it in maybe ten days over a period of a couple of months. At the end of every day shooting we would sign the release form and they would pay us twenty-five dollars, which we were happy with. We were “Superstars” and got a lot of attention at Max’s Kansas City. So the film had been out for some time and had a lot of attention and big audiences. So Jackie devised this plan. He said why don’t we go to Max’s for dinner, and order filet mignon and lobster and wine and sign Andy Warhol’s name? So we did this for about a month before Andy found out and the jig was up.
Harvey Fierstein
I couldn’t believe that we would all go to Max’s Kansas City, sit at
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