Raquel Welch was the very first sex symbol I was aware of--and even as a little kid, I knew why she was a sex symbol. How could you not?
If you were not around during the 1970s, it would be hard for you to understand how much of a cultural impact Raquel Welch had back then. She wasn't just Raquel Welch, she was RAQUEL WELCH. If anyone used her name as a reference, everybody knew what that person was talking about. (For example: "Your sister isn't exactly Raquel Welch....") The Seventies was a time when major stars showed up just about everywhere. Welch did movies, but she also appeared in TV variety shows, talk shows, THE MUPPET SHOW, and even a couple famous episodes of MORK & MINDY. The type of mainstream clout that Welch had is almost impossible to obtain now.
Saying that a certain star was a much better performer than given credit for has become way too common (and simplistic), but in Welch's case it was true. When given the right type of material she could rise up to it. The problem in her case was--what type of role do you give to the most alluring woman in the world??
She was surprisingly good in the Westerns she was cast in, especially HANNIE CAULDER, where she played a woman who is raped and ravaged by a group of scum who also murder her husband and burn down her home. She spends the rest of the film going after them and getting her revenge. HANNIE CAULDER, as a film, has a lot of problems--its tone is way too uneven--but Welch pulls off her character's transformation from brutalized victim to cool EuroWestern gunslinger quite capably.
Welch also made a huge mark in THE THREE and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS as the ravishing but klutzy Constance. One of the biggest gut-punches in movie history is when her Constance is killed by Faye Dunaway's Milady de Winter. That's the way Dumas wrote it, but it still comes as a total shock, because Welch is so appealing in the role.
And yes, I have to mention ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. The publicity image of her used on that movie's poster is probably the most famous movie still photo of all time. For a while it seemed that Welch wasn't happy about being constantly reminded of that film (and the photo), but she finally appeared to accept and appreciate the cult status it gave her.
One other thing that has to be pointed out--Welch never appeared nude onscreen or in print, a fact that, taken in the context of today's times, seems mind-boggling.
Raquel Welch's time as a major movie star was actually rather short, but she always had an iconic status. She also for the most part managed to avoid the major public scandals and personal issues that affected so many other famous sex symbols. Her passing is another sad reminder of the fact that there's very few real movie legends left.
This is a wonderful tribute to a very iconic actress. I'm realizing now how few of her films I've actually seen, For example, I don't think I ever saw One Million B.C. I may have seen part of it on television. One movie I love is Fantastic Voyage, a movie that was way ahead of its time. And then there's Myra Breckenridge. What in the world is there to say about that one? It was a big misfire in many ways, but it certainly got Raquel a lot of publicity. One of my favorite episodes of The Dick Cavett Show was in the summer of 1970 where Raquel came on and talked about Myra Breckenridge's premiere. The other guests were Janis Joplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and newsman Chet Huntley. It was a terrific group of people and they had a fascinating conversation about films, fame, Hollywood, etc. It's one of my favorite memories of Raquel Welch as a person. She was very intelligent and thoughtful. She was very feminine, but she wasn't trying to be flirtatious with the men or put on an act. She was just being herself. You are so right in saying there very few real movie legends left. I hate seeing the world I've always known disappear.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Zoomers today can grasp Raquel Welch's impact in the late Sixties and the Seventies. Like you, even as a kid I knew who she was. I have been thinking that since her death she was the last major sex symbol. I guess there was Farrah Fawcett in the late Seventies, but she never had Raquel Welch's impact. I do honestly think she was underrated as an actress. She gave some great performances in both movies and on television. I have a special place in my heart for her character Aunt Dora on the old PBS television show American Family.
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