Content Warning:
This is just a quick notice to all of you prudes who occasionally take issue with my pointing out that some actresses are not just attractive but also they're damn sexy-as-hell. If you take issue with that kind of copy, then this is your chance to go elsewhere -- right now -- so you don't read this post. You've been warned. Don't bother emailing me.
This is just a quick notice to all of you prudes who occasionally take issue with my pointing out that some actresses are not just attractive but also they're damn sexy-as-hell. If you take issue with that kind of copy, then this is your chance to go elsewhere -- right now -- so you don't read this post. You've been warned. Don't bother emailing me.
"Being a sex symbol was rather like being a convict. The mind is an erogenous zone."
-- Raquel Welch (from IMDB.com)
-- Raquel Welch (from IMDB.com)
Mark my words: Raquel Welch wasn't just a sexy-as-hell woman. She was a gifted actress.
To perhaps an earlier generation of genre fans, she was considered one of the original genre queens. Her one-two genre punch -- 1966's Fantastic Voyage (Twentieth Century Fox) and One Million Years B.C. (Hammer Films) -- certainly put her 'on the map' of Science Fiction and Fantasy fans around the world. Though her later adventures in realms of the fantastic were decidedly lighter, I think it's still safe to say that her lovely face certainly charted an incredible course for fandom to follow in the years ahead.
In fairness to the fullness of her resume, she wasn't exactly what anyone would call of 'box office heavyweight.' For a time, methinks she was vastly more well known for being a sex symbol, and that was likely the chief reason why producers sought her participation in any number of projects -- big and small or even smart or dumb. Clearly, her good looks contributed to her personal success -- a fact of life that even she accepted -- and in 1995 Empire Magazine saw her clocking in at 18th on their 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History.
18th?
Dare I say that's a bit too low?
While her work in Science Fiction may've been a bit light, I've always wondered if I might've enjoyed 1968's Barberella (Paramount Pictures) more than I did. For those who are unaware, she was in consideration for the lead -- a part that, sadly, eventually was awarded to Jane Fonda -- and I can't help but wonder what she might've done with the picture. Who knows? Some might think fandom and filmdom dodged a bullet, but I suspect the flick may've gone on to even greater heights than the cult status it maintains today.
As for other flights of fancy she may've taken during her time in the business that might be of interest to fans? Very early in her career, she paid a visit to the world of Bewitched. 1967's Fantasy/Comedy Bedazzled (Twentieth Century Fox) certainly took advantage of her sex appeal, casting her in the role of 'Lilian Lust.' In 1979, she showed up in an episode of TV's Mork & Mindy. Lastly, in 1995, she stopped in for some work on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and word reached SciFiHistory.Net's desk this week of the lady's passing at the ripe age of 82.
Prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Welch. May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
To perhaps an earlier generation of genre fans, she was considered one of the original genre queens. Her one-two genre punch -- 1966's Fantastic Voyage (Twentieth Century Fox) and One Million Years B.C. (Hammer Films) -- certainly put her 'on the map' of Science Fiction and Fantasy fans around the world. Though her later adventures in realms of the fantastic were decidedly lighter, I think it's still safe to say that her lovely face certainly charted an incredible course for fandom to follow in the years ahead.
In fairness to the fullness of her resume, she wasn't exactly what anyone would call of 'box office heavyweight.' For a time, methinks she was vastly more well known for being a sex symbol, and that was likely the chief reason why producers sought her participation in any number of projects -- big and small or even smart or dumb. Clearly, her good looks contributed to her personal success -- a fact of life that even she accepted -- and in 1995 Empire Magazine saw her clocking in at 18th on their 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History.
18th?
Dare I say that's a bit too low?
While her work in Science Fiction may've been a bit light, I've always wondered if I might've enjoyed 1968's Barberella (Paramount Pictures) more than I did. For those who are unaware, she was in consideration for the lead -- a part that, sadly, eventually was awarded to Jane Fonda -- and I can't help but wonder what she might've done with the picture. Who knows? Some might think fandom and filmdom dodged a bullet, but I suspect the flick may've gone on to even greater heights than the cult status it maintains today.
As for other flights of fancy she may've taken during her time in the business that might be of interest to fans? Very early in her career, she paid a visit to the world of Bewitched. 1967's Fantasy/Comedy Bedazzled (Twentieth Century Fox) certainly took advantage of her sex appeal, casting her in the role of 'Lilian Lust.' In 1979, she showed up in an episode of TV's Mork & Mindy. Lastly, in 1995, she stopped in for some work on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and word reached SciFiHistory.Net's desk this week of the lady's passing at the ripe age of 82.
Prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Welch. May she forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
RSS Feed