Gore vidal myra breckinridge movie

Mae west in a story that wasnt so much plotted as disgorged onto film. Five decades later, director michael sarnes 1970 film of gore vidal s witty comic novel about hollywood seems nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests. The man in the pencilthin mustache, auteur of the transgressive movie classics pink flamingos, polyester, and many more, serves it up raw. His novel myra breckinridge, written in the form of a diary, became the bizarre 1970 film comedy that starred raquel welsh, john huston and mae west in her penultimate movie. Many of the references in myra breckinridge are dated and certainly would have been at the time of its publication as well, and yet the themes of the story still ring eerily true today. Myra breckinridge is a surreal comedy about a man who transitions into a woman, and tries to seize control of her uncles money. My notes from my journal at that time only say, vidal is an interesting fellow, isnt he. Its tempting to leave myra breckinridge well enough alone. The hollywood adaption of gore vidals controversial 1968 novel with a. Gore vidal novel, michael sarne screenplay 1 more credit. Hot, however, like an unevenly microwaved potash might be. An attractive young woman, myra breckinridge is a film buff with a special interest in the golden age of hollywoodin particular the 1940sand the. Sprung from a novel by gore vidal, myra tells the tender tale of a man damply played by film critic rex reed who. The united states of amnesia movie clip myra breckenridge 2014 documentary hd.

An attractive young woman, myra breckinridge is a film buff with a special interest in the golden age of hollywoodin particular the 1940sand the writings of film critic parker tyler. High resolution official theatrical movie poster for myra breckinridge image dimensions. I got on a gore vidal kick my junior year of college. Myra breckinridge is a surreal comedy about a man who transitions into. Posters of welch colorfully costumed and archly posed like the statue are still widely marketed. Adapted from the gore vidal novel of the same name, in which a gay man, myron breckinridge rex reed, undergoes a sexchange operation before setting of as myra breckinridge on a mission to hollywood to. Myra breckinridge was an agent of doom for the american male. Myra breckenridge, the wild, tasteless, legendary disaster. Instead she starts teaching classes in acting for some reason. Gore vidals bestselling satiric novel gets an inarguably unique screen treatment in this offcenter psychosexual farce. This uneven film is taken from the novel by gore vidal. Written as a diary, myra breckinridge, someone determined not to be possessed.

Author, playwright, screenwriter, acerbic storyteller, and political commentator gore vidal died on july 31 at his home in the hollywood hills. Michael sarnes film of gore vidal s myra breckinridge was released in late june of 1970. She comes to the academy for aspiring young actors and actresses, owned by her deceased husband myrons uncle, buck loner. Tribute to gore vidals myra breckinridge raquel welch, mae west, john huston. Upcoming, new, and past gore vidal movies, tv shows, tv movies, appearances, specials, and more plus, a biography, news, awards, and nominations. A 1970 film based on the novel of the same name by gore vidal, it stars raquel welch and rex reed, along with mae west and john huston. This book is an amusing story about sexual transformation, but despite an allstar cast, the film is a dismal failure. Fussy film buff myron breckinridge rex reed goes to europe and gets a sexchange operation from a slovenly chainsmoking doctor john carradine and returns to the united states as the glamorous and willful myra breckinridge raquel welch. Eerily impressive glimpses of the statue still smoothly revolving are featured in the disastrous 1970 movie of myra breckinridge, among whose few other positives are the dynamic performance and steely armored look of raquel welch as myra. If i was going to read one gore vidal book why, id decided, it was going to be the. It also starred john huston as buck loner, mae west as leticia van allen, farrah fawcett, rex reed, roger herren, and roger c. Adapted from the gore vidal novel of the same name, in which a gay man, myron breckinridge rex reed, undergoes a sexchange operation before setting of as myra breckinridge on a mission to hollywood to destroy the american male in all its particulars. Myra breckinridge 1970 the best man 1964 visit to a small planet 1960. The film had had a difficult gestation, and its birth and early life were painful for.

The 1970 twentieth centuryfox film production is unfairly derided as one of the worst movies ever made. Movie myra breckinridge was released in year and the movie is 94 minutes long since its available here so you can watch the myra breckinridge movie free online. With a more focused pointofview, myra breckinridge might have had something to say about hollywoods sexual consumerism, but sarnes and david gilers screenplay from gore vidal s novel is mired in a sniggering attitude toward sex that is indistinguishable from the industrys lowestbrow embarrassments. Every myron needs a myra, so do yourself a favour and meet the original girl power warrior. This book is an amusing story about sexual transformation, but despite an allstar cast, the film is a dismal. Inside the sex secrets of kevin spaceys gore vidal movie. Gore vidal acknowledged myra breckinridge was possibly the worst movie ever made literary giant gore vidal, who passed away two years ago at age 86, was usually the smartest person in. Gore vidal was a prolific writer and witty political critic who authored 24 novels before his death in 2012. The movie itself is something i remember watching in college and being stupefied that it had been made. It also starred john huston as buck loner, mae west as leticia van. The movie has been filmed, and was in postproduction when netflix. I was never clear on what her plan was, and why she took the teaching job, but this movie wasnt all. Dive deep into gore vidal s myra breckinridge with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion.

Mousy, neurotic myron breckinridge reed secretly receives genderreassignment surgery in copenhagen and returns to hollywood as. I am myra breckinridge, whom no man will ever possess. Myra breckinridge is a 1968 satirical novel by gore vidal written in the form of a diary. This 1970 american comedy is based on gore vidal s satirical novel, myra breckinridge. Described by the critic dennis altman as part of a major cultural assault on the assumed norms of gender and sexuality which swept the western world in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the books major themes are feminism, transsexuality, american expressions of machismo. Id also kindof conflated the notoriously bad film of myra with the novel. Myra is dedicated to vidals friend christopher isherwood, author of the autobiographical berlin stories, which inspired the musical and movie. In its day, it was a spectacular car wreck of a movie, a big budget adaptation of a touted novel by gore vidal, called at the time a novel that could never be filmed. Complete summary of gore vidal s myra breckinridge. Gore vidal acknowledged myra breckinridge was possibly. Myra goes to an acting academy owned by her uncle, buck loner john huston, a former cowboy star.

Myra breckinridge is a 1970 american comedy film based on gore vidals 1968 novel of the same name. I started with the city and the pillar and moved on to myra breckinridge, which i liked even better than city and then directly on to myron. Gore vidal acknowledged myra breckinridge was possibly the worst movie ever made literary giantgore vidal, who passed away two years ago at age 86, was usually the smartest person in anyroom he. The film was directed by michael sarne, and featured raquel welch in the title role. The film was directed by michael sarne, and featured. The united states of amnesia movie clip myra breckenridge 2014 documentary hd the political coup has already happened. The movie is nothing like what book author gore vidal envisioned, but it has turned into a camp classic worthy of seeing. Sexual politics, gender roles, the nature of celebrity all of these. Published in 1968, gore vidals myra breckinridge was part political. There are few issues that remained untouched anything from linguistic deterioration the californian drowning in the ocean yelling. And gore vidal does it with great panache in myra breckinridgemyron. My oh myra gore vidals myra breckinridge the movie.

I mean, somehow, over 40 years ago, mike sarne, a former pop singer and confirmed heterosexual, adapted gore vidal s highconcept literary sensation about a malicious, movie obsessed transsexual into a film that mixes scenes such as a young stud being assraped by thenreigning sex queen. Myra breckinridge audiobook by gore vidal, camille. Myra breckinridge is a 1970 american comedy film based on gore vidal s 1968 novel of the same name. Popism the warhol 60s by andy warhol and pat hackett hutchinson, 1980 is an essential read in its own right, especially if you enjoy campy gossip about the 60s new york scene. Sprung from a novel by gore vidal, myra tells the tender tale of a man damply played by film critic rex reed who has a sexchange operation and goes to hollywood as a womanplayed by raquel welch.

Myra breckinridge is a hot mess, maybe the original hot mess. The vidals endured a rocky marriage divorcing ten years after gore s birth. In fact, it contains much creative genius and is a ton of fun. Gore vidal s myra breckinridge by vidal, gore, 1925publication date 1968 publisher new york. S can the internet movie database for michael sarnes myra breckinridge, based on the infamous book by gore vidal, and youll find among the plot keywords non statutory female on male anal rape. Written by gore vidal, camille paglia introduction, audiobook narrated by michelle hendley, camille paglia.

Compared to the rest of his oeuvre, gore vidal s 1968 novel seems misbegotten, like racing stripes on a limousine. Myra breckinridge 1970, mae west, john huston, raquel. All pictures taken from films and filming issues dated october 1970, february 1971 and march 1971. The future, if it has one, of the netflix biopic gore, starring kevin spacey as the author gore vidal, lies in an odd suspension. Myron breckenridge rex reed goes to europe for a sex change operation and returns to the u. After the operation, myron arrives in hollywood as myra breckinridge raquel welch while in the rest of this movie, myron pops up from time to time as myras alter ego. Which makes one wonder if that category was coined solely for the groundbreaking miss myra herself, exquisitely brought to life by the underrated raquel welch. Young gore spent much of his childhood with his blind grandfather, senator t. We can safely call it one of the most notorious films in hollywood history. Gore vidal full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. On myra breckinridge and the life of gore vidal literary hub.