Russ Meyer
Birth name	Russell Albion Meyer
Born	March 21, 1922 Oakland, California
Died	September 18, 2004 Hollywood Hills, California
Spouse(s)	Betty Valdovinos Eve Meyer (1952-1969) Edy Williams (1970-1975)

Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004), was an American motion picture director and photographer. This is my own photograph Really? Meaning you took it, or what? File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Oakland” redirects here. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Hollywood Hills, an unofficial designation of part of the City of Los Angeles, California, are part of the eastern section of the low transverse range of the Santa Monica Mountains, which extends from the Los Feliz District and Hollywood, on the south side of the Valley, to Pacific Coast... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Eve Meyer (born December 13, 1928 in Griffin, Georgia, died March 27, 1977) was an American pin-up model, motion picture actor and later, film producer. ... Edy Williams (born 9 July 1942) is an actress. ... Russell Charles Meyer (Rowdy or The Mad Monk) (born October 25, 1923, in Peru, Illinois – died November 16, 1998, in Oglesby, Illinois) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... A photographer at the Calgary Folk Music Festival Paparazzi at the Tribeca Film Festival A photographer is a person who takes a photograph using a camera. ...

Meyer is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful low-budget "sexploitation" films that featured campy humor, sly satire and large breasted actresses. Sexploitation is a term that was first used in the 1940s which describes media that is merely an excuse to purvey sex. ... The term camp—normally used as an adjective, even though earliest recorded uses employed it mainly as a verb—refers to the deliberate and sophisticated use of kitsch, mawkish or corny themes and styles in art, clothing or conversation. ...

Early years

Russ Meyer was born in San Leandro, California to William Arthur Meyer, a German-American police officer father and Lydia Lucinda Hauck Howe, a homemaker. His parents divorced shortly after his birth and he was to have virtually no contact with his father during his life. When he was 14, his mother pawned her wedding ring in order to buy him a 8mm film camera. He made a number of amateur films at the age of 15, and served during World War II as a U.S. Army combat cameraman for the 166th Signal Photo Company. It was there that Meyer would forge his strongest friendships and ask many of his fellow combat cameramen to work with him on his future films. Much of Meyer's work during World War II was considered some of the finest combat footage ever shot and excerpts can be seen in newsreels and Patton (1971).^[1] Upon returning to civilian life, he made industrial films and became a well known glamour photographer, which included work for Hugh Hefner's newly launched Playboy Magazine. Meyer would shoot three Playboy centerfolds during its early years, one of which included his wife Eve Meyer in 1955, and a pictorial of then-wife Edy Williams in March 1973.^[2] San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... German Americans (German Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of ethnic German ancestry and currently form the largest ancestry group in the United States, accounting for 17% of US population. ... Modern pawnbroker storefront A Pawnbroker is a person who offers loans to individuals who use their personal property as collateral. ... 8 mm film is a motion picture film format where the filmstrip is eight millimeters wide. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... “Fights” redirects here. ... A cinematographer (from cinema photographer) is one photographing with a motion picture camera. ... 166th Signal Photo Company was the official photo unit in The 89th Division of George S. Pattons Third Army. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A Newsreel is a documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed news stories. ... Patton is a 1970 epic biographical film which tells the story of General George S. Pattons commands during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. ... Sponsored film, or ephemeral film, as defined by film archivist Rick Prelinger, is film made by a particular sponsor for a specific purpose other than as a work of art: the films were designed to serve a specific pragmatic purpose for a limited time. ... Glamour photography is the photographing of a model (usually female) nude or semi-nude, in a way that is intended to be erotic. ... Hugh Marston Hefner (born April 9, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois), also referred to colloquially as Hef, is the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine. ... Playboy is an adult entertainment magazine, or pornography magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner, which has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. ... For other uses, see Playboy (disambiguation). ... Standard Lenna image famously used in many image processing experiments, taken from the (non-revealing) top third of a November 1972 Playboy centerfold. ... Eve Meyer (born December 13, 1928 in Griffin, Georgia, died March 27, 1977) was an American pin-up model, motion picture actor and later, film producer. ... Edy Williams (born 9 July 1942) is an actress. ...

Film career

His first feature, the nudist comedy The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959), cost $24,000 to produce and eventually grossed more than $1,000,000 on the independent/exploitation circuit, ensconcing Meyer as "King of the Nudies." Over the next decade, he made nearly twenty movies with a trademark blend of warped humor, huge-breasted starlets and All-American sleaze, including such notable films as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) and Vixen! (1968). Russ Meyer was a true auteur who wrote, directed, edited, photographed and distributed all his own films. He was able to finance each new film from the proceeds of the earlier ones, and became very wealthy in the process.^[3] And unlike many independent directors of his era he chose to cast actresses like Shari Eubank or Cynthia Myers who were considered extremely beautiful and wholesome.^[4] The Immoral Mr. ... Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 film. ... Vixen! is a 1968 satiric melodrama sexploitation film directed by cult filmmaker Russ Meyer from a script by Meyer and Anthony James Ryan, and starring Erica Gavin. ... The term auteur (French for author) is used to describe film directors (or, more rarely, producers or writers) who are considered to have a distinctive, recognizable vision, because they (a) repeatedly return to the same subject matter, (b) habitually address a particular psychological or moral theme, (c) employ a recurring... Shari Eubank as Super Vixen in Supervixens. ... Cynthia Myers (born September 12, 1950, in Toledo, Ohio, USA) is an American model and actress, and Playboy magazines Miss December 1968. ...

Meyer's output can be divided into several eras. Earlier works like The Immoral Mr. Teas, Eve and the Handyman, and the Western-themed Wild Gals of the Naked West were stylistically similar to the "nudie-cutie" fare of the era, though separated from the pack by their superior color cinematography. 1964's Lorna saw the ever economical director revert to black-and-white; with this change came a greater emphasis on storyline, almost theatrical violence, domineeringly psychosexual women, and their insipid male counterparts. The "Gothic" period (as it was termed by Meyer) reached its apex with the commercially underwhelming Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, which would eventually be reclaimed as a cult classic. It has a following all over the world and has inspired countless imitations, music videos and tributes. The Immoral Mr. ... Lorna is a 1964 film by Russ Meyer. ... Gothic woman, traditional style, with big hair, spikes and piercings This article is about the contemporary goth/gothic subculture. ... Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 film. ... A music video (also video clip, promo) is a short film or video meant to present a visual representation of a popular music song. ...

After producing the popular mockumentary Mondo Topless (1966) with the remnants of his production company's assets and two mildly successful color melodramas, Meyer made headlines once again in 1968 with the controversial Vixen!. Although its lesbian overtones are extremely tame by today's standards, the film -- designed by Meyer and longtime cohort Jim Ryan as a reaction to provocative European art films -- grossed millions on a five-figure budget and captured the zeitgeist just as The Immoral Mr. Teas had a decade earlier. He followed it up with Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970), which depended upon montages of the California landscape (replete with anti-marijuana voiceovers) and Uschi Digard dancing in the desert as the film's "lost soul." This plot device was necessitated after the lead actress, Linda Ashton, left the shoot early and there was 20 minutes of footage needed to complete the film.^[5] This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Mondo Topless is a 1966 pseudo documentary directed by Russ Meyer, featuring Babette Bardot, among others. ... Vixen! is a 1968 satiric melodrama sexploitation film directed by cult filmmaker Russ Meyer from a script by Meyer and Anthony James Ryan, and starring Erica Gavin. ... The Immoral Mr. ... Cherry, Harry & Raquel! is a 1970 film produced and directed by Russ Meyer. ... Cannabis, known as marijuana[1] or ganja[2] in its herbal form and hashish in its resinous form,[3] is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa L. subsp. ... Uschi Digard (born August 15, 1948 in Bismarck, North Dakota, USA), is a former Swedish porn star and model best known for her prodigious breasts and her roles in Russ Meyer movies. ...

Russ Meyer (left) and Roger Ebert, (1970)

Reeling from the success of Easy Rider and impressed by his thrifty attitude, 20th Century Fox signed Meyer to produce and direct a long-simmering proposed sequel to Valley of the Dolls. What eventually manifested was Beyond the Valley of the Dolls(1970), scripted by film critic (and Meyer devotee) Roger Ebert and bearing no relation to the novel or film's continuity (necessitated by a lawsuit involving Jacqueline Susann). Many critics perceive the film as perhaps the greatest expression of his intentionally vapid surrealism — Meyer went so far as to refer to it as his definitive work in several interviews — others, such as Variety, saw "BVD" "as funny as a burning orphanage and a treat for the emotionally retarded."^[6]. Contractually stipulated to produce an R-rated film, the brutally violent climax (depicting a decapitation) ensured an X rating. Though disowned by the studio for years to come and amid gripes from the director after he attempted to recut the film to include more titillating scenes after the ratings debacle, it still earned over $6 million domestically in the United States on a budget under $1 million. Download high resolution version (1057x1311, 267 KB)Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1057x1311, 267 KB)Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... Wyatt, Mary (Toni Basil), Billy and Karen (Karen Black) wandering the streets of a parade filled New Orleans. ... Valley of the Dolls is the title of a best selling novel by Jacqueline Susann, published in 1966, the Hollywood film which followed it in 1967, and the 1994 late-night, syndicated television soap opera. ... Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Erica Gavin, Edy Williams, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar, and Michael Blodgett. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... Jacqueline Susann (August 20, 1918 – September 21, 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was a Jewish-American author known for her mass-appeal novels. ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ...

After making his most subdued film, an adaptation of the popular Irving Wallace novel The Seven Minutes (1971), Meyer returned to grindhouse-style cinema in 1973 with the Blaxploitation period piece Black Snake, which was dismissed by critics and audiences as incoherent. In 1975, he released Supervixens, a return to the world of big bosoms, square jaws, and the Mojave desert that earned $17 million (American) on a shoestring budget. Meyer's theatrical career ended with the release of the surreal Up! (1976) and 1979's Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens, his most sexually graphic films. Film historians and fans have called these last three films "Bustoons" because Russ Meyer's usage of color and Mise en scène recalled larger than life pop art settings and cartoonish characters.^[7] Irving Wallace (March 19, 1916 - June 29, 1990) was an American bestselling author and screenwriter. ... The Seven Minutes was made into a film by Russ Meyer, and is the only Russ Meyer film to receive an R rating (rather than the usual X) from the MPAA. The film stars Wayne Maunder, Marianne McAndrew, Philip Carey, and John Carradine. ... Exploitation films is a loosely defined term to describe a film genre that typically sacrifice the traditional notions of artistic merit for a more sensationalistic display, often featuring excessive sex, violence, and gore. ... Shaft (1971) Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban African American audience; the word itself is a portmanteau of the words “black” and “exploitation. ... Black Snake is a 1973 film directed by Russ Meyer. ... Christy Hartburg as SuperLorna. ... Up! is a film directed by Russ Meyer in 1976 during his surreal period. ... Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens is a satirical sexploitation film starring Uschi Digart and Kitten Natividad written and directed by breast fetishist Russ Meyer. ... Mise en scène [mizɑ̃sÉ›n] has been called film criticisms grand undefined term, but that is not because of a lack of definitions. ... Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956) is one of the earliest works to be considered pop art. ... A cartoon is a form of art with diverse origins and even more diverse modern meanings. ...

Despite the fact that hardcore pornographic films would overtake Meyer's softcore market share, he retired in the late 1970s a very wealthy man.^[8] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Usage of satire

Russ Meyer was also adept at mocking moral stereotypes and actively lampooning conservative American values. Many of his films feature a narrator who attempts to give the audience a "moral roadmap" of what they are watching. Like contemporary Terry Southern, Meyer realized that sex — as one of the few common interests among most humans — was a natural vehicle for satirizing values and conventions held by the Greatest Generation. According to Roger Ebert in a commentary recorded for the DVD release of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Meyer continually reiterated that this irreverence was the true secret to his artistic success. In modern usage, a stereotype is a simplified mental picture of an individual or group of people who share a certain characteristic (or stereotypical) qualities. ... In contemporary usage, parody is a form of satire that imitates another work of art in order to ridicule it. ... In historical context The factual accuracy of this section of this article is disputed. ... Terry Southern (May 1, 1924 – October 29, 1995) was a highly influential American short story writer, novelist, essayist, screenwriter and university lecturer. ... The Greatest Generation is a term sometimes used to denote the younger half of what is often referred to as the G.I. Generation. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ...

Meyer's art is an example of the venerable Menippean satire, a difficult genre to define — roughly, it combines disparate forms such as prose and verse, theatre and film (think Lavonia and Semper Fidelis making love in heroic couplets or Kitten Natividad as the Greek Chorus in Up!), sacred and profane (biblical references and softcore^{[verification needed]} sex), all of the time maintaining a healthy disregard for all forms of authority: religious/moral, legal, political, and last but not least, the authority of the established aesthetic tradition.^[9] Menippean Satire is a term employed broadly to refer to satires that are rhapsodic in nature, combining many different targets of ridicule into a fragmented satiric narrative. ... Kitten Natividad (born Francesca Isabel Natividad on February 14, 1948) is a Mexican American film actress and exotic dancer, noted for her 44-inch chest and appearances in cult films by her ex-partner, director Russ Meyer. ... In tragic plays of ancient Greece, the chorus (choros) is believed to have grown out of the Greek dithyrambs and tragikon drama. ... Up! is a film directed by Russ Meyer in 1976 during his surreal period. ... The dichotomy between the sacred and the profane has been identified by French sociologist Emile Durkheim as the central characteristic of religion: religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden. ... Softcore is a form of pornography that is less explicit than hardcore pornography in depicting or describing sexual behaviour. ...

Meyer was also known for his quick wit. While participating with Ebert in a panel discussion at Yale University, he was confronted by an angry woman who accused him of being "nothing but a breast man." His immediate reply: "That's only the half of it."^[10] Yale redirects here. ... Breast fetishism[1] is the attribution of powerful or supernatural qualities to the concept of perceiving breasts as signs of human sexuality. ...

Big breast fixation, or the Meyer physical archetype

Russ Meyer's lifelong unabashed fixation on large breasts would feature prominently in all his films and is his most well known character trait as both an artist and a person. His discoveries include Kitten Natividad, Erica Gavin, Lorna Maitland, Tura Satana and Uschi Digard among many others. The majority of his discoveries were naturally large breasted and he occasionally cast women in their first trimesters of pregnancy as it enhanced their breast size even further. ^[11] Kitten Natividad (born Francesca Isabel Natividad on February 14, 1948) is a Mexican American film actress and exotic dancer, noted for her 44-inch chest and appearances in cult films by her ex-partner, director Russ Meyer. ... Erica Gavin, (born Donna Graff[1] on July 22, 1947 in Los Angeles, California), is an American film actress best known for playing the title role in Russ Meyers 1968 film Vixen. ... Lorna Maitland is a film actress noted mostly for her large breasted figure and appearances in three Russ Meyer films: Lorna, Mudhoney and Mondo Topless. ... Tura Satana, as Varla, The Boss Pussycat herself. ... Uschi Digard (born August 15, 1948 in Bismarck, North Dakota, USA), is a former Swedish porn star and model best known for her prodigious breasts and her roles in Russ Meyer movies. ...

Rarely were there cosmetically enhanced breasts in any of his films until Up! (1976) and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979). However, by the early 1980s, when surgical advancements had made the gargantuan breasts of Meyer's fantasies a reality, many felt he had started viewing the female body as simply a "tit transportation device"^[12] and that his aesthetic vision was no longer attractive or vibrant. Darlene Gray, a natural 36H-22-33 from Great Britain, who appeared in Mondo Topless (1966) is said to be Russ Meyer's most busty discovery.^[13] Up! is a film directed by Russ Meyer in 1976 during his surreal period. ... Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens is a satirical sexploitation film starring Uschi Digart and Kitten Natividad written and directed by breast fetishist Russ Meyer. ... Darlene Gray is a stripper and actress who appeared in Russ Meyers 1966 film Mondo Topless. ... Mondo Topless is a 1966 pseudo documentary directed by Russ Meyer, featuring Babette Bardot, among others. ...

The Russ Meyer female physical archetype is fairly complex to decipher. Firstly, it's not to be confused with today's surgically enhanced Hollywood porn starlets or even slim, naturally endowed actresses. Russ Meyer was almost as much about a shapely 1950s hip-to-waist ratio or "Wasp waist" as he was about very large breasts. The six-pack abdominal muscles and built-up squarish appearance of modern Hollywood figures do not mesh with his pin-up aesthetic.^{[14] [15] [16]} Secondly, he also required that even his most busty actress have the ability to look good braless; "gravity-defying" and "cantilevered" became two of his favorite expressions.^[17] ... PORN can refer to: An abbreviation for pornography Progressive outer retinal necrosis, a disease of the retina Categories: | ... . Female body shape has a bearing on a wide range of human activities, and widely different ideals of female body shape exist, and have existed, among different cultures over history. ... Wasp waist (1885) Wasp waist by hip form girdle (1901) Wasp waist refers to a style of corset and girdle that has experienced various periods of popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. ... Six-pack has more than one meaning: Six-pack refers to a set of six canned or bottled drinks sold together: aluminum cans are held together by a yoke, and bottles are stored in cardboard carriers with three on either side of a handle in the middle. ... The abdomen (from the Latin word meaning belly) is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. ... A schematic image of two cantilevers. ...

In his films such as Vixen! and Cherry, Harry & Raquel! some of the actresses do not have large (by Russ Meyer standards) breasts yet their chests are always accentuated with very clever camera angles and well constructed bras. Reportedly, Gavin was cast as the lead in Vixen! because her "smaller" bust would make the character "more relatable to women"."^[18] Vixen! is a 1968 satiric melodrama sexploitation film directed by cult filmmaker Russ Meyer from a script by Meyer and Anthony James Ryan, and starring Erica Gavin. ... Cherry, Harry & Raquel! is a 1970 film produced and directed by Russ Meyer. ...

He went on record numerous times to say that Anita Ekberg was the most beautiful woman he ever photographed and that her 39DD breasts were the biggest in A-list Hollywood history, dwarfing both Jayne Mansfield and the British actress Sabrina.^[19]"^[20] Dolly Parton was the only modern Hollywood actress Meyer ever expressed interest in working with.^[21] Anita Ekberg in the Fontana di Trevi. ... ... Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer, April 19, 1933—29 June 1967) was an American actress and Playboy centerfold. ... Sabrina (born 19 May 1933) was a 1950s English glamour model who progressed to a minor movie career, her main claim to fame was her large bust. ... Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is a Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated American country singer, songwriter, composer, author, actress, and philanthropist. ...

It should also be noted that while he often referred to his actresses as "Junoesque" and "Amazonian"^[22] this was probably more in their spirit than their actual physiques"^[23] as Meyer rarely ever cast very tall or symmetrically built actresses with strong legs and large posteriors. So while the general public could easily perceive Jane Russell or Sophia Loren as "Russ Meyer material" their balanced bodies did not mesh with Meyer's precise aesthetic preferences."^[24] And indeed Meyer said many times that it was Gina Lollobrigida's smaller breasted figure that he preferred visually over her larger breasted, taller and bigger hipped rival, Sophia Loren ^[25] Thus Meyer's complete oeuvre shows the viewer that while his actresses could easily be described as voluptuous, buxom and curvaceous, it's debatable to some if they were strapping, stately or even statuesque as Meyer readily proclaimed."^[26][27] With Bob Hope in 1944. ... Sophia Loren (born September 20, 1934) is a motion picture and stage, Academy Award-winning actress, widely considered to be the most popular Italian actress. ... Gina Lollobrigida. ... Sophia Loren (born September 20, 1934) is a motion picture and stage, Academy Award-winning actress, widely considered to be the most popular Italian actress. ...

The tallest actress Meyer ever cast in a lead was the 5'9, slim hipped, huge breasted Lorna Maitland^[28](who he admitted he found intimidating to work with),^[29][30] nearly all the other women he featured never topped off at taller than 5'7.^[31] Tura Satana's performance as Varla in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! was Meyer's only true portrayal of the large, strong and aggressive Amazonian archetype in the classic visual sense.^[32][33] Lorna Maitland is a film actress noted mostly for her large breasted figure and appearances in three Russ Meyer films: Lorna, Mudhoney and Mondo Topless. ... Tura Satana, as Varla, The Boss Pussycat herself. ... Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 film. ...

Female empowerment

Film historian Jimmy McDonough posits that Russ Meyer's usage of physically and sexually overwhelming female characters places him in his own separate genre.^[34] He argues that despite portraying women as sex objects, Meyer nonetheless depicts them as more powerful than men and is therefore an inadvertent feminist filmmaker. Similarly, Hugh Hefner has observed: "In retrospect it seems to be empowering rather than exploitive. How much of that was conscious and how much was unconscious? I think it was relatively uncalculated...most of what Russ did came from the gut."^[35] Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ... Hugh Marston Hefner (born April 9, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois), also referred to colloquially as Hef, is the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine. ...

In many of Meyer's films women eventually defeat men, winning sexual fulfillment as their reward, e.g., Super Vixen (Supervixens), Margo Winchester (Up!) and Lavonia Shed (Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens).^[36] And even in the 1950s and 60's his films were sometimes centered entirely around a woman's need and struggle for sexual satisfaction (Lorna, Good Morning and... Goodbye! and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens).^[37] Additionally, Russ Meyer's female characters were often allowed to express anger and violence towards men (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Supervixens).^[38] Christy Hartburg as SuperLorna. ... Up! is an album by Shania Twain, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ... Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens is a satirical sexploitation film starring Uschi Digart and Kitten Natividad written and directed by breast fetishist Russ Meyer. ... im not deaf, im ignoring you says: I AM A LAAAAAAAADY ... Good Morning and. ... Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens is a satirical sexploitation film starring Uschi Digart and Kitten Natividad written and directed by breast fetishist Russ Meyer. ... Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 film. ... Christy Hartburg as SuperLorna. ...

Yet McDonough in his research also notes that Meyer's female characters were limited in how powerful they could appear; ^[39] often the female lead is raped (Up! and Lorna) or brutally murdered (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Supervixens, Lorna and Blacksnake). While Russ Meyer may have championed powerful woman characters, he also forced them into violent and terrifying situations, making them prove their physical and mental strength against tremendous odds.^[40] He also ensured that women's breasts were at least semi-exposed during these ordeals for comic or erotic effect.^[41]Furthermore, according to frequent collaborator and longtime lover Kitten Natividad, Meyer's love of dominant women extended to his personal life, and he was almost always in a tumultuous relationship.^[42].^[43] Up! is an album by Shania Twain, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ... Lorna is a 1964 film by Russ Meyer. ... Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Erica Gavin, Edy Williams, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar, and Michael Blodgett. ... Christy Hartburg as SuperLorna. ... im not deaf, im ignoring you says: I AM A LAAAAAAAADY ... For other uses, see Whip (disambiguation). ... Kitten Natividad (born Francesca Isabel Natividad on February 14, 1948) is a Mexican American film actress and exotic dancer, noted for her 44-inch chest and appearances in cult films by her ex-partner, director Russ Meyer. ...

Personal and family life

It was in World War II, that, according to Meyer, he found himself at a French brothel with Ernest Hemingway, who, upon finding out that Meyer was a virgin, offered him the prostitute of his choice. Meyer picked the one with the largest breasts.^[44] Although the veracity of this event has been called into question, Meyer's close friend Roger Ebert stated that Russ was always a very honest man and wasn't likely to make things up. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ...

Despite his reputation as a Rabelaisian man, Russ Meyer never employed the casting couch and rarely slept with any of his actresses.^[45] He had no children though there were rumored unsuccessful pregnancies with his second wife Edy Williams and last serious girlfriend Melissa Mounds who was also found guilty of assaulting him in 1999.There is a long standing rumor among his closest friends and at least one biographer that he had a son in 1964 with a secret lover who he would refer to only as "Miss Mattress" or "Janet Buxton."^[46] Rabelaisian refers to the works of Rabelais. ... The casting couch is a euphemism for a widely recognized sociological phenomenon that involves the trading of sexual favors by an aspirant, apprentice employee, or subordinate to a superior, in return for entry into an occupation, or for other career advancement within an organization. ... Edy Williams (born 9 July 1942) is an actress. ...

Meyer was very upfront throughout his life about being too selfish to be a father or even a caring partner and husband, yet he is also said to have been very generous with all he knew and never isolated friends from each other. Biographers have attributed most of his brutish and eccentric nature to the fact that he was abandoned by his father, an Oakland police officer and overly coddled by his mother, Lydia, who was married six times and breast fed him until he was three years old. Russ Meyer also had a half sister, Lucinda, who was diagnosed in her twenties with paranoid schizophrenia and was committed to California State mental institutions until her death in 1999. Mental illness ran in his family and it was something he secretly feared. During his entire life Russ Meyer would speak with only the highest reverence for his mother and sister.^[47] Oakland is the name of several places in the United States of America: Oakland, Alabama Oakland, California (The best-known city with this name) Oakland, Florida Oakland, Maine Oakland, Maryland Oakland, Michigan Oakland, Missouri Oakland, Nebraska Oakland, New Jersey Oakland, Oklahoma Oakland, Oregon Oakland, Pennsylvania Oakland, Rhode Island Oakland, Tennessee... Schizophrenia is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness variously affecting behavior, thinking, and emotion. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Meyer was married to:

• Betty Valdovinos (ca.1949-?)
• Eve Meyer (April 2, 1952-1969, divorced)
• Edy Williams (June 27, 1970 - November 7, 1977, divorced)

Contrary to some accounts, Meyer was never married to his frequent star, Kitten Natividad. A question mark is a punctuation mark. ... Eve Meyer (born December 13, 1928 in Griffin, Georgia, died March 27, 1977) was an American pin-up model, motion picture actor and later, film producer. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edy Williams (born 9 July 1942) is an actress. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 ([[Rf 1970 == January 1 - The Unix epoch begins at 00:00:00 UTC January 2 - The last studio performance of The Beatles oman numerals|MCMLXX]]) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Kitten Natividad (born Francesca Isabel Natividad on February 14, 1948) is a Mexican American film actress and exotic dancer, noted for her 44-inch chest and appearances in cult films by her ex-partner, director Russ Meyer. ...

Final years

Russ Meyer owned the rights to nearly all of his films and spent the majority of the 1980s and 1990s making millions reselling his films on the home video and DVD market. He worked out of the very same Los Angeles, California home he lived in and usually answered the phone to take orders himself. A major retrospective of his work was given at The British Film Institute (1983), The Chicago Film Festival honored him in 1985, and many revival movie houses booked his films for midnight movie marathons. The home video business rents and sells videocassettes and DVDs to the public. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The British Film Institute was established in 1933 to promote appreciation of film and mass media in the United Kingdom. ... A classic midnight movie in every sense of the term, Tod Brownings Freaks (1932) is the sort of (then) obscure horror film shown on late-night TV beginning in the 1950s; in the 1970s and early 1980s it was a staple of midnight screenings at theaters around the U...

Russ Meyer also worked obsessively for over a decade on a massive three volume autobiography entitled A Clean Breast. Finally printed in 2000 it features numerous excerpts of reviews, clever details of each of his films and countless photos and erotic musings. A Clean Breast is Russ Meyers three volume autobiography. ... Eroticism is an aesthetic focused on sexual desire, especially the feelings of anticipation of sexual activity. ...

Starting in the mid 1990s Meyer had frequent fits and bouts of memory loss. By 2000 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and his health and well being were thereafter looked after by Janice Cowart his secretary and estate executor. Most of Russ Meyer's estate was left to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in honor of his mother. Memory loss can be caused by many things. ... The original New York Cancer Hospital[1], first built between 1884 and 1886, now converted to luxury condominiums, at 455 Central Park West and 106th St. ...

Meyer died at his home in the Hollywood Hills, of complications of pneumonia and dementia, on September 18, 2004. Meyer's grave is located at Stockton Rural Cemetery [1], Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. His headstone reads: This article is about human pneumonia. ... For other uses, see Dementia (disambiguation). ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

Selected filmography

• 1950 - The French Peep Show
• 1959 - The Immoral Mr. Teas, his first commercial success, defining a new genre
• 1959 - This Is My Body
• 1960 - Eve and the Handyman
• 1960 - Naked Camera
• 1961 - Erotica
• 1962 - Wild Gals of the Naked West
• 1963 - Europe in the Raw
• 1963 - Heavenly Bodies!
• 1963 - Skyscrapers and Brassieres
• 1964 - Lorna
• 1964 - Fanny Hill, an adaptation of the 1749 novel Fanny Hill, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure
• 1965 - Mudhoney
• 1965 - Motorpsycho
• 1965 - Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
• 1966 - Mondo Topless
• 1967 - Common Law Cabin
• 1967 - Good Morning and... Goodbye!
• 1968 - Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
• 1968 - Vixen!
• 1969 - Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
• 1970 - Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
• 1971 - The Seven Minutes
• 1972 - Black Snake
• 1975 - Supervixens
• 1976 - Up!
• 1978 - Who Killed Bambi? (unfinished)
• 1979 - Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
• 2001 - Pandora Peaks (film) (Meyer's last movie)

The Immoral Mr. ... Lorna is a 1964 film by Russ Meyer. ... Illustration by Édouard-Henri Avril Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, also known as Fanny Hill, is a novel by John Cleland. ... Mudhoney (sometimes Mud Honey) is a 1965 film by Russ Meyer based on the novel by Raymond Friday Locke. ... Motorpsycho or Motor Psycho is a 1965 film by Russ Meyer. ... Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 film. ... Mondo Topless is a 1966 pseudo documentary directed by Russ Meyer, featuring Babette Bardot, among others. ... Common Law Cabin (1967) is Russ Meyers bizarre tale of lust, incest, crime, and muder. ... Good Morning and. ... Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! is a 1968 film by Russ Meyer. ... Vixen! is a 1968 satiric melodrama sexploitation film directed by cult filmmaker Russ Meyer from a script by Meyer and Anthony James Ryan, and starring Erica Gavin. ... Cherry, Harry & Raquel! is a 1970 film produced and directed by Russ Meyer. ... Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Erica Gavin, Edy Williams, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar, and Michael Blodgett. ... The Seven Minutes was made into a film by Russ Meyer, and is the only Russ Meyer film to receive an R rating (rather than the usual X) from the MPAA. The film stars Wayne Maunder, Marianne McAndrew, Philip Carey, and John Carradine. ... Black Snake is a 1973 film directed by Russ Meyer. ... Christy Hartburg as SuperLorna. ... Up! is a film directed by Russ Meyer in 1976 during his surreal period. ... Who Killed Bambi? was to be the first film featuring The Sex Pistols which was due to be released in 1978. ... Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens is a satirical sexploitation film starring Uschi Digart and Kitten Natividad written and directed by breast fetishist Russ Meyer. ...

References

External links

• RM Films
• A Clean Breast
• Russ Meyer at the Internet Movie Database